Is new magnet school process illegal?

“With the lottery to select students for Windham‘s new Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy Magnet School about to take place, Adamowski and the Windham School System STILL HAVEN’T filed a legally-approved Operations Plan with the State Department of Education and the application form that they have been using inappropriately requests that students provide their social security number. It is a technique that effectively reduces the number of immigrants and poor who might apply for a seat in the new school.” – Jonathan Pelto

By Jonathan Pelto

You can keep Gov. Malloy’s “Special Master” Steven Adamowski, and Windham’s school administrators on the list of entities and individuals who seem unable or unwilling to follow the state’s laws and regulations.

With the lottery to select students for Windham‘s new Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy Magnet School about to take place, Adamowski and the Windham School System STILL HAVEN’T filed a legally-approved Operations Plan with the State Department of Education and the application form that they have been using inappropriately requests that students provide their social security number.

It is a technique that effectively reduces the number of immigrants and poor who might apply for a seat in the new school.

… Continue Reading

You may have noticed…

You may have noticed…

Due to problems getting connected to the Internet, I have been unable to post new stories here for a couple of days. The problem should be resolved today. When computers work, they are wonderful tools. When they don’t, the results can be costly and frustrating… as I am sure many of you know. Thank you for your patience! – Brenda Sullivan, Editor

Posted June 3, 2010

A note to our readers…

I want to apologize for the lag in postings these last few days.

I am sorry to say that I have been ill with the flu – possibly the H1N1 flu.

However, I have asked for some help and expect to be posting news again, beginning this evening.

Thank you for continuing to support this venture.

And stay well.

Posted Nov. 19, 2009

Commentary: Are UConn gridders ready for prime time players?

Quarterback Zach Frazer (10), shown here faking out the Rutgers defense, replaced Cody Endres who was injured in the first quarter against the Scarlet Knights. Frazer, regaining his starting role, will lead UConn against Cincinnati. Photo © by Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com

It may be asking too much to hope that the UConn football team can stay close to fourth-ranked Cincinnati this Saturday night. Like the original cast of “Saturday Night Live,” they might be not-ready-for-prime-time players. Not just yet, anyway.

The game is scheduled to be televised on ABC-TV at 8 p.m. with venerable broadcaster Brent Musburger at the mike.

According to the UConn sports department, this is the first time a Big East team gets a national spotlight in regular season play since 2005, when Pittsburgh played Notre Dame.

The game will be one of three shown concurrently. The others are No. 12 USC against Arizona State and No. 20 Oklahoma playing Nebraska.

The undefeated Bearcats have outscored their eight opponents this season by an aggregate score of 313-103.

So, it’s doubtful that UConn’s second trip to Ohio this season will be as successful as the Huskies’ first, when they defeated Ohio University 23-16 in the season opener.

Logically, UConn shouldn’t be able to keep up with the Big East leader.

Like his teammates and the packed house at Rentschler Field Oct. 31, Jordan Todman celebrated his touchdown which apparently had given UConn the win over Rutgers with 38 seconds to play. Photo © by Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com

And it’s doubtful the Huskies will have to deal with yet another fourth-quarter lead squandered before the final gun, because Cincinnati’s firepower should test even the tough defense for which Edsall’s teams have become noted.

But the thing about sports and sports fans, is that logic doesn’t always prevail.

If in some way, head coach Randy Edsall could extract a win from this squad of young men who have endured more than most teams are expected to – namely, burying a murdered teammate – then surely the ghosts of last-minute letdowns will be exorcised.

Disheartening

The letdown wasn’t any more sudden and disheartening as occurred in the final 25 seconds this past Saturday afternoon when Rutgers scored on an 81-yard pass play to neutralize the seven points UConn had scored moments earlier, in what most thought would be a come-from-behind victory.

Wide receiver Kashif Moore (82) eludes a Rutgers defender for a big gain on UConn's late-game scoring drive. Photo © by Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com

I’ve covered many games during the past four decades and consider myself a grizzled veteran, as it were, impervious to the ups and downs of W’s & L’s. But this one made me a bit teary-eyed as I watched the Rutgers receiver running untouched toward the end zone, and knew immediately it wasn’t just a loss, not even just a tough loss, but a totally heartrending loss in a game dedicated to the memory of Jasper Howard who had been laid to rest five days before the game.

