Agencies continue to play shell game with Silver Line project costs

By   /  May 18, 2012  /  Featured, News, Virginia  /  No Comments

Parking is emerging as a major issue in the expansion of the Silver Line on the Metro system.

By Carten Cordell | Virginia Statehouse News
ALEXANDRIA — As construction of Phase 2 of the Silver Line Metro extension awaits approval from Loudoun County, parking for its two proposed stations has become a hot potato passed back and forth between two project partners, each looking for ways to lighten their bottom lines.
Loudoun agreed to explore paying for three [...]

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MT’s Tester begins quest to walk away from Obama’s policies

By   /  May 18, 2012  /  Elections, Featured, Federal Government, Health Care, Montana, News  /  No Comments

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester is working to distance himself from his party's top elected official, telling the Missoulian newspaper that President Barack Obama has lost his way on jobs and the economy.

By Dustin Hurst | Watchdog.org
HELENA — U.S. Sen. Jon Tester is working to distance himself from his party’s top elected official, telling the Missoulian newspaper that President Barack Obama has lost his way on jobs and the economy.
The newspaper doesn’t provide direct quotes, but in the May 18 story reporter Rob Chaney writes, ”In an interview at the Missoulian on Friday, the first-term senator from [...]

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Where’s Barrett? Milwaukee mayor chose UAW over police memorial

By   /  May 18, 2012  /  Elections, Featured, News, Politics & Elections, State Government, Wisconsin  /  No Comments

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett was a no-show at this week's memorials for fallen law enforcement officers.

By M.D. Kittle | Wisconsin Reporter
MADISON — In a statement on his campaign website Friday, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett declared that the “outstanding” quality of life in Wisconsin “rests in large part on the sacrifices made each and every day by the dedicated men and women of our law-enforcement community.”
“While not enough can be done to appropriately [...]

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IL Senate Dems come out with budget of their own

By   /  May 18, 2012  /  Featured, Illinois, News, State Budgets, State Government  /  No Comments

Illinois Senate Democrats are rolling out their own budget, beating the House to the punch.

By Andrew Thomason | Illinois Statehouse News
SPRINGFIELD — With 13 days left in the regular spring session, the Illinois Senate Democrats rolled out a budget that relies on facility closures, layoffs and 4-percent spending cuts for most state agencies.
Still, the budget outline spends $16.9 billion on day-to-day state services such as the Illinois State Police, elementary and [...]

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Virginia spends thousands on ‘baby steps’ in graduation data plan

By   /  May 18, 2012  /  Education, Featured, News, State Government, Virginia  /  No Comments

A $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education will pay for the first two years of data compilation and maintenance. SCHEV will pay a total of $50,000 over the next three years to keep up the system.

By Kathryn Watson | Virginia Statehouse News
ALEXANDRIA — Prospective students scoping out colleges and universities in Virginia won’t find out how many graduates get jobs, but they will learn how much graduates earn with certain degrees and majors from various schools.
Even without the employment data, the database may not present an accurate assessment of the state’s [...]

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