Free Republic

...The values of more than 41,000 homes have been reassessed downward so far in Los Angeles County, resulting in an average tax saving of $660. Other counties have barely begun the reassessment process but promise to get the job done before property tax bills are mailed in October... ...Around the Southland, officials are automatically reevaluating homes purchased in recent years, especially at the height of the housing bubble from 2004 to 2007. Thousands of homeowners have also filed informal requests. As of March, the average home price in Southern California was down 19% from its peak. But owners are allowed...

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson speaks during a press conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico earlier this year. Democrat Barack Obama's presidential hopes got a needed boost with the endorsement of Richardson, a former White House rival and one-time member of the Clinton administration. (AFP/GETTY IMAGES/File/Rick Scibelli)

(CNSNews.com) - The lengthy Democratic primary contest bodes well for Republican chances of holding the White House, a new poll suggests. As Democratic Senators Barack Obama of Illinois and Hillary Clinton of New York slug it out for the nomination, many of their supporters -- at least in Pennsylvania, site of the next major primary -- aren't committed to the party's ticket in November, according to a Franklin & Marshall College Poll. Among Obama supporters, 20 percent said they would vote for Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the Republican nominee, if Clinton beats their candidate for the nomination. Among Clinton...

Aside from concerted action to strengthen the dollar -- a step that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson seem utterly uninterested in -- policymakers have one other major option available to them that could rapidly bolster the American economy while also doing long-term good rather than harm. Eliminate the federal corporate income tax. Yes, kill it entirely. The problem with the economy right now is not a lack of liquidity -- the whole world is awash in dollars -- but a lack, instead, of anything good to do with those dollars rather than hoard them. The...

I have spent a lot of time surfing some of the other discussion threads on the hearing before the US Supreme Court of DC v Heller. A lot of comments have been about the testimony about machine guns, rifles, Miller, and a host of zealousness that makes gun-owners look as bad as the most strident anti-gunner. It does NOT serve us well. Heller is about handguns, and the ownership, use and ability to protect ones self in the home. It is not about NFA ‘34It is not about GCA ’68. It is not about Hughes.It is narrowly defined by the...

The Light Erik Lewandowski Morning Flyout Jim Fenton Happy Easter Jacqueline Olexa Spring Joeri De Schutter Red and White Tulips Dale Crawford Logan at Easter Chris OMeara Lily Olga Gerasimova Spring... Katerina Lomonosov day of rain Beate Miedl-Rissner Untitled Carlos Barriuso Amo Danii and bunny Lola Martin Wilmsen Garza real Carlos Barriuso Amo Songs of Spring Jim Fenton Natalya Carson Exposed Mia Friedrich Layla seeking (and catching) easter eggs Gerard Maas UKRANIAN EASTER EGGS george mclean The Orchard Une femme avec un bycicle Andrew Maidanik SnowflakesAndrew Campbell Easter Sunday in Quito Ricardo Salguero surrounded by spirits Stanislav Volgushev Symmetry...

It wasn't quite a "thrill up up my leg" moment, but Chris Matthews clearly hasn't gotten over his love affair with the candidacy of Barack Obama. It was a discussion of NM Gov. Bill Richardson's endorsement of Obama on today's Morning Joe that inspired an outpouring of emotion in which among other things Matthews acknowledged Obama "gets to me." CHRIS MATTHEWS: I think [Richardson's] a gutsy guy, his own man, and I think it's a powerful endorsement. It certainly would have been powerful if it had gone the other way to Senator Clinton. I think it'll be a prized endorsement...

An open letter to Mr Ben Bernanke, chairman, US Federal Reserve: Sir, Decades back, one of your predecessors splendidly captured the post-gold standard and the consequent free float of the US dollar scenario rather succinctly when he termed the US dollar as 'our currency, others' responsibility.' It is this responsibility cast on outsiders like me that compels me to write this open letter to you. As I write this, I am fully conscious of the fact that we are living in exceptionally troubled times. I am equally conscious of the fact that being the chairman of the US Federal Reserve,...

The lengthy Democratic primary contest bodes well for Republican chances of holding the White House, a new poll suggests. As Democratic Senators Barack Obama of Illinois and Hillary Clinton of New York slug it out for the nomination, many of their supporters -- at least in Pennsylvania, site of the next major primary -- aren't committed to the party's ticket in November, according to a Franklin & Marshall College Poll. Among Obama supporters, 20 percent said they would vote for Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the Republican nominee, if Clinton beats their candidate for the nomination. Among Clinton supporters, 19...

