kscarbel2

Particularly for those important jobs, there’s a lot to be said for character and integrity. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Secret Service officer arrested in child sex sting CNN / November 12, 2015 A Secret Service officer assigned to the White House was arrested after he was caught in a sting sending naked pictures of himself to someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl from Delaware. Lee Robert Moore turned himself in to the Maryland State Police Barracks on Monday, the same day the complaint was filed against him in the U.S. District Court for Delaware. The complaint details a series of online chats between Moore, 37, and a Delaware State Police detective posing as a 14-year-old girl from Delaware. Moore sent naked photos of himself to the undercover officer and requested to meet in person to have sex. While being interrogated by law enforcement. Moore said that he sent some messages while on the job at the White House and admitted to sending messages to what he believed was an underaged girl and other underage girls on a mobile messaging service. Moore was charged with the attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, which carries a sentence of up to 10 years. The event comes after a series of high-profile controversies for the Secret Service. Julia Pierson, the Secret Service's first female director, resigned in October 2014, shortly after a man with a knife jumped the fence at the White House and made it deep into the White House before being caught. About a half year later, this past April, the Secret Service leaked a copy of House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz's application to the agency. Chaffetz, who oversees the Secret Service as part of his duties, has been a sharp critic of the agency. An inspector general's report, released last month, found that the Secret Service leaked Chaffetz's failed application in retaliation.

"Education should be free,” they say. Why? Free college in the U.S., boy, make way for another wave of immigrants who want to milk America for its freebies. Foreign countries will shut down their institutions for higher learning and allow them to come here. Think of the money they’ll save. The U.S. doesn’t have the money anyway because we’re handing it out overseas in the form of economic aid and foreign military assistance. $15 an hour minimum wage so people can make countersales at McDonalds a career? I don’t think so. Today's generation.......they want to have their cake and eat it too..........and they don't want to have to pay for it. They want to zip up to the top rather than work their way up the ladder, or..........they have no ambition at all and are living at home with their parents, jobless, through their twenties.

Reuters / November 12, 2015 Students were set to walk out of classrooms across the United States on Thursday to protest ballooning student loan debt for higher education and rally for tuition-free public colleges and a minimum wage hike for campus workers. The demonstrations are planned just two days after thousands of fast-food workers took to the streets in a nationwide day of action pushing for a $15-an-hour minimum wage and union rights for the industry. Events for Thursday's protests, dubbed the Million Student March, have been planned at colleges and universities from Los Angeles to New York. Thousands of people signed up to attend on Facebook groups, though it remained to be seen how many would ultimately participate. "Education should be free. The United States is the richest country in the world, yet students have to take on crippling debt in order to get a college education," the movement's organizers said in a statement on their website. Organizers are demanding tuition-free public colleges, a cancellation of all student debt and a $15-an-hour minimum wage for campus workers. The total volume of outstanding U.S. student loan debt has more than doubled to $1.2 trillion, according to the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, compared with less than $600 billion in 2006. The bureau said there are some 8 million private and federal loan borrowers in default, representing more than $110 billion, while millions more are finding it difficult to keep up with repayments. Saddled with debt that can sometimes run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, many college graduates have struggled to make payments amid an ailing economy and job market. Dealing with swiftly mounting student loan debt has been a focus of candidates vying for the White House in 2016. Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders has vowed to make tuition free at public universities and colleges, and has pledged to cut interest rates for student loans. His rival Hillary Clinton has said she would increase access to tuition grants, let graduates refinance loans at lower interest rates, and streamline income-based repayment plans. Florida U.S. Senator Marco Rubio is the most prominent Republican candidate to lay out a concrete proposal, saying he would establish an income-based repayment system for federal student loans, and would simplify the application process for federal aid. "This is clearly an urgent crisis, but establishment politicians from both parties are failing to take action," their statement said.

Transport Engineer / November 11, 2015 Kemble, Gloucestershire-based fresh meat and palletised produce haulier Whites Transport Services has put five new Volvo tractor units on the road – four FH-500 6x2 tractors and one top-of-the-range FH16-750. All of Whites Transport Services new Volvos were specified with I-Shift automated transmissions, 700 litre fuel tanks, Bluetooth for cab phones and factory-fitted fridge freezers. The have also been equipped with Volvo’s Active Safety Package, which includes AEBS (Autonomous Emergency Braking Systems) and ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) with Forward Collision Warning. In addition, these trucks feature Volvo’s Driver Alert Support System, Lane Support System, Lane Departure Warning System and Lane Change Support System. Director and transport manager Pete White says that fuel economy to date has been very good across all his Volvo trucks. “We monitor the economy via Volvo’s Dynafleet [telematics] app, which we also use for tracking,” he explains. “We’re consistently seeing nines from the two FHs we have had for a year... We’ve also had one truck record 10.1 mpg over a four-week period in which it covered 12,000km. The FH16-750 is also returning very good fuel figures.” As for why the choice of Volvo trucks this time – Whites’ first for almost eight years, he says: “We provide a top level service to customers... That requires the highest level of reliability from our trucks.” And he adds that Whites’ drivers, some of whom can be away from home for several weeks, are very important to the company. “That’s why we provide them with top quality trucks.” These Volvo trucks are expected to cover 150,000km each per year across the UK, Scandinavia and Europe, pulling Chereau refrigerated trailers fitted with Carrier fridges. Maintenance is being carried out on Volvo R&M contracts at supplying Volvo dealer Truck and Bus Wales & West, Swindon, during the first two years. .

