Archives 2021

Not Born on the 4th of July


This year’s 4th of July was a most memorable one for me. My wife and I had the honor of attending the Citizenship Ceremony for new Americans at the William Paca [pronounced PayKa] House & Gardens in Annapolis, Maryland. What struck me most about the event was that these 38 new Americans understand better than many native born Americans what being an American really means. Each of them left a life, a family, and a cultural heritage to join us in “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”For we Americans, there is nothing very unusual about that. Every human being in North America is either an immigrant, or descended directly from someone who was. This is true of even so-called “native Americans,” since there were no human beings at all in North or South America before 13,000 years ago, a virtual blink in human existence.I often ask my fellow Americans what one factor above all others is the reason for the strength and success of the United States of America. Few have a clear-cut answer. I believe our strength is our Diversity, which I see as the Glory of God.Unlike monolithic societies, where one person or group dominates everyone in various nefarious ways, in the United States we have hundreds of groups of very different national origin, religions, races, and points of view. Whenever one of these groups has a good idea, everyone adopts it.

I use Starbucks as my example of a good idea, which is now adopted globally. Whenever a bad idea emerges, the other groups pound it out of the system by vigorous debate. It is a tempering process, like that used in making steel. Slavery is my example of a bad idea.The day was made more special for me by sharing it with our guest, Lama Phurbu Tashi Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist monk and a refugee, who plans to be another new American in a couple of years. Watching him interact with the period costumed actors representing the 1st Maryland Regiment and the Colonial Ladies was a particular treat. Because of his saffron and purple robes, many at the event, including the news media, thought he was one of the day’s honorees, so he was interviewed several times.The Director of the Baltimore office of the Immigration Service told us that they create new citizens every day-18,000 or so in Maryland each year. But this event on the 4th of July is a particularly meaningful occasion.

The venue in the William Paca House & Gardens is within a block of the 1st Capitol building of the United States, the Maryland State House.William Paca was one of 4 signers of the Declaration of Independence from Maryland. Whenever I give visitors tours of Annapolis, I always point out the magnificent mansions of these courageous men, to show what they were putting at risk when they signed the document. They were committing treason against the British Crown, and, as Benjamin Franklin put it succinctly, “We either hang together or we will hang separately!”After the ceremony, I mentioned to one of the new Americans that, as an American, I am very proud of them, because they know the meaning of being an American better than many of our native born countrymen. I told one, “You know what it means to be an American, so if we forget, you remind us!”

Are You Fed up of Anna Hazare And Team Anna?


Are you fed up of Anna Hazare and Team Anna? I am Mental fatigue has set in because of two reasons. The first is media overkill. Newspapers, having limited space, at least exercise some restraint, but television, which has 24 hours to fill, just drones on and on, showing the self-appointed guardians of civil society enjoying their 15 weeks in the sun. The second reason why many of us have had enough of the Lokpal Bill agitation is that Anna Hazare and his team don’t know when to stop. The role of members of civil society is clearly defined: whatever it may be, it is not to legislate.That is the role of the legislature, which is why it is called that. The role of civil society – which means people like us – is to act as catalysts and pressure groups which force politicians and parliament to act, and to bring in laws which will be for the general we know, the Lokpal Bill has been hanging around in parliamentary recesses for years and years.

For obvious reasons, politicians of all political parties have tried to scuttle it, and done so successfully for a long time (That’s why it is amusing to see the BJP take the moral high ground: why didn’t the NDA government bring in the bill in its two terms?)In that scenario, someone had to take the initiative. When Anna Hazare and company did so, we all applauded. But having forced the government to act, they should have stopped and allowed parliament to fulfill its role of bringing in the new legislation.Obviously, the form the new bill takes will not please everyone. No bill can. But the pulls and pressures of opposing political parties in parliament generally ensures that a reasonable compromise is reached.Should the Prime Minister be under the Lokpal’s preview? There are two valid, but opposing, views on that. Should the Chief Justice and Supreme Court judges be under the purview? Again there are two valid, but opposing, views. Now isn’t it arrogance on the part of Hazare and Co that only their view is correct?Anna Hazare’s threat of a fast is nothing but blackmail.