Just a few minutes earlier, amid the bedlam of euphoria resounding through Rentschler Field after Jordan Todman had scored the go-ahead touchdown with 38 seconds to play, I turned to the Rutgers photographer who happened to be next to me and was obviously dismayed by what appeared to be a late-game loss by the Scarlet Knights, I turned to him and said in consolation of sorts that, indeed, UConn had already lost three of these fourth-quarter heartbreakers earlier this season.

Little did I know that the consolation would once again have to be extended to the UConn faithful.

Keep fighting

After that stunning loss, Edsall said, “We’ll just keep fighting. That’s all I know to do.”

Offensive lineman Mike Ryan got his 324-pound frame into the end zone with the ball in his hands on a lineman-eligible two-point conversion, but the play was called back. Photo © by Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com

Thursday, that resolve had been transferred to his players who Edsall said were excited and eager to take on the defending league champs, a team that has played its way into the rarefied atmosphere occupied by the likes of Texas and Florida and Alabama.

No one “in the know” is giving the Huskies a chance for a Saturday Night special, which would be the upset of this season in college football. No one, of course, except Edsall and his coaches and a gallant group of young men.

“I know no one on our team is going to give up or quit,” Todman said. “There are some teams where they get broken down and they keep losing and losing, thinking that maybe they’ll get hot and not continue to fight, but our team’s not like that. We’re going to fight on the field, we’re going to scratch and crawl. You have to be ready, you never know how the season is going to go,” he said.

Perhaps Nov. 7, 2009 will be circled as the night the UConn football team did, indeed, become prime time players on a national stage.

Posted Nov. 5, 2009

Connecticut to receive $3 billion in stimulus funds

Gov. M. Jodi Rell. Courtesy photo.

[Editor's note: This letter or a similar letter was sent to all Congressional representatives and both senators. It has been edited somewhat by HTNP.com for length and formatting.]

From Gov. M. Jodi Rell -

I want to take this opportunity to provide a comprehensive overview of activities associated with the implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 here in Connecticut.

As you know, the Recovery Act provides a tremendous opportunity for Connecticut to

• help put its citizenry back to work,

• rebuild our communities,

• further energy efficiency and conservation initiatives,

• develop tomorrow’s workforce today

• and position the state to grow through a stronger, more diversified economy.

In the five months that have passed since President Barack Obama signed the Recovery Act, more than $1 billion has already been committed to projects and initiatives in our great state.

Recovery Act activity to date and into the future is being catalogued on the state’s Recovery Act website – www.recovery.ct.gov – a resource we are using to keep our citizens apprised of stimulus developments.

Connecticut is expected to receive more than $3 billion through formula-based programs. 

Getting the funds to the communities…

Recognizing the importance of moving these dollars as quickly as possible into the economy, collaborative efforts have been undertaken to reach decisions on projects, and to assemble the necessary applications to secure the formula-based funding.

Connecticut has obligated nearly all of the state's Highway and Bridge Infrastructure Investment funds to improve the state's current transportation network with projects underway or scheduled to be initiated in Enfield, Ashford, Trumbull, Old Saybrook, Rocky Hill, Branford and Seymour.

Due to the focused approach of Connecticut’s Recovery Working Group, we have been able to move most, if not all, of the statewide highway infrastructure and transit projects forward – with many already out for bid and a number of them underway.

This collaboration has also been evident in working to secure the formula-based funding with our state agencies, working closely with their federal counterparts, to navigate the application process involved with each of the Recovery Act programs.

There exist many more examples of collaboration that have contributed to a great deal of Recovery Act activity in your home state over the past five months.

There have certainly been some challenges, some frustration, and a great deal of learning over this time, and we are sure to encounter more challenges in the months ahead:

• working to balance expectations with reality;

• complying with the reporting requirements;

• and securing as much funding for this state as possible.

I am sure, with your continued support, we will meet and overcome these challenges.

Overview of the state’s ARRA funds to date…

Some Connecticut Recovery Act highlights:

Ø      Connecticut has received approval of its share ($541 million) from the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund to foster the development of tomorrow’s leaders though a strong K-12 educational system;

Ø      Connecticut has obligated nearly all of the state’s Highway and Bridge Infrastructure Investment funds to improve the state’s current transportation network with projects underway or scheduled to be initiated in Enfield, Ashford, Trumbull, Old Saybrook, Rocky Hill, Branford and Seymour;

Ø      Connecticut state agencies and universities have applied for more than 200 competitive grant opportunities; and

Initiatives in this area include exploring the deployment of geothermal and solar thermal technologies and making state buildings more energy efficient. (Pictured here - a geothermal energy system).

