text:
We need to invest in a legal system that works – Slog
By Sheryl L. Baker	 Last updated Oct 28, 2021
Seattle City Court handled around 16,000 cases between 2018 and 2020, and what has that done for public safety? Courtesy of Seattle City Court
As Seattle residents who have worked, taught, and advocated for the legal community for decades, we care deeply about promoting public safety through systems that actually work. The current city attorney race brings the question of what promotes public safety to the fore in the minds of many voters.
Our practice and research lead us to the conclusion that criminal prosecution primarily undermines rather than promotes community safety. These lawsuits disproportionately harm Blacks, Indigenous people and people of color. In the ongoing debate over the future of tort prosecutions in Seattle City Court (SMC), we need a clear understanding of what is going on in this court, who is charged there, and who is involved. have suffered harm at the hands of those facing charges. Two questions are particularly relevant: How much do these lawsuits cost and what are the results?
First of all, the costs. The Seattle City Court's annual budget is $ 38 million – for judges, court staff, and probation officers. The City is allocating an additional $ 8.5 million for prosecutors and $ 9.8 million in public defense costs for misdemeanor prosecutions. This does not include the cost of the jail, at least $ 200 per night per person.
What do we buy at a cost of over $ 60 million per year? What are the results of this system? A recent editorial by two retired MSC judges endorsing Ann Davison's candidacy urges an expansion of the tribunal's response, but provides no study or research to show their system promotes community safety. This is because these studies do not exist.
A 2020 report commissioned by SMC from the Vera Institute of Justice shows that SMC was unable to track performance metrics for its probation service. Vera's analysis also showed that the probation system was deeply racially disproportionate. While blacks make up only 7% of the city's population, they make up 20% of those on probation with SMC. The data is even more alarming when looking at tort prosecutions as a whole; in 2016, blacks accounted for 34% of criminal prosecutions.
SMC's data further revealed that among those supervised by the court's probation staff in its mental health unit, from 2018 to 2020, 288 people completed their probation while 273 did not meet probation requirements. A 50% completion rate can hardly be considered a success. It is time to recognize what is wrong and move away from an expensive legal system that treats people without creating change.
The MSC handled around 16,000 cases between 2018 and 2020, without any evidence of the impact on public safety. One place where this approach has been examined is Suffolk County, Massachusetts. A study published this year analyzing nearly two decades of data concluded that "prosecuting defendants for non-violent crimes has substantial costs for these people without any evidence of public safety benefits."
There are approaches that are effective and do not waste taxpayer dollars. CHOOSE 180, a community-based organization dedicated to providing restorative practices instead of traditional lawsuits, has been working with young adults in CMS since 2017. Analysis from March 2019 showed that 97% of 245 program participants had no news. criminal conviction.
Less than a mile from SMC, King County Juvenile Court has reduced juvenile incarceration by about 71% since 2016, reduced juvenile lawsuits by about 81%, and reduced prosecutions for petty crimes by 89%. How was this remarkable reduction achieved? Through a combination of political will, concerted efforts by community activists, and a rich mix of diversion options that meet the real needs of those who come into contact with the system.
Decisions about the future of tort prosecution must be based on facts. Without informed discussions, we will continue to waste millions of dollars on an expensive system that does not meet the needs of those it traps and has not shown to improve public safety. Results matter. It's time to invest in what works.
Kimberly Ambrose is a teaching professor and director of the Race and Justice Clinic at the University of Washington School of Law.
Angélica Cházaro is an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington Law School.
The opinions expressed are those of the authors alone and do not reflect the position of the University of Washington.
State-of-the-art point of sale system with a thin border – Clientron unveils the PT2700
Sheryl L. Baker
Virginia unemployment system upgrades delayed again
Medical association chief warns healthcare system under enormous pressure as…
Windsor Regional Hospital launches new online booking system for virus testing


Driven to motivate young minds and future innovators, STI Education Services Group, Inc. (STI) gathered over 28,000 STIers from Metro Manila and nearby regions during the 21st STI National Youth Convention (STI NYC) from February 1 to 5, 2016 at the Aliw and Star Theaters, Star City Complex in Pasay City.
With the theme #iWillLeadInnovation, STI NYC sets the stage to spark creativity and inspire innovation as industry movers and shakers shared their valuable insights and practical lessons about productivity, competitiveness, and knowledge on the current trends. Designed to foster youth developments, this year's STI NYC focused on the latest creativity and innovations in various fields that are relevant to the job market today.
Some of the speakers who talked in the youth convention were David Tapang of Microsoft Philippines; Joey Ayala, award-winning singer-songwriter and artist; Michael Angelo Lobrin, best-selling author, and TV and radio personality; Spanky Enriquez, social media celebrity; Weena Cortes, Managing Director of ConsultAsia; Pocholo Gonzales, radio broadcaster and CEO of Creativoices; Arun Gogna, Founder and President of Creative House, Inc.; Goldy Yancha, Associate Director of IdeaSpace Foundation, Inc.; and Dr. Ricky Bunag, an IT mentor from STI College – Bacoor to name a few. These individuals leveraged creativity and innovation to transform and make an impact in their respective industries. Their stories offered important lessons on technology-driven innovation, adaptability, and productivity, among others.


When one thinks of the movie title The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, even those who've seen the film, we think of gore, bloodshed, and visceral horror. That is the reason, maybe more than any, why The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a classic of the genre. After watching a special screening on Friday night at the FEARnyc Film Festival in Manhattan, it again amazed me just how little blood and gore are in that film. What director/co-writer Tobe Hooper does use is a hot, disgusting atmospheric vibe; a grotesque arthouse quality, and unnerving sound design and score. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre screening was introduced by FEARnyc director John Capo and hosted by Heather Buckley from Fangoria and Dread Central.


CJCH Solicitors offers the largest Mental Health Law Practice in Wales and is the leading firm in this area with over 40 years of experience between our experienced and dedicated solicitors. CJCH provide representation to those suffering from a mental disorder and other mental health challenges whether detained under the Mental Health Act or otherwise at Mental Health Review Tribunals (Wales) and First Tier Tribunals (in England). As we are aware, Mental Health has a particular stigma attached to it that often prevents people from speaking out about the challenges they face or seeking assistance.
Our team are sensitive to the fact that when we are needed, it is often in a time of vulnerability that requires a compassionate and supportive approach. At CJCH our team of experienced professional lawyers can assess your needs or the needs of your family member, and establish the most beneficial pathway for the unique set of circumstances. No two cases are ever the same, and we take a personal approach because no one wants to be treated like a case.
The CJCH Mental Health Legal Team make people a priority and utilise our unrivalled experience to assist and protect our clients.
How can we help you? Detained in hospital? Experiencing mental health challenges at home, or encountering diminished capacity issues? We can guide you and support you, and provide the best advice possible for your circumstances. Whether for yourself or for a loved one, our team can provide the necessary advice and assistance within any area of mental health law, whether it be detention under the Mental Health Act, community related treatment issues, challenges against the health boards, or criminal law related issues – CJCH Solicitors Mental Health team are by your side.
Amy is the Partner in charge of the Court of Protection (CoP) and Mental Health Law department having established the offering at the firm. Amy has been a Solicitor at CJCH for over 4 years, and has been specialising in the areas of Mental Health Law and Court of Protection for Welfare for over 8 years.
Pam is a Solicitor who joined CJCH in 2015 and has over a decade experience in legal matters relating to Mental Health.
Craig joined CJCH in 2014 and is a Law Society Accredited Mental Health Panel Member. He is a Solicitor and represents private clients, specialising in the area of Mental Health law.
Rob is a seasoned solicitor with extensive experience in Mental Health Law and representing clients at tribunals in both England and Wales. Having joined CJCH Mental Health Law team in 2017, Rob now represents clients across the South West of England and South Wales.
Jamie is a Mental Health Panel member with the Law society and joined the CJCH team in 2018 as a Mental Health case worker. Jamie comes to CJCH with extensive experience having previously represented clients in London where he practiced before returning to Wales.


