| Tax amendment's unknowns shouldn't put schools at a loss
There's a lot I don't understand about the property tax amendment that Florida voters approved 64-36 percent last week.
Like how did Gov. Charlie Crist go around promoting it as a tax cut while preparing a state budget that forces school districts to raise the their portion of local property taxes? Is this going to be the same type of empty shell game that occurred last year with hurricane insurance "relief"?
And what happens if you buy a house next week counting on the portability of Save Our Homes benefits and then a court declares the new system unconstitutional? Will you get grandfathered into the new system? Or will you have to cough up thousands more than you figured in annual taxes?
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Video Reveals Violations of Laws, Abuse of Cows at Slaughterhouse
I contend that advocates of violence against animals (i.e., meat-eaters) pre-disposes such people for advocating violence against people. Yes, meat-eaters will swear blue that they are peaceniks, but that is just lip service. Eliminate the slaughter of animals for consumption (and product-tesing etc), you go a loooong way to eliminating the need for war and violence against people. .
Green spaces? : Switching to hybrids could get a little more enticing
Driving a fuel-efficient vehicle could save a few dollars at the gas pump as well as the parking meter. The Off-Street Parking Improvement District No. 1 gave its approval Tuesday to an ordinance that would allow vehicles that can travel 40 or more miles per gallon of gasoline to park free in some areas of downtown Fayetteville. Sharon Crosson, parking manager for the city, said she wanted to get the district's blessing on the ordinance before going to the City Council. The city contracts with the district to lease three downtown parking lots: one behind the E. J. Ball Plaza, one catty-cornered to that lot and one at Spring Street and East Avenue. Some of the revenue collected by the district would be lost if it allowed free parking in those lots.
Ridges, soffits can effectively draw air
Q: I need help making a decision. We own a 30-year-old house with a low-pitch roof. We replaced the roof about four years ago, added a ridge vent and put an extra soffit vent between each original soffit vent. Other than the ridge vent and the gable vents, there is not another venting system. My question is (and I hope that I can explain it easily) — would more air be drawn up through the soffit vents to the ridge vent if the gable vents were closed off? It seems that the majority of the air being pulled through the ridge vent would be from the gable vents, since the ridge vent is higher. I hope this makes sense. .
Northern Lights' engines power fishing boats, yachts
The most important attribute of a boat is its ability to keep the water on the opposite side of the hull from its occupants. Achieving that is the job of the designers and builders. But once that's accomplished, perhaps you might like a way to move the boat. Or have some electricity for radios, navigation systems, lights, even air conditioning. That's the job of Northern Lights. Northern Lights may be a small company -- just 70 employees in five buildings tucked along the north side of the Ship Canal just east of the Ballard Bridge. Being a privately held company in a niche market doesn't make for a high profile. But within that niche, Northern Lights is huge, known throughout the global yacht-building business as the company to turn to for the modified diesel engines that power a boat's electrical systems.
EPISO lets public grill candidates on issues
We vote and we have the right to ask for public services," said Victor Chavez, an EPISO leader from La Resurreccion church who told the candidates about the lack of sewage services and unsanitary conditions in his neighborhood. "We can let the candidates know we count." The candidates for commissioner of Precinct 1 in the Democratic primary election are Anna Perez, Tomas Rey and incumbent Luis Sariñana. Candidates for the Precinct 3 seat are Willie Gandara Jr., Frank Lopez, Alexandro Lozano, Rogelio Lozoya and Irma Sanchez. Lozoya did not attend the event. Only Democratic primary candidates were gathered. Republican challenger for the Precinct 1 seat, Alex Mendoza, also was not present. Every candidate for the commissioners seats answered "yes" to all the questions asked by EPISO, but Perez had the only "no" answer of the afternoon.
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