The Chapmanville City Council meeting I attended Monday, March 28, was to discuss activities for the upcoming fall and winter festivals.
Mayor Jerry Price suggested the calendar stay the same but proposed having the annual Apple Butter Festival Pageant since last year was the first year it had taken place since 2008.Price stated that the same rules as always with the vendors and groups still apply this year for the Apple Butter Festival.
Sherry Workman also spoke about having a winter pageant during the Winter Festivities. They said they would discuss it in further detail when possible dates were set.
They also discussed whether or not they would invite back the same vendors or if they would try to get a public opinion at this years festival and start planning with new vendors next year.
Nothing was voted on or passed at this meeting. All items will be further discussed at the next meeting April 11.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Assignment 5
033011-LAH-Assignment 5
Laura Hatfield
03-30-2011
Mayor Kim Wolfe projects a slight increase in city revenue for the 2012 fiscal year.
The proposed increase is a $379,498 from last year making a one percent increase to the budget. In the State of the City Address, Wolfe said there would be no increase in revenue but then the occupational tax proposal went before the State Home Rule Committee in March which was a one percent change from the 2011 budget.
In order to ensure the city has a million dollar reserve, the city is projecting a $440,000 balance increase.
“The action of adhering to a balanced budget and maintaining consistent reserves is critical to the maintenance of the rating,” Wolfe said.
Although there were several big sources of funding the most funding came from B & O Taxes, Municipal Service Fees, property tax, utility service fees and utility taxes among others.
The expenses for the sources seemed to be flat this year, meaning there wasn’t a big change from the proposed 2011 budget.
The proposed budget for property taxes stayed the same as the proposed budget for 2011, but when the adopted budget came out for 2012, the budget has decreased by $34,778.
The Business & Occupation Tax went up this year by $250,000 is this year’s proposal. The adoption kept the proposed budget making it a 1.5 percent increase from last year.
The proposed budgets for the Utility Tax, City Service Fee and Municipal Service Fees were all adopted. The Utility Tax made a one percent increase from last year. Both the City Service Fee and the Municipal Service Fees made a $50,000 increase also making a one percent increase.
The money in the budget goes to many different businesses in the Huntington area, but the majority of the money goes to the Police Department, Fire Department, insurance programs, streets and grants. Almost 50 percent of the funds are going to the police and fire departments alone.
Wolfe had already proposed a $93,172 decrease from last year but in the adopted budget it was decreased an extra $72,223 making a 1.5% decrease overall.
During the State of the City Address, Mayor Wolfe said despite the hard year financially Huntington had a very successful year. The Police Department had an overall crime reduction for the 3rd year in a row. The Criminal Investigation bureau recovered over $763,000 in stolen property and the department gained over $3.2 million in grant money. The open air drug market that existed on Ninth Ave. and 19th St. has been closed as a result of the Drug Market Intervention program. Since the implementation of the Weed and Seed Program there has been 19 percent increase that feel safe at night.
Wolfe proposed a $90,281 decrease but in the adopted budget the Fire Department was given a $100,281 making a one percent decrease overall. Wolfe said despite the decrease in staff, the fire department had a 13 percent increase in the number of calls responded to for the year.
Money for streets and grants also made a slight decrease. In the 2011 proposed budget streets were given $1,582,240 but this year they only proposed and granted $1,571,954. Grants took a little more of a steep decrease going from $2,617,518 to a total of $200,000. Money for streets goes toward concrete, asphalt, salt, fuel and other supplies to help repair roads. The funds also include paying staff, and necessities such as telephone, utilities, training and others to help keep the offices open. The money for grants helps fund almost all state grants in West Virginia.
Despite the decreases in the top expenditures, insurance programs made a one percent increase going from $7,928,244 in 2011 to 8,045,474 for this fiscal year. Wolfe had originally proposed $8,073,989 but it was adopted for $28,515 less. Money for Insurance Programs includes toward medical claims, prescription claims, unemployment, workers comp and others.
The budget also involves eight layoffs in the city overall. Wolfe said there would be a number of different cuts across all departments but the personnel cuts will affect Finance, Mayor’s Office, Public Works, civilian staff at the Police Department and continued vacancies in the Fire Department. Workforce salaries were reduced by 10 percent since July 2010, a police and fire pension reform occurred in 2009 holidays have been reduced by three in the past three years and health insurance changed for city employees in July 2008.
“And yet with all that we have done and all the cuts that we have made, it has not been enough for us to weather this economic storm, Wolfe said. “We must cut more and ask for even more from our employees and our citizens.”
