Government Gives $179,784 to Study What Motivates Workers: Love or Money?

(CNSNews.com) – The National Science Foundation has awarded a $179,784 grant to “experimental economists” who will study what drives one’s work incentive – personal gain and employer profit or contributing to causes that help the “needy.”

“Our focus is on the less-examined issue of motivation within institutions that do not have profit as their primary goal – that is, organizations with a cause,” Angelo de Oliveira, one of the principal investigators of the study, told CNSNews.com.

De Oliveira said that she and her colleagues are particularly interested in the “care sector” of the U.S. workforce.

“This sector includes workers in any profession where caring for others plays a role, such as heath workers (nurses, home health care providers, physical therapists), teachers and related professions, etc. Individuals in this sector are working to provide care for needy members of their and others’ families,” said De Oliveira, who is an assistant professor at University of Massachusetts Amherst. “They not only help elderly and disabled individuals who need their aid, but also support those recipients’ families.”

“Understanding how individuals with this dual purpose –love and money—respond to both monetary and non-monetary incentives will help design work environments that enhance worker motivation, motivate the employees to take better care of their charges, and give the families of the recipient more peace of mind,” De Oliveira said.

Via: CNS News

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WAR BREAKS OUT BETWEEN THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND SNOWDEN WRITERS

British authorities detained David Miranda, partner of UK Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, for nine hours at Heathrow Airport on Sunday morning.  According to an interview Miranda gave to the Guardian on Monday, he was returning from Berlin on a trip to “ferry materials between Greenwald and Laura Poitras, the US film-maker who has also been working on stories related to the NSA files released by US whistle-blower Edward Snowden.”

The British government acted under its Terrorism Act of 2000, which allows a maximum nine hours of detention for designated terrorism suspects.  The UK Telegraph says only about 40 people per year are held for such an unusually long period.  The authorities took Miranda’s computer, along with all of the other electronic devices he was carrying.  A statement from the government relayed by Reuters makes it clear they were looking for stolen security documents:

“The government and the police have a duty to protect the public and our national security,” a Home Office (interior ministry) spokesman said in a statement.

“If the police believe that an individual is in possession of highly sensitive stolen information that would help terrorism, then they should act and the law provides them with a framework to do that.

“Those who oppose this sort of action need to think about what they are condoning.”

 Via: Human Events

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Ed Schultz and MSNBC Prez Phil Griffin: The secret emails revealed

Earlier this year, MSNBC host Ed Schultz was moved by MSNBC President Phil Griffin from his 8:00 p.m. weekday time slot to a weekend show at 5:00 p.m. On Monday, it was announced he would return to weekdays at 5:00 p.m. The Daily Caller has exclusively obtained emails between Schultz and Griffin that led to Monday’s announcement. 

The exchange is reprinted here for the for time, in its entirety, and without comment.

From: Ed Schultz

To: Phil Griffin

Date: August 1o, 2013 4:34 a.m.
Fil,

I’m starting to believe that the 5:00 pm time slot on Saturday and Sunday is not the promotion you led me to believe it was and would like to move back to my weekly time slot.

It is my understanding that the queer you replaced me with is not working out and certainly not drawing the type of American man that I brought to the network. Holy hell Fil, the 8 to 10 pm time slots are hosted by a virtual Three’s Company, with Rachel being Jack Tripper!!!

Whatever problems you may have seen with me hosting a weekly show, I promise I can rectify them.

First, I’ve gone to a doctor to take care of my drooling problem. That should no longer be an issue.

Secondly, I know the make-up ladies complained that I would often come to make-up room pantless. I now see why this can be viewed as inappropriate by women who come from a certain background and I promise I will no longer conduct myself that way unless explicitly asked to by the make-up ladies.

Finally, I’m willing to work for even less than what you pay me now. I’m a team player.

You got to put me back in prime time, Fil. America needs to hear big Ed’s truth.

Your buddy,
Eddie Schultz

Via: The Daily Caller

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Morning Bell: 15 Pictures of Ridiculous Government Spending Guaranteed to Make You Mad

In 2013, federal spending approached $3.5 trillion. Now that’s hard to wrap your brain around. It’s about $27,700 for every American household.

All across America, families balance their budgets, rein in spending, and pay down their debts. If Americans can do it, why can’t the federal government?