Firefighters investigated The Albany fire chief calls a noose incident an "embarrassment" to the department. J.D. Sumner ALBANY — Three Albany firefighters, including a battalion chief, have been suspended with pay after a fellow firefighter said he felt “visually harassed” after the discovery of a rope tied in a knot similar to a hangman’s noose at an Albany fire station, according to documents released Thursday. An investigation is being conducted into the incident by City Manager Alfred Lott’s office. Pending the results of that investigation, Chief James Carswell has suspended Lt. T.R. Bridges, Lt. C.B. Nobles and Battalion Chief James...

If the superdelegates fail to give a majority to BHO or Hillary! on the first ballot, would the pledged delegates be free in their choice on subsequent ballots? Is this the gorebot's strategy? POP! POP! POP!

A crowd that organizers said was the largest in the parade’s 47-year history jammed downtown streets to greet Sen. Hillary Clinton, who returned to Scranton Saturday for the second time in five days, again to adoration. “Hillary, Hillary, Hillary,” the people who filled downtown sidewalks frequently chanted. As Mrs. Clinton walked, dozens of people constantly rushed ahead on adjacent sidewalks to get as close to her as possible. Girls screamed like when the Beatles arrived in the United States. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” said parade day coordinator James “Bambi” Coyle, who’s been involved with parade planning for 20...

ScienceDaily (Mar. 21, 2008) — Researchers at Boston College and MIT have used nanotechnology to achieve a major increase in thermoelectric efficiency, a milestone that paves the way for a new generation of products -- from semiconductors and air conditioners to car exhaust systems and solar power technology -- that run cleaner. The team's low-cost approach, details of which are published in the journal Science, involves building tiny alloy nanostructures that can serve as micro-coolers and power generators. The researchers said that in addition to being inexpensive, their method will likely result in practical, near-term enhancements to make products consume...

In one of his sermons, Obama's Reverend Wright accused the US Government of creating the aids virus to destroy the black population. That's an accusation of genocide on par with Hitler's crimes. Since the first cases of aid appeared in 1978, Rev Wright's accusation points to the Carter administration.

The Maryland House of Delegates voted 90 to 45 yesterday to pass the governor's speed cameras legislation, allowing police departments to install roadside cameras to ticket speeding motorists in work areas, school zones and residential neighborhoods across the state. The Senate has passed a similar bill. If the two chambers agree on a final version, Maryland would join the District in using cameras to enforce speed limits. In Maryland, speed cameras are legal only in Montgomery County. The legislation would allow the state's 23 other jurisdictions to use the technology.(snip) The speed camera bill, which was proposed by Gov. Martin...

Court orders Starbucks pay workers $106 million A San Diego Superior Court Judge ordered coffee chain Starbucks (SBUX.O) to pay $87 million plus interest to workers who say that their tips unfairly had been shared with supervisors. David Lowe, lawyer for the workers, on Thursday said the total including interest amounted to some $106 million. Starbucks in a statement said it would appeal the judgment, which also required that Starbucks cease letting supervisors share tips. The ruling by Judge Patricia Cowett covers more than 100,000 current and former workers, known as baristas, who worked for Starbucks in California since late...

America is sitting on top of a super massive 200 billion barrel Oil Field that could potentially make America Energy Independent and until now has largely gone unnoticed. Thanks to new technology the Bakken Formation in North Dakota could boost America’s Oil reserves by an incredible 10 times, giving western economies the trump card against OPEC’s short squeeze on oil supply and making Iranian and Venezuelan threats of disrupted supply irrelevant. In the next 30 days the USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) will release a new report giving an accurate resource assessment of the Bakken Oil Formation that covers North Dakota...

As soon as I heard about the Barack Obama passport security breach in the news yesterday, I KNEW there had to be a Clinton connection to it. After all, who stands to benefit from this knowledge? Right now it is none other than Hillary. Of course, the leftwing blogosphere started out blaming EVIL Rightwingers with BLOOD on their fingers. Well, it now turns out that a Clintonista was in charge during the security breach as you can see in this HUffington Post THREAD titled, "Maura Harty: State Department Official In Charge During Two Of The Breaches An Ambassador Under...

Chicago's Trinity United tied to founder of black liberation theology WASHINGTON --Jesus is black. Merging Marxism with Christian Gospel may show the way to a better tomorrow. The white church in America is the Antichrist because it supported slavery and segregation. Those are some of the more provocative doctrines that animate the theology at the core of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Barack Obama's church.

Army News video: Medics train on small arms weapons for combat zonesPETAWAWA, Ontario — 2 Field Ambulance medics learn to return fire during Exercise STRIKING SERPENT.