033011-LAH-Assignment 5
Sidebar
Laura Hatfield
03-30-2011
During the Huntington City budget meeting, March 10, the Fire Department’s budget seemed to be the topic of interest.
The meeting was the last of four sessions to prepare the city's 2011-2012 budget.
Fire Chief, Craig Moore said he found $90,000 that could be pulled from the fire department budget. The city council members voted unanimously to remove the $90,000 from the budget.
The vote came after a motion to move $150,000 but was defeated in a 6-3 vote. Deliberation and discussion about the fire department's budget lasted almost an hour.
Moore said the fire department's retiree payouts were budgeted for $250,000, but once they looked again it only came out to be $190,000. The other $30,000 in savings were due to vacant positions. This year there will be three vacant positions.
The Department has $22,000 is overtime, one-seventh of the budget is dedicated to maintenance in staffing for unscheduled overtime.
Moore suggested the fire department use employees already who were already working to fill in for employees that call off where as right now they call in employees whom were off that day.
Council member, Scott Caserta disagreed with Moore. “When you start pulling your safety officers and your fire marshals to cover overtime, then you take that safety officer and fire marshal out of service," Caserta said. "So you're putting your residents at risk and you're also putting your firemen and the service you provide at risk."
After almost an hour of debate the council voted unanimously to remove the $90,000 from the budget and put it in the street paving budget.
Now that the budget has been adopted, the fire department budget has decreased by one percent since 2009. In 2009 the fire department had a $10,396,405 budget, in 2010 it had an actual budget of $5,552,315 and the estimated budget for 2011 until June 30 is $10,372,117.
Money in the budget helps pay for salaries, workers comp, pension funds, insurance, office materials, and materials for the workers to protect and help supply workers when on the job.
033011-LAH-Assignment 5
Laura Hatfield
03-30-2011
*-Other includes fire fees, alarm fees, court costs, franchise fees, etc.
Source: City of Huntington proposed budget
*-Other includes mayor, city clerk, finance, engineering, planning, etc.
Source: City of Huntington proposed budget
2012 Adopted Huntington City Budget
Revenue Sources Percentage
B & O Tax 38.75%
Other 19.70%
Municipal Service Fee 14%
City Service Fee 11%
Property Tax 10.90%
Utility Tax 5.40%
Adopted 2012 Huntington City Budget
Expendetures Percentage
Police 25.9
Fire 24.4
Other 21.5
Insuarance Programs 19.1
Grants 4.7
Streets 3.7
Fire and Police Depeartment Expenditures 2009-2012
2009 actual 2010 actual 2011 est. thru 6/30/11 2012 proposed difference from 2011-2012 percent difference
Fire 10,396,405 5,552,315 10,372,117 10,272,836 99,281 decrease 0.95% decrease
Police 10,839,725 5,924,378 11,070,353 10,977,181 93,172 decrease 0.84% decrease
Changes in the 2012 Huntington City Budget
Proposed Adopted
Police 10,977,181 10,904,958
Fire 10,362,836 10,272,836
Insurance Programs 8,073,989 8,045,474
Laura Hatfield
03-30-2011
Mayor Kim Wolfe projects a slight increase in city revenue for the 2012 fiscal year.
The proposed increase is a $379,498 from last year making a one percent increase to the budget. In the State of the City Address, Wolfe said there would be no increase in revenue but then the occupational tax proposal went before the State Home Rule Committee in March which was a one percent change from the 2011 budget.
In order to ensure the city has a million dollar reserve, the city is projecting a $440,000 balance increase.
“The action of adhering to a balanced budget and maintaining consistent reserves is critical to the maintenance of the rating,” Wolfe said.
Although there were several big sources of funding the most funding came from B & O Taxes, Municipal Service Fees, property tax, utility service fees and utility taxes among others.
The expenses for the sources seemed to be flat this year, meaning there wasn’t a big change from the proposed 2011 budget.
The proposed budget for property taxes stayed the same as the proposed budget for 2011, but when the adopted budget came out for 2012, the budget has decreased by $34,778.
The Business & Occupation Tax went up this year by $250,000 is this year’s proposal. The adoption kept the proposed budget making it a 1.5 percent increase from last year.
The proposed budgets for the Utility Tax, City Service Fee and Municipal Service Fees were all adopted. The Utility Tax made a one percent increase from last year. Both the City Service Fee and the Municipal Service Fees made a $50,000 increase also making a one percent increase.
The money in the budget goes to many different businesses in the Huntington area, but the majority of the money goes to the Police Department, Fire Department, insurance programs, streets and grants. Almost 50 percent of the funds are going to the police and fire departments alone.
