SF area transit strike looms hours before deadline

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A San Francisco Bay Area transit system and its two largest unions were negotiating right up to a midnight deadline Monday as fear of a second gridlock-inducing strike in three months intensified.

The parties held talks throughout the day after the unions backed off a threatened strike deadline late Sunday and gave Bay Area Rapid Transit managers a 24-hour reprieve. But by late afternoon it appeared that both sides were remaining firm in their positions.

BART board president Tom Radulovich urged representatives of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 and the Service Employees International Union Local 1021 to let its more than 2,300 members vote on the agency's final offer presented Sunday.

"We've been at this for a total of 150 days at this point and we think it's time for the union leadership to let us know, to let the people in the Bay Area know whether they are going to take an offer to their membership," Radulovich said.

But SEIU 1021 executive director Pete Castelli said the unions remained unhappy with BART's last offer. He said the unions presented a counteroffer to management late Monday and warned that the strike deadline still stands. He told commuters to consider transportation alternatives in the morning.

"It rests in the district's hands at this point," he said.

About 400,000 riders take BART every weekday on the nation's fifth-largest commuter rail system.

"I am so frustrated with the way they've been holding the riders hostage," said BART commuter Toba Villatore, 45, of San Francisco as she headed to work. "I'm tired of staying up until midnight wondering if there's going to be a strike or not."

Sticking points in the 6-month-old negotiations include salaries and workers' contributions to their health and pension plans. Castelli said Monday that while the parties had made progress on pay, pension and health care benefits they also were still at odds on issues related to work rules.

BART General Manager Grace Crunican said that the offer presented to the union Sunday was $7 million higher than Friday's proposal. It includes an annual 3 percent raise over four years and requires workers to contribute 4 percent toward their pension and 9.5 percent toward medical benefits.

Workers from the two unions, which represent more than 2,300 mechanics, custodians, station agents, train operators and clerical staff, now average about $71,000 in base salary and $11,000 in overtime annually, the transit agency said. BART workers currently pay $92 a month for health care and contribute nothing toward their pensions.

Crunican said the unions have two weeks from Sunday to accept the deal before it is taken off the table.

"It is time to bring this to a close," Crunican said.

BART workers went on strike for nearly five days in early July and were about to go again on Friday when a 60-day cooling-off period ordered by Gov. Jerry Brown expired.

However, the parties continued negotiating over the weekend and into Monday, as ridership was light because of strike fears and the Columbus Day holiday.

A pending strike forced San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee to cancel a trip to China. He said that "people's very livelihoods hang in the balance."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sf-area-transit-strike-looms-hours-deadline-025423470--finance.html
Similar Articles: Brynn Cameron   Miley Cyrus Vmas 2013   hell on wheels   regions   emmy nominations  

Gabrielle Giffords eyes new N.Y. gun show background check (reuters)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/333851689?client_source=feed&format=rss
Similar Articles: Joseph Gordon-Levitt   Mayweather vs Canelo results   diana nyad   Galaxy Note 3   amanda bynes  

Greek Finance Ministry unveils draft budget 2014

Posted by keeptalkinggreece in Economy

Greek Finance Ministry unveiled the draft Budget 2014 on Monday. In the ambitious draft, Athens predicts recession at 4% from 4.6% originally foreseen. A much better figure when compared to 6.5% of 2012. Deputy finance Minister, Christos Staikouras who presented the draft budget, said that the primary surplus will be at 380 million euro in 2013 and 2.8 billion euro in 2014.

Staikouras gave also the official rate of unemployment at 27% and said that it will drop to 26% in 2014.

“The 2014 budget will also foresee a primary surplus of 2.8 billion euros (1.5 percent of GDP), compared to about 300 million euros this year.

The draft budget might also give a better idea of the fiscal gap that Greece faces next year. The Finance Ministry believes it will be about 600 million euros, whereas the troika expects it to be as much as 3 billion euros.

The final version of the budget is due to be submitted to Parliament at the end of November and could contain a number of changes compared to the draft due to be issued on Monday.” (ekathimerini)

While the government claims that there would be no additional austerity measures, the big question is where the 2.8 billion euro surplus will come from – especially the moment that the government hardly proceeds to expenditure cuts.

A not-so-secret present is being currently wrapped by the technocrats of the Greek finance ministry. With love to the Greek taxpayer:  tax hikes to income from rent, tax hikes for free lancers and small enterprises, abolishing tax breaks and stricter taxes for farmers.

As of 1.1.2014 the new taxation system that will go into effect will abolish also the tax free amount of 5,000 euro for annual income.

Nevertheless the budget 2014 has to be approved by the Troika – business as usual….

PS What? the European Union claims as “poor” those with annual income of 7.500 euro? In Greece, they tax also the very poor… Of course. If they don’t cut expenditure, there is no other way than “Taxes and more Taxes”.