text:
Synopsis & Info
Order Country Profiles
Order European Yearbook
Order Regional Overview
Order Eurasian Yearbook
Payment Card Year Books
Austria 2019/2020
Belgium 2019/2020
Bulgaria 2019/2020
Croatia 2019/2020
Armenia 2019/2020
Azerbaijan 2019/2020
Belarus 2019/2020
Eurasia Regional Overview 2019/2020
Cash, cash in circulation, cash payments, CIC, Daily news, E-Money, WPR 2019 - September 25, 2019
Cash still resilient to growing array of digital alternatives
In most countries, cash payments' share of total payments volume is declining. However, cash in circulation (CIC) remains stable or up slightly over the past five years.
Cash has been resilient to the growing array of alternatives, even though transactional use is diminishing. Globally, CIC has increased from 4% to 7% annually over the last five years, despite lawmakers' support of non-cash transactions according to The World Payments Report 2019.
Cash in circulation has been consistently growing across countries. A study by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco concluded that the growth of cash circulation had outpaced economic growth over the last decade in 40 of 42 major economies in Europe, Asia, North America, and Latin America.
The growing trend became especially noticeable in advanced economies at the start of the 2008 global financial crisis and is likely driven by store-of-value motives rather than payment needs.
The store-of-value parameter has ticked up due to better cash-handling infrastructure in places such as ATMs. Moreover, the lower interest rates regime also encourages holding cash.
In Europe, cash represents 79% of all POS transactions in volume and 54% in value. Singapore, considered to be a mature market in terms of digital payments infrastructure, has high CIC as six of 10 transactions are carried out by cash.
At the retail/individual level, cash seems to be still indispensable for minor transactions (involving food supplies and groceries), personal security as a back-up, and small charitable donations.
Cash is still the ultimate recourse for payment transactions, as illustrated by the fact that CIC is up significantly in several countries undergoing distress, such as Mozambique, Myanmar, and Ukraine.
Interestingly, countries with the highest non-cash transactions volume also continue to be highly dependent on cash.
The unique set of needs that cash can fulfil makes a cashless world challenging to envision, although CIC continues to be affected by digital instruments. In the US, Finland, South Korea, Singapore, and the UK (with record- high non-cash transactions per inhabitant), CIC has grown steadily.
Even though these countries record high volumes of non-cash transactions, their economies support medium to high cash usage. Over 30% of the countries analysed in WPR 2019 recorded higher CIC growth when compared to that of non-cash transactions volume.
On the contrary, in certain countries, growth of digital payments contributed to decline in cash volumes. In Australia, digital payments soared 10% from 2016 to 2017, which led to a more than 5% decline in cash-usage during the same period. Singapore logged higher credit transfers as the government encouraged the use of PayNow, a common platform for conveniently making and receiving cashless payments across banks.
In Sweden, which is predicted to become the first cashless economy, non-cash transactions grew by 11% between 2013–2017 when the cash in circulation decreased by 12.4% over the same period.
In Russia, Poland, Lithuania, and Ireland, digital payments growth directly correlated to a growing cashless economy. Sweden is an exception to this trend as cash in circulation decreased by more than 12% from 2013–2017, while its non-cash transactions grew by 11% over the same period. However, cash is not totally out of the picture, as CIC grew by nearly 4% during 2016–2017.
The post Cash still resilient to growing array of digital alternatives appeared first on Payments Cards & Mobile.
Eurasia Regional Overview
Back to Latest Industry News
Since their origin in 1996 as the Payment Cards Statistical Yearbooks have expanded each year and now comprise of two separate publications.
The European Payment Cards Yearbook covers the EU28 countries plus Iceland, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey.
The Eurasian Payment Card Yearbook covers Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
© 2021, Payment Card Yearbooks.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Roofs insulation
Buildings insulation
Facades and walls insulation
Floors insulation
Thermoacoustic insulation
Efficiency and sustainbility
Injected polyurethane
Sprayed polyurethane
Polyurethane systems
Building Efficiency and sustainability
Reasons why polyurethane is recyclable and sustainable
Polyurethane is a material obtained from the chemical reaction of two elements, polyol and isocyanate. The resulting foam is a very versatile product, which is used in furniture, mattresses, footwear, medical devices, mouldings... providing durability and lightness in all cases. It is also invaluable in improving the energy efficiency of residential and industrial buildings, given its excellent insulating capacity, as well as in the insulation of cold rooms and vehicles. therefore contributing to more sustainable buildings.
But, in addition, polyurethane itself is sustainable: obtaining it produces a very small amount of CO2 emissions, so its environmental impact is reduced. If we add to this the fact that its application as an insulator avoids much more than it generates, we are undoubtedly dealing with a sustainable material.
On the other hand, a large part of the raw material used to manufacture polyurethane insulating foam comes from the chemical recycling of polyurethane waste: that is, the chemical conversion of polyurethanes to produce polyols to achieve second life applications. Thus, about 30% of the polyols used to obtain rigid polyurethane foam can come from this recycling, without affecting its performance in any way.
What objects are made from recycled polyurethane?
In addition, polyurethane is recyclable, as is polyurethane foam. In fact, recycled polyurethane is present in products with very different uses and in multiple sectors. Its residues, once ground and reprocessed, make it possible to manufacture high-density panels that replace wood and chipboard. The advantage over this is that polyurethane, being an inert material, is not affected by moisture or microorganisms, and is imputrescible.
We can also find recycled polyurethane in window and door profiles, in partitions, in bathroom furniture, in countertops and kitchen furniture, in boats, trucks, caravans and trains. In addition, it is used to manufacture floors for sports facilities, hydroponic mattresses and buoyancy aids.
What polyurethane items can be recycled?
Polyurethane is recycled at authorized recycling centers, so it should not be deposited elsewhere.
The steel of the sandwich panels is a valuable resource and can be recycled without limit. In addition, the foam can be recycled in refrigerator recycling plants. Another common example of polyurethane recycling is the processing of car seat scraps into beds, carpets and sofa cushions. In addition, the polyurethane in the bumper can be treated into a new insulating material. Polyurethane is also recyclable as a packaging material for construction products.
In order to manage polyurethane waste in the best way, it is necessary to consider recycling, recovery and energy generation. In addition, it is necessary to value that the durability of the insulating elements made with polyurethane allows its reuse, which is not another thing that to renew them without needing to replace them.
Passivhaus: sustainable and healthy houses
Everything you need to know about polyurethane
Insulation solutions for façades
Biological protection equipment: advantages of polyurethane
Polyurethane is widely used to make biological protection equipment. It offers a resistant, safe and durable barrier to pollutants.
Aplicaciones industriales (1)
Building (111)
Buildings insulation (7)
Efficiency and sustainability (23)
Facades and walls insulation (13)
Floors insulation (8)
Industrial applications (38)
Injected polyurethane (11)
Polyurethane systems (23)
Radon gas (10)
Roofs insulation (4)
Sprayed polyurethane (10)
Thermoacoustic insulation (9)
Walls insulation (1)
Waterproofing (11)
Synthesia Technology Europe, S.L.U. is dedicated to the manufacture and commercialization of chemical products, polyesters and polyurethane systems for thermal, acoustic and various industrial applications.
© Synthesia Technology 2021. All rights reserved. | Cookies Policy | Terms and Conditions website | Privacy Policy