Wolfe had already proposed a $93,172 decrease from last year but in the adopted budget it was decreased an extra $72,223 making a 1.5% decrease overall.
During the State of the City Address, Mayor Wolfe said despite the hard year financially Huntington had a very successful year. The Police Department had an overall crime reduction for the 3rd year in a row. The Criminal Investigation bureau recovered over $763,000 in stolen property and the department gained over $3.2 million in grant money. The open air drug market that existed on Ninth Ave. and 19th St. has been closed as a result of the Drug Market Intervention program. Since the implementation of the Weed and Seed Program there has been 19 percent increase that feel safe at night.
Wolfe proposed a $90,281 decrease but in the adopted budget the Fire Department was given a $100,281 making a one percent decrease overall. Wolfe said despite the decrease in staff, the fire department had a 13 percent increase in the number of calls responded to for the year.
Money for streets and grants also made a slight decrease. In the 2011 proposed budget streets were given $1,582,240 but this year they only proposed and granted $1,571,954. Grants took a little more of a steep decrease going from $2,617,518 to a total of $200,000. Money for streets goes toward concrete, asphalt, salt, fuel and other supplies to help repair roads. The funds also include paying staff, and necessities such as telephone, utilities, training and others to help keep the offices open. The money for grants helps fund almost all state grants in West Virginia.
Despite the decreases in the top expenditures, insurance programs made a one percent increase going from $7,928,244 in 2011 to 8,045,474 for this fiscal year. Wolfe had originally proposed $8,073,989 but it was adopted for $28,515 less. Money for Insurance Programs includes toward medical claims, prescription claims, unemployment, workers comp and others.
The budget also involves eight layoffs in the city overall. Wolfe said there would be a number of different cuts across all departments but the personnel cuts will affect Finance, Mayor’s Office, Public Works, civilian staff at the Police Department and continued vacancies in the Fire Department. Workforce salaries were reduced by 10 percent since July 2010, a police and fire pension reform occurred in 2009 holidays have been reduced by three in the past three years and health insurance changed for city employees in July 2008.
“And yet with all that we have done and all the cuts that we have made, it has not been enough for us to weather this economic storm, Wolfe said. “We must cut more and ask for even more from our employees and our citizens.”
033011-LAH-Assignment 5
Sidebar
Laura Hatfield
03-30-2011
During the Huntington City budget meeting, March 10, the Fire Department’s budget seemed to be the topic of interest.
The meeting was the last of four sessions to prepare the city's 2011-2012 budget.
Fire Chief, Craig Moore said he found $90,000 that could be pulled from the fire department budget. The city council members voted unanimously to remove the $90,000 from the budget.
The vote came after a motion to move $150,000 but was defeated in a 6-3 vote. Deliberation and discussion about the fire department's budget lasted almost an hour.
Moore said the fire department's retiree payouts were budgeted for $250,000, but once they looked again it only came out to be $190,000. The other $30,000 in savings were due to vacant positions. This year there will be three vacant positions.
The Department has $22,000 is overtime, one-seventh of the budget is dedicated to maintenance in staffing for unscheduled overtime.
Moore suggested the fire department use employees already who were already working to fill in for employees that call off where as right now they call in employees whom were off that day.
Council member, Scott Caserta disagreed with Moore. “When you start pulling your safety officers and your fire marshals to cover overtime, then you take that safety officer and fire marshal out of service," Caserta said. "So you're putting your residents at risk and you're also putting your firemen and the service you provide at risk."
After almost an hour of debate the council voted unanimously to remove the $90,000 from the budget and put it in the street paving budget.
Now that the budget has been adopted, the fire department budget has decreased by one percent since 2009. In 2009 the fire department had a $10,396,405 budget, in 2010 it had an actual budget of $5,552,315 and the estimated budget for 2011 until June 30 is $10,372,117.
Money in the budget helps pay for salaries, workers comp, pension funds, insurance, office materials, and materials for the workers to protect and help supply workers when on the job.
033011-LAH-Assignment 5
Laura Hatfield
03-30-2011
*-Other includes fire fees, alarm fees, court costs, franchise fees, etc.
Source: City of Huntington proposed budget
*-Other includes mayor, city clerk, finance, engineering, planning, etc.