 

 

 

Source: http://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2013/10/07/greek-finance-ministry-unveils-draft-budget-2014/
Related Topics: Beyond Two Souls   Yahoo Fantasy Football   Sarin gas   Ichiro Suzuki   Lisa Robin Kelly  

The President as cheerleader

by Nicole Curato
Posted on 07/25/2013 2:30 PM ?|?Updated 07/25/2013 3:18 PM

President Aquino?s speech last Monday highlights an inherent tension in the role of a President delivering a State of the Nation Address.

The President needed to be a cheerleader ? a morale booster to civil servants, the troops and the people. As commander-in-chief, he assured soldiers and policemen that their welfare is his utmost concern. He cited ongoing housing and livelihood programs dedicated to uniformed personnel.

As chief executive, he praised the exemplary performance of public servants such as Cabinet officials and disaster relief workers.

And as leader of the nation, he celebrated the contributions of citizens committed to ?true social transformation.?

Triumph over adversity was a standard trope. An image of a struggling man on a wheelchair doing his patriotic duty to vote was flashed on the screen followed by a photo of the unarmed policewoman who outsmarted a criminal.

The rhetoric of praise was sharp when contrasted with the rhetoric of shame. After celebrating the efforts of his favorite Cabinet officials, underperforming agencies were dressed down and threatened with a warning that the President?s patience had run out. Indeed, the SONA was used as venue for a collective pat on the back. Through statistics and human props, the President tried to make a case that the ?straight path? is the right path.

However, the President is not just a cheerleader tasked to bring positive energy to an anxious crowd. He is also an elected official accountable to citizens. This is where the tension lies.

As the country?s topmost official, it is imperative that the President gives a clear and honest explanation not only of what his administration got right but also what it got wrong. After all, the basic definition of accountability means to give an account. It means giving an inventory of relevant information one owes to the public. It provides justifications for the administration?s actions, humbly explains their shortcomings and what they intend to do to make things better.

Connecting the dots

The SONA, at best, partially fulfilled this obligation.

The President explained the problems facing the SSS pension scheme, the reasons for the delay of PPPs as well as the limitations in modernizing the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

However, a speech that had deeper appreciation of a SONA as a platform for accountability could have taken great care in making sense of big issues by drawing connections between them.

It could have explained the reasons for the widening inequality in the country ? why the 40 richest families in the Philippines doubled their income in the past year while 10.6 million families consider themselves poor and 3.9 million households experience involuntary hunger. It could have explained what a 7.8-percent growth means to Filipinos in the context of 600,000 agricultural workers losing their jobs and water concessionaires passing on income tax expenses to consumers. It could have justified why taking a foreign loan to give cash grants to poor families is worth it especially for taxpayers who will shoulder this debt until 20 years from today.

The SONA could have been more meaningful had the President provided explanations and not just a report. While a speech supported by quantitative evidence does have merit, the presentation of facts is only as meaningful as its accompanying interpretations.

A judicious audience could easily consult the appended technical report if one were after statistics and fine details. But the SONA is a distinct event to set the public agenda. It is delivered by the President who has to explain why particular decisions were made and why he continues to deserve the mandate given by the people. This is important at a time when class divides are becoming more exposed, with middle classes questioning the ?preferential treatment? given to informal settlers up for relocation and workers demanding wage hike as big businesses register unprecedented levels of profit.

A speech that is accountable is also one that responds to rather than trivializes criticisms. Barbed comments on green energy advocates? those who will keep quiet once they are ?busy fanning themselves during brownouts? ? and the youth that ?complains on Facebook? devalue rather than deepen ongoing conversations about shared problems and solutions. Sarcasm simplifies rather than engages the complexity of public opinion on a range of issues.

Without addressing criticisms and controversies, the SONA renders the demands of citizens invisible. It privileges the lens of those who experienced gains but silences the voice of those who still demand more. The President could not credibly claim ?this is your SONA? if he did not substantively engage what unlike-minded people had to say.

The President has two SONAs left. It would be good to hear a more engaging and responsive speech. The move towards a mature democracy is one that does not infantilize citizens by dismissing them as whiners. It is one that seeks to promote complex understanding of social issues. Citizens may not end up happy but at least they've heard the truth. - Rappler.com

Nicole Curato, PhD is currently a post-doctoral research fellow at the Center for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance at the Australian National University. She was an assistant professor of sociology at the University of the Philippines.

Source: http://feeds.rappler.com/~r/rappler/~3/ny8IarNz_Sw/34784-president-sona-cheerleader

vikings stadium breitbart dead db cooper fafsa branson missouri davy jones dead monkees

Ryse: Son of Rome characters revealed in Xbox One exclusive

Ryse: Son of Rome revealed its cast of characters at San Diego Comic Con. The Xbox One exclusive was re-revealed at E3 2013 as the story of a Roman soldier who witnesses the murder of his family at the hands of barbarians. Marius, the main character in the game will side with Roman army to seek revenge for their deaths.