Reuters / November 10, 2015 Volvo Group has won a case in the Arbitration Tribunal of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce relating to defective bearings supplied by NTN-SNR, the European business unit of Japan’s NTN Corp. In November 2012, Volvo Powertrain AB filed a request for arbitration with the tribunal claiming that bearings supplied by NTN-SNR did not comply with Volvo's specifications and caused damages. NTN-SNR argued that the bearings complied with Volvo's specifications and did not have any problem. The deliveries were made several years ago and the problem has since been corrected in the production process, Volvo said. Volvo said the ruling will have a positive impact of approximately SEK 800 million (approximately $94.2 million) on the Volvo Group’s operating profit in the fourth quarter. Related reading: http://www.ntn.co.jp/english/news/press/news201500079.html http://www.ntn-snr.com/group/fr/en-en/index.cfm?page=/group/home/marches_et_produits/automobile/clients_marches

Scania Group Press Release / November 11, 2015 Emissions from Scania trucks and buses are measured under real-life traffic conditions. The company has three mobile test labs for making sure all of its vehicles meet Euro 6 standards. The Euro 6 regulations (EU equivalent of EPA2010), which came into effect in December 2013, require tests to be carried out under normal traffic conditions. From the outside it looks like an ordinary trailer hitched to a Scania P 360 tractor. But the 10-foot container is crammed with equipment for measuring emissions. It is one of three mobile test labs operated by Scania. Emission tests carried out in real-time Sven Andersson, emission test engineer at Scania, says: “With these labs we can check the emissions from at least 50 vehicles per year. Most of the tests are conducted on tractor units to which we can attach the trailer with the mobile test lab. But we can also use these labs for rigid trucks as well as buses and coaches.” Previously, heavy vehicle manufacturers used stationary test rigs to check emissions. But the Euro 6 regulations, which came into effect in December 2013, require tests to be carried out under normal traffic conditions. Accordingly, the Scania trucks are also loaded with ballast corresponding to 50 to 60 percent of their payload. “We perform on-road analyses on at least one customer vehicle per month,” Andersson says. “Furthermore, we test vehicles during the development and production phases. We also test trucks in our own transport operations.” Tests designed to reflect real conditions Each test run takes between three to four hours and is designed to be as realistic as possible. “This means we drive on city, rural and highway roads,” Andersson says. “The idea is to measure emissions in normal traffic under normal conditions.” Once a test lab has been attached to a tractor it is connected to the vehicle’s on-board diagnostics system and an exhaust gas analyser is mounted on the tailpipe. Several parameters monitored “Using a laptop we then get readings on different emissions: carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides,” Andersson explains. “We can also see the exhaust flow, exhaust temperature and exhaust pressure, as well as GPS data and weather data, such as temperature and humidity.” The test engineers can also access any other relevant data: engine speed, vehicle speed, engine temperature, torque, and fuel consumption. “Thanks to our mobile test labs we can guarantee that Scania vehicles meet Euro 6 standards for on-road emissions,” Andersson says. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7HuVxx8p6c