Source: City of Huntington proposed budget
2012 Adopted Huntington City Budget
Revenue Sources Percentage
B & O Tax 38.75%
Other 19.70%
Municipal Service Fee 14%
City Service Fee 11%
Property Tax 10.90%
Utility Tax 5.40%
Adopted 2012 Huntington City Budget
Expendetures Percentage
Police 25.9
Fire 24.4
Other 21.5
Insuarance Programs 19.1
Grants 4.7
Streets 3.7
Fire and Police Depeartment Expenditures 2009-2012
2009 actual 2010 actual 2011 est. thru 6/30/11 2012 proposed difference from 2011-2012 percent difference
Fire 10,396,405 5,552,315 10,372,117 10,272,836 99,281 decrease 0.95% decrease
Police 10,839,725 5,924,378 11,070,353 10,977,181 93,172 decrease 0.84% decrease
Changes in the 2012 Huntington City Budget
Proposed Adopted
Police 10,977,181 10,904,958
Fire 10,362,836 10,272,836
Insurance Programs 8,073,989 8,045,474
Monday, March 28, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Huntington City Budget Proposal
TO: Burnis Morris
FROM: Laura Hatfield
RE: 2012 Huntington City budget
03/17/11
Subject: Proposed 2011-2012 Huntington City Budget
Scope: I will research the city budget to find where the City of Huntington’s money goes and what the major sources of the funding are. I will report on the entire budget as a whole and the Huntington Sheriff’s Department in terms of the budget.
Need: The people of the city need to be aware as to where their money is going. The people have a right to be informed of the business aspects of the city.
Methods: This story can be documented by retrieving the 2012 city budget. I will also conduct interviews with the people involved with the budget and look for past articles about the past 3 budgets for comparisons.
Sources: I will search the 2012 city budget for all of the exact numbers in the budget to calculate increases and decreases. I will also conduct interviews with the Mayor of Huntington regarding the budget and the Sheriff regarding the money proposed for the Sheriff’s Department in the budget.
Presentation: I will do a main article on the overall proposed budget. I will use charts and graphs to show where the money is coming from and what departments it goes to. I will also write a side bar article about the Sheriff’s Department to determine how much money is proposed for the Sheriff’s Department and why.
Follow-up: Once the budget is finalized, I will write a story about the adoption of the budget and any changes made to it.
FROM: Laura Hatfield
RE: 2012 Huntington City budget
03/17/11
Subject: Proposed 2011-2012 Huntington City Budget
Scope: I will research the city budget to find where the City of Huntington’s money goes and what the major sources of the funding are. I will report on the entire budget as a whole and the Huntington Sheriff’s Department in terms of the budget.
Need: The people of the city need to be aware as to where their money is going. The people have a right to be informed of the business aspects of the city.
Methods: This story can be documented by retrieving the 2012 city budget. I will also conduct interviews with the people involved with the budget and look for past articles about the past 3 budgets for comparisons.
Sources: I will search the 2012 city budget for all of the exact numbers in the budget to calculate increases and decreases. I will also conduct interviews with the Mayor of Huntington regarding the budget and the Sheriff regarding the money proposed for the Sheriff’s Department in the budget.
Presentation: I will do a main article on the overall proposed budget. I will use charts and graphs to show where the money is coming from and what departments it goes to. I will also write a side bar article about the Sheriff’s Department to determine how much money is proposed for the Sheriff’s Department and why.
Follow-up: Once the budget is finalized, I will write a story about the adoption of the budget and any changes made to it.
Assignment 10
031711-LAH-Assignment 10
Laura Hatfield
Assignment 10
03/17/11
When comparing the online minutes for the Cabell County Board of Education meeting, Tuesday, March 15 to an article in The Herald-Dispatch, Wednesday, March 16, I noticed the reporter came up with some very good points about the meeting’s cosmetic concerns.
The minutes seemed to match the story perfectly for what I could see, but the story was solely about one aspect of the meeting. The Herald Dispatch only let me read a brief part of the story but I really liked how the reporter related all of the issues to a cosmetic standpoint. When talking about the renaming of the boardroom, the reporter made a good point by saying the board members were then questioning if there were board members in the past that made large contributions that we do not hear of. By the reporter bringing up this one scenario a few questions have come to mind.
• How many board member presidents before Ted Barr had committed a lot of time to the Board of Education?
• Why did they choose to name the room after Barr? Was it just because he died in office?
• How does the board recognize outstanding board members, past and present?
• Barr was not the first Board of Education president, why weren’t the former presidents honored in some way? If the president’s were honored, how were they honored?
Laura Hatfield
Assignment 10
03/17/11
When comparing the online minutes for the Cabell County Board of Education meeting, Tuesday, March 15 to an article in The Herald-Dispatch, Wednesday, March 16, I noticed the reporter came up with some very good points about the meeting’s cosmetic concerns.
The minutes seemed to match the story perfectly for what I could see, but the story was solely about one aspect of the meeting. The Herald Dispatch only let me read a brief part of the story but I really liked how the reporter related all of the issues to a cosmetic standpoint. When talking about the renaming of the boardroom, the reporter made a good point by saying the board members were then questioning if there were board members in the past that made large contributions that we do not hear of. By the reporter bringing up this one scenario a few questions have come to mind.