Ø      Connecticut was one of the first states across the country to have its State Energy Program application approved that will help residents, businesses and communities reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and advance conservation and efficiency efforts. Initiatives in this area include exploring the deployment of geothermal and solar thermal technologies and making state buildings more energy efficient.

While our state agencies and universities have been aggressive in pursuing the competitive grant opportunities made available to date through the Recovery Act, these entities are not eligible applicants for every Recovery Act grant opportunity.

As a result and in the interest of bringing back to Connecticut as many Recovery Act dollars as possible, my staff and agency representatives have been extremely active in helping non-profit organizations, commercial operations and businesses, and municipalities pursue funding opportunities available through the Recovery Act.

We have attacked the pursuit of these funds through a variety of approaches that include conducting workshops, attending informational forums, providing technical assistance with grant applications and sending correspondence to eligible entities.

Over the last five months, my staff or representatives from state agencies have done the following:

Ø      The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund conducted a forum in April on the many energy-related grant opportunities available to municipalities, businesses and residents.

Ø      The Department of Transportation has held more than a dozen focused discussions with the regional planning agencies.

Ø      The Office of Policy and Management has conducted 10 workshops for communities to assist with identifying projects and completing applications associated with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant.

Ø      The Office of Policy and Management and Department of Public Safety have conducted workshops on the Byrne JAG program and the Violence Against Women program.

Ø      The Department of Education Commissioner and staff have conducted numerous workshops for school superintendents regarding the various education funding opportunities associated with the Recovery Act.

Ø      Staff from my office met with state legislators for eight hours in March to walk them through the many aspects of the Recovery Act and answer their questions.

Ø      Staff from my office presented an overview of the Recovery Act to General Assembly’s Black and Latino Caucus.

Ø      Staff from my office presented an overview of the Recovery Act to the Minority Construction Council.

Ø      The DECD Commissioner presented an overview of the Recovery Act to the Connecticut Business and Industry Association.

Ø      Staff from my office presented an overview of the Recovery Act at forums to help the state’s non-profit community access Recovery Act funds.

Ø      Staff from my office has met with community leaders from Norwich and Preston on potential funding opportunities for the former Norwich Hospital site.

Ø      Staff from my office has presented an overview of the Recovery Act at forums sponsored by United Illuminating and Northeast Utilities.

Ø      Staff from my office presented an overview of the Recovery Act to the Nonprofit Alliance of Northeast Connecticut.

Ø      I have sent fire departments and municipal leaders information regarding the Fire Station Construction Program funding opportunity in May.  Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Commissioner followed up with correspondence in June regarding this funding opportunity.

Ø      I have sent letters to healthcare organizations, associations and educational institutions regarding the National Health Service Corps loan reimbursement opportunity.

Ø      The Department of Environmental Protection assisted stakeholders in preparing applications for the Diesel Emission Reduction Act grant opportunity.

Ø      The Department of Economic and Community Development has been working with the business community to pursue research and development grants and small business assistance funding.

Ø      Staff from my office has met with hundreds of organizations, businesses and individuals to help them access Recovery Act funding opportunities.  These organizations and businesses have included Common Cause, NAACP, Stepping Stones Museum, Hartford Stage, St. Mary’s Hospital, Connecticut Conference of Churches and Comcast.

Ø      Staff from my office has met with the leaders of the regional planning agencies to provide them with an overview of the Recovery Act.

Ø      The Department of Public Utility Control has been keeping Connecticut’s power companies apprised of energy-related funding opportunities including ones focused on Smart Grid technologies and renewable energy approaches.

 The Departments of Environmental Protection and Public Health worked with municipalities in developing revised priority lists for clean water and safe drinking water funding

Ø      The Departments of Environmental Protection and Public Health worked with municipalities in developing revised priority lists for clean water and safe drinking water funding.

At present, Connecticut is gearing up for a number of major funding initiatives.

By the close of this week (July 9), Connecticut will have submitted a pre-application as the first step in securing funding for the New Haven to Springfield railway corridor project.

This effort is part of a larger collaboration between the New England states to enhance mass transit options throughout the region.

In addition, Connecticut is now preparing information as part of its effort to bring in funding for broadband initiatives across the state.

In the months ahead, we expect to learn more about additional energy funding opportunities, as well as resources to enhance and expand the exchange of health information.