text:
Home JACL History Mike Masaoka
Mike M. Masaoka was the first National Secretary and later Washington, D.C., representative of the JACL. He was honored at the 2015 JACL National Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the video below.
Grant Ujifusa also made remarks at the convention. Read the transcript of Grant Ujifusa's speech about Mike Masaoka online at the Pacific Citizen.
Masaoka was no stranger to conflict. While he is no longer alive to tell his story, he described in great depth the challenges he faced as leader of the JACL in the 1940s in a speech at the 1982 National JACL Convention in Los Angeles. Masaoka's words are available online at Resisters.com.


text:
Pompeo Fortini godette di una certa notorietà in ambito bolognese come decoratore e partecipò a cantieri importanti come il restauro della Basilica di San Francesco e quello di Santa Maria dei Servi.

Opere
 Restauro dell'affresco della Prospettiva di Antonio Bibbiena in Palazzo Vizzani a Bologna

 Sotto la direzione di Alfonso Rubbiani decora la cappella di San Tommaso Apostolo, una delle nove cappelle attorno all'altare maggiore della Basilica di San Francesco in Bologna

 Decora in stile Liberty la cappella Gozzadini nella chiesa di Santa Maria dei Servi in strada Maggiore a Bologna sotto la direzione di Guido Zucchini.

 Acquarello "La cupola di Santa Maria della Vita"

Note

Voci correlate
 Antonio Bibbiena
 Alfonso Rubbiani
 Guido Zucchini
 Corrado Ricci
 Cattedrale di San Pietro (Bologna)
 Basilica di San Francesco
Santuario di Santa Maria della Vita
 Palazzo Vizzani
 Gozzadini

Collegamenti esterni
 Francesca Porfiri: Cortili bolognesi tra spazio reale e spazio illusorio pag. 97 accesso: 20.1.2020 ore 14:10

Touring Club - Guida d'Italia - Emilia Romagna - Pompeo Fortini pag. 176 accesso: 20.1.2020 ore 14:10

 La Repubblica del 26.5.2004 La Chiesa dei Servi oggi festeggia la fine dei restauri accesso: 20.1.2020 ore 14:10

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Chevrolet decided to look back on its heritage, but bring one of its iconic nameplates to the modern world with the Chevelle Slammer concept. The Chevrolet Chevelle Slammer combines classic hot rod styling and modern performance for one badass looking car.
But, there's more than meets the eye. There's an all-new crate engine under the hood: the LT376/535 crate engine.
The new LT376/535 is paired to the SuperMatic 4L75-E transmission, which supports the Connect & Cruise package, which includes controllers and harnesses.
But the engine isn't the only thing going on here, despite propelling the Chevelle Slammer to proper badassery. The 1969 Chevelle has had its chassis modified to accommodate large 18-inch front and 20-inch rear polished wheels. Almost every inch of the vintage body was subtly revised to give it a smooth, custom appearance, but careful measures were taken to ensure its iconic lines were not disrupted.
Like the Camaro Slammer concept, the Chevelle Slammer also rides on air suspension and features an Adrenaline Red interior, with seats from a 2016 Camaro and custom gauges.
While the Chevelle Slammer stuns, the new crate engine will become available in the 2017 Chevrolet Performance Parts catalogue for builders to get their hands on. Even if it's not in a slammed Chevelle.


text:
Hidden Histories World War 1 Project
Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park One of London's 'Magnificent Seven' Cemeteries
Hidden Histories WW1 Project
The Battle of Jutland
thcpheri Tower Hamlets May 15, 2016 November 9, 2016 0 Comment
The Battle of Jutland was the last major battle in world history to be fought mainly by battleships. On May 31-June 1st 1916 151 British and 99 German ships blasted shells and torpedoes at each other near the Jutland Peninsula in Denmark. By the end of the engagement 6,094 British servicemen and 2,551 German had been killed with another 674 and 507 wounded. On the British side 3 battleships, 3 armoured cruisers and 8 destroyers had been lost – over 113,000 tons of valuable shipping. Both sides claimed victory – the German fleet has contained in the North Sea but the British lost significantly more ships and twice as many men.
HMS 'Queen Mary' had been part of the 5th Battle Squadron which had been tracking the German Scouting group. Travelling south at roughly 14,000m parallel to each other, the battle-cruisers engaged in the opening phase of the action, The 'Run for the South'.
At 16.25 HMS 'Queen Mary' was hit by a combined salvo from 'Derfflinger' and 'Seydlitz'. Both forward magazines exploded, sinking the ship with all except 9 of her 1,275 crew. A gunner officer aboard the 'Derfflinger' recorded
'A vivid red flame shot up from her forepart; then came an explosion forward, following by a much heavier explosion amidships. Immediately afterwards she blew up with a terrific explosion, the mast collapsed inwards and the smoke hiding everything.'
Geoffrey Bennett 'Naval Battles of the First World War'
One of the 1,266 men who died aboard the 'Queen Mary' was 18 year old Gilbert Henry Batchelor from Bromley-by-Bow, a Private in the Royal Marines Light Infantry who is remembered on his family's grave in the Cemetery.
Geography could play a significant part in deciding which service or regiment a man would join. Men from counties like Devon or Hampshire would often enlist in the Navy or the Marines due to the seafaring tradition in those areas and because of the large naval bases at Portsmouth and Plymouth. The Batchelor family, originally from the south of England is a perfect example of this trend. Gilbert Henry was the middle son of Ernest and Edith Batchelor who originally came from near Stonehenge, Wiltshire. Ernest enlisted in the Royal Marine Light Infantry on 2nd April 1889 around 6 years before marrying Edith. In the 1901 census the family is recorded as living at Alexandra Street, Alverstoke. Ernest is a sergeant in the Royal Marines and there are two sons; George aged 4 and Gilbert aged 2.
By 1911 the family has extend with an additional son, Alfred Frederick aged 7. Edith, who is recorded as the head of the household with her husband on board a ship somewhere, states that she has been married for 16 years and had had three children, all of them alive. The oldest son, Ernest aged 14, was employed as a grocer's assistant. Their given address is the Royal Marine Barracks, Forton, Alverstoke in Gosport. The residents there are all the wives and children of serving men who are living in the married quarters which had been added to the barracks in the 1890's.
Following in his father's footsteps, Gilbert enlisted into the Royal Marine, Portsmouth Division in London on April 15th 1915, 5 days after his 17th birthday. He died when the 'Queen Mary' sank off the coast of Denmark. Just four months after Gilbert's death, his older brother Ernest also died, in September 1916 at the age of 20. The youngest of the three brothers survived until 1963, dying at the age of 59 in Christchurch, Hampshire. The family grave is in Square 50 at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park and although Gilbert is not interred here, he is remembered in the inscription. He is also commemorated in the inscription on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Southsea
For those 'who laid down their lives in the defence of the Empire and have no other grave than the sea.'
← Training the Troops
American visitors →
Copyright © 2019 Hidden Histories World War 1 Project . Powered by WordPress. Theme: Accelerate by ThemeGrill.