• How many board member presidents before Ted Barr had committed a lot of time to the Board of Education?
• Why did they choose to name the room after Barr? Was it just because he died in office?
• How does the board recognize outstanding board members, past and present?
• Barr was not the first Board of Education president, why weren’t the former presidents honored in some way? If the president’s were honored, how were they honored?
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Preview Faculty Senate Meeting
I will be attending the Faculty Senate meeting Thursday, March 17, 2011. I am interested to see what things marshall university has in store this year. I am also interested to see what things may be discussed during this meeting.
Cabell County Board of Education
031511-LAH-BOE
During the Cabell County Board of Education meeting Tuesday, the board discussed many cosmetical changes throughout the county.
Theresa Grant, daughter of former board member, Ted Barr, discussed the renaming of the board room after her father. Barr was the only president of the board to die while in office at the adjournment of a meeting. The Grant family will donate the signs for the room as well as items to go inside it.
Jerry Lake, Principal of Barbousville Middle School, suggested naming the football stadium James Allen and Tim Roberts Stadium instead of Allen Roberts Stadium.
The board suggested replacing the swings and adding new turf to the playground at Altizer Elementary School. Due to the flooding the turf has gone bad and the board decided with all of the Jamie Oliver campaigns last year it would be good to replace those items so the children can get fresh air and exercise. The motion to replace those items was passed.
Aside from those cosmetical changes, the Office of Education Performance Audits are looking into Central City Middle School and Huntington Middle School to see if things have improved with their test scores.
During the Cabell County Board of Education meeting Tuesday, the board discussed many cosmetical changes throughout the county.
Theresa Grant, daughter of former board member, Ted Barr, discussed the renaming of the board room after her father. Barr was the only president of the board to die while in office at the adjournment of a meeting. The Grant family will donate the signs for the room as well as items to go inside it.
Jerry Lake, Principal of Barbousville Middle School, suggested naming the football stadium James Allen and Tim Roberts Stadium instead of Allen Roberts Stadium.
The board suggested replacing the swings and adding new turf to the playground at Altizer Elementary School. Due to the flooding the turf has gone bad and the board decided with all of the Jamie Oliver campaigns last year it would be good to replace those items so the children can get fresh air and exercise. The motion to replace those items was passed.
Aside from those cosmetical changes, the Office of Education Performance Audits are looking into Central City Middle School and Huntington Middle School to see if things have improved with their test scores.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Preview meeting
I will be attending the Cabell Cuunty Board of Education meeting Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 5:30 PM.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Huntington City Budget session
031011-LAH-budget
The Huntington Human Relations meeting at City Hall Thursday, March 10, was cancelled. While I was in the building I saw the Huntington City budget meeting was starting so I decided to attend. During the meeting, spokesmen for the Planning Committee, IT Committee, Municipal Parking Board, Civic Arena, Insurance and the Fire Department presented their proposed budgets for the upcoming year.
The Planning Department, Civic Arena and Fire Department had the most discussion about their budgets.
The Planning Department came up with a comprehensive plan as part of their plan for economic development. The plan will be a two year process. James Baldwin with the Planning Department, proposed to put funds into the budget to pay a Graduate Student from Marshall University to intern 20 hours a week.
“What it does for them is for students interested in planning, they can offer them a graduate assistant position, so not only would I get somebody consistent 20 hours a week, but I would also have an employee at graduate level who is interested in planning,” Baldwin said.
The council argued there wasn’t enough money in this fiscal year’s budget but then decided to take $6,000 from the budget to remodel the floors in the basement of City Hall. They will put the remaining $750 from the budget in contingency. The proposed budget for the planning committee was then passed.
Brian Sipe
The Civic Arena budget proposed cutting expenses and generating revenues. General Manager, Brian Sipe said three shows at the River Park are included in the budget along with seven shows in the fall at the Arena and funds for Rib Fest. The proposed budget for the entertainment for Rib Fest is $28,000 which is an $80,000 decrease from last year.
An electrician and administrative assistant has been laid off from the Arena and Sipe proposed hiring another full-time employee.
“It would be a full time position that would book conference center and business development manager who would come up with more fairs and festivals and non concert family events that could play in Huntington,” Sipe said.
During the last budget proposal, Fire Chief, Creig Moore said he found $90,000 could be pulled from the Fire Department budget. Moore said the fire department's retiree payouts were budgeted for $250,000, but once they looked again it only came out to be $190,000. The other $30,000 in savings were due to vacant positions. This year there will be three vacant positions.