When Mahatma Gandhi went on his fasts, it was as a part of Satyagraha against an occupying imperial power. The situation changed in 1947; we became a democracy and have been a functional democracy for all this time. That is why a fast of the kind that is now being threatened is nothing short of coercion to get your own members of civil society we need to tell Anna Hazare that. We need to tell him too that the Bhushan duo isn’t necessarily the best legal brains in the country even if they think so: the job of drafting the bill isn’t their business anyway. We also need to convey as gently as possible that Anna Hazare himself is a good man, but a good man of limited vision and intellectual ability. This may sound harsh but you just have to listen to his speeches. Ideally, neither the government, nor Team Hazare should have had a hand in the bill.What Team Hazare should have asked for is to pick a three-member team of the best independent legal experts of impeccable reputation to work on it and then present it to parliament. But then, Anna Hazare and his team wouldn’t be on television all the time, would they?

An Encounter With Occupy Wall Street Protestors in Asheville NC


I am doing a little bit of traveling this week and my trip started with a business stop in Asheville, North Carolina. I stayed there one night and the next afternoon went downtown and got some lunch. They got some of those Occupy Wall Street people there next to city hall and I decided to walk over and see what they are about for myself.You may have seen some news stories about them. If you live in New York you know about it, because they had big demonstrations and clashes with police in the Wall Street area this last Fall. After that they sprouted up in other cities in public areas.They aren’t in my area yet. In fact where I live almost no one knows about them, because the media doesn’t really report on them too much. But the times they do they usually do so in a very sensational manner just like they report on everything else.The TV news likes to provoke you and make you angry and scared all of them time so that you will sit there and keep watching and the powers that be want you to be like that too because then you can be easily controlled and manipulated into believing anything they want. Couch potatoes are a docile and obedient bunch.I really didn’t know much about the occupy people, but I was curious. This is a big thing that has been going on and I want to know what is really happening to this country for myself.

So I went over and talked with them.I wanted to know who they were, what they believed, and what they were trying to do for myself. And I made this video to share with you what I found.The media paints the occupy people with one big brush and gives them one big label. They say they are radical and dangerous. That they are a bunch of hippies and communists. They say they are the enemy and they must be I found is that the Occupy Asheville group is made up of all kinds of different people from different walks of life for their for different reasons. Some are there to express their ideological views. Others are there because they found it to be a safe haven in a time of economic hardship.It made me think of scenes at the start of the movie They Live.In that movie a character played by Roddy Piper loses his job and comes across a shanty town camp for the dispossessed and hangs out and gets help. Then he stumbles upon a pair of glasses that reveal to him that the advertising and media messages are all subconsciously programming everyone to obey and consume.If the economy does not get better and the trend of the shrinking middle class continues then more occupy type Wall Street tent areas will sprout up across the country much like the Hoovervilles of the Great Depression and in fact there may one day be something like a bonus army march that the fella I talked with in the video, Preston, mentioned.You know we have more in common with each other than we do with Ben Bernanke and the international bankers on Wall Street that wrecked the economy and caused the real estate bubble and 2008 stock market collapse.Obama got in office but he never removed the people responsible for the collapse. They are still at charge at the Treasury and the Fed and in the banking sector most of those responsible at the mismanagement level got rewarded with corporate parachutes.

And of course the country is now saddled with trillions of dollars in government debt that threaten to bring us down the road of Greece thanks in part to socialism for the rich policies of bailout for the banks.They said they had to do it because the banks were too big too fail. But this was a lie. The government could have paid the depositors with FDIC and let the big banks go bankrupt. Then the regional banks that weren’t bankrupt would have taken their police. But those bankers had plenty of Congressmen bought and paid for that did their bidding and scared the rest of them into thinking they were indispensable.The politicians have done nothing to fix the situation or bring any real change for the better. In my view most of things Obama has done the past four years have been for the worse and I really don’t think we can expect Mitt Romney, who is completely owned by Wall Street, to do any better.That’s why I told Preston we have to stand up for ourselves. We have to turn off our televisions and leave our homes and go out talk with your friends and other people and do stuff. Voting isn’t enough.You have to let your own voice be heard. Go to meetings in your local community and let your local politicians and Congressmen know what you think. Make demands. Play your own part. Don’t be afraid of people but talk to them. We all have more in common with each other than with the elites that ruined the country. They need to be removed, but they maintain their power by dividing us up into Republicans and Democrats or whatever. But this isn’t a football game. It’s our lives and none of these politicians are going to do anything anyway. Stand up for yourself.Copyright ?? 2012 Mike Swanson