Language Self-Study & Phrasebooks, Language, Foreign Language Study, Foreign Language - Dictionaries : Phrase Books, Italian, Polyglo, Publisher: Rough Guides.
We found some servers for you, where you can download the e-book "The Rough Guide to Italian Dictionary Phrasebook 3 (Rough Guide Phrasebooks)" by Rough Guides EPUB for free. The Free Books Online team wishes you a fascinating reading!


text:
Vic's Election Notes on Education #28– April 22, 2016
This is the first "Vic's Election Notes on Education" for 2016. Notes under this title contain my commentaries on election candidates and my personal candidate endorsements. There is no link between "Vic's Election Notes on Education" and any organization.
In Indiana's bicentennial year, will Hoosier voters elect candidates who will vote to dismantle public education in Indiana?
That would be a sad way to celebrate our heritage on our state's 200th birthday, which includes 160 years of strong support for public education going back to our 1851 Constitution which provided "for a general and uniform system of Common Schools, wherein tuition shall be without charge, and equally open to all."
The blueprint for dismantling public education is in place. It was unveiled in the 2016 session in House Bill 1311 sponsored by House Ways and Means Chairman Brown and in Senate Bill 397 sponsored by Senator Raatz.
Will the voters react?
[Please note: Indiana Code 3-14-1-17 says that government employees including public school employees may not "use the property of the employee's government employer to" support the "election or defeat of a candidate" and may not distribute this message "on the government employer's real property during regular working hours." Ironically, the law does not prevent private school employees from using computers purchased with public voucher money to distribute campaign materials. Private schools now financed in part by public voucher dollars have retained all rights under Indiana's voucher laws to engage in partisan political campaigns.]
The Blueprint for Dismantling Public Education: the Friedman Plan
The name I give to the two bills defining this radical new expansion of school vouchers is "Reduced Learning No Accountability Accounts". The name given by the supporters of the concept is "Education Savings Accounts".
The concept of the two bills, based on Milton Friedman's plan to end public education, is to give on a debit card the amount of money that normally goes to the public school district, let's say $6000, directly to any parent who signs an agreement to educate their child in "reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies and science." This skimpy list leads to the "Reduced Learning" label.
Then the parent can give the money to a private school for tuition or to "a participating entity", which may be an individual, a tutoring agency, a distance learning program, or a licensed occupational therapist approved by the Indiana Treasurer. No requirement to take the state test is included for home schooled students or any who are not enrolled in a voucher school, a fact that leads to the "No Accountability" label.
Thus, we have "Reduced Learning No Accountability Accounts" which are a recipe for fraud.
Parents can use the money for home schools, for the student's 529 college fund instead of K-12 expenses, or for textbooks. In contrast, remember that public school parents get no textbook support from the state.
It's a radical plan that deserves to be sent packing, yet in House District 59 Ryan Lauer is running on a platform of bringing Education Savings Accounts to Indiana. He is running against incumbent Representative Milo Smith and also against Bartholomew County Assessor Lew Wilson, in a three way primary contest.
Without explaining that diverting the dollars from public schools would hurt the education of all current public school students and without saying that any student who meets the income guidelines can already go to a private school with a voucher, Mr. Lauer wrote in his January 28 announcement that "I will sponsor legislation to bring Education Savings Accounts to Indiana which place more power and greater choice in the hands of parents so that each child has the opportunity to attend the school that works best for them regardless of income." He apparently wants to have taxpayers pay the private school tuition for wealthy families and also for home schools, which would be a new and expensive step with no accountability for student outcomes under the proposed bills.
Neither Representative Milo Smith nor Bartholomew County Assessor Lew Wilson have endorsed Education Savings Accounts.
In House District 59 (Bartholomew County), public school advocates would be wise to choose between those two candidates and turn away Mr. Lauer's strong support of Educational Savings Accounts which would severely damage the public schools in Bartholomew County and across the state.
Advocates for public education need to be aware of this radical proposal and to work against those who advocate for it such as Ryan Lauer.
Support Candidates Who Support Public Education
Several candidates are running who support public education and who oppose proposals that would weaken it such as Education Savings Accounts. Here are the stories of three public school advocates who are challenging incumbents running in the May 3rd primary election who have shown little or no inclination to protect public education from privatization. I urge you to support these three in any way that you can:
Tom Linkmeyer in House District 39 is challenging Representative Torr.
Ann Ennis in House District 64 is challenging Representative Washburne.
Nancy Franke in House District 69 is challenging Representative Lucas.
The public education grassroot networks need to support these candidates on May 3rd.
House District 39: Tom Linkmeyer vs. Representative Torr
Representative Gerald Torr has represented District 39 in Hamilton County since 1996 and has voted for private school vouchers at every opportunity, in landmark votes in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016. He also voted in 2015 to remove the power of voters to name the chair of the State Board of Education, the controversial bill to diminish the powers of the elected State Superintendent. He is no friend of public education.
Tom Linkmeyer, Assistant Principal at Mary Castle Elementary School in Lawrence Township, says on his Facebook page: "Abolishing all high stakes tests will be my goal when elected!" He strongly opposes the attack on public schools coordinated by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
The difference is clear. Tom Linkmeyer deserves the support of all public school advocates, especially those in District 39.
House District 64: Ann Ennis vs. Representative Washburne
I met Ann Ennis about two years ago as she began an effort to support public education in the Evansville area. When it comes to public education and efforts to privatize it, I can tell you she gets it. She deserves the support of everyone who supports public education. Her experience includes seven years as Director of Keep Evansville Beautiful, work with Habitat for Humanity, and as a public school parent.
House District 64 includes all of Gibson County and portions of Knox, Pike, Vanderburgh and Posey Counties.
Now she is challenging Representative Tom Washburne, elected in 2012 who has shown no interest in supporting or protecting public education from efforts to privatize it through vouchers. He voted for the enormous private school voucher expansion in the 2013 session which has resulted in a new $40 million tab to the taxpayers to allow thousands of private school students who had always attended private schools to be given tax supported vouchers to pay their tuition at private and religious schools. He supported eliminating the $4800 cap on K-8 vouchers in the 2015 budget at a cost to taxpayers of $3.8 million. He supported taking away the power of voters to name the chair of the State Board of Education in 2015 when the powers of State Superintendent Ritz were attacked and reduced in Senate Bill 1.
The difference is clear. Ann Ennis deserves the support of all public school advocates, especially those in District 64.
House District 69: Nancy Franke vs. Representative Lucas
Representative Jim Lucas has been no friend of public education since his election to the House in 2012 from District 69, composed of portions of Bartholomew, Jennings, Jackson and Jefferson Counties.
Like Representative Washburne, he voted for the massive 2013 voucher expansion that ended up costing $40 million new dollars in 2014-15 to support tuition for private school students who were already going to private schools, in the same year when the much needed preschool program only received $10 million. He also voted for Senate Bill 1 in 2015 to remove the power voters held for over a hundred years to name the chair of the State Board of Education and to give that power to the Governor-appointed state board members. He also supported raising the $4800 cap on K-8 vouchers in the 2015 budget at a cost of $3.8 million per year.
He has been on the House Education Committee for four years and whenever I testified before the committee in support of public education, he consistently asked pointed follow-up questions in support of private school vouchers. He has accepted a $30,000 campaign donation from the Hoosiers for Quality Education Political Action Committee, the well funded voucher supporter PAC linked to the group that is trying to line up enough votes to pass the radical plan called Education Savings Accounts.
The bicentennial battle to defend our public schools is alive in Jackson County.
Representative Lucas is being challenged by Nancy Franke who has served on the school board of the Seymour Community Schools since 2010 and is also an elementary teacher at a Lutheran school in Columbus. According to her website, she has been endorsed by many educators and community leaders including four area public school superintendents and as well as Pat Sullivan, retired teacher from Hayden Elementary, who writes:
"Being a retired teacher with 38 years of experience and a present member of the Jennings County School Board, I have watched our public schools being systematically destroyed and our professional educators marginalized. PUBLIC EDUCATION IN INDIANA IS IN CRISIS MODE. Our students are being used by the politicians in an educational "reform" experiment that has already proved to be an utter failure in every place it has been tried. We must elect legislators who truly understand what it takes to educate our next generation of Hoosiers. NANCY FRANKE IS UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO MAKE GOOD COMMON SENSE DECISIONS THAT WILL GIVE OUR STUDENTS THE TOP QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION THAT THEY DESERVE. After my conversations with Nancy, it is very clear that she truly understands the real issues that our beleaguered educators face every day. I have no doubt that Nancy can handle all issues in the legislature with honesty, integrity, and courage. We need more people like Nancy in the legislature to truly make Indiana great again."
The difference is clear. Nancy Franke deserves the support of all public school advocates, especially those in District 69.
The stakes are high are high in our bicentennial year.
We need grassroots support for legislative candidates who will reverse the low priority given to public education in recent years and stop the efforts such as Educational Savings Accounts to further privatize our public schools.
Contact your friends and contribute what you can. Good luck in your work!
Thanks for advocating in support of public education!
Vic Smith
There is no link between "Vic's Election Notes on Education" and any organization. Please contact me at vic790@aol.com to add an email address or to remove an address from the distribution list.
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher's Life License and a Superintendent's License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana.
Labels: Election, VicSmith
Vic's Election Notes on Education #31– April 29, 2...
Vic's Statehouse Notes #261 – April 19, 2016