The Morning Call / November 11, 2015 The news surrounding Mack Trucks in the Lehigh Valley has seemed contradictory as of late. In mid-October, Lower Macungie Township's Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted a resolution of support for Mack's local operations. If Mack were mulling an expansion, officials wanted to make sure the heavy-duty truck manufacturer chose to grow in the Lehigh Valley. Then, this month, news surfaced that the local Mack plant will likely be hit with layoffs amid an anticipated 10 percent decline in the heavy-duty truck market next year. So an event Wednesday titled "Mack Trucks in the Lehigh Valley and in the World" came at a opportune time, giving Wade Watson, who started as vice president and general manager of Mack's Lehigh Valley operations in May, a chance to clear the air in front of 200 area business professionals. Watson didn't mince words. "We have been here for a long, long time," Watson said, tracing Mack's local roots to 1905. "We're here to stay." Don Cunningham, president and CEO of Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp., said the group wasn't convinced that was the case three or four months ago. "We were a little worried that they might be looking outside of Pennsylvania, so we had to do some work," he said. Enter the resolution adopted last month in Lower Macungie, in which the board agreed to facilitate and execute permits and approvals related to construction and renovations of Mack's local operations in a "prompt and efficient manner." Mack is Lower Macungie's largest employer. Watson on Wednesday announced two proposed expansion projects at Mack's Lower Macungie plant, improvements aimed at boosting efficiency and customer experience. Now, Cunningham said, LVEDC is working with Mack on the acquisition of some pockets of land in the vicinity of the plant. "It's a very critical statement to have the new executive say, 'We've been here and we want to grow here,' " Cunningham said. "The people in the Lehigh Valley have to understand, the reality is that operations like Mack Trucks could go anywhere. So our first job as a region is keep what we have and keep it growing. "Because of the constraints at the plant physically, it takes a high level of cooperation to allow them to grow in place," he said. Watson gave a 40-minute presentation at LVEDC's Fall Signature Event, held over lunch at the Mack Trucks Customer Center in Allentown. While he started his presentation with a business overview and history, Watson's main message was Mack Trucks is alive and well in the Lehigh Valley, eager to make its operations here more efficient as it attempts to grab more market share, especially in the long-haul sector. That means determining how to better use its facilities, including its 1 million-square-foot plant in Lower Macungie, where all Mack trucks built for the North American market are assembled. That facility is pumping out 116 trucks a day. "We're reaching capacity," Watson said. "I wouldn't say that we're there. We're using the entire footprint today. There's some things that we can do inside the building to reshuffle how we build and to better use the space." According to Watson, the plant's layout creates complex delivery routes. So, he said, Mack wants to expand the building's south end by adding receiving docks, which would improve efficiency. Watson said the plant, now in its 40th year, requires some refurbishing, including a planned new facade. Watson said the civil engineering work on the two proposed improvements — the docks and facade — is done, and next is getting the "business case through the Volvo executive group." Sweden-based Volvo Group is Mack's corporate parent. If all goes according to plan, Watson said, he hopes to have both improvements completed by the end of 2017. "We're committed to the Lehigh Valley," Watson said. "We're looking at ways to invest and make it a more efficient operation here, so that's the intent." Higher efficiency can lead to higher production, and heavy-duty truck production is expected to peak this year. Volvo has said it expects the total North American retail market for heavy-duty trucks to approach 310,000 trucks in 2015. The company is anticipating lower — but still solid — demand of 280,000 trucks in 2016. "We're coming off of a peak, smoking-hot market and going to a very high market," Watson said. Watson said the anticipated local layoffs are due to Mack's "adjusting to the market." The exact layoff figure is not yet set, he said. The market is cyclical, Watson said, meaning "we're always going to be riding that wave up and down." As Watson pointed out, Mack Trucks had 812 employees in the Lehigh Valley in December 2009. Now Mack has 1,866 employees locally. Of those employees, 52 percent of them have less than eight years' experience, coming in with fresh, valuable ideas, Watson said. That meshes with Watson's outlook as a self-described "fixer" who moved with his wife and 3-year-old son to Zionsville this year. Or, as Watson, who helped bring in $70 million in investments at his last post at Volvo Group in Maryland, succinctly put it Wednesday: "I like to change stuff." .

‘Go long’ with shippers — recession likely before 2020 Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / November 11, 2015 Speaking as part of the Truckstop.com Connected user conference Tuesday, Nov. 10, transportation analyst Noel Perry recommended carriers “go long” with their contracts with shippers, as another economic recession is already overdue. Perry, a forecaster for FTR, said the probability of the U.S. economy making it to 2020 without another downturn is “near zero.” “The longest recovery we’ve had since 1945 last nine years,” he said. We’re beginning year seven of the current recovery, though it’s been marked by fairly tepid growth by and large. “If we get to year 2020 we have to have an unprecedented historical event – a recovery lasted 10 years.” Now is not the time to put large capital expenditures into the business “unless you can get a return in two years,” Perry said. “Keep your cash flow solid – go long on relationships with your customers.” When the recession hits, you’ll be the “guy to get the freight, not your competitor.” Gail Rutkowski, who represents a variety of shippers as executive director of the NASSTRAC organization, echoed that sentiment. “Shippers have long memories,” she said. “They remember who helped them out, and who didn’t. All the technology in the world never places that relationship – and it works both ways. You’ll expect the same kind of respect and attention from the shipper as they would from you.” Perry’s gut feeling on the probability of recession, based on indicators he’s seeing in economic statistics, he put at 15-20 percent for year 2016. “By 2017, 60 percent. By ’18 – 80-90 percent. You should begin to think about it. Once we get into ’17 and ’18 it becomes a realistic issue.”