In Ryse: Son of Rome, Marius will lead the Roman army against the barbarians, and details about the game?s colorful cast of characters was revealed by Crytek at a panel for Ryse.

Ryse: Son of Rome Characters

• Marius ? The hero of ?Ryse: Son of Rome,? Marius is a young soldier with a strong sense of duty who is completely dedicated to Rome and her ideals. Initially eager to fight against Rome?s enemies and expand the Empire, he soon realizes that Rome is vulnerable to an even more insidious threat than the barbarians he faces on the battlefield. Ever loyal to Rome, he resolves to rid the Empire of her true enemies.
• Vitallion -?A wise and charismatic general who has served Rome for decades, Vitallion has fought in many campaigns and serves as a mentor to Marius. As events transpire he begins to wonder if duty has its limits, and whether self-restraint is always the correct course of action.
• Nero ? Nero, Emperor of Rome, struggles to maintain his grip on power. He promotes his two sons Commodus and Basillius to powerful positions, letting them take control of the rebellious province of Britannia. Nero feels threaten by all potential rivals and exacts ruthless retribution against anyone who crosses him.
• Commodus and Basillius -??As governor of Britannia, Nero?s eldest son, Commodus, sees himself as a god, and the people of Britannia as his subjects. His reign is characterized by brutal repression. Nero?s youngest son, Basillius, enjoys anything carnal or cruel. At the Colosseum he delights in watching gladiators kill each other, and lords over the terrified slaves he keeps in his harem in the bowels of the structure.
• Boudica -?The daughter of King Oswald, the ruler of the Britons. Strong and resilient, Boudica hates Rome, and with good reason: under Roman rule, her people are made to suffer horribly. When her father faces horrific retribution from a perceived insult, it galvanizes Boudica and she rallies her people to rise against their oppressors. Boudica is a principled woman and has the will to go to the ends of the world to save her people.
• Oswald -Benevolent king of the Britons. He leads a rebellion against the tyrannical rule of Rome, but when the Romans brutally repress the rebels, Oswald submits to Roman dominance in hopes this will spare his people. His naivety leaves him vulnerable to the Romans.
• Glott -?Enigmatic leader of the Northern barbarians, rumored to be more beast than man. Very little is known about him except that he is fiercely independent and will make war on both the Romans and Oswald?s tribe.
• The Spirit Gods -?Immortal spirit, one who watches over humanity, guides Marius. She appears in mortal form, but radiates an otherworldly aura. Another (known in mortal form as Aquilo) seeks the destruction of Rome and allies himself with her enemies.

Ryse: Son of Rome Gameplay

Ryse: Son of Rome will arrive exclusively on the Xbox One as a launch title.

Source: http://attackofthefanboy.com/news/ryse-son-rome-characters-revealed-xbox-exclusive/

Newton Shooting Newtown Shooting Gangnam Style Ryan Lanza Sandy Hook Univision josh hamilton

Facebook Sees Mobile Web Traffic Growing Faster in UK than in USA

Published on: 19th Jul 2013

?Facebook has reported an increasing amount of traffic to its mobile websites in the UK and USA, with the UK usage growing at a faster rate than in the US.

Facebook said that its mobile monthly active users had increased by 18 percent in the USA and by 22 percent in the UK during the month of June as compared with the previous year,

"We see this as a fantastic opportunity with empirical evidence of people staying engaged on mobile phones and using Facebook," James Quarles, regional director for Britain and Southern Europe told the Reuters news agency..

"As people are away and on holiday, it provides a different opportunity for brands to think differently about Facebook."

Facebook has come under pressure to increase its mobile revenues which have lagged its desktop computer advertising. When the company was first listed on the stock market, it admitted that its mobile revenues were a weakness, but has since invested heavily in the market./p>

The company now claims around 750 million users of its mobile website globally.

It will announce its financial results on the 25th July.

On the web: Reuters

?

Tags: [facebook]? [UK]? [USA]?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cellular-news/LmiX/~3/kAiYfIBGmvc/61082.php

Celeste Holm Stephen Covey klimt breaking bad breaking bad food network star British Open 2012

Baidu Agrees To Buy Chinese Android App Distributor 91 Wireless For $1.9B

Here's a sign of how valuable China's biggest alternative app stores have become. The country's leading search engine, Baidu, just signed a memorandum of understanding to acquire 91 Wireless for $1.9 billion from NetDragon.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/tPiBNnYF_5o/

did the groundhog see his shadow Ray Lewis Murder UFC 156 my bloody valentine Super Bowl Winners what time does the superbowl start Kaepernick Tattoos