It’s Official. There Is Finally A Real GOP Candidate For 2012. Ex-Governor Tim Pawlenty.


by Dr. Jeffrey LantLet me tell you something about presidential candidates: the day they announce for the highest office in the land, they figure they’ll be the top story… their mug on the front page of America’s great dailies, their story featured on the three major commercial networks… and, of course, the object of endless glib commentary on Fox News and CNN.For Pawlenty, the first announced Republican candidate, it just didn’t happen.To be sure, there were really major stories being covered March 21, 2011. Can you say nuclear reactors in Japan? That military dust-up in Libya? But even so, you would have thought Pawlenty would have gotten something.And what’s got to irk Pawlenty good and plenty is that he has at least some credibility, not least that he was a moderately conservative governor (twice!) of a reliably Democratic state. When Pawlenty looks in the mirror, mirror on the wall… who’s the one he sees most of all? Can you say Ronald Reagan?But Pawlenty got skunked… his Hollywood style introduction video ignored… his message to America undelivered.

What a revoltin’ development this is. If it had been Tim’s predecessor in the Minnesota governor’s office — colorful ex-wrestler and mouth man Jesse Ventura — you can bet there would have been coverage, lots of coverage.Tim’s gotta wonder…”Gentlemen prefer blondes” (1926), Anita Loos said. In the sequel, she told us “But Gentlemen marry brunettes” (1928). Tim can only hope that he’s seen as the man America wants to marry. If only he can figure out how to get a date to strut his (good boy) stuff…Minnesota… always the bridesmaid, never the bride.Pity the state of Minnesota. It has had a respectable number of presidential candidates… but nary even a one-term president amongst them.Harold Stassen was the hot stuff in 1938 when he was America’s youngest governor. He got a really bad case of Potomac Fever right away (1944) and never did get rid of it. He became a national joke running for president over and over again, a (bad) joke. Minnesota cringed.Then there was Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr., who actually got the Democrat’s nomination in 1968… and came within a hair of winning the presidency. “Tricky Dick” Nixon’s most important trick was getting the presidency that year. A profoundly decent man, Humphrey learned the hard way that loyalty (to Lyndon Johnson and his Vietnam policy) isn’t what gets you elected; hard headed realism is. Nixon had it… Hubert didn’t.The next presidential candidate from Minnesota, Jimmy Carter’s vice president Walter Mondale had this fundamental decency and honesty, too, and it killed him.Right out of the box Mondale, the very essence of the Minnesota boy next door, you know, the one who carries in your groceries with a smile and declines the tip, slaughtered himself. He told America the truth — that the deficit was unsustainable and there would have to be new taxes. (Deja vu all over again….)I had to admire the man’s guts… but you knew, right then, he was a goner.

Ronald Reagan crushed him… and went on to GOP sainthood, the prototype of how to finesse the truth and become the Big Winner.Get the picture?Now there’s Timmy Pawlenty, and here’s what you need to know about him. His original career choice was… dentist. I kid you not… and once you know it you can see him in white coat, dazzling smile, personable, confiding manner; the man who says “open wide”, “little pinch”, “spit here.”He’d have been a cinch for president of the Minnesota Dental Association… and a lifetime achievement award from the Kiwanis.What’s he bring to the table?The problem with those Boy Scout types, the nice guys, is that nice is what they’ve got, all they’ve got. Timmie’s got likability all right but anything else?His ascent.He was born November 17, 1960, of German and Polish ancestry. You’ll hear about his teamster father; his mother who died of cancer when he was 15. And about his meat packing neighborhood with that all-pervasive dead meat smell. (Don’t mention that bit too much, Tim; it definitely puts people off. Ask not for whom the smell tolls… it tolls for thee.)Born Roman Catholic, Pawlenty became an evangelical Christian… a fact he will leverage to the max, to get those all important conservative Republican and Tea Party supporters. Powerful, they’ll demand a hefty price.Pawlenty’s political career shows what nice guys are capable of achieving. He was elected to the Egan, Minnesota city council in 1989, age 28. Elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1992, he was re-elected five times and was chosen House Majority Leader when Republicans became the majority party in the State Legislature in 1998.He won a hard fought victory in the Republican gubernatorial primary in 2002… then beat aggressive candidates from the Minnesota Democratic- Farmer-Labor Party and the Independence Party. He was re-elected in 2006. Impressive yes. Memorable no! And the high point of his rhetoric was: “We need to be a party of Sam’s Club, not just the country club.” Churchillian, he isn’t. And America likes its presidents to be masters of soaring speech.Now the nicest guy aims at the highest office. Everyone will like him. Almost no one with think him the Great White Hope of America, and his poll numbers will always be anemic. Just as they are now.You see Tim suffers from Minnesotitis… the disease that takes boys next door and turns them into likable cogs in the wheel… always on the team, hardly ever the captain and never ever champion. Leo Durocher summed up their plight in 1939 with his immortal line, “Nice guys finish last.” Tim Pawlenty is about to discover just how deflatingly true that is, as he joins the list of nice guys from Minnesota who couldn’t wow America.???