Roughly 450,000 carriers could lose business over highway bill’s ‘hiring standards’ Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / November 11, 2015 The House’s recent passage of a long-term highway bill has been largely celebrated by trucking industry stakeholders, but one section of the bill is still giving pause to many in trucking, especially small carriers and owner-operators. As CCJ reported prior to the bill’s passage, broker and owner-operator advocacy groups were pursuing a change to the bill during the amendment process that would fix a portion of the bill that sets so-called “interim hiring standards” for those making carrier hiring decisions, such as brokers. The fix, however, was pulled from the House floor, and the bill subsequently cleared Congress’ lower chamber with the language intact. A fix could still come, however, in the Senate-House conference committee on their two respective highway bills. The standards set in the House bill could potentially exclude hundreds of thousands of carriers from being qualified as “hireable” in the eyes of the highway bill as-is. CCJ sister site Overdrive this week dug into RigDig Business Intelligence data earlier this week to show that the hiring standards could negatively affect roughly 440,000 carriers — those with either a “conditional” or “unrated” FMCSA safety rating. Here are the numbers: Safety Rating # of Carriers # of Power Units # of Drivers Satisfactory 35,940 1,494,021 1,598,373 Conditional 10,050 131,018 114,046 Unrated 428,108 1,390,693 1,449,523 The hiring standards named in the bill come parallel to the legislation’s call to remove CSA scores from public view. The problem is, however, unlike a standalone bill introduced earlier this year, one of the three carrier hiring criteria says shippers and brokers should make certain a carrier “has been given a satisfactory rating in FMCSA’s safety rating system.” That language excludes the 428,000 unrated rated carriers and the 10,050 conditionally rated carriers. And as the chart shows, many of those carriers are likely smaller carriers. The 428,108 “unrated” carriers have on average 3.25 trucks, where as the 35,940 carriers with a “satisfactory” rating have on average 41 trucks.

Heavy Duty Trucking / November 11, 2015 Class 6 GVW trucks now operating in commercial fleets now have an average 21.2-year lifespan due to their reliability, durability, and use in a variety of applications, according to IHS Automotive's commercial vehicle director Gary Meteer. Class 6 vehicles now have the longest lifespan of any commercial trucks in the U.S., where fleets are keeping their medium-duty trucks longer. The average age of commercial vehicles among Class 4-8 vehicles has reached 14.8 years, an increase from the 12.5 years in 2007, an 18.4% increase, says Meteer. At the other end of the spectrum, Class 5 trucks are now the youngest truck class with an average age of 11.8 years as a result of this segment of trucks having historically low demand. The truck market is at its highest levels since the 2008-'09 economic downturn with more than 7.9 million commercial vehicles on the road in the U.S. through June, including 3.5 million Class 8 vehicles, 1.5 million Class 7 trucks, and 1.4 million Class 6 trucks. Typical Class 6 trucks in operation are set up as a standard straight truck with a 20-foot box. These trucks are mainstream trucks for rental and daily lease trucks to move goods by businesses and individuals. Trucks configured this way often provide "many uses" once they leave the fleets of companies such as Ryder, Penske, and Enterprise such as construction storage units on site or for electrical supply and local retail.

Fleet Owner / November 11, 2015 An unprecedented capacity crisis, driven by the impacts of trucking regulations, will be followed by a revolution in transportation productivity, and the winners and losers in the supply chain will be sorted out based their preparations for the coming market upheaval, industry analysts explained at the Connected 2015 conference this week. “We are on the cusp of the biggest event in transportation since the invention of the superhighway in the ’50s. The size of the threats we have—or the opportunities—are bigger than they’ve been in a long time,” said economist Noël Perry, senior consultant for FTR. “The problem is that the precise timing of these events is not clear, even though the events themselves are. What it says is we have to get ready before. If we haven’t prepared, we’ll be left behind.” The supply and demand imbalance will initially tilt toward carriers, with the extent of the capacity shortage to be determined by how quickly the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration imposes its regulatory agenda, and tempered by the freight demands of the economy, Perry told the gathering of brokers and carriers. That conclusion is based on Perry’s analysis of the regulations now in the works or under consideration—led by the coming ELD mandate, speed limiters, hair testing as a drug screen, for instance—and how those rules will negatively impact productivity and, in turn, substantially increase the demand for drivers. “If FMCSA does what they say they're going to do, [the capacity imbalance] will peak at levels we’ve never experienced before,” he said. “So if you’re a broker, in 2017-18-19 your survival will depend on your ability to find trucks.” However, by the next decade new transportation technologies—specifically, automation—will reverse the trend. “The business of the 2020s will be finding loads,” Perry said. “The productivity of the industry will be increasing as rapidly as it did in the 1960s. So there’s this wrenching change from one crisis in one direction to a crisis and in the other.” Indeed, as transportation analyst and Stifel Managing Director John Larkin explained, efficiency improvement through automation in No. 1 in his list of the top 10 factors influencing transportation and logistics over the next 10 to 15 years. Automation will have a significant impact of manufacturing and distribution, including the growing use of autonomous trucks. “You may still need the pilot in the cockpit to monitor the systems, but the technology is not too far away,” Larkin said. “Whether the regulators will allow autonomous trucks is debatable.” And while the technology changes to transportation management systems rank second on Larkin’s list of the most significant future factors, the “Uberization” of freight will happen more quickly in some sectors than in others. “Given all the nuances in the truckload sector in particular, it will be interesting to see how this works,” he said. “Most of the people developing this technology are not freight guys or gals—they’re technology people who see it as a very simple problem. But they’re missing the complexity of most freight moves, and I think they’re going to lose a lot in the translation.” His list of influences also pointed to government policy, domestic energy production, industry consolidation, the shift to a service economy, changing demographics, shifting production trends and de-globalization, and changes in the way goods get to consumers. “These are the themes that are going to determine the winners and the losers in the supply chain Olympics,” Larkin said. “This is more important than even economic growth, which has been a little tepid of late. It’s important for all companies to do strategic and scenario planning. Think about how you plan would be affected if one of these big trends cam to reality.” But the problem for carriers and brokers, as NASSTRAC Executive Director Gail Rutkowski added, is that shippers aren’t committing the forethought or the resources to their transportation needs. “When I reach out to my membership, the shippers, what I find is that the things that are bothering them are much more tactical and much less strategic. But they’re down in the foxhole every day, fighting fires, getting trucks and moving freight,” she said. “It’s so difficult for a transportation person at a shipper to pull back and look at these issues that are so important, and are so going to affect how they’re doing business down the road. It’s a little scary.” Shippers’ main concern is “increased customer expectations,” Rutkowski noted, referring to the stresses caused by ever tighter schedules and more complex delivery requirements. “Customers really don’t care what the shippers face or what they’re dealing with—they just want it done,” Rutkowski said. “So the shipper then puts the pressure on the broker who puts the pressure on the carrier, and it just keeps rolling along.” And internally, despite the customer-caused headaches, transportation is often an afterthought in the boardroom—but expectations to cut costs year after year remain. “Its low tech and no tech,” she said. “When it comes to the IT department, transportation does not tend to come in high on the priority list.” On the other hand, shippers’ lack of market awareness and logistics expertise presents opportunities for brokers and carriers to solve some of these supply chain problems. “The need somebody to handle them and walk them through the process,” she said. “No one really wants to tell shippers how bad they’re doing, how bad their freight is—but shippers need to hear those things. They spend so much time looking over their shoulder, they don’t see what's in front of them. They don’t take that broader view of the marketplace.” Of course, carriers and brokers likewise can get caught up in the here-and-now—but a business-as-usual mindset is increasingly a formula for failure, Stifel’s Larkin concluded. “At the end of the day, the status quo doesn’t cut it,” Larkin concluded. “The pace of change is accelerating. It makes for a very exciting environment.”