The Department has $22,000 is overtime, one-seventh of the budget is dedicated to maintenance in staffing for unscheduled overtime.
After almost an hour of debate the council voted unanimously to remove the $90,000 from the budget and put it in the street paving budget.
The Huntington Human Relations meeting at City Hall Thursday, March 10, was cancelled. While I was in the building I saw the Huntington City budget meeting was starting so I decided to attend. During the meeting, spokesmen for the Planning Committee, IT Committee, Municipal Parking Board, Civic Arena, Insurance and the Fire Department presented their proposed budgets for the upcoming year.
The Planning Department, Civic Arena and Fire Department had the most discussion about their budgets.
The Planning Department came up with a comprehensive plan as part of their plan for economic development. The plan will be a two year process. James Baldwin with the Planning Department, proposed to put funds into the budget to pay a Graduate Student from Marshall University to intern 20 hours a week.
“What it does for them is for students interested in planning, they can offer them a graduate assistant position, so not only would I get somebody consistent 20 hours a week, but I would also have an employee at graduate level who is interested in planning,” Baldwin said.
The council argued there wasn’t enough money in this fiscal year’s budget but then decided to take $6,000 from the budget to remodel the floors in the basement of City Hall. They will put the remaining $750 from the budget in contingency. The proposed budget for the planning committee was then passed.
Brian Sipe
The Civic Arena budget proposed cutting expenses and generating revenues. General Manager, Brian Sipe said three shows at the River Park are included in the budget along with seven shows in the fall at the Arena and funds for Rib Fest. The proposed budget for the entertainment for Rib Fest is $28,000 which is an $80,000 decrease from last year.
An electrician and administrative assistant has been laid off from the Arena and Sipe proposed hiring another full-time employee.
“It would be a full time position that would book conference center and business development manager who would come up with more fairs and festivals and non concert family events that could play in Huntington,” Sipe said.
During the last budget proposal, Fire Chief, Creig Moore said he found $90,000 could be pulled from the Fire Department budget. Moore said the fire department's retiree payouts were budgeted for $250,000, but once they looked again it only came out to be $190,000. The other $30,000 in savings were due to vacant positions. This year there will be three vacant positions.
The Department has $22,000 is overtime, one-seventh of the budget is dedicated to maintenance in staffing for unscheduled overtime.
After almost an hour of debate the council voted unanimously to remove the $90,000 from the budget and put it in the street paving budget.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
preview meeting
Today, March 10, 2011, I will be attending the Huntington Human Relations meeting at City Hall at 5:00 pm. Once The meeting is over I will blog about what the issues the council discussed during the meeting.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Research for Major Assignment 9
030311-LAH-Assignment 9
Laura Hatfield
Major Assignment 9
Since mid-February, I have been looking at the ends and outs of non-profit organizations. I found it very intriguing to learn about non-profit organizations and their work with the community. For the next month I will be working with the non-profit organization, Branches Domestic Violence. For major assignment 9 in JMC 414, I will be conducting research to find out whether the recession has hurt the organization and if so, how the recession has hurt the organization.
In my preliminary research, I searched the Secretary of State Website to find current reports about the organization. When searching the organization’s 2009 990 form I found the following information:
Total Revenue- $744,336
Total Expenses- $742,146
Total Assets - $251,144
Name of CEO - Rhonda Farley
Title of CEO - Executive Director
Salary of Top
Officers - $36,000
Telephone
number - 304-529-2382
Internet
address - brancheswv.com
mailing
address - P.O. Box 403
Huntington, WV 25708
304-529-2382
Laura Hatfield
Major Assignment 9
Since mid-February, I have been looking at the ends and outs of non-profit organizations. I found it very intriguing to learn about non-profit organizations and their work with the community. For the next month I will be working with the non-profit organization, Branches Domestic Violence. For major assignment 9 in JMC 414, I will be conducting research to find out whether the recession has hurt the organization and if so, how the recession has hurt the organization.
