Casinos, Pot, Secession Among US Ballot Measures
(November 6, 2013) - Voters across the country faced ballot measures Tuesday ranging from whether to approve seven casinos in New York to the fate of Houston's iconic Astrodome. Here's a look at some of the questions.
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MARIJUANA AND ALCOHOL
COLORADO: Voters approved a 25 percent tax on newly legal recreational marijuana to fund school construction. Opponents argued the tax rate would benefit black market sales.
MAINE: Voters in Portland, Maine's largest city, declared victory on a measure to legalize possession of recreational amounts of marijuana.
MICHIGAN: Voters in Ferndale, Jackson and Lansing approved proposals offering some legal protection to users of small amounts of marijuana.
UTAH: Residents in the small town of Hyde Park are voting on whether to allow beer sales in a proposal that has divided the conservative, mostly Mormon city. Hyde Park is among a handful of dry cities left in the state, and the ordinance would only allow the sale of beer with the alcohol content of 3.2 percent.
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SECESSION
COLORADO: Eleven rural Colorado counties delivered a divided vote on an effort to form a 51st state called North Colorado. Six counties voted against the idea — including Weld County, whose commissioners spearheaded the effort, citing frustration with the Democrat-led state government that they claim neglects rural interests. Five counties voted for it.
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GAMBLING
NEW YORK: New York voters bet big on casino gambling as an economic energy shot, agreeing to let seven Las Vegas-style gaming palaces be built around the state, including eventually in New York City.
MASSACHUSETTS: Voters in Palmer rejected Mohegan Sun's plan for a $1 billion resort casino and entertainment complex. And Suffolk Downs says it will reassess plans to build a resort casino at the 78-year-old thoroughbred race track after voters in a Boston neighborhood rejected its proposal and residents of a neighboring community approved it.
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ASTRODOME'S FUTURE
TEXAS: Voters rejected a plan to authorize bonds to turn the Houston Astrodome, the world's first multipurpose domed stadium, into a giant convention and event center and exhibition space. The outcome means the stadium is likely to be torn down.
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MINIMUM WAGE
WASHINGTON STATE: Early returns showed voters in the small Seattle suburb of SeaTac were passing a measure that would raise the minimum wage for workers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and nearby large hotels to $15 an hour. Washington state already has the highest minimum wage at $9.19.
NEW JERSEY: Voters approved a constitutional amendment raising the state's minimum wage by $1, to $8.25 an hour, and to provide for automatic cost-of-living increases, as 10 other states already do.
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HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
MAINE: Residents of South Portland rejected a proposal aimed at blocking the flow of tar sands oil from western Canada to the city. Environmentalists say the thick, gooey oil is more difficult to clean up than conventional crude oil, contains harmful chemicals and releases more greenhouse gases. Supporters of a pipeline say a ban would hamper the growth of existing petroleum-based businesses.
WASHINGTON STATE: A measure that would require mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods was failing with more than 980,000 ballots counted in unofficial returns. Washington would be the first state to put such requirements in place, and the campaign has shaped up to be one of the costliest in state history.
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GAY RIGHTS
MICHIGAN: Residents of the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak approved an ordinance making it illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation and a number of other factors.
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SCHOOL FUNDING
COLORADO: A kindergarten-through-12th-grade school-finance overhaul was rejected; it would have increased income taxes about $1 billion a year and revived a progressive income tax structure abandoned in the 1980s.
One News Now
(November 6, 2013) - Voters across the country faced ballot measures Tuesday ranging from whether to approve seven casinos in New York to the fate of Houston's iconic Astrodome. Here's a look at some of the questions.
___
MARIJUANA AND ALCOHOL
COLORADO: Voters approved a 25 percent tax on newly legal recreational marijuana to fund school construction. Opponents argued the tax rate would benefit black market sales.
MAINE: Voters in Portland, Maine's largest city, declared victory on a measure to legalize possession of recreational amounts of marijuana.
MICHIGAN: Voters in Ferndale, Jackson and Lansing approved proposals offering some legal protection to users of small amounts of marijuana.
UTAH: Residents in the small town of Hyde Park are voting on whether to allow beer sales in a proposal that has divided the conservative, mostly Mormon city. Hyde Park is among a handful of dry cities left in the state, and the ordinance would only allow the sale of beer with the alcohol content of 3.2 percent.