Majority of Illegal Immigrant Households On Welfare The Washington Free Beacon / September 10, 2015 In 2012, 62 percent got benefits, while 49 percent of legal households also on public assistance More than half of households headed by illegal immigrants, or 62 percent, received welfare benefits in 2012, according to a report released by the Center for Immigration Studies. In the same time period, 49 percent of households headed by legal immigrants received welfare benefits, while 30 percent of households headed by natives received the same. The report evaluates data from the Census Bureau and found that illegal immigrant households benefit mostly from food programs like food stamps and Medicaid through their native-born children. “Welfare use by illegal immigrant households is certainly a concern, but the bigger issue is welfare use by legal immigrants,” said Steven Camarota, the Center’s director of research and author of the report. “Three-fourths of immigrant households using welfare are headed by legal immigrants.” “Legal immigration is supposed to benefit the country, yet so many legal immigrants are not able to support themselves or their children,” he continued. When households have children, the percentage of those receiving benefits increases. “Of legal immigrant households with children, 72 percent access one or more welfare programs, compared to 52 percent of native households,” states the report. And illegal immigrant households have higher use rates of government benefits than native-born households. “Households headed by immigrants illegally in the country have higher use rates than native households overall and for food programs (57 percent vs. 22 percent) and Medicaid (51 percent vs. 23 percent),” states the report. “Use of cash programs by illegal immigrants is lower than use by natives (5 percent vs. 10 percent), as is use of housing programs (4 percent vs. 6 percent).” The report also finds that some restrictions on government benefits are not enforced, and there are many exemptions or ways for these individuals to skirt them. “Restrictions on new legal immigrants’ access to welfare have not prevented them from accessing programs at high rates because restrictions often apply to only a modest share of immigrants at any one time,” states the report. “Some programs are not restricted, there are numerous exceptions and exemptions, and some provisions are entirely unenforced. Equally problematic, immigrants, including those illegally in the country, can receive welfare on behalf of their U.S.-born children.”

We can only have legal immigration, AND, the State Department and USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) need to be even more careful in how they screen immigration applicants. Waves of freeloaders, legal and illegal, are trying to arrive on our shores and milk our system. Millions are already here......and you're paying for it. Look at the chaos in Europe, and the EU countries that have gone broke, as the creators of their welfare systems never planned for waves of foreigners to come and milk the system. We need quality immigrants that will contribute to America's development, rather than collect welfare. It's fair to say that immigrants should be prohibited from collecting financial assistance until they have lived in the U.S. over 10 years. Remember, before foreigners are allowed to immigrate to the U.S., they must prove that they have adequate means of financial support (so they don't become a financial burden on the country). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Majority of Immigrant Households Are on Welfare The National Review / September 2, 2015 Most immigrant households use welfare. That immigrants receive taxpayer-funded benefits at higher rates than the native-born isn’t a new finding. But previous research (including by CIS) has never found such a high rate. The data source is Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), which provides the most comprehensive view of welfare use (a.k.a program participation). 51% of immigrant-headed households use at least one welfare program, as opposed to 30% for households headed by the native-born. But it’s only illegals! Actually, three-fourths of the immigrant households using welfare are headed by a legal immigrant. Illegal aliens are indeed included in the SIPP, and they do often receive welfare benefits on behalf of U.S.-born children, but this is not a problem that can be solved simply with a fence, a wall, or any other form of enforcement. But immigrants are hard workers! No doubt, but welfare and work are not mutually exclusive. Half of immigrant households with one or more workers still accessed the welfare system. Among those working-households headed by an immigrant who did not have a high school education, an astonishing 77% accessed welfare, as did 64% of working households headed by an immigrant with only a high school education. .