Obamas Tax Plan to Reduce The Debt And How it Might Affect Small Business


On Monday, President Obama revealed a new tax plan that represents not only a change in his economic policy, but also a shift in how he conducts his political strategy. Whereas Obama has become notorious for a strategy of offering substantial concessions to Republicans when it comes to economic issues, his new tax plan shows that he is less willing to compromise when it comes to taxation and debt reduction. Obama’s plan includes plans to reduce the national deficit by “more than $3 trillion over 10 years” by increasing taxes on the wealthiest fraction of American citizens. The announcement comes days after a speech made by Speaker John Boehner, which essentially stated the opposite: Republicans would not support any economic bill intended to increase taxes on any sect of the population.

However, to demonstrate how serious he was about his approach, Obama claimed that he would use his veto power on any bill that proposed spending cuts without a simultaneous increase in taxes.According to??several analysts, Obama’s statement on reducing the national debt comes at a crucial point in his presidency because it represents a much more combative approach to negotiating with Republicans on economic issues than what he has demonstrated so far. Because Obama has developed a reputation for being too flexible when it comes to negotiating on issues with significant implications for the nation and the economy, his recent move could be interpreted as a way of getting back in touch with his party base before the 2012 election.As for how Obama’s new strategy might affect small businesses, what matters first is to what extent Obama’s ideas will be implemented. With Republicans seemingly unwilling to negotiate about taxation, Obama might not be successful in getting any legislation through that succeeds in increasing taxes on the rich.

Furthermore, a policy of increasing taxation could have the effect of increasing employment through government spending on investment on projects that promote job creation, but these expenditures might not be seen for months or years. While some may argue that cutting taxes on the wealthiest Americans will reduce investments in big businesses and therefore hurt job creation, others may see it as a more fair approach to distributing the tax burden across the American population.What is your take on Obama’s new stance? Do you think it will be successful, and what do you think the repercussions may be? Share your thoughts!

Congress President Sonia Gandhi Inaugurates 31 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas…


UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi realized the dream of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by inaugurating 31 Jawahar Navadaya Vidyalayas(JNV) in a number of states, telling other government schools to learn from JNVs. National Advisory Council Chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi today inaugurated the newly constructed buildings of 31 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas via video conferencing in various parts of India– Kerala, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. She was attended by Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal at a function to mark the 25 years of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, one of the various landmark initiatives taken by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.Speaking on the occasion after inaugurating 31 Navodaya Vidyalayas in various parts of the country, Congress President said, “Everyone has a right to education and it is not limited to a few,” saying the Right to Education Bill (RTE) would address all issues pertaining to education in the country.

The UPA government under is giving scholarships for school students, she pointed out saying the information regarding the schemes must reach all.UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, however, expressed concern over the high drop rate and teacher absenteeism in government schools in rural areas, saying “the dropout rate, particularly amongst the minority and poor, is high and one fourth of the teachers in village schools remain absent.” She said teachers should strive to reach the level of the state-run Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, saying “education in these JNVs should meet the requirements of the changing times.”She could not hide her concern for the future of children, asking “why are other government schools not as good as Navodaya Vidyalays?” She said other government schools must learn from JNVs. “One-fourth of the teachers in village schools remain absent. Though admission takes place in good numbers, many children leave studies midway,” she pointed out.