___
SECESSION
COLORADO: Eleven rural Colorado counties delivered a divided vote on an effort to form a 51st state called North Colorado. Six counties voted against the idea — including Weld County, whose commissioners spearheaded the effort, citing frustration with the Democrat-led state government that they claim neglects rural interests. Five counties voted for it.
___
GAMBLING
NEW YORK: New York voters bet big on casino gambling as an economic energy shot, agreeing to let seven Las Vegas-style gaming palaces be built around the state, including eventually in New York City.
MASSACHUSETTS: Voters in Palmer rejected Mohegan Sun's plan for a $1 billion resort casino and entertainment complex. And Suffolk Downs says it will reassess plans to build a resort casino at the 78-year-old thoroughbred race track after voters in a Boston neighborhood rejected its proposal and residents of a neighboring community approved it.
___
ASTRODOME'S FUTURE
TEXAS: Voters rejected a plan to authorize bonds to turn the Houston Astrodome, the world's first multipurpose domed stadium, into a giant convention and event center and exhibition space. The outcome means the stadium is likely to be torn down.
___
MINIMUM WAGE
WASHINGTON STATE: Early returns showed voters in the small Seattle suburb of SeaTac were passing a measure that would raise the minimum wage for workers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and nearby large hotels to $15 an hour. Washington state already has the highest minimum wage at $9.19.
NEW JERSEY: Voters approved a constitutional amendment raising the state's minimum wage by $1, to $8.25 an hour, and to provide for automatic cost-of-living increases, as 10 other states already do.
___
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
MAINE: Residents of South Portland rejected a proposal aimed at blocking the flow of tar sands oil from western Canada to the city. Environmentalists say the thick, gooey oil is more difficult to clean up than conventional crude oil, contains harmful chemicals and releases more greenhouse gases. Supporters of a pipeline say a ban would hamper the growth of existing petroleum-based businesses.
WASHINGTON STATE: A measure that would require mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods was failing with more than 980,000 ballots counted in unofficial returns. Washington would be the first state to put such requirements in place, and the campaign has shaped up to be one of the costliest in state history.
___
GAY RIGHTS
MICHIGAN: Residents of the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak approved an ordinance making it illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation and a number of other factors.
___
SCHOOL FUNDING
COLORADO: A kindergarten-through-12th-grade school-finance overhaul was rejected; it would have increased income taxes about $1 billion a year and revived a progressive income tax structure abandoned in the 1980s.
One News Now
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64% Think Another Shutdown Likely in Mid-January
Most voters want a long-term budget deal that cuts federal spending but expect another government shutdown soon because Congress can’t reach such a deal.
Just 15% of Likely U.S. Voters favor a federal budget that increases spending, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Fifty-four percent (54%) prefer a budget that cuts spending instead, while 25% want one that keeps spending levels about the same. –Rasmussen Reports
Most voters want a long-term budget deal that cuts federal spending but expect another government shutdown soon because Congress can’t reach such a deal.
Just 15% of Likely U.S. Voters favor a federal budget that increases spending, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Fifty-four percent (54%) prefer a budget that cuts spending instead, while 25% want one that keeps spending levels about the same. –Rasmussen Reports
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Christian Conservatives Cream Christie For Dropping Same-Sex Marriage Challenge
Christian conservatives today creamed New Jersey governor Chris Christie for dropping his state Supreme Court same-sex marriage appeal, which effectively makes the Garden State the fourteenth to officially extend marriage to same-sex couples.
Matt Drudge’s The Drudge Report ran a headline (image, above) that claimed “Christie embraces gay marriage in NJ…” Noah Rothman, a conservative writer for Mediaite, deemed the title “more than just misleading,” and called it “downright false.” The Drudge Report is a conservative media outlet that is currently ranked number 93 in the nation and reaches about 23 million people a month, according to Quantcast.
“It’s definitely not a profile in courage,” Brian Brown, president of NOM, the National Organization For Marriage, told Politico.
“You’ve got a court in New Jersey that doesn’t understand that it’s supposed to be interpreting the law, not making it up out of thin air,” he added. “And then the candidate and governor who’s prided himself on he’s gonna do what’s right, he’s gonna tell it like it is, he’s gonna lead, just simply withdraws his appeal because he doesn’t think there’s a likelihood of succeeding? There’s no doubt it’s going to effect him [politically in a 2016 primary].”
