Department of Justice Provides $109M for Prisoner Reentry Programs.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The President released the Administration’s FY 2010 top-line budget proposal today which includes $26.5 billion for the Department of Justice (DOJ), a 3.5 percent increase more than the FY 2009 budget. The Department’s budget includes enhanced funding for: national security and intelligence; combating financial fraud; hiring additional police officers; civil rights enforcement; securing our nation’s borders; and for federal detention and incarceration programs.
“The President has promised that, from the day he took office, America will have a Justice Department that is truly dedicated to justice,” said Attorney General Holder. “This budget supports this vital task by investing in our critical law enforcement mission, including protecting Americans from terrorism, fighting financial and mortgage fraud, getting more cops on the beat, reinvigorating civil rights enforcement, and providing essential resources for our prisons.”
Funding Highlights:
Counters the Threat of Terrorism and Strengthens National Security - Provides $8 billion for the FBI, including $425 million in enhancements, and $88 million for the National Security Division to address the Attorney General’s highest priority – protecting Americans from terrorist acts. Funding supports the detection and disruption of terrorists, counterintelligence, cyber security, and other threats against our national security. Read more »
Finding out Who’s Naughty and Nice.
Glassdoor.com, a site that lets employees anonymously review their employers and share salary information, is out with a list of the naughtiest and nicest chief executives of 2008, based on those reviews.
Check it out, and see where your boss ranks…
Bid The Landfill!!!
Through City Council Bill 2008-0538, Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton is proposing a 35-year, $750 million no-bid contract with Waste Management Inc. to continue the management of our city’s Trail Ridge Landfill. This is a NO-BID contract – meaning he won’t allow any other companies to bid for such an expensive and long-term deal with the city. There are many reasons why this is wrong and it is important to encourage City Council members to vote against 2008-0538 and open the landfill contract up for competitive bidding.
Check out http://bidthelandfill.org/ for more information, and a link to sign the petition to force the mayor to allow competitive bids.
Working for Dr. Evil? Been There, Done That…
What kind of leader do you work for? Is your corporate ship being steered by someone of good moral fiber, or someone willing to do whatever it takes to get ahead.
Why do you work there? Are you inspired, or is it to just get a pay check? If its just for the paycheck, go somewhere else.
What if you’re getting paid much more than you could make anywhere else? Just how far are you willing to bend your own personal ethics in the name of a paycheck?
An evil leader does not deserve your loyalty, and you are poisoning your core value system if you stay in such an environment. Believe me, I’ve been in just such an environment, and my life has improved many times over since I got out of there. I have since reconnected with several other former employees of the same office, and we are all happier now, even though we are not making us much money. Just the relief that comes with earning an honest living, and not sacrificing your morals makes all the difference in the world.
I’ve blogged on this subject several times in the past here, here, and here, but today I wanted to share an outstanding article from someone else on the subject. It’s a great article, and I hope you enjoy it. I really hope it makes some of you think twice about your current situation, and moves you to change.
How Good Leaders Turn Evil
By Kevin Kennemer, SPHR
If you were faced with an evil, illegal, unethical or highly questionable business practice sanctioned by your leaders, would you have the character to stand up and declare your disapproval, even if it meant losing your job? Would you walk away from a steady paycheck if your company’s leaders were unwilling to correct their wayward practices? When the eyes of evil are upon you the act of conscientious separation can be a very, very difficult moment in your life.
This is our hope: when faced with evil, we will stand up for what is right, good and honorable.
Group Behavioral Norms
The problem is that group behavior tends to create norms and patterns of behavior that tend to force people to conform in order to feel part of the team. That is why belonging to the right company culture is absolutely necessary for the mental, physical and spiritual well-being of employees over the long term. The people in power at your company – president, CEO, COO, CFO, CIO, CHRO, board of directors, etc. – have enormous control over the company’s cultural climate and group behavior. Company culture flows down from the top. It does not bubble up from the mail room or permeate the organization from human resources. Company culture is a reflection of the leader’s personality. Read more »
Subscribe- 8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage August 14, 2009Ends Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions: Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history. Ends Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays: Insurance companies will have to abide by yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses. Ends Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care: […]smithofthelongfield
- Healthy Health Care Reform Debate August 13, 2009Not everyone in America is involved in shouting matches regarding health care reform. Some people are actually able to discuss these issues calmly on social networking sites. Here are some excerpts from the conversation my friends and I have been having on Facebook. John Longfield-Smith The actual Health Care Reform Bill. Many sites are [...]smithofthelongfield
- Isn’t it Ironic?! August 13, 2009A top 10 list of things that drive me crazy about my fellow Americans. 1.) Why are so many people up in arms about spending $1T over the next ten years, with the worst estimate showing that $239B will end up directly affecting the deficit, yet there has been no outcry about the $1T the [...]smithofthelongfield
- E-mail ‘analysis’ of health bill needs a check-up August 12, 2009Let me reiterate for the record, I am not a liberal. I am an independent. No party tells me what to think. I make my decisions based upon research that I conduct. I do not trust any politicians, nor any of the major media outlets… I just found this story on the [...]smithofthelongfield
- An American Conservative Blog Post August 11, 2009I got this in an email today, and had to share it. It was originally posted on “AmericaBlog”. This morning I was awoken by my alarm clock powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the U.S. Department of Energy. I then took a shower in the clean water provided by a municipal [...]smithofthelongfield
- Where Did Jacksonville Go Wrong? March 8, 2009We got it wrong in 2003. We elected someone as mayor due to his name, and the belief that he would continue to improve the image of Jacksonville as the Bold New City of the South. Not since the days of Jake Godbold were there such high expectations for our city. To me, the differences [...]smithofthelongfield
- Ronald Reagan was More of a Socialist than Obama! March 6, 2009From 1980 to 1988 the top tax rate was 50%! How on earth did we survive? Take a look at the rates during the Nixon/Ford years (69-76), or better yet the Eisenhower years (52-60)… Notice what the rates were in the Republican years of 1921-1932, immediately preceding the great depression. Looks like what the fat [...]smithofthelongfield
- Prison Spending Outpaces All but Medicaid March 2, 2009March 3, 2009 By SOLOMON MOORE One in every 31 adults, or 7.3 million Americans, is in prison, on parole or probation, at a cost to the states of $47 billion in 2008, according to a new study. Correction spending is outpacing budget growth in education, transportation and public assistance, based on state and federal data. Only Medicaid spending [...]smithofthelongfield
- You Can’t Be Neutral All the Time… March 2, 2009I recently found a blog that has some great content, it’s called “Slow Leadership” and it contains articles on effective leadership, to include things such as ethics and morals in the office setting. The following article is similar to one I wrote about the importance of honesty in the workplace, you can read it here. This [...]smithofthelongfield
- Department of Justice Provides $109M for Prisoner Reentry Programs. February 27, 2009WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The President released the Administration’s FY 2010 top-line budget proposal today which includes $26.5 billion for the Department of Justice (DOJ), a 3.5 percent increase more than the FY 2009 budget. The Department’s budget includes enhanced funding for: national security and intelligence; com […]smithofthelongfield
- 8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage August 14, 2009