Friend, no one will disagree with you that the United States is a country built on immigration. However, at our country's mature state in the year 2015, we need legal immigration (whether they plan to pick fruit, do roofing or other). Every country has immigration laws/policies...........we're not alone here. We have immigration laws that were established for a reason. I know people that have been waiting four years to "legally" immigrate to the US. Why should people who criminally enter our borders illegally be allowed to stay??? Hey, if you hide out in a church long enough, we'll forget our laws and allow you to stay. Gee, what a country (http://news.yahoo.com/illegal-mexican-migrant-leave-arizona-church-sanctuary-461-173643545.html). Do you think that's sending the right message to foreigners who are of the demeanor to intentionally ignore our immigration laws and sneak in at night?

http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/30224-your-mack-off-highway-truck-line/

According to the U.S. State Government 2013-2015 Foreign Assistance report, an estimated $5.9 billion was spent on foreign military funding alone in fiscal year 2014. (Translation: “Estimated” means either that they have poor accounting practices and don’t know, or this number is below the actual fact.......the masses needn’t know the actual amount) This is equivalent to 17% of the estimated $35 billion spent on total global aid. U.S. foreign military aid to countries ranged from $200,000 to $3.1 billion. Of the top 10 recipients, two countries received 75% of the $5.9 billion. Below is a ranking of the the top 10 recipients and their respective world regions. Israel: $3.1B (Middle East) Egypt: $1.3B (Africa) Iraq: $300M (Middle East) Jordan: $300M (Middle East) Pakistan: $280M (Asia) Lebanon: $75M (Middle East) Philippines: $50M (Asia) Colombia: $29M (Latin America) Tunisia: $20M (Africa) Question: Why does the U.S. provide Israel annually with funding through multiple channels, when it is one of the wealthiest countries in the world? Research conducted by the World Bank shows that the on average, countries spend approximately 2.2% of GDP on the military. Israel, Iraq, Jordan and Pakistan allocated above average spending towards their military in 2014. World Bank data shows that each country spent approximately 5.2%, 4.3%, 3.5%, and 3.4% of GDP, respectively, on military expenditures. These countries are also part of the top 5 recipients of U.S. foreign military financing, totaling $4.0 billion. Funding by World Region Approached from a different perspective, approximately 87% of the $5.9 billion was distributed among two of five world regions. The Middle East tops this list, followed by Africa. Middle East: 64% Africa: 23% Asia: 7% General Programs: 4% Europe: 1% Latin America: 1% Note that while the Latin American region received only 1% of foreign military financing, Colombia made the top 10 list with $28 million. The second highest recipient in Latin America was Mexico, with $7 million of U.S. funding. On the other hand, Africa received roughly 23% of military aid; however, five African countries made the bottom of the list, receiving $200,000 each (Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Botswana, Tanzania, and Uganda). Of the 74 countries that received U.S. foreign military funding, not all received aid in proportion to its geographic region. Past, Present, and Future Allocation of foreign military financing may differ over time as the social, economic, and political climate changes across the globe. In the past three years; however, foreign military financing has been relatively consistent, with $5.7 and $5.9 billion distributed in 2013 and 2014, respectively, and $5.6 billion requested in 2015. Additionally, Israel, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, and Pakistan made the top 5 in all three years, receiving roughly the same amount of aid year over year. It is difficult to predict future foreign military financing allocations; however, if remaining consistent, five countries will receive approximately 89% of these distributions, leaving 69 other countries to receive the remaining 11% of funds. .