And on NOM’s front page, Brown continued his attack on Christie, saying “we are extremely disappointed in Governor Chris Christie for withdrawing the state’s appeal of the underlying decision, effectively throwing in the towel on marriage. The mark of a leader is to walk a principled walk no matter the difficulty of the path. Chris Christie has failed the test, abandoning both voters and the core institution of society – marriage as the union of one man and one woman.”
“It’s a sad day for the voters of New Jersey,” said Brown. “An activist judiciary has once again imposed its views and ignored the rights of voters. We will continue to fight for the right of New Jersey voters to determine the definition of marriage. Regrettably, Governor Christie’s decision to surrender on marriage reveals him to be a man who lacks the courage of his supposed convictions. As far as we are concerned, it’s a disqualifying failure. His surrender on marriage effectively surrenders any chance he might have had to secure the GOP nomination for president.”
Certified anti-gay hate group Family Research Council also creamed Christie.
“Family Research Council is disappointed by Gov. Chris Christie’s decision to withdraw the state’s appeal of a lower court order redefining marriage,” FRC senior fellow Peter Sprigg reportedly told The Daily Caller. “The fact that the Supreme Court refused to stay the lower court’s order is no excuse for failing to litigate this important issue to a final conclusion on the merits.”
Sprigg of the Family Research Council said the episode indicates that Christie is an “unreliable ally for true conservatives.”
“We are glad that Gov. Christie vetoed the legislature’s attempt to redefine marriage, and that he was initially willing to defend the state’s marriage law in court,” he said.
“However, conservatives are looking for leaders who will stay the course and fight for unchanging principles, not throw in the towel when faced with opposition,” Sprigg said. “Combined with his signing of a radical bill to outlaw even voluntary sexual orientation change efforts with minors, today’s action has marked Gov. Christie as an unreliable ally for true conservatives.”
Of course, Sprigg, an ordained Baptist minister, has made clear he would criminalize gay people and outlaw gay behavior if given the chance, so his “disappointment” is unsurprising. –The New Civil Rights Movement
Christian conservatives today creamed New Jersey governor Chris Christie for dropping his state Supreme Court same-sex marriage appeal, which effectively makes the Garden State the fourteenth to officially extend marriage to same-sex couples.
Matt Drudge’s The Drudge Report ran a headline (image, above) that claimed “Christie embraces gay marriage in NJ…” Noah Rothman, a conservative writer for Mediaite, deemed the title “more than just misleading,” and called it “downright false.” The Drudge Report is a conservative media outlet that is currently ranked number 93 in the nation and reaches about 23 million people a month, according to Quantcast.
“It’s definitely not a profile in courage,” Brian Brown, president of NOM, the National Organization For Marriage, told Politico.
“You’ve got a court in New Jersey that doesn’t understand that it’s supposed to be interpreting the law, not making it up out of thin air,” he added. “And then the candidate and governor who’s prided himself on he’s gonna do what’s right, he’s gonna tell it like it is, he’s gonna lead, just simply withdraws his appeal because he doesn’t think there’s a likelihood of succeeding? There’s no doubt it’s going to effect him [politically in a 2016 primary].”
And on NOM’s front page, Brown continued his attack on Christie, saying “we are extremely disappointed in Governor Chris Christie for withdrawing the state’s appeal of the underlying decision, effectively throwing in the towel on marriage. The mark of a leader is to walk a principled walk no matter the difficulty of the path. Chris Christie has failed the test, abandoning both voters and the core institution of society – marriage as the union of one man and one woman.”
“It’s a sad day for the voters of New Jersey,” said Brown. “An activist judiciary has once again imposed its views and ignored the rights of voters. We will continue to fight for the right of New Jersey voters to determine the definition of marriage. Regrettably, Governor Christie’s decision to surrender on marriage reveals him to be a man who lacks the courage of his supposed convictions. As far as we are concerned, it’s a disqualifying failure. His surrender on marriage effectively surrenders any chance he might have had to secure the GOP nomination for president.”
Certified anti-gay hate group Family Research Council also creamed Christie.
“Family Research Council is disappointed by Gov. Chris Christie’s decision to withdraw the state’s appeal of a lower court order redefining marriage,” FRC senior fellow Peter Sprigg reportedly told The Daily Caller. “The fact that the Supreme Court refused to stay the lower court’s order is no excuse for failing to litigate this important issue to a final conclusion on the merits.”