Instead, they’re wasting your taxpayer dollars on programs like the ones below. We’ve compiled just 15 examples of the ridiculous spending that is driving America toward a $17 trillion national debt.

1. GATHERING DUST: The Transportation Security Administration let 5,700 pieces of unused security equipment worth $184 million sit in storage in a Dallas, Texas, warehouse, which costs $3.5 million annually to lease and manage. Taxpayers lost another $23 million in depreciation costs, because most of the 472 carry-on baggage screening machines had been housed there for nine months or more. That’s a lot of money!

Via: The Foundry

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WH Not Disappointed Some Miami Dolphins Won’t Attend Ceremony

(CNSNews.com) – The White House said Monday that it is not disappointed that some members of the 1972 Miami Dolphins have decided not to attend a White House ceremony Tuesday that honors them 41 years after they won the Super Bowl.

“No. People are certainly allowed to make whatever decision they’d like to make on that,” White House principal deputy press secretary Josh Earnest said when asked whether the White House was disappointed that several members of the team won’t appear with President Barack Obama because of political differences.

Hall of Famer Jim Langer told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, “We’ve got some real moral compass issues in Washington.”

“I don’t want to be in a room with those people and pretend I’m having a good time. I can’t do that. If that [angers] people, so be it,” Langer said.

Manny Fernandez told the paper, “I’ll just say my views are diametrically opposed to the President’s.

“Enough said. Let’s leave it at that. I hope everyone enjoys the trip who goes,” Fernandez added.

Via: CNS News

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[VIDEO] GOP Strategist Pins Down Chris Matthews: How’s ‘Hope and Change’ Look Now?

Former John McCain aide Nicolle Wallacemomentarily stumped Chris Matthews on Tuesday morning, when she asked on Morning Joe how Barack Obama’s “hope and change” looked to him five years later. Matthews eventually diagnosed Obama’s main shortcoming: that he had mastered the art of oration too early and never honed the politicking portion of his job.

“What people signed up for, what people voted for, was the hope and change,” Wallace began. “How’s it look on the table five years later?”

“Nicole, let’s be..uh…bipartisan about this,” Matthews responded.

“I didn’t order it,” Wallace said.

Matthews acknowledged that he had fallen for politicians and been let down before, especially in the case of Gene McCarthy (and Nixon?). But when Nicole Wallace pressed him on Obama, he replied:

“I’ll tell you Obama’s shortcoming, and it’s quite bipartisan in assessment, it’s exactly what you would say. Usually politicians take a while to develop a public speaking manner to where they are really good at it. It took Churchill a long time—he had a stutter and all kinds of problems, as Joe and you guys know—and he developed a great speaking pattern. Jack Kennedy was never a good speaker until 1960 where he was gangbusters. He really developed a public persona. All that time, in the fifteen years in kennedy’s case and Roosevelt and all those people, they were developing the back room skills, one-on-one skills, how you make friends, how you become class president, how you establish the loyalty of people one-on-one?

“The key political asset is the ability to sit in a room with four or five other people and have them accept your leadership, on either side of the party. Obama doesn’t have that. He had the speaking skill way ahead of schedule, the inspiration ability, the charisma. What he has never developed is a love—and that’s the right word for it—of politics, and love of other politicians, to love to sit around and play cards with them, to try to get to know them, their nuances, how to get to them, their hooks, their triggers, their buttons, get to know them and figure out how you can work with some of them, even tough customers like Eric Cantor, Boehner, get to know the tea party sentiment. Try to figure out what is it you can give them.”

“And world leaders,” Wallace said.

“I’m with you on that,” Matthews agreed.

Watch the full clip below, via MSNBC:

Via: Mediaite.com

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Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the wealthiest of them all?

It’s no secret that members of Congress are wealthy, but who’s the wealthiest?

The top spot goes to the congressional watchdog who’s been leading the investigations on Benghazi and the IRS, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., (who also rocks at Instagram) with a net worth of $355 million. Issa made his fortune as co-founder of the company that made the Viper car alarm system.

Of the top 50 wealthiest members, 29 are Republicans. Thirty-seven of the wealthiest come from the House of Representatives.

To be among the top 50 wealthiest members of Congress, one needs a net worth of at least $6.5 million (that’s the net worth of Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., number 50 on the list).