text:
Home Kashmir Criminal Court Hajira issues written decision of accused Zaheer after 11 years
Criminal Court Hajira issues written decision of accused Zaheer after 11 years
HAJIRA, (Parliament Time) : Tehsil Criminal Court Hajira after 11 years issued a 12-page written decision of Zaheer. The accused were sentenced to death, bail and imprisonment. According to details, Tehsil Criminal Court Hajira consists of two members Muhammad Shehzad Anwar Civil Judge Magistrate and Sir Mahmood Chaudhry Tehsil Qazi / Magistrate. According to which, on conviction of the accused, the accused Zaheer was sentenced to Rs. 936000 and sentenced to five years imprisonment. While other convicts Shahid, Shahzad and Mumtaz were sentenced to one year imprisonment and Rs. 25 thousands per one accused. The perpetrators had beaten up Masmi Mushtaq, resident of Mogla Colony Hajira in 2011. The people of the area appreciated the decision of the court and expressed happiness over the performance of the court tehsil criminal Hajira and fulfillment of the requirements of law and justice. Over the years, the prestige of the judiciary in the public area has increased due to the merits of the cases pending in the court.
Previous articleTuberculosis In Balochistan
Next articleFederal Minister for Narcotics Control meets Canadian High Commissioner


In setting out to design the Brigadier, we decided to take a super powerful SHARC DSP and dedicate it to doing one thing and one thing only … delivering the best analog bucket brigade delay sound ever. As a result of having the entire DSP dedicated to doing one extremely high quality effect, we are able to concentrate on every last detail that makes an analog delay special. No stone has been left unturnede. Every single bucket is recreated in the Brigadier with our new dBucket algorithm. And, since were doing all of this without regular old bucket brigade chips, you get all the tone and none of the noise (unless of course you choose to add it back in with our exclusive bucket loss control, yes!). We feel like weve created something very special, and we hope you will too.


Are you considering a trip to Hawaii's garden isle, Kauai and do you like to play golf? If so, you have an opportunity of a lifetime awaiting you. Kauai is, without a doubt, one of the most scenic and idyllic locales on earth. The Hawaiian Islands are all wonderful, but you have not seen Hawaii in all of its splendor until you have visited Kauai.
Are you considering a trip to Hawaii's garden isle, Kauai and do you like to play golf? If so, you have an opportunity of a lifetime awaiting you. Kauai is, without a doubt, one of the most scenic and idyllic locales on earth. The Hawaiian Islands are all wonderful, but you have not seen Hawaii in all of its splendor until you have visited Kauai.
With only 4 percent of the island developed, you are truly in a natural paradise. From the sunny south shore to the lush north shore and Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, to the Napali coast, you have hit the jackpot of natural wonders in Kauai. The weather here is as close to perfect as you will find. An abundance of sunshine is nearly always present; the most weather you may encounter is tropical breezes and brief rain showers.
The island of Kauai offers some picturesque, but challenging courses. Some of the leading golf course architects in the world have made their mark in Kauai, from Robert Trent Jones, Jr. to Jack Nicklaus. Opportunities exist to play in many regions of the island.
On the south shore, Poipu Bay golf course is the most famous course on Kauai, home of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994 until 2006. The Grand Slam event brought together the winners of each year's four major PGA tournaments-the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship-for a two-day golf competition. On the east shore, Kauai Lagoons and Puakea golf courses offer tremendous tracks for memorable golf experiences. On the north shore, Princeville Resort boasts the Prince and Makai golf courses.
While it may be tempting to allow your geographic location determine where you choose to play, you should strongly consider visiting all of these golf meccas. In the space of less than 50 miles, you can travel between all of these courses. For those with families, each of these areas offer many family-friendly diversions while you are teeing it up, so don't be afraid to explore!
The first course we chose to explore was the Poipu Bay golf course , located adjacent to the magnificent Grand Hyatt Kaua'i Resort & Spa. There you can imagine yourself teeing up against worthy opponents such as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Freddie Couples. See how close you can come to Phil's course record of 59.
The course plays 7123 yards from the gold tees, 6612 yards from the blues, 6127 yards from the whites and 5372 yards from the red tees. This course provides a fair test for golfers of all abilities, while providing the opportunity to have fun and enjoy your environment. You would be strongly encouraged to spend some quality time on the driving range, as ball striking is at a premium with the prevailing tropical breezes. You would definitely want to be able to play the ball on a low trajectory for many of the holes play into the wind.
The front nine tends to be on the inland side of the course and starts by wrapping around the driving range for holes 1, 2 and 3. These holes afford an opportunity to get warmed up for the challenges ahead. Holes 4 and 5 offer your first taste of playing into the teeth of the prevailing wind, and both play significantly longer than the scorecard would indicate. Hole 6 is a downwind par 5, which is reachable for long hitters. Hole 7 is a downwind par 3 with water along the right side. The front nine finishes with 2 more upwind par 4s. At this point, you have had an opportunity to soak in the beauty of Poipu Bay and hopefully you have scored well, because you just finished the easy nine.
The back nine starts with a long par 4 into the wind, followed by the par 3, 11th hole. Holes 12 and 13 are some of the few holes that do not play straight up or down wind, so take advantage here. The 13th does have water down the right side, with the wind tending to push errant shots (like my approach) into the drink.
As I stood on the 13th tee I realized I had just taken 59 strokes to get to this point. With no chance for me to match Phil's record, I was determined to relax and enjoy the surroundings.
The 14th hole is the last upwind hole, and you will be thankful for that. The 14th green is on the eastern most point on the course with incredible ocean views. Holes 15 through 18 are all straight downwind and all located on the edge of cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. If you are still holding your own at this point, you will be severely challenged, if not completely distracted by the sheer beauty of the scenery. Sea turtles, dolphins and whales can be seen cavorting in the ocean below. Try not to be too drawn to the ocean views, or you may find your golf ball drawing to that same fate.
All in all, Poipu Bay golf course offers a rare opportunity to play golf on one of the planets greatest locations. The course is challenging but fair, without an abundance of punishment for the occasional stray shot. Your main concern will be displaying skill playing in wind conditions, but the wind is very predictable here.
After your round, stop in the clubhouse for the 19th hole which is always one of my favorite activities. You can enjoy a full bar as well as good food served at the Poipu Bay Grill & Bar. You can also stroll through a pictorial history reviewing some of the champions who played here in the Grand Slam. Finally, if you are not lucky enough to be staying at the Grand Hyatt resort, pay a visit. The pool and lagoon are absolutely the best family-friendly swimming you will ever see. Regardless of your score this is one day of golf you will never regret!
Click here for more Kauai Aritcles. Click here for more articles by Russ Crouch.


