Relative tax burdens of the individual states

This map shows the relative tax burdens of the individual states as measured by the return they get on every dollar they pay in federal tax. For instance, New Jersey gets $0.57 in federal money for every dollar in federal tax it pays. Similarly California, the worlds 5th largest economy, gets $0.78 in federal funding for every federal tax dollar it pays. Poverty-stricken red states then soak up the blue state surplus with states like Alaska, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama getting between $1.50 and $2.00 back for every dollar they pay. These states actually make money off of federal taxes! Why do they send tax cutters to congress?




(http://www.giveupblog.com)

Federal Spending in Each State Per Dollar of Federal Taxes

Federal Spending in Each State Per Dollar of Federal Taxes
FY 2004
State	Federal Spending per Dollar of Federal Taxes	Rank
New Mexico	$2.00	1
Alaska	$1.87	2
West Virginia	$1.83	3
Mississippi	$1.77	4
North Dakota	$1.73	5
Alabama	$1.71	6
Virginia	$1.66	7
Hawaii	$1.60	8
Montana	$1.58	9
South Dakota	$1.49	10
Oklahoma	$1.48	11
Arkansas	$1.47	12
Louisiana	$1.45	13
Kentucky	$1.45	14
Maryland	$1.44	15
Maine	$1.40	16
South Carolina	$1.38	17
Tennessee	$1.30	18
Arizona	$1.30	19
Missouri	$1.29	20
Idaho	$1.28	21
Utah	$1.14	22
Kansas	$1.12	23
Vermont	$1.12	24
Iowa	$1.11	25
Wyoming	$1.11	26
North Carolina	$1.10	27
Nebraska	$1.07	28
Pennsylvania	$1.06	29
Florida	$1.02	30
Rhode Island	$1.02	31
Ohio	$1.01	32
Indiana	$0.97	33
Oregon	$0.97	34
Georgia	$0.96	35
Texas	$0.94	36
Washington	$0.88	37
Michigan	$0.85	38
Wisconsin	$0.82	39
Delaware	$0.79	40
Colorado	$0.79	41
New York	$0.79	42
California	$0.79	43
Massachusetts	$0.77	44
Nevada	$0.73	45
Illinois	$0.73	46
Minnesota	$0.69	47
New Hampshire	$0.67	48
Connecticut	$0.66	49
New Jersey	$0.55	50
District of Columbia	$6.64	na
Source: Tax Foundation, Census Bureau.

Pak pips India in arms-deal race

2 Oct 2007, 0000 hrs IST,Chidanand Rajghatta & Rajat Pandit,TNN

WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI: Pakistan, a country about a sixth of India in size, population, economy and several other metrics, has for the first time outstripped India in purchasing military hardware and software, notching up arms deals worth $5.1 billion in 2006, as compared to $3.5 billion by India, to be ranked the world’s largest arms shopper, according to a Congressional study released Monday.

According to the report, ‘Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations’, produced by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, Pakistan concluded $5.1 billion in agreements to buy arms in 2006, well ahead of second placed India with $3.5 billion in agreements and third placed Saudi Arabia with $3.2 billion, in the developing world. Venezuela ($3.1 billion), Algeria and Israel ($2.1 billion each), and Brazil ($1.1 billion) were the other leading arms purchasers.

India, however, figures right at the top if the 1999-2006 timeframe is taken, with agreements worth a whopping $ 22.40 billion. In this timeframe, China ranks second ($17.40 billion), followed by Saudi Arabia ($16.40 billion) and Egypt ($13.30 billion), with Pakistan coming seventh with $10.90 billion.

As reported by TOI earlier, India has topped the list in both 2004 and 2005, with agreements worth $5.7 billion and $5.4 billion, respectively, even overtaking China for the first time.

But while India still continues to spend just about 2.5% of its GDP on defence, a trend witnessed since 1991-92 despite the armed forces consistently demanding it be raised to at least 3%, the figures for Pakistan and China hover around 4.5% of their GDPs.

Pakistan, of course, has gained ground in recent years, taking full advantage of the US quid pro quo for its support in the so-called war on terrorism in Afghanistan.

The study also shows that Pakistan, viewed in many quarters as the most dangerous country on earth and a terrorist swamp, received top of the line armaments which seem to have little relevance in the war on terror. Instead, critics say Washington appears to be arming an unstable Pakistan to the teeth amid prospects of it going even more extremist. US sales to Pakistan in 2006 included the $1.4 billion purchase of 36 new F-16C/D fighter aircraft and $640 million in missiles and bombs. The deal included a package for $890 million in upgrades for Pakistan’s older versions of the F-16.

The two main armament suppliers to Pakistan are, of course, the US and China, while it’s Russia, Israel and France for India.

The United States maintained its role as the leading supplier of weapons to the developing world in 2006, followed by Russia and Britain, according to the study. In 2006, the United States agreed to sell $10.3 billion in weapons to the developing world, or 35.8% of these deals worldwide, according to the study. Russia was second with $8.1 billion, or 28.1%, and Britain was third with $3.1 billion, or 10.8%.