In my preliminary research, I searched the Secretary of State Website to find current reports about the organization. When searching the organization’s 2009 990 form I found the following information:
Total Revenue- $744,336
Total Expenses- $742,146
Total Assets - $251,144
Name of CEO - Rhonda Farley
Title of CEO - Executive Director
Salary of Top
Officers - $36,000
Telephone
number - 304-529-2382
Internet
address - brancheswv.com
mailing
address - P.O. Box 403
Huntington, WV 25708
304-529-2382
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Non-Profits
As a journalism student, I think non-profit organizations are very good for communities everywhere. When looking through the handout given by Professor MOrris, I was actually shocked to see how many non-profit organizations there are in the Huntington area. Although I think non-profit organizations help communities and their citizens tremendously, I think without the IRS 990 form, the profits from the organizations could be miscalculated or swept under the rug. Like in the case study about non-profits, the money could be misused with a portion of it going to workers, and less than half of it actually going to the charity or organization. I think it is very important for non-profit organizations to be present in the area, however I think it is just as important to have all information about the organizations and how they operate as well.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
SEC filings
021011-LAH-Macy’s
BY LAURA HATFIELD
When searching for Macy’s on the SEC filings Web site, www.sec.gov, I discovered all documents filed since 1995. In the filings there are too many types of documents to name. Some of the more popular documents listed on the Web site were product reports, annual employee stock reports, acquisition of ownership and security statements. The first 100 entries were acquisition of ownership and securities. The two entries cover the basis of change in ownership, stock details and progress of business in that fiscal year for each business site. When reading the documents I had to really search through the documents to get an idea of what the documents were about. The documents included the actual forms filed by the company.
BY LAURA HATFIELD
When searching for Macy’s on the SEC filings Web site, www.sec.gov, I discovered all documents filed since 1995. In the filings there are too many types of documents to name. Some of the more popular documents listed on the Web site were product reports, annual employee stock reports, acquisition of ownership and security statements. The first 100 entries were acquisition of ownership and securities. The two entries cover the basis of change in ownership, stock details and progress of business in that fiscal year for each business site. When reading the documents I had to really search through the documents to get an idea of what the documents were about. The documents included the actual forms filed by the company.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Truth Behind SOU predictions
012610-LAH-SOU
BY LAURA HATFIELD
President Barack Obama presented three important goals to help secure the future of America in his State of the Union Speech Tuesday.
President Obama suggested innovation, education and rebuilding of infrastructure as the main goals to help the U.S. Before the president gave the State of the Union speech, I predicted his major themes would be the economy, the war and his successes. Although my predictions were mentioned in his speech they were not the sole topic of the evening.
Before getting into debate about the topics at hand, Obama addressed the shooting in Tucson. My predictions included the mention of the Tucson shooting but I thought it would lead into gun control. Instead he went in a completely different direction. As a result of the shooting, Republicans and Democrats have started working together, something Obama said will only make the country stronger.
“Amid all the noise and passion and rancor of our public debate, Tucson reminded us that no matter who we are or where we come from, each of us is a part of something greater, something more consequential than party or political preference,” Obama said.
The president said by sitting together during the address it will not start a “new era of cooperation” for the Democrats and Republicans but from there it is up to them to make the changes.
“What comes of this moment will be determined not by whether we can sit together tonight, but whether we can work together tomorrow,” Obama said.
Although Obama was speaking to everyone in the room, with the high percentage of unemployment most Americans are more interested in finding jobs.
Much like Acting Governor of W.Va., Earl Ray Tomblin, President Barack Obama intertwined job creation through his entire speech. Job creation was a main topic in each of the three goals mentioned.
Obama suggests competing for jobs is what Americans have to work on to help “win the future” and innovation is the first step.
“We need to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world,” Obama said. “We have to make America the best place on Earth to do business.”
Obama said he plans to reach the same level of development and research that was obtained during the Space Race. This plan also relates back to job creation.
“We’ll invest in biomedical research, information technology, and especially clean energy technology, an investment that will strengthen our security, protect our planet, and create countless new jobs for our people,” Obama said.
Although job creation in general is important, without education those jobs aren’t possible.
“But if we want to win the future, if we want innovation to produce jobs in America and not overseas, then we also have to win the race to educate our kids,” Obama said.
President Obama stressed the importance of higher education for students. America ranks ninth in the world for young people who have a college degree. Obama is launching a competition called Race to the Top. Schools in all 50 states will compete with teacher quality and student retention to win money for their school.
“Race to the Top should be the approach we follow this year as we replace No Child Left Behind with a law that’s more flexible and focused on what’s best for our kids,” Obama said.
To increase the amount of higher education, the president is asking Congress to make permanent tuition tax credit for $10,000 for four years worth of college.
Innovation and Education are both steps Obama said he wants to take to rebuild America, but he wants to literally rebuild America.
“To attract new businesses to our shores, we need the fastest, most reliable ways to move people, goods and information from high-speed rail to high-speed Internet, Obama said.”
Within the next 25 years Obama plans to get 80 percent of Americans access to a high-speed rail, getting people to places in half the time it would to get somewhere in a car. In the next five years Obama plans to expand wireless internet coverage to 98 percent of Americans.