Looking ahead…

One of the foremost challenges on the horizon is compiling the state’s report to the Office of Management and Budget on Recovery Act activities here in Connecticut.

Although the deadline for the first report is not until October, Connecticut is already engaged in an effort to ensure full compliance with the responsibility and have the state serve as a national model of preparedness.

Implementation of the Recovery Act is a monumental task and collaboration has contributed greatly to the success Connecticut has already experienced.

Over the next several months, there will be a great deal of action in our communities as Recovery Act projects are initiated – rebuilding our roads, making our communities safer, employing our citizens, conserving energy and shaping tomorrow’s future today.

I look forward to working with you in the weeks and months ahead toward the successful implementation of the Recovery Act

- Gov. M. Jodi Rell

A budget we can afford

Gov. M. Jodi Rell

The Connecticut General Assembly is just days away from its deadline for finishing its work. Yet, we still do not have a state budget for the next two years.

In February, I proposed a two-year budget that would cut state spending, consolidate or merge dozens of state agencies, maintain state aid to cities and towns so burdens would not fall on property taxpayers and give those municipalities much-needed relief from costly state mandates – all without raising taxes.

Tax increases, I said, would be the worst thing we could do in the middle of a national recession.

And Connecticut’s economy has been terribly battered by this national recession. Thousands of families – thousands of lives – have been disrupted by job loss, foreclosures, Wall Street turmoil and lingering uncertainty.

Employers, many of them mainstays of Connecticut’s economy, have been forced to lay off dedicated workers.

Since I released my recommended budget in February, the economic picture has only gotten darker.

Our state has lost 18,100 jobs. We have seen more than 4,000 businesses shut their doors forever. More than 7,500 families have lost their home to foreclosure.

And still – four months later – we have no budget. The Legislature has not even held a vote on a budget in the Senate or the House.

Because of the recession, we face enormous deficits for the next two fiscal years, as well as a persistent deficit in the current budget year that ends June 30.

I have been working with lawmakers on a new budget for several weeks – but it has become increasingly clear that some simply do not have the will to make the spending cuts we need, if we are going to close those budget gaps without raising taxes.

A new proposal

So, this week I took the unusual step of offering a second budget – that, once again, contains no tax increases.

This new budget makes deep and painful spending cuts. They are not cuts I relish making, but the families of Connecticut are counting on their elected leaders to make those cuts and to finish their business on time.

It preserves municipal aid so that tax increases are not passed on to local property taxpayers. It merges and consolidates agencies to make Connecticut’s government smaller and more efficient – just like my budget in February did.

And most importantly, this budget is in line with what the people of our state can afford – just like my budget in February. That means it contains no tax increases, and actually reduces spending in Fiscal 2010 from current levels.

I did this because the bloat of bureaucracy is no more affordable now than when I first spoke of it in February. And because the underlying truths of our economy have not changed since I laid out my original budget: Connecticut residents cannot afford massive tax increases. Connecticut businesses cannot afford massive tax increases.

A ‘business-friendly’ Connecticut

Consider that nearby states such as New York and New Jersey are raising their income taxes, and Massachusetts is raising its sales tax.

The top income tax rate in New York and New Jersey is now 8.97 percent (in New York City it’s an astonishing 12.62 percent!), while the top bracket in Rhode Island is 9.9 percent.

Connecticut’s top rate is currently 5 percent.

By holding the line on taxes and making the tough decisions now, we are making Connecticut a beacon of opportunity – our state becomes infinitely more affordable for business and infinitely more appealing for investment.

Job creation will climb, as more and more companies move to – or grow in – a business-friendly Connecticut.

We can reverse the “brain drain,” and keep our young college graduates in good-paying jobs here.

Our housing market will rebound as those graduates, and people attracted to our state, seek new places to live.

This is not economic theory. It’s economic fact.

Frankly, tax increases are the easy choice. But all they do is “feed the beast” – and two years later the beast is back, hungry again, and always a little bit larger. Now is the time to make the difficult decisions.

I am not looking for a battle. But I am willing to fight one – because it’s a battle worth fighting.

The families and people of Connecticut are always worth fighting for. Please join me in the remaining days of this legislative session by urging your local legislator to join me in making the difficult – but necessary – choices, and to pass a budget that contains no tax increases.

Posted June 1, 2009

An unwelcome import: measles

Babies are more likely to suffer complications from measles.