Overall, weapons sales to developing countries in 2006 reached $ 28.8 billion, a modest drop from the 2005 figure of $31.8 billion. The combined value of arms sales worldwide to both developed and developing nations in 2006 reached $40.3 billion, a decline of nearly 13% from 2005. When combining totals for arms sales to developed and developing nations, the ranking of world arms sellers remained the same. The United States led with $16.9 billion, followed by Russia with $8.7 billion and Britain with $3.1 billion.

The 2006 sales figures for all three nations were higher than their totals in 2005. While commentaries accompanying the study focused on Russia’s arms supply to Iran, Venezuela and other countries Washington considers inimical, there was little by way of analysis of US sales to unstable Pakistan, where the army has long been accused of supporting Taliban and other extremist elements.

(http://www.timesofindia.com)

Author: Letting kids drink early reduces binging

updated 12:58 p.m. EDT, Fri September 28, 2007

By Jennifer Pifer
CNN

• Story Highlights
• Author: Forbidding kids from drinking creates temptation
• Instead, he says, parents should teach kids how to drink responsibly
• "Preparing your child to drink at home lessens the likelihood" of binging, he says
• Critic says giving kids permission to do potentially harmful things is "ridiculous"
  
  

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Over dinner recently, Anna Peele recalls one of the first times she drank alcohol. "I was like 14 or 15," Peele says. "I ordered a beer and they served me."

She had just finished her freshman year of high school and was traveling in Greece with family friends. "We would just have wine with dinner," Peele says. "In Greece it's so not a big deal."

Anna Peele's parents allowed her to drink at family functions and social events when she was in high school.

While that experience would cause some American parents to worry, Peele's parents weren't upset.

In fact, starting in middle school, her parents allowed her and her siblings to have an occasional sip of beer or wine. By the time she was in high school, Peele was drinking beer and wine regularly at family functions and social events. But it was always in moderation, Peele says. She says her parents' attitude toward alcohol made it seem less mysterious. "It wasn't some forbidden fruit," Peele says. "I didn't have to go out to a field with my friends and have 18 beers."

Experts say binge drinking continues to be a growing problem across the country. According to a recent report from the U.S. surgeon general, there are nearly 11 million underage drinkers in the United States. Nearly 7.2 million are considered binge drinkers, meaning they drank more than five drinks in one sitting.

In this age of "just say no," some people believe it is time for Americans to reconsider how they teach kids about alcohol. Peele's father is at the top of the list.

"We taught them to drink in a civilized fashion, like a civilized human being," says Stanton Peele, psychologist and author of "Addiction-Proof Your Child."

He says many of the programs set up to stop alcohol abuse contribute to the teen binge-drinking crisis. Any program that tells kids flatly not to drink creates temptation, he says. "Preparing your child to drink at home lessens the likelihood that they are going to binge drink," he says. "Not sharing alcohol with your child is a risk factor for binge drinking."

Peele says other cultures have figured it out. He points to Italy, Greece and Israel, where children are given small amounts of wine at religious celebrations or watered-down alcohol on special occasions.

But many other experts say the psychologist is off base. "That's ridiculous," says Calvina Fay, executive director of the Drug Free America Foundation. "By allowing teens to drink," Fay says, "you are giving permission to your children to do harmful things."

In the spring of 2007, the U.S. surgeon general's office issued its first "Call to Action" to stop underage drinking. "This is not something that is a rite of passage," says acting Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu. "It has an impact, short term and long term."

"When I went to medical school," Moritsugu says, "the science at that time told us that our brains had finished developing at 2 or 2 and a half. Over the past few decades ... science shows our brains continue to develop well into our mid-20s".

Fay also says Stanton Peele doesn't take into account other consequences of teen drinking, such as unsafe sex and drunken driving. "You don't have to be addicted to be harmed or die because of drugs and alcohol."

But the psychologist contends that kids are going to drink no matter what and that it is critical for parents to set the example. "I think the key to preventing all kinds of addiction is to make sure that your child values life, values himself and has purpose in life," he says. "That's the single most important thing."

Now 19, Anna Peele is a sophomore at New York University. She wants to be an actress. She does drink with her friends, but she says that it's always in moderation and that she is well aware of her responsibilities. "Your parents expect you to do your work and get the most out of your education. ... They're not paying for us to drink."

(http://www.cnn.com)

'Wonderbra' cancer hope

Amanda Crook 28/ 9/2007

SCIENTISTS in Greater Manchester are developing a `wonderbra' which could detect the first signs of breast cancer.Researchers say a microwave antennae system woven into the fabric of the bra detects slight temperature changes in the breast - caused by early cancer cells - catching tumours before they develop and spread.

The bra will be able to detect whether breast cancer treatments are effective, again by detecting tiny changes in the breast tissue, according to the inventors.Prof Elias Siores, an expert in microwave technology, from Bolton University's Centre for Research and Innovation, hopes the bra will be available within two years.

He said: "Early detection of breast cancer gives women the best chances of successful treatment."Doctors have known for many years the temperature of breast cancers and pre-cancerous tissue are slightly higher than normal breast tissue but this is a totally new, out of the box, way of checking for that using high sensitivity microwave antennae. "We are adapting existing technology to measure the temperature inside the breast to get regular reading each day to build up a picture of what is normal for each person and then we will be able to detect a trend of increased temperatures, which may be a warning sign of cancer."