Most of the top 2016 contenders missed the top 50, according to The Hill. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., reported an income of $2.3 million; Sen. Ted Cruz’s, R-Texas, net worth stood at $1.5 million; Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is worth $455,000 and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., reported anegative net worth of $190,000. Ouch!

Via: Washington Examiner

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Just How Corrupt Is the Obama Administration?

Scandal after scandal, coupled with an ongoing contempt for the law and the Constitution, demonstrated by high-level officials and the president himself, point to one deeply troubling conclusion: the Obama administration may be the most corrupt administration ever inflicted on the American public. And while the mainstream media have done a remarkable job deflecting much of that reality, even they cannot keep up with the avalanche of disturbing revelations that arise, seemingly on a daily basis.

We begin with yet another report about the Fast and Furious gunrunning operation, courtesy of Sharyl Attkisson, one of the few remaining reporters who follows a story wherever it goes. Last Wednesday, three more F&F weapons turned up at crime scenes in Mexico. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and as many as 300 Mexican nationals, including teens at a birthday party, were slaughtered by those weapons. Yet the ensuing investigation was first thwarted by Eric Holder’s refusal to turn over critical documents to congressional investigators, earning him a contempt of Congress citation. It was followed by President Obama invoking executive privilege to prevent the same. Other documents reveal that Eric Holder lied to Congress about when he first heard about the operation. The House Oversight Committee is currently suing for release of the material, but both Holder and Obama remain unscathed by this deadly debacle, even as the Terry family’s effort to find out what really happened to their son has been ignored.

Holder’s duplicity regarding Fast and Furious is hardly an anomaly. On March 1, 2011, Holder told Congress that “decisions made in the New Black Panther Party (NBPP) case were made by career attorneys in the department.” It was subsequently revealed that an Obama appointee, Associate A.G. Thomas Perrelli, overruled a unanimous decision by DOJ attorneys who favored prosecuting NBPP members seen on videotape attempting to intimidate voters outside a Philadelphia polling station during the 2008 election.

Via: Canada Free Press

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California Wants Small-Business Owners To Pay Back $120 Million In Tax Breaks

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Small-business investors in California were promised big breaks five years ago, but now they’re being told to pay up, instead after a court ruling.

After following the law, many of them are getting hit with tax bills as high as $250,000.

“When we make a promise, we have to uphold it,” said Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Redondo Beach.

But that is not what the state government appears to be doing. Small-business owners are getting hefty tax breaks for tax credits they already got five years ago.

“They relied on California law as it was written, that they would get a tax break if they invested in certain kinds of businesses,” Lieu said.

But a court ruled in December that practice by the state was unconstitutional. Now, the Franchise Tax Board wants its money.

And it’s killing small businesses, says Ken DeVore, with the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

“It sends a message that you can’t trust government. If you comply in good faith with the rules, they can go back and penalize you.”

It’s estimated that 2,000 small-business investors will have to pay these retroactive taxes. If the senator’s bill doesn’t pass, they’ll be out up to $120 million.

“A lot of them don’t have that money anymore. Its been reinvested,” DeVore said.

Lieu says it’s not as if the state is counting on the case. The $120 million would be a surprise windfall for the state.

“They obviously can’t go backwards 5 years in time and change their investment or change what they did.” he said. “They are stuck with what they did and its unfair to penalize them.”

Investors who could be hit by the retroactive taxes did not want to go on camera, fearing they would become an easy target for the Franchise Tax Board.

Via:  CBS Sacramento

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[CARTOON] Employment Numbers

 

Via: California Political Review

Bill Clinton Foundation Has Spent Over $50 Million on Travel Since 2003

Frequently borrows NYC mayoral candidate’s jet

Bill Clinton’s foundation has spent more than $50 million in travel expenses since 2003, the New York Post reports.

The spending includes $4.2 million in 2011 for the William J. Clinton Foundation (to which Hillary and Chelsea are now attached); $730,000 for the Clinton Global Health Initiative; and $7.2 million for the Clinton Health Action Initiative (CHAI).

Businessman and Republican New York City mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis has lent aircraft to Clinton and to the foundation multiple times for travel, including Clinton’s recent trip to Africa with daughter Chelsea.

Clinton sometimes uses Catsimatidis’ Boeing 727, while opting on other trips to use a smaller Gulfstream jet.

The Clinton’s sometimes use the jet at a discounted rate for the foundation and flight times are donated by Catsimatidis for other trips, according to the Post.

Via: WFB

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