Recent measles cases in four states – California , Pennsylvania, Maryland and Iowa – highlight the growing number of unvaccinated adults and children living in the United States, as well as the need to control the global spread of the disease.

Measles, also called rubeola, is a highly contagious respiratory infection that’s caused by a virus. It causes a total-body skin rash and flu-like symptoms, including a fever, cough and runny nose.

A person with measles is contagious from 1 to 2 days before symptoms start, until about 4 days after the rash appears.

In some cases, measles can lead to other health problems such as croup, and infections including bronchitis, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, conjunctivitis (pinkeye), myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).

Measles also can make the body more susceptible to ear infections and bacterial infections.

Before measles vaccination became available in the 1960s, more than 500,000 cases of measles were reported every year.

Since widespread vaccination, the virus was virtually eliminated from the Americas in 2002, but imported cases continue to trigger outbreaks among unvaccinated persons in the United States.

Last year, the number of reported measles cases in the United States more than doubled (63 to 140 total in 2008).

Parents who choose not to vaccinate their children overlook the fact that measles is still common in many countries and kills an estimated 540 children each day.

Despite the fact that a safe and effective measles vaccine costs less than $1, parents in many developing countries do not have access to immunization services that would protect their children.

“As long as measles remains an issue for one nation, it remains a threat to all,” said Athalia Christie, senior technical advisor with the American Red Cross.

The Measles Initiative – a partnership led by the American Red Cross, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United Nations Foundation, UNICEF and the World Health Organization – is working to address this problem.

The Initiative, formed in 2001, has invested $670 million in measles control activities, helping to save an estimated 3.6 million lives globally.

A strategy to reduce global measles mortality – which includes vaccinating all children before their first birthday through routine health services and mass campaigns – has been key to securing a 74 percent reduction in global measles deaths (2000-2007).

More than 600 million children in 60 countries have been vaccinated through the Measles Initiative.

More information is available at www.measlesinitiative.org.

Posted April 17, 2009

FairTax holds answers to many of the country's economic ills

Dear Mansfield Today Editor,

The FairTax is a proposal that would shift the tax base from our current system – one based on income – to a consumption-based, federal, retail-level sales tax on all new goods and services.

The FairTax eliminates a multitude of payroll and extravagant taxes and replaces it with a 23% consumption tax.

Also, the FairTax includes a monthly prebate – or a check from the government for the amount of money the individual or household spent in taxes on necessity items, according to the federally-determined poverty level.  This prebate makes the FairTax progressive.

With the current economic recession, a proposal like the FairTax has the possibility of dramatically altering the economic future of the United States. Unfortunately, it’s not a well-known idea [but it] has supporters scattered all across the country.  For those supporters, whose loyalty is never taken for granted, countless hours are dedicated to spreading the word about the FairTax.

FairTax Bill gaining support

The FairTax Bill introduced as H.R. 25 to the House of Representatives and S.1025 in the Senate, had 56 cosponsors in the 108^th Congress, 61 in the 109^th, 76 in the 110^th, and now has 78 currently listed supporters (See: FairTax Scorecard).  The Congressional support has been gaining momentum; all it needs is more grassroots publicity.

The FairTax eliminates, completely:

• individual income taxes,

• the alternative minimum tax (AMT),

• all corporate and business income taxes,

• the capital gains taxes,

• social security,

• Medicare,

• and all other federal payroll taxes,

• the self-employment tax,

• the estate tax,

• and gift tax.

These taxes are replaced with a 23% consumption tax.

Why is a proposal like the FairTax needed?  An obvious answer is the current economic state of our country.  The U.S. is in a deep recession with optimistic predictions of it devastating the U.S. economy at least another solid year.

Unemployment is rising, consumer confidence is down, and our GDP is far from a number to brag about.

The FairTax plan has the potential, if accepted by legislators, and the people, to turn America’s economic future around.

Also, the failure of our government-run social security and Medicare program is rapidly approaching, with social security projected to be depleted by 2040, and Medicare by 2018 (Sahadi).  Huge numbers of the U.S. population are dependant on these programs  – they  need to be fixed, and quickly.

Help for businesses

Our current tax code has also stifled businesses, and discouraged successful business practices.

According to the current director of the Congressional Budget Office, “making ‘tax decisions’ rather than ‘economic decisions’ (that is, making decisions that will reduce your taxes rather than increase your income) is a practice that costs our economy 18% of our gross domestic product- a whopping $2 trillion loss in the GDP,” (Boortz…The FairTax Book, 49).