Along with discussing his plans to innovate, educate and rebuild infrastructure, he also talked about his successes. Like I predicted, he discussed health care and encouraged suggestions to help better his plan. When talking about the war, Obama said no matter the race or sexuality of someone, there is no more discrimination in the military, which stemmed from Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Like I predicted, Obama made additional promises similar to the ones he made in the 2010 State of the Union address. He said they are working on a partnership with the Iraqi people along with efforts to finish bringing the troops out of Iraq.
“America’s commitment has been kept,” Obama said. “The Iraq war is coming to an end.”
President Obama said there is a lot of work ahead but he thinks innovation, education and infrastructure will be the key to job creation that will make the country better.
“From the earliest days of our founding, America has been the story of ordinary people who dare to dream,” Obama said. “That’s how we win the future.”
BY LAURA HATFIELD
President Barack Obama presented three important goals to help secure the future of America in his State of the Union Speech Tuesday.
President Obama suggested innovation, education and rebuilding of infrastructure as the main goals to help the U.S. Before the president gave the State of the Union speech, I predicted his major themes would be the economy, the war and his successes. Although my predictions were mentioned in his speech they were not the sole topic of the evening.
Before getting into debate about the topics at hand, Obama addressed the shooting in Tucson. My predictions included the mention of the Tucson shooting but I thought it would lead into gun control. Instead he went in a completely different direction. As a result of the shooting, Republicans and Democrats have started working together, something Obama said will only make the country stronger.
“Amid all the noise and passion and rancor of our public debate, Tucson reminded us that no matter who we are or where we come from, each of us is a part of something greater, something more consequential than party or political preference,” Obama said.
The president said by sitting together during the address it will not start a “new era of cooperation” for the Democrats and Republicans but from there it is up to them to make the changes.
“What comes of this moment will be determined not by whether we can sit together tonight, but whether we can work together tomorrow,” Obama said.
Although Obama was speaking to everyone in the room, with the high percentage of unemployment most Americans are more interested in finding jobs.
Much like Acting Governor of W.Va., Earl Ray Tomblin, President Barack Obama intertwined job creation through his entire speech. Job creation was a main topic in each of the three goals mentioned.
Obama suggests competing for jobs is what Americans have to work on to help “win the future” and innovation is the first step.
“We need to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world,” Obama said. “We have to make America the best place on Earth to do business.”
Obama said he plans to reach the same level of development and research that was obtained during the Space Race. This plan also relates back to job creation.
“We’ll invest in biomedical research, information technology, and especially clean energy technology, an investment that will strengthen our security, protect our planet, and create countless new jobs for our people,” Obama said.
Although job creation in general is important, without education those jobs aren’t possible.
“But if we want to win the future, if we want innovation to produce jobs in America and not overseas, then we also have to win the race to educate our kids,” Obama said.
President Obama stressed the importance of higher education for students. America ranks ninth in the world for young people who have a college degree. Obama is launching a competition called Race to the Top. Schools in all 50 states will compete with teacher quality and student retention to win money for their school.
“Race to the Top should be the approach we follow this year as we replace No Child Left Behind with a law that’s more flexible and focused on what’s best for our kids,” Obama said.
To increase the amount of higher education, the president is asking Congress to make permanent tuition tax credit for $10,000 for four years worth of college.
Innovation and Education are both steps Obama said he wants to take to rebuild America, but he wants to literally rebuild America.
“To attract new businesses to our shores, we need the fastest, most reliable ways to move people, goods and information from high-speed rail to high-speed Internet, Obama said.”
Within the next 25 years Obama plans to get 80 percent of Americans access to a high-speed rail, getting people to places in half the time it would to get somewhere in a car. In the next five years Obama plans to expand wireless internet coverage to 98 percent of Americans.
Along with discussing his plans to innovate, educate and rebuild infrastructure, he also talked about his successes. Like I predicted, he discussed health care and encouraged suggestions to help better his plan. When talking about the war, Obama said no matter the race or sexuality of someone, there is no more discrimination in the military, which stemmed from Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Like I predicted, Obama made additional promises similar to the ones he made in the 2010 State of the Union address. He said they are working on a partnership with the Iraqi people along with efforts to finish bringing the troops out of Iraq.
“America’s commitment has been kept,” Obama said. “The Iraq war is coming to an end.”
President Obama said there is a lot of work ahead but he thinks innovation, education and infrastructure will be the key to job creation that will make the country better.
“From the earliest days of our founding, America has been the story of ordinary people who dare to dream,” Obama said. “That’s how we win the future.”
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
State of the Union Preview revised!
1-26-2011
Laura Hatfield
President Barack