She said the JNVs had been largely successful in attaining their objectives of providing good quality education to talented children from predominantly rural areas. However, she stressed upon the need to provide quality education to children with technical inputs.Traveling a time span of 25 years since coming into existence, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas has successfully realized the dream of its architect, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, by providing quality education to every village household. Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas are fully residential co-educational institutions imparting education from Class VI to XII . About 75 per cent seats are filled by candidates from rural areas. Children of SCs and STs category is provided reservation for the seats in proportion to their population in the concerned district, while one third of total seats are filled by girls.Sharing the occasion with UPA chairperson, Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said that it was the dream of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to educate children from backward areas of the countries. ” In this context the Government has decided to open a JNV in every district of the country, he informed.

Rajiv Gandhi: a Loving Husband, Caring Father , Son of The Soil.


He was not only a Prime minister of a Nation looking for a new identity, but he was a man who upheld values and traditions. Here is an analysis account of his basic nature as a human being and a s a public and private person(while he was alive)-Rajiv Gandhi is very sensitive, cautious, and shy about showing others his feelings. Though he may love and care for someone a great deal, Rajiv Gandhi rarely expresses his feelings openly and freely. Very often Gandhi’s love for someone is expressed by his wish to help him, do something tangible to benefit him or serve him in some way.It is also difficult for him to receive warmth, affection or appreciation, for he often feels that he does not really deserve it or that “they do not really mean it”. Gandhi may therefore come across as rather cool and aloof – much more so than he has often talked about how he feels that the expectations from him are enormous.It was sometimes felt that a deeply ingrained critical attitude often makes Rajiv difficult to live with. Rajiv Gandhi has a soft exterior and tends to relate very personally and sympathetically to other people. However, Rajiv sometimes lets his emotions overpower his reasoning and logic, and consequently he is sometimes biased in his opinions. Rajiv Gandhi is impressionable and rather gentle, or at least that is the way he comes across. Rajiv wears his heart on his sleeves and cannot hide his emotions.No matter how he appears on the surface, Rajiv Gandhi has a very soft heart and others can always appeal to Rajiv’s sympathetic, affectionate side. He especially cares about the needs of children, mothers and families, and he wants a love partner who values marriage, home and family as much as he does. Gandhi is profoundly offended by unkindness or harshness.He is tolerant and forgiving and always ready to overlook mistakes and give others a second chance.

Rajiv Gandhi expects, and draws out, the best from people and he enjoys making others comfortable and happy. Because of his emotional generosity, his life is rich with friends, and often financial blessings as well. There is another side to Rajiv Gandhi as well, a rather introverted, self-contained, even pessimistic side which tempers his good cheer and generosity, as discussed below.He is dedicated to the people he cares about and conscientious about fulfilling his responsibilities, especially to family. Family solidarity and cohesiveness are very important to Rajiv Gandhi; accordingly, so are the traditions, rituals, and memories that keep the bonds strong.Rajiv Gandhi is apt to do more than his fair share in the family and go the extra mile, but for the most part this is satisfying rather than burdensome to him.In addition to Rajiv’s rather introverted, serious or self-contained side, he has a wild streak and urge for emotional freedom that breaks through erratically. Rajiv Gandhi craves both stability and excitement, and the conflict between these two impulses can make Gandhi rather tense and irritable. However, they can also balance each other out. His free and unpredictable side will now be described.Rajiv Gandhi craves excitement, change and discovery, and cannot tolerate a routine or lifestyle that offers little in the way of surprise or challenge. Excitable, spontaneous and enthusiastic about anything new, he may be perceived by others as being too impulsive, especially in personal relationships. It is not easy for Rajiv Gandhi to make or keep commitments, since he does not know how he will be feeling from one day to the next. Emotional freedom is very important to Gandhi. He is warm and affectionate in his relationships with others and has the ability to see the others’ point of view, which is greatly appreciated by those around him. Rajiv Gandhi is emotionally well balanced and also has a well developed intellectual grasp.He is not afraid to take chances and follow his ambitions with great determination and courage.