Sprigg of the Family Research Council said the episode indicates that Christie is an “unreliable ally for true conservatives.”
“We are glad that Gov. Christie vetoed the legislature’s attempt to redefine marriage, and that he was initially willing to defend the state’s marriage law in court,” he said.
“However, conservatives are looking for leaders who will stay the course and fight for unchanging principles, not throw in the towel when faced with opposition,” Sprigg said. “Combined with his signing of a radical bill to outlaw even voluntary sexual orientation change efforts with minors, today’s action has marked Gov. Christie as an unreliable ally for true conservatives.”
Of course, Sprigg, an ordained Baptist minister, has made clear he would criminalize gay people and outlaw gay behavior if given the chance, so his “disappointment” is unsurprising. –The New Civil Rights Movement
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51% Favor Delaying Individual Mandate, 34% Oppose
Just over half of U.S. voters still want to delay the requirement that everyone must have health insurance, but support for delaying that mandate is down, despite the ongoing problems with government exchange websites set up to provide health insurance.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% of Likely U.S. Voters think the Obama administration should delay the individual mandate because of the problems experienced by the health insurance exchanges. Thirty-four percent (34%) disagree and oppose any delay in the requirement that every American have health insurance by January 1. Fifteen percent (15%) are not sure. –Rasmussen Report
Just over half of U.S. voters still want to delay the requirement that everyone must have health insurance, but support for delaying that mandate is down, despite the ongoing problems with government exchange websites set up to provide health insurance.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% of Likely U.S. Voters think the Obama administration should delay the individual mandate because of the problems experienced by the health insurance exchanges. Thirty-four percent (34%) disagree and oppose any delay in the requirement that every American have health insurance by January 1. Fifteen percent (15%) are not sure. –Rasmussen Report
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Can Facebook Tell When Your Relationship Is Doomed?
New research uses number of "mutual friends" to assess whether its going to last
Give up now. Facebook knows everything. According to a new paper, the makeup of your Facebook network might even be able to tell you when your relationship isn’t going to last.
The research, from Cornell University’s Jon Kleinberg and Facebook engineer Lars Backstrom, analyzed 1.3 million random Facebook users who listed a spouse or significant other in their profile. Each person had between 50 and 20,000 friends. The researchers were able to develop an algorithm that could figure out who a Facebooker was married to 60 percent of the time based on a metric called dispersion—the degree to which a couple’s mutual friends are not connected to one another. Higher dispersion, they found, was a stronger predictor of a relationship than just the number of mutual friends two people share. “A spouse or romantic partner is a bridge between a person’s different social worlds,” Kleinberg explained to the New York Times.
When the researchers could not predict a person’s significant other via dispersion, often the couple was doomed anyway. Couples that did not have high dispersion rates were 50 percent more likely to have broken up once the researchers looked at their status two months later. Or, to put it more academically, “transition to ‘single’ status.” Yeesh.
Quickly! Make yourself a bridge or you’ll be alone forever!
The study is due to be presented at a social computing conference early next year. –Salon
New research uses number of "mutual friends" to assess whether its going to last
Give up now. Facebook knows everything. According to a new paper, the makeup of your Facebook network might even be able to tell you when your relationship isn’t going to last.
The research, from Cornell University’s Jon Kleinberg and Facebook engineer Lars Backstrom, analyzed 1.3 million random Facebook users who listed a spouse or significant other in their profile. Each person had between 50 and 20,000 friends. The researchers were able to develop an algorithm that could figure out who a Facebooker was married to 60 percent of the time based on a metric called dispersion—the degree to which a couple’s mutual friends are not connected to one another. Higher dispersion, they found, was a stronger predictor of a relationship than just the number of mutual friends two people share. “A spouse or romantic partner is a bridge between a person’s different social worlds,” Kleinberg explained to the New York Times.
When the researchers could not predict a person’s significant other via dispersion, often the couple was doomed anyway. Couples that did not have high dispersion rates were 50 percent more likely to have broken up once the researchers looked at their status two months later. Or, to put it more academically, “transition to ‘single’ status.” Yeesh.
Quickly! Make yourself a bridge or you’ll be alone forever!
The study is due to be presented at a social computing conference early next year. –Salon
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