The U.S. provided $35 billion of economic aid in 2014 The United States provided an estimated $35 billion in economic aid to over 140 countries* in fiscal year 2014. (Translation: “Estimated” means either that they have poor accounting practices and don’t know, or this number is below the actual fact.......the masses needn’t know the actual amount) So when you ponder why our interstate system’s concrete roads are crumbling and bridges collapsing, and the government claims to lack the money to provide funding to address the decay of America's key economic artery, well, this is one reason why. In the map below the relative size of each country is proportionate to the aid received from the United States and the color of each country indicates GDP per capita. How was this aid distributed? Clearly, not all aid is distributed equally. The question is: Who received the largest slice of the pie from the U.S.? From the map above, the answer is clear: Israel. Of the $35 billion of total economic aid distributed, almost a quarter of funds went to five countries. Below are the top 5 recipients of economic aid in 2014. Israel: $3.1 billion Egypt: $1.5 billion Afghanistan: $1.1 billion Jordan: $1.0 billion Pakistan: $933 million Question: Why does the U.S. provide Israel annually with funding through multiple channels, when it is one of the wealthiest countries in the world? At first glance, one may wonder why Israel would receive roughly 9% of U.S. economic aid. It is important to note that foreign aid has a variety of uses depending on the current political, economic, and social climate. According to the U.S. State Government 2013-2015 Foreign Assistance report, all $3.1 billion of Israel’s funding was used for military financing. In Egypt, $1.3 billion of $1.5 billion received was used for military-related activities as well. On the other hand, the majority of funds received by Afghanistan, Jordan, and Pakistan were used for economic development purposes. Of the $35 billion referenced in the report, $8.4 billion (24%) was used towards global health programs, $5.9 billion (17%) was used for foreign military financing, $4.6 billion (13%) was used for economic support, and $2.5 billion (7%) was used for development assistance. Below is a breakout of aid received by geographic region in fiscal year 2014. Africa: 20% East Asia and Pacific: 2% Europe and Eurasia: 2% Near East: 20% South and Central Asia: 7% Western Hemisphere: 4% General Aid: 45% With 142 countries receiving aid out of the 188 countries listed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2014, approximately 76% of the world received some form of economic assistance from the U.S., the majority located within Africa and the Near East. Depending on future geopolitical events, this allocation is subject to change; however, according to the federal government’s 2015 estimates, the approximate $33 billion requests in aid follow a similar geographic allocation. Nonetheless, in the past three years, the economic support from the U.S. will have impacted a large majority of the world’s population, totaling $103 billion in economic support across various programs. .

The next president must make flag burning a federal crime. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Black Lives Matter sets fire to American flag outside GOP debate Associated Press / November 11, 2015 Black Lives Matter protesters burned an American flag outside the GOP debate last night as hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Milwaukee. A man set fire to the American flag outside the Milwaukee Theater, where the Republican presidential candidates were speaking, and said he was protesting against the death of an unarmed black man who was shot dead by police. He and two other men trampled over the U.S. flag while holding their fists in the air as they raised a Black Liberation flag. Milwaukee Police retrieved the flag, ceremoniously folded it up and took it away for evidence. The flag burner said he was demonstrating against the U.S. Justice Department's decision not to pursue federal criminal civil rights charges against former Milwaukee police officer Christopher Manney, who fatally shot disabled black man Dontre Hamilton 14 times during a scuffle last year. 'America is a police state,' the protester said. Milwaukee Police said the protesters have been identified but not been arrested. The police chief said that the man has previous for arson. He said: 'On the eve of Veteran’s Day and the 240th anniversary of the Marine Corps, at a time when Milwaukee and Wisconsin should be celebrating our country for being at the epicenter of our democratic process, protesters chose to disrespect the very symbol of that democracy. 'While the protesters may have been within their rights to trample on and burn the flag, that does not excuse their actions. They showed their disdain for our country, our rule of law, and the brave men and women who have fought and died for their rights. 'I want to thank the Milwaukee police officers who intervened, and treated the flag with the respect and reverence it deserves.'

Pressed on how he would deport 11 million undocumented immigrants from the country, Donald Trump said Wednesday he would build a "deportation force." "You're going to have a deportation force, and you're going to do it humanely," Trump said. "Don't forget, that you have millions of people that are waiting in line to come into this country and they're waiting to come in legally." "And I always say the wall, we're going to build the wall. It's going to be a real deal. It's going to be a real wall." Trump pointed to the actions of former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who authorized the largest deportation operations in US history, Operation Wetback. Sparked by post-war concerns about the invasion of illegal labor from Mexico, immigration agents combed the southwest in 1954 and 1955, arresting illegal immigrants (wetbacks) and transporting millions of people back across the Mexican border. Included in the immigration proposal Trump released this past August is a call for to triple the number of immigrations and customs enforcement agents. Trump also proposes ending birthright citizenship, which is included in the fourteenth amendment of the Constitution and grants automatic citizenship to anyone born in the U.S. (addressing the birth of children by illegal immigrants, and birth tourism)