A bit impatient and quick tempered, Gandhi can be uncompromising at times. Rajiv Gandhi also is quite hot-blooded and passionate with a strong desire for marriage.Rajiv Gandhi has a good-natured disposition and an affectionate and cordial manner. Charming, optimistic and outgoing, he is warm and friendly to everyone he meets. Gandhi is at peace with the world and want to share his feelings with his friends and acquaintances.His emotional life tends to be a bit strange and he is likely to fantasize a lot and to weave a web of illusions. Easily swayed by the needs of others, Rajiv Gandhi must learn not to take on others problems and also guard against others deceiving him.He is quietly devoted and faithful to his loved ones and often becomes subservient to his love partner. Rajiv Gandhi is more comfortable showing his love by doing or making something for his loved one, or simply being there for her, rather than by making any romantic, soul-stirring declarations. He is timid about expressing too much sentiment or emotion. Rajiv Gandhi also underestimates his attractiveness and lovability and doubts his own worthiness of love and appreciation.Gandhi is very much aware of his personal appearance, attractiveness and the other hand, Rajiv Gandhi is concerned with getting along with others and he has a pleasing, agreeable manner that people find quite appealing.

Rajiv uses tact or charm to get what he wants rather than intense effort or force. His desire for love and affection colours everything Rajiv Gandhi does.He is kindhearted and generous with both his money and his affections, and he is not happy if he has to budget or restrict himself in any way. Pettiness or stinginess is foreign to Rajiv’s nature and Rajiv Gandhi feels most comfortable in an elegant, beautiful atmosphere. Asceticism is not for Gandhi. Gracious and charitable, he enjoys sponsoring social events or cultural activities. Rajiv Gandhi has an optimistic, friendly attitude towards others and tends to bring out the finer side of people. It was expected that he is likely to fall in love with someone who is Noble and idealistic. That surely has happened.Rajiv Gandhi craves emotional excitement and needs to feel spontaneous and free, so he may avoid making firm personal commitments. Unusual or nontraditional forms of love and relationships appeal to Gandhi, and he is attracted to unique, creative or unstable people.Rajiv expresses his feelings openly, but sometimes could feel hurt if people do not respond to him. Rajiv Gandhi also has a strong drive to express himself in artistic ways.

Raebareli on The Path to Progress, Thanking Gandhi Family


Reabareli is witnessing all round development under the guidance of Congress President Sonia Gandhi. It is not limited to roads and educational institutes only. There are numerous projects running in this area, which are making huge impact on the lifestyle of the people here. There has more than 1750 hand pumps been set up during year 2004-09 under Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s MP Local Area Development Fund with a total cost of around 3 crore 78 lakh rupees.Besides funds were allotted for the construction of Dharmshalas, shades, Rainbaseras and graveyards. In year 2005-06, Rs 5 lakh was donated to people affected by Tsunami in Tamil Nadu and Rs 3 lakhs were given to a Leprosy Ashram in Munshiganj. In this year itself around Rs 40 lakhs were spent on different developmental work including the construction of baratghars and auditoriums. When Congress President was not representing Raebareli in Parliament, this district used to get electricity from neighboring Sultanpur but it was not adequate for the requirement of the district even if the electricity was generated in Raebareli itself.

Now, due to the effort of Congress President, Raebareli is getting electricity from NTPC Unchahar and getting relatively more electricity than before. A new power sub-station has been set up in Amawa road with a cost of Rs 75 crore. However, due to the biased policy of UP government, people of Raebareli are still facing rampant power cuts. Besides, a 210 MW unit of NTPC Unchahar has functional with a cost of Rs 3,000 crores and now NTPC Unchahar is producing 1050 MW of electricity. Raebareli has got enormous benefit under NREGS and thousands of poor people have got employment under this scheme. From year 2006 onwards, a total sum of Rs 2150 crores has been allotted to the district and it has checked the migration of poor labourers to a certain extent. There are numerous tourist sites scattered in Raebareli and Congress President has tried to push the development of these places. Many Dharmashalas, parks and shelters have been constructed under MPLADF. The ministry of tourism and culture, government of India has also shown special interest for the development of these sites due to the efforts of Congress President.