text:
WIU Home > VPAS > Human Resources > Documents
FAQs for Conversion of Administrative Professionals to Civil Service
Updated: 2/5/2019
The State Universities Civil Service System (SUCSS) is provided authority through legislative Statute and is empowered through the University Civil Service Merit Board to develop, maintain, and administer a comprehensive and efficient program of human resource administration for the higher education community in Illinois.
Effective October 1, 2018, SUCSS published an Exemption Procedures Manual containing the guidelines and criteria to be used in properly validating and designating positions, and employees in those positions, as exempt from SUCSS coverage. The Exemption Procedures Manual can be viewed on the SUCSS website. This action requires that Western Illinois University begin reviewing Administrative Professional (AP) positions to determine if they are to be exempt from Civil Service (CS).
Who is determining whether a position is AP or CS?
Positions that have been traditionally classified as AP are being reviewed by a Position Review Committee comprised of the Director of Human Resources, Director of Academic Personnel, Director of Equal Opportunity and Access, Legal Counsel and the Supervisor of the Classification division.
What about current AP employees?
In January 2019, the Committee will begin to review the current job descriptions of positions identified as improperly exempted from CS. Employees in these positions that are determined to be CS will move from AP to CS effective, February 1, 2019.
Will salaries be negatively affected?
No. If your position transitions to CS, you will maintain your current pay unless the classification that you are transitioning to has a higher starting salary. In that instance, your pay will increase to the base salary of the new CS classification.
Will your pay schedule change?
Yes. CS employees in classifications exempted from overtime benefits are paid on a semi-monthly basis on approximately the 1st and 16th of the month (24 times a year) and are required to complete a time card twice a month.
Employees eligible for overtime are paid on a bi-weekly basis (26 times a year) and are required to complete a time card every two weeks.
How will I be paid after February 1?
For monthly paid employees moved to semi-monthly there will be no delay:
2/1 – full month of pay for January
2/15 – half month of pay for 2/1-2/15
3/1 – half month of pay for 2/16-2/28
Monthly paid employees moved to bi-weekly will have a maximum delay of 3 weeks and paid as follows:
2/22 – partial check for 2/1 to 2/10 (6 days of the new normal bi-weekly pay paid a week before the old payday)
3/8 – first full bi-weekly check for pay period 2/11-2/24 (paid about a week later than the old payday; this is a 7 day delay on 2 weeks of wages)
3/22 – full bi-weekly check (this check will include payment for the last 4 days of February, which would have been received on 3/1 when paid monthly, resulting in a 3 week delay on 4 days of wages)
What is the difference between a bi-weekly employee and a semi-monthly employee?
Bi-weekly employees are not exempt from overtime requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act and are eligible for either overtime or "compensatory time" off at time-and-a-half for any hours worked over 7.5 hours in a workday or 37.5 hours in a work week.
Semi-monthly employees are exempt from overtime requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act and are paid a consistent salary. Semi-monthly employees accrue "approved time" for any hours worked over 37.5 hours per week, up to a maximum of 37.5 hours (straight time).
Does this make me a part of a union and/or UPI?
Some classifications are covered under collective bargaining agreements. If an employee is moved to a classification in a collective bargaining agreement, they will be notified.
Do my years of service carry over from my AP position? How does that factor into my seniority for the new CS classification?
Seniority is accrued from the date that it can reasonably be determined that the position description met the criteria (duties/responsibilities) of a civil service classification. This date can be determined based upon a historical evaluation of the job description for the position. In cases where there has been no significant change in the job description, seniority is accrued from the date of employment into the exempt position.
Do I need to make any deduction changes with payroll?
Most deductions, such as insurance and memberships, will have their amounts adjusted and will switch to a 24 deduction per year schedule.
If you have elected additional flat tax or if you use a second bank account to deposit your pay, those amounts will continue to be taken each time you are paid. Therefore, if you are moving from a monthly payroll to a more frequent payroll, you may want to make changes so your deductions are correct. Any deduction amounts taken out of your paycheck will change with your pay schedule (i.e. a deduction that was taken out once per month will now be taken out bi-weekly or semi-monthly), whereas any deposit amount will automatically adjust with the payroll frequency.
Will my Vacation/Sick leave change?
Yes. Vacation benefits accrue according to the following schedule:
CS Semi-Monthly Employees
# of Days Earned per Year
CS Bi-Weekly Employees
Sick leave hours are accrued for status appointments of 50 percent or more on a pro rata basis of one working day for each month of full-time service and are cumulative, with no limit. Current sick and vacation balances will still be available to the employee but will take one full pay period to transfer to their viewable account.
If I have already accrued the maximum amount of vacation days as an AP employee and move to CS where the maximum is lower, will I lose my vacation days over the new maximum?
No. If you were an AP employee and had a balance at the maximum 48 days and moved to a CS position with a maximum accrual of 30 days, you would maintain two separate vacation records and would not lose any days. 30 vacation days would be transferred from your AP record onto your CS record, and the remaining 18 days would remain on your old AP record. Once the vacation is exhausted on your new CS record, the days left over from your AP record would then be transferred. If you were to leave the position prior to using all of your vacation days, all days would be paid out, regardless of if they were AP or CS.
How will my credentials be evaluated for the new CS position I am being transferred to?
Academic Personnel will provide the Human Resources Office the most recent resume and transcripts in your personnel file. If you would like to submit updated documentation, or complete a civil service application for future promotional opportunities, please visit the CS Employment section of the HR website to complete an application or email your documents to HR-Office@wiu.edu.
Am I eligible for an Interinstitutional Tuition Waiver as a civil service employee?
Yes. Active CS employees can receive a tuition waiver at other SUCSS covered institutions. The credit hour maxima and fees to be waived will be determined by the institution at which the employee enrolls. Contact the Benefits Office for a list of institutions the tuition waiver is available at and to obtain a copy of the waiver request form.
If my position was converted to civil service and I am not an Illinois resident, do I have to move to Illinois?
No. There is no rule that requires that you reside in Illinois due to your position being reclassified as civil service.
Does an employee have to serve the probationary period for the new civil service classification?
Civil service classifications have a 6-month or 12-month probationary period. Time served in the previous exempt position will count towards the completion of the probationary period. Some specific examples follow:
Example 1: An employee was hired in an exempt position and has served 4 months in the position. It is determined that the position should be a civil service classification with a 12-month probationary period. Upon changing the position from exempt status to civil service, the employee would be required to complete the "remaining" 8 months of the 12-month probationary period.
Example 2: An employee was hired in an exempt position and has served 14 months in the position. It is determined that the position should be a civil service classification with a 12-month probationary period. Upon converting the position from exempt status to civil service, the employee would not be required to complete any additional probationary period.
What is the layoff notice period for civil service employees?
Civil service employees receive a written notice, at least 30 calendar days in advance of the effective date of layoff.
Is there a change in my duties and/or title?
If an employee received notification that his/her position was determined to be CS, there is no change in duties or the employee's "working" title. For example, an associate director reclassified to the CS classification of program coordinator will continue to be responsible for his/her current duties. While the CS title per the state system is program coordinator, the employee's working title can remain associate director of Department.
If I received notification that my position is now classified as civil service, has my salary been reduced?
An employee's salary will remain the same, unless the starting salary for the CS classification is greater than the current AP salary. This recent review and subsequent reclassifications are not cost-saving measures. The review process and any subsequent reclassifications are required by SUCSS statute.
Do my years of service count toward seniority? Will my sick or vacation time change?
If your duties and responsibilities from the administrative position remain the same, the years holding those responsibilities will count toward seniority in the new CS classification. For example, if an employee has served as director for 20 years, the years of director-related duties and responsibilities carry over to the CS classification. All accrued time (sick, vacation and approved hours) will transfer; however, non-cumulative sick days do not transfer and are no longer accrued. The maximum number of vacation days may change based on the CS classification. The accrued time question is answered in greater detail on the FAQ site.
What if I've been reclassified to a CS classification where others are currently holding the same classification? Can I be bumped?
This is dependent on the years of service in the AP position, and/or if the CS position is considered a custom class. For example, an employee who served as an associate director for 10 years and is now classified as a program coordinator, his/her duties in the former AP transfer to the CS classification. Therefore, the employee would have 10 years in the program coordinator classification. In addition, the program coordinator classification is considered a custom class. Therefore, the employee's position is specific to the education and experience required for the particular position. For example, another maintenance technician cannot bump a maintenance technician who has responsibilities for maintaining the University's sprinkler systems due to the specific credentials required.
What are the eleven classifications considered "custom classifications"?
Business/Administrative Associate
Grants and Contracts Associate
Human Resource Associate
IT Support Associate
IT Technical Associate
IT Manager/Administrative Coordinator
Program/Student Advisor
What offices can I contact for more information?
HR-Office@wiu.edu
Academic Personnel
AcademicPersonnel@wiu.edu
Payroll@wiu.edu
Benefits@wiu.edu
Civil Service Employment