Agreement Undermines Key Clinton Defense of Personal Email Use The Washington Free Beacon / November 9, 2015 A copy of Hillary Clinton’s signed, 15-paragraph "Sensitive Compartmented Information Non-Disclosure Agreement," executed on January 22, 2009, removes any doubt that Clinton was briefed and agreed to protocols concerning the highest classification materials, including the absolute duty to protect their integrity and to leave them all in the government's custody upon retirement. A nondisclosure agreement signed by Hillary Clinton upon taking office as the nation’s chief diplomat undermines a key defense mounted by her and her allies against allegations that she mishandled classified information. Clinton has repeatedly defended her use of a private email address instead of an official State Department account by saying that the hundreds of emails containing classified information that were routed through her “homebrew” email server were not marked as classified when they were sent or received. However, a nondisclosure agreement signed by Clinton upon taking office stipulates that its prohibitions on the mishandling of such material applies to information that contains classified information but is not marked as such. “As used in this agreement, classified information is marked or unmarked classified information,” says the agreement. That agreement is one of two signed by Clinton and obtained by the Competitive Enterprise Institute through a request made under the Freedom of Information Act. The Clinton campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the documents. One of the agreements applies to Sensitive Compartmented Information, an extremely high level of classification. The other concerns all other classified material and contains the provision indicating that such material includes both marked and unmarked information. Both agreements contain language that placed the onus on Clinton to ascertain whether information in her possession was classified. “I have been advised that any unauthorized disclosure of classified information by me may constitute a violation, or violations, of United States criminal laws,” the classified agreement states. Since questions began surfacing regarding Clinton’s use of a personal email address throughout her tenure as secretary of state, the Democratic presidential frontrunner has routinely defended her actions by noting the lack of classification markings on emails sent and received at her personal email address. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Clinton Signed NDA Laying Out Criminal Penalties for Mishandling of Classified Info The Washington Free Beacon / November 6, 2015 Dem presidential candidate and top aides signed NDAs warning against ‘negligent handling’ of classified information As the nation’s chief diplomat, Hillary Clinton was responsible for ascertaining whether information in her possession was classified and acknowledged that “negligent handling” of that information could jeopardize national security, according to a copy of an agreement she signed upon taking the job. A day after assuming office as secretary of state, Clinton signed a Sensitive Compartmented Information Nondisclosure Agreement that laid out criminal penalties for “any unauthorized disclosure” of classified information. Experts have guessed that Clinton signed such an agreement, but a copy of her specific contract, obtained by the Competitive Enterprise Institute through an open records request and shared with the Washington Free Beacon, reveals for the first time the exact language of the NDA. “I have been advised that the unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized retention, or negligent handling of SCI by me could cause irreparable injury to the United States or be used to advantage by a foreign nation,” the agreement states. Clinton received at least two emails while secretary of state on her personal email server since marked “TS/SCI”—top secret/sensitive compartmented information—according to the U.S. intelligence community’s inspector general. The State Department said in September that Clinton’s private email system, set up at her Chappaqua, N.Y., home, was not authorized to handle SCI. The Democratic presidential frontrunner defended her unauthorized possession of SCI and her sending of emails containing classified information by claiming that the information was not marked as classified when it was sent or received. The language of her NDA suggests it was Clinton’s responsibility to ascertain whether information shared through her private email server was, in fact, classified. “I understand that it is my responsibility to consult with appropriate management authorities in the Department … in order to ensure that I know whether information or material within my knowledge or control that I have reason to believe might be SCI,” the agreement says. The Clinton campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the NDA. According to government security experts, the type of information that receives a TS/SCI designation is sensitive enough that most senior government officials would immediately recognize it as such. “TS/SCI is very serious and specific information that jumps out at you and screams ‘classified,’” Larry Mrozinski, a former U.S. counterterrorism official, told the New York Post in August. “It’s hard to imagine that in her position she would fail to recognize the obvious.” Additional emails on Clinton’s server contained information that was “born classified,” according to J. William Leonard, who directed the U.S. Information Security Oversight Office from 2002 to 2008. “If a foreign minister just told the secretary of state something in confidence, by U.S. rules that is classified at the moment it’s in U.S. channels and U.S. possession,” Leonard told Reuters in August. Clinton’s NDA spells out stiff criminal penalties for “any unauthorized disclosure of SCI.” The FBI is currently investigating whether Clinton’s private email server violated any federal laws. In addition to her SCI agreement, Clinton signed a separate NDA for all other classified information. It contains similar language, including prohibiting “negligent handling of classified information,” requiring her to ascertain whether information is classified and laying out criminal penalties. It adds, “I will never divulge classified information to anyone unless: I have officially verified that the recipient has been properly authorized to receive it; or I have been given prior written notice of authorization” from the proper authorizes. Cheryl Mills and Huma Abedin, Clinton’s two top aides, also signed copies of the classified information NDA. Mills sent classified information to officials at the Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton Foundation in 2012, an email released by the State Department in September shows. Mills’ NDA required her to inquire about the classification of information in her possession if she was unsure about its status. However, her attorney said that she “presumed” that the information she sent to the foundation was unclassified because it had been sent to her at her unclassified State Department email address.

Unlike the 2013 refresh team, a mixture of U.S. and Otosan people, all the designers on the MY2018 H62X program seems to be Otosans. That tells me it's probably global market only. But who knows, Ford's Transcontinental had a modified U.S. market Louisville chassis. Of course in those days, Ford had a huge team of professional heavy truck people under their roof. Now they only have car and pickup truck designers.

I was going to suggest Lancaster County Upholstery, but I just noted your October post stating they no longer provide them. That said, you'll need to have some workable originals copied.