Interest of the farmer community has always been a concern for the Congress President and she has always shown interest to solve their problem. After the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the irrigation facilities in this area had deteriorated to the worst and when people talked to Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi in this regard, there was a quick solution on the card. Due the efforts of Congress President and Rahul Gandhi, Sharada Canal Scheme was completed with the help of Central Water Resource Ministry, costing Rs 105 crores and farmers are getting benefit in irrigation. It is really a new down in the history of Raebareli. Raebareli has witnessed huge progress in the field of rail connectivity, banking, information technology revolution, skill development and various industrial activities thanks to the efforts of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi. Now, Raebareli is not deprived of the rail connectivity with rest of the country. It has got good connectivity with Delhi, Mumbai, Jammu and Patna. Intercity trains are running for Lucknow, Allahabad and Banaras from here.Raebareli railway station has been elevated to A grade and all the facilities are available here. Many long distance trains have been started from Raebareli like Lokmanya Tilak Saket Express, Lucknow-Allahabad Intercity Express, Marudhar Express, Padmawat Express and Delhi Garib Rath. Besides many new halts have been made and platforms been widened.

But the biggest project in Raebareli that has been started on behalf of Congress President is Rail Coach Factory. This is a dream project of Congress President, which intends to provide employment to around more than 25,000 people. This factory will provide 10,000 direct employments and 15,000 indirect employments to the local populace. This factory will cost around Rs 18, 00 crore and will manufacture sophisticated rail coaches for the railway. Though, UP government tried its best to create obstacle in for this project but due to the efforts of Congress President and Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, this factory is under construction. Congress President Sonia Gandhi has made tremendous efforts for the betterment of health facilities in Raebareli.A trauma centre has been made in Rana Veni Madhav Singh Memorial Hospital and many health camps were arranged in the rural areas with the under central government scheme. Thousands of patients were given health care facilities through Life Line Express train. There has been good implementation of National Rural Health Mission, and Janani Suraksha Yojana, of central government. Thousands of people were provided free treatment and operation on behalf of Congress President and hundreds of people were helped by Prime Minister’s fund.

US Citizenship Benefits For US Military Personnel And Service Men


Recognizing the sacrifices made by the Non-US citizen members working for the US army, the USCIS helps the service men to apply for US Citizenship through special provisions.Non US citizen members of the US armed forces and their dependents are hence eligible for American Citizenship. There are special provisions in the Immigration and Nationality act through which a service man is eligible to apply for Citizenship.Service in the US Armed Forces includes people working in the-Army-Navy-Air Force-Marine Corps-Coast Guard-Reserve of the National Guard-Reserve of the Ready ReserveUSCIS has streamlined a process, which helps the people in active duty as well as the people who have been recently discharged. The non-US citizens working for the US armed forces are required to possess certain qualifications such as knowledge of the English language and the US laws along with being a person with good moral character.WHO CAN APPLYPeople who are serving the US armed forces and people who had served in a period of conflict are eligible to apply.

Service men who were admitted into the US as lawful permanent residents and people who are present physically in the US, at the time of enlistment can also apply.People who are currently working for the U.S. Armed Forces and men who have been discharged from service are eligible to apply if they-had served the US Armed forces for one or more years-are lawful permanent residents-file their application for Citizenship while in service or six months prior to being discharged from their services-are attached to the rules of the US ConstitutionBENEFITS-The service men are not required to submit any filing fee for Citizenship-The Naturalization process can be taken overseas at a US embassy or consulate abroad-Spouses of the service men are eligible to apply for expedited Naturalization-Children of the service men are eligible for Naturalization-Posthumous Citizenship benefits are awarded to the surviving family members of military men who die while in service-Eligible service men of the U.S.

Armed Forces are also exempt from other naturalization necessities such as continuous residence and physical presence in the US-Survivor benefits are provided to the family members of the service men who were deceased when in service.FORMS TO BE SUBMITTEDYou must file form N-400, Application for Naturalization along with N-426, Request for Certification of Military or Naval Service. Form N-426 must be certified by the military before submitting to the USCIS.If a person has obtained citizenship through his military service and is separate from the military for a reason other than honorable conditions, before the completion of five years of service, then his Citizenship may be revoked.

Response to Nathan Benefield on The National Popular Vote Plan


Nathan Benefield of the Commonwealth Foundation calls the National Popular Vote Plan “A radical shift in Elections” and urges the Pennsylvania Legislature to reject the agreement.The National Popular Vote Plan is an interstate compact, whereby participating states would agree to allocate their electoral votes to the winner of the National Popular Vote. The compact would take effect when enough states (constituting the requisite 270 electoral votes required to win the Presidential election) agree to participate.Benefield then warns that the plan “could result in disputes over who won the Presidential election.” Ironically, this scenario is actually more likely to be triggered under the current winner-take-all electoral system. The organization Fair Vote conducted a study of 7,645 statewide elections from 1980-2006. They found that only 23 of these elections resulted in a recount. That is a ratio of just one recount for every 332 elections. Over 90% of these recount elections resulted in the original winner maintaining the win.On the national level, under the current winner-take-all electoral system, there are 51 potential recounts. To date, there have been 2,135 statewide Presidential elections.