A new app named Billr aims to relieve some of the stress that comes from splitting a bill. You enter some information from the bill, and the app walks you through the necessary steps of dividing the costs in the most fair manner possible. Sounds great, right? Let's find out.
The inputs that Billr asks you for are pretty simple. You tell it how many people ate something, what percentage you want to tip and what the sales tax rate is. Then each person enters the costs of the food they ate and Billr spits out a straightforward answer for how much each person should put down.
For this review, I tried Billr out after a meal I had with a few of my friends. I waited to use Billr until the end of a meal with a relatively complicated bill. In this case, there were five people, everyone had a cocktail and main course, and we shared a few appetizers and desserts.
There are no unnecessary steps when you open the app. It starts off by asking you to input the number of people in your party.
To begin, you enter the number of people at the table using a simple up and down arrow input. The maximum number of diners that Billr supports is 16, and each person you add shows up as another avatar on your screen.
From here, Billr takes you to the item entry screen. Each person at the table gets a separate column where the price of each item they ordered (or shared) is entered. It is important here to enter only the items that each person ate or drank by themselves. You enter shared items in the following step.
A column appears for each person in your party. After you have entered each item for one person, you just tap the next column.
I found that it was easiest to pass the phone around the table and have each person take the responsibility for their own items. It may sound like a time-consuming extra step, but as long as everyone in your party is even vaguely familiar with a touchscreen phone, the entry process is intuitive enough that you won't really need to explain to each person how to use Billr.
Once the phone makes it back to you, it's a good idea to do enter the shared items by yourself. A separate column appears where you put the prices of anything that more than one person consumed, which for use was a couple appetizers and a dessert. Next, you work your way across the columns for each person and put a check for each shared item which they ate or drank.
The process of setting the tax and tip is very easy, and the results are easy to read. The columns can't be renamed, so you'll need to remember who is who.
The final step involves setting the tax and tip. As you change the tax and tip (which move in increments of 0.25% and 1.0%, respectively), the totals at the top of your screen update. Here you'll see the subtotal, tax, tip and the total with and without the tip. From there, you're ready to go. Each diner has a customized check that gives the cost of their food, what they owe for tax, for tip and in total.
Sharing the results is simple. The app will email or text an image of the final screen that shows what each person owed.
If someone wants a record of how the bill got divided, you can share the results either by text or email, which simply means sending a picture of the final screen.
Billr never froze up on me, and from a performance standpoint, it's very fast. However, the nature of the input method makes for a tedious experience. The app uses the built-in iOS number pad, which means you will feel comfortable doing your typing, but passing the phone around and having people scan around on the receipt to find their item is far from speedy.
While the data entry side of the app feels inefficient, the design is very appealing. Billr is laid out in a linear way, which makes things very simple. It is clear that a lot of attention has been paid to every pixel of the layout. The colors scheme is visually attractive, though the numbers you enter into your bill are on the small side and there isn't any option to make them bigger. This might be an important factor if you tend to dine with an older crowd.
The biggest problem that I ran into in using Billr was making corrections. The people I was with each took responsibility to enter their own entrées and drinks, but when the phone came back to me and I'd finished entering the appetizers, our total didn't match the receipt (before tax). The app doesn't label each entry, and understandably so; it would be prohibitively slow. But this also means that when you need to double check things to see what was missed, there is no easy way to find the mistake.
While it was nice to be able to share the results via email or text, there is no option to save anything within the app. This means that if you hit clear and then find that there is some discrepancy at the table, you can't easily go back to make some quick changes. Being the careless person that I am, this would be an important feature for me.
This is a case of an app that performs beautifully, and whose problems are generally not the fault of the developers. Short of some magical app that would snap a photo of the bill and spit it back properly divided, any app that aims to solve this problem will likely require at least the same amount of legwork on your end as Billr.
In the end, I appreciated having exact amounts that each of my friends owed, but we all agreed that we'd prefer to just ballpark our costs in the future. The time it took to enter all the necessary information wasn't really that long, but it was still long enough to make it feel like a chore. I don't hesitate in saying that this is a good app that does what it advertises, and if you too often quibble with your friends about accounting for every last penny of a bill, then I can safely recommend Billr. On the other hand, if you are comfortable just tossing in a few more bucks down whenever the money on the table doesn't match the bill, then Billr will seem like an irksome extra step at the end of your meal.
An easy to use app that helps you split the bill properly after a meal.