In an economic environment where businesses could make economic decisions rather than tax decisions in America, huge GDP growth would be seen.

The taxes forced upon businesses are passed along in the way of higher prices to consumers.  These are known as “embedded taxes”.

As estimated by Dr. Dale Jorgenson, the former Chairman of the Harvard Economics Department, on average, consumers are already paying 22% embedded taxes in a wide range of industries at the cash register (Jorgenson).  This means, basically, that prices after the FairTax would only rise slightly. And keep in mind, consumers [would] now have their entire paycheck, a major increase in household revenue.

Simplified taxes

Compliance costs associated with the current tax code are often not well publicized.  “In 2005 the estimated time the average American spent on the process (filing individual income taxes) was up to 27 hours… This December report (from the Tax Foundation) calculates that 6 billion hours and $265 billion were spent to comply with the federal income tax in 2005,” (Boortz… The FairTax Book, 40,43).

All of this time and money is wasted because of an outrageously complicated tax code that IRS employees frequently mess up.  “Since 1954 the number of words in our tax code has increased by nearly 500%, the number of words in the IRS regulations has increased by 939%,” (47).

The FairTax bill that includes both the code and regulations is only 132 pages long, compared to the over 60,000-page income tax, and is significantly simpler (Linder, Rep….).

More jobs

American companies are not globally competitive, because of the suffocating tax code.  “If we were to pass the FairTax… we would be the only nation in the world whose companies could sell into a global economy with no tax component in the price system,” (Boortz… The FairTax Book, 65).

This means two specific and wonderful things for our economy.  Companies will come to America, reversing out-sourcing.  They will bring jobs and contribute to our economic boom.  America will regain our leading status in the world.  With the millions of jobs, comes higher wages, more money to spend – and  higher revenue for the U.S. government.

The Comptroller General, David M. Walker, testified before the Full Committee of the House Committee on Ways and Means that, “By the year 2040 the entire federal revenue stream will be insufficient to pay just the interest on the federal debt,” (Boortz…FairTax: The Truth, 34).  The FairTax will grow the economy and widen the tax base, and therefore raise tax revenues, at least buying the U.S. government time to figure out how to raise the money to run the country.

So many problems are addressed by the FairTax, attention needs to be brought to its immense potential to save America’s economic future.

Repeated studies prove the benefits of the FairTax are widespread and numerous.  Dr. Jorgenson’s research analyzed the benefits of the FairTax, and his findings are fully in support of the proposal.  According to his published study, “the NRST (national retail sales tax)… would have an immediate and powerful impact on the level of economic activity… GDP would increase by almost 10.5% in the first year.  This increase would gradually decline to a little under 5.4% over the next 25 years,” (Jorgenson).

This 10.5% GDP growth is absolutely huge.  Those are the kind of pre-recession numbers China has been pulling, demonstrating the massive economic growth occurring in the developing nation.  Those are the kind of numbers America needs to reestablish its dominant position in the world – and the FairTax will deliver.

FairTax supporters see the need for a tax code that does not penalize success, but rewards it.

Although every tax proposal is imperfect, the FairTax has a wide range of benefits that would stimulate both short-term and long-term economic growth.

America needs something to drastically change its grim future, we are losing ground as the dominant force in the world.  The FairTax can reverse this, and will – if  given the chance.

Sincerely,

Britta Schletter

[Editor's note: Britta Schletter is an E.O. Smith High School student who has been studying and advocating for the FairTax solution, and who organized tonight's event. See: "What you should know about a Fair Tax" in Mansfield Today.]

Posted April 17, 2009

Works Cited

Boortz, Neal, and Congressmen John Linder. The FairTax Book: Saying Goodbye to the Income Tax and the IRS. New York: HarperCollins, 2005.

Boortz, Neal, and Congressmen John Linder. FairTax: The Truth, Answering the Critics. New York: HarperCollins, 2008.

FairTax Scorecard. 2008. Americans for Fair Taxation. 25 Dec. 2008.

Jorgenson, Dr. Dale W. The Economic Impact of the National Retail Sales Tax. 18 May 1997. 02 Jan. 2009.

Linder, John. “Rep. John Linder July 23, 2008 Statement on the FairTax.” Fairtax.org. 23 July 2008. Americans for Fair Taxation. 29 Jan. 2009.

Sahadi, Jeanne. “Social Security, Medicare to run out sooner.” 3 May 2006. CNN. 2 Jan. 2009.