Under the National Popular Vote scheme, recounts would occur far less than under the present winner-take-all-system.Benefield incorrectly calls the Plan “a way to circumvent the Constitution.” This is a red herring argument. In actuality, there is no provision in the U.S. Constitution mandating that the President must be selected by a particular electoral method. Accordingly, there is no need for a Constitutional Amendment to change the method that states use for the awarding of electors. The Founding Fathers could not come to a resolution as to how to award electoral votes at the Constitutional Convention. They decided to delegated “plenary authority” to the states to award their electors, as reflected in Article ll, Section 1, Clause 11 of the U.S. Constitution, which states: “Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors.” Accordingly, each state has autonomy to select electors in any way that they see fit.The Founding Fathers did not advocate or mandate a monolithic method for the states to award their electoral votes. They respected Federalism and delegated the power of awarding electors to the states. In 1789, most states only allowed property owners the right to vote. This gradually changed, not by a constitutional amendment, but through a state-by-state process. The winner-take-all approach of awarding electors was a scheme devised by partisan parochial interests to maximize their political advantage. It was not the grand design of the Founding Fathers. In fact, there is no mention at all of the winner-take-all electoral system in the Federalist Papers and no mention of it during the proceedings of the Constitutional Convention.Mr. Benefield incorrectly argues that the National Popular Vote Plan would supplant the Electoral College. This is a fallacy.

The Electoral College would still exist under the National Popular Vote Plan. On the Monday following the second Wednesday in the December after the election is held, electors representing each state and the District of Columbia will still cast their Presidential ballots. On January 6, the Vice President will declare the winner to a joint session of the U.S. Congress. This process would remain exactly the same.Benefield correctly asserts that the U.S. is “not a pure Democracy but a Constitutional Republic.” However, this point is irrelevant to this issue. The National Popular Vote Plan in no way transforms the U.S. into a Direct Democracy. Wisely fearing unsustainable “mob rule,” the Founders conceptualized a constitutional republic for the colonists based upon the Roman Republic, wherein the American people would only be indirectly involved in the governance process. Under a Direct Democracy, the American people would vote on all of the issues themselves. If the National Popular Vote Plan were to be adopted, Presidents would be elected the same way every other magistrate in the U.S. is elected from Cemetery Commissioners and County Coroners to Governors and U.S. Senators.Benefield states: “The National Popular Vote would allow candidates to focus on regional issues, or votes in population centers, rather than making a broad national appeal.” If Benefield wants candidates to disseminate a nation-wide message, he should support the National Popular Vote Plan. Under the current electoral system, Presidential nominees tailor their messages to voters in only about 15 swing states, relegating the majority of Americans to the electoral sidelines. Under the current electoral system, Presidential candidates spend an inordinate amount of time cultivating support in strategically crucial states. They must appeal to retirees in central Florida, steel workers in Western Pennsylvania, and ethanol growers in Iowa.

Unfortunately, they have no incentive to hear the concerns of New England fishermen worried about the affects of federal regulations on their livelihoods, South Central Los Angeles residents concerned about gang violence, or workers in the Louisiana sugar industry concerned about the affects of lower tariffs on their jobs.Benefield ends his column by branding the National Popular Vote Plan “a radical, dangerous, and ill-conceived shift in our election process.” However, this rather hyperbolic description begs the question about how treating every voter with equal reverence can be labeled “radical, Dangerous, or ill-conceived. In addition, if Benefield actually believes this then He must explain why it is acceptable to support a system where a Presidential candidate has incentive to treat a voter in Marblehead, Ohio as hegemonic to a voter in Marblehead, Massachusetts, simply because of his/her geopolitical location. Ohio is a showdown state, while Massachusetts is a safe state.The National Popular Vote Plan would make every vote equal. Under this plan, it would be foolhardy for a Presidential campaign not to devise a strategy to assiduously cultivate support and get out the vote in literally all regions of the nation.