Criminal penalties deter crime, but the mechanism isn't as simple as weighing the advantages of a crime against the weighted probability of getting caught and convicted. Ironically, the direct deterrent effect isn't even the main reason we make actions criminal; the law works more subtly than that. Let's get clear about how deterrence functions in society.
First of all, the potential for punishment does not deter real criminals from committing crimes. People don't so much become criminals by committing crimes as they commit crimes in order to be criminals. There will always be amateurs, fools, and the unlucky for whom jail is an awful accident but real criminals admire, like, and aspire to "the life" and accept spending some percentage of their time in jail as a necessary risk. They're like gamblers. People don't gamble in order to lose, but the truth is, they don't gamble in order to win, either. For gamblers, losing and winning are equally necessary to their chief joy in life, which is gambling. In much the same way, the risk of jail and the thrill of the score are equally essential to the joy of crime, and in that sense, to the true criminal, punishment acts as much an incentive as it does a deterrent.
The law's main concern, however, is non-criminals, not criminals, and it is non-criminals whom penalties deter most strongly. Nevertheless, I doubt the penalties, per se, are the main thing that causes most non-criminals to not commit crimes. Above all else, non-criminals, i.e., regular people, crave respectability, and criminal penalties are a vivid expression of a society's disapproval of certain behaviors. It's not fear of the penalty itself, but the awful societal disapproval symbolized by the penalty that does most of the work.
Today, America is rushing to legalize marijuana and as part of our reorientation, the party line is that it's essentially harmless.
The assertion that pot is harmless is cynically political, not factual. People say it, but does anyone seriously believe it's true? It was never harmless and what's around today is not your granddad's pot. In the 60's and 70's, people sat around with friends and smoked "a few joints." That much 2018 pot would lobotomize you.
In our teens and twenties we all knew what chronic use of marijuana did to you because we all had stoner friends, the guys and girls who lived the Melanie life. Stoners pretended to themselves that it made them insightful and creative, but they were notoriously idiotic—it was a rare stoner who's creativity ever went farther than Bic pen doodles on a notebook cover.
There were always some people who could smoke once in a while, with no harm done, just like there are people who smoke cigarettes once in a while without ill effect, but for a large percentage of users, it's a long-term brain-rot lifestyle, and very hard to quit. You don't need a scientific study; anyone with two eyes can see it.
I think ex-chronic pot smokers will be the first to agree with this view.
Marijuana isn't going away. It's always been here, and using it has been a major mainstream practice for at least as long as I've been alive. So yes, it's insane to select a tiny percentage of those who use it and destroy their lives by throwing them in jail.
The trouble is, the decriminalization has been hijacked by people who want to turn marijuana into a government cash cow. It immediately morphs into the Colorado model of legalized marijuana, which is built on regulating it's sale so that it can be taxed.
The problem with this scheme is that by participating in the business, the government gives the recreational use of marijuana it's seal of approval, just like alcohol and cigarettes. I like alcohol and tobacco myself, but they're both undeniably a blight on the world. Unfortunately, when we tried outright banning alcohol it was a disaster.
Cigarettes would be easier to ban than alcohol but we have collectively decided (correctly in my view) that an outright ban goes beyond the government's proper scope. Instead, we're doing out best to systematically disapprove cigarettes to death and we've been doing a pretty effective job of it. The number of smokers is a fraction of what it once was, and has been bumping down generation by generation. There's a day coming when cigarettes will be a niche product, like snuff or chewing tobacco.
Our success in discouraging cigarette smoking through disapproval makes deliberately decreasing society's formal disapproval of pot the most cynical move imaginable. If it's so harmless, how many legislators would be happy to see their kids take up? How many chronic pot smokers does anyone know who live happy lives of high achievement, and how many people who used to smoke don't bitterly regret the time wasted? We all understand that X percent of those who use it will abuse it to their sorrow. Nobody knows what the exact value of X is but we all know it's not one or two percent. Who among us doesn't think X is a two-digit number?
The alcohol and tobacco horses ran out of the barn centuries ago. Those drugs may be a blight, but they're part of mainstream culture now and for the predictable future. The very last thing we should do is add marijuana to the list.
The law needs to take a two pronged approach. Maintain official disapproval and undercut the economics that support organized crime. We can drop criminal penalties without going the extra mile.
Make it illegal to smoke in public and illegal to provide to children, etc., and simply say nothing about what people do behind closed doors. Or better yet, make it illegal in private too, but have no penalty.
Society should continue to declare commercial production illegal, but not in and of itself criminal. We know how to do this without turning an entire industry over to organized crime. You get fined for raising chickens in town, or manufacturing unpasteurized dairy products, and we don't see a chicken mafia, or a cheese cartel.
Likewise, we need stiff civil penalties for the commercial cultivation and distribution of marijuana, but we should simply shrug at people doing it in their basement or backyard, much as we do with making your own beer and wine. As with any other business, legal or illegal, commercial growers would be subject to penalties for tax fraud on undeclared income, and major fines for operating a large-scale farm or distribution network. Whatever the details, the key thing is that commercial production should remain illegal, but non-criminal, and private cultivation of modest amounts should be ignored.
The reason for a two-level law is economic. Pot's a weed; ninety percent of the difficulty and art are in growing it illegally, not in simply growing it. It's gardening. If it's not criminal to grow in small amounts, say, under 250 square feet of cultivation, it becomes a cottage industry, like raising heritage poultry or making home-canned jellies and jams. Without the police keeping prices artificially high by suppressing small scale growers, it ceases to be something organized crime can make money at. There's a reason you don't see the Mexican cartels smuggling peach preserves or garden-grown vegetables.
Medical marijuana has been used as a wedge in the fight to make recreational marijuana legal.
Pharmaceutical companies and doctors jealously protecting their privileges claim that other anti-nausea drugs are just as good as marijuana but I've yet to meet a single user of medical marijuana who agrees. It can be great for pain, too, as well as a host of other ailments, and it's dirt-cheap compared to most prescription drugs.
Medical marijuana should be a non-issue. Simply allow drug companies to do whatever the market wants with it as a prescription drug. There is no societal approval issue here–we already have a pharmaceutical market for many drugs that are also abused.
The details don't matter so long as, whatever we do, we don't, as a society, get into the marijuana business. Forgo the tax benefits. Governments will more than make that revenue back from the increased productivity of the millions of people who would otherwise end up like Melanie.
Previous Post Seriously? Contempt of Court?