Prof Siores says it takes about 10 minutes for the sensors to take the readings they need and transmit them to a control unit which will sound an alarm when it detects excess temperatures. He says there are no health risks from close contact with the microwaves used in the bra, which is expected to retail at around the same cost as a traditional bra.

More than 44,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK and 80 per cent of all cases occur in over-50s. He is working with health experts in Greece and production companies in Russia and Hong Kong to develop the bra.

Contributed by William Colburn from Phoenix
(http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)

Newt Gingrich Won't Run for President in 2008

Newt Gingrich Won't Run for President in 2008
Saturday , September 29, 2007
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Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told FOX News Saturday that he won't run for president in 2008.

"For the moment, I'm just going to watch the race," Gingrich told FOX News in an exclusive interview.

Gingrich hinted off-and-on at an interest in pursuing the Republican nomination over the past several months but decided his affiliation with a non-partisan advocacy group won't allow him to jump in the race.

"We would be totally irresponsible to leave this new organization," Gingrich said.

Instead of joining a crowded field of presidential hopefuls, Gingrich will dedicate his time as chairman of American Solutions for Winning the Future, a non-partisan group aimed developing ideas to solve the nation's problems.

The Web site message from Gingrich says the group is "designed to rise above traditional gridlocked partisanship, to provide real, significant solutions to the most important issues facing our country."

Gingrich would not endorse a specific candidate and said he "couldn't imagine" being a vice presidential candidate if offered the opportunity.

Gingrich joked with FOX News more than a year ago that his flirtation with a White House run was in part to sell books and give lectures, and to focus the debate on his issues.

For several months Gingrich said he would run for president if he could raise $30 million dollars. No candidate in this race has ever raised that much in one quarter.
FOX News' Carl Cameron contributed to this report.

For FOXNews.com comments write tofoxnewsonline@foxnews.com; For FOX News Channel comments write tocomments@foxnews.com© Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.Copyright 2007 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved.All market data delayed 20 minutes.

(http://www.foxnews.com/)

Viswanathan Anand wins World Chess Championship

30 Sep 2007, 0218 hrs IST

MEXICO CITY: Indian chess player Vishwanathan Anand became the game's world champion on Saturday, winning the global tournament in Mexico. Anand, 37, replaced Vladimir Kramnik of Russia as champion, winning the tournament on points after tying a match with Hungarian Peter Leko on the 14th day of the contest, which he dominated from the start.

The Israeli Boris Gelfand was meanwhile fighting it out to win second place over Kramnik, who saw the championship slip from his grasp on Friday after a tied match. Gelfand, 39, was looking to clinch second place through his Saturday match with Alexander Morozevich of Russia. Eight of the world's top chess brains had met in Mexico for the competition. Key players such as the world number two, Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria, did not make it through the championship's complex qualification process. Anand came close to defeat on Friday but managed to tie his five-hour game with another Russian, Alexander Grischuk. He would have won the tournament immediately if he had beaten Grischuk.

The Indian had previously won the world championship in 2000, but the achievement was valued less since at the time the chess world was split between two rival world titles.

(http://www.timesofindia.com/)

China Bans TV, Radio Ads for Bras, Underwear

Sunday , September 30, 2007

BEIJING — China has banned TV and radio ads for push-up bras and figure-enhancing underwear in the communist government's latest move to purge the nation's airwaves of what it calls social pollution.

No examples were given, but Chinese television channels have increasingly broadcast late-night infomercials featuring scantily clad women, as well as ads for products that claim to boost sexual performance.

Regulators have already targeted ads using crude or suggestive language, behavior, and images, tightening their grip on television and radio a few weeks ahead of a twice-a-decade Communist Party congress at which some new senior leaders will be appointed.

The latest ban by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, or SARFT, also bans advertisements for sexual aids including tonics and sex toys, along with "inelegant images" in ads for what it referred to simply as "adult products."

The notice indicated that regulators were concerned about both lascivious imagery and outrageous or insupportable claims about some products' benefits or effectiveness.

"Illegal 'sexual medication' advertisements and other harmful ads pose a grave threat to society," said the SAFT notice, issued last week and seen Sunday on the administration's Web site.

"They not only seriously mislead consumers, harm the people's health, pollute the social environment, and corrupt social mores, but also directly harm the credibility of public broadcasting and affect the image of the Communist Party and the government," the notice said.
China has already also issued strict rules for TV talent shows, including the banning of "American Idol"-style mass audience voting by mobile phone text message or the Internet.

A few weeks ago, SARFT ordered 11 radio shows off the air in southern and central China for talking too explicitly about sex or for broadcasting material of an "extreme pornographic nature."

Regulators have also banned television shows about cosmetic surgery and sex changes, and a talent show that they deemed coarse.

For FOX News Channel comments write tocomments@foxnews.com© Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.Copyright 2007 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved.All market data delayed 20 minutes.

(http://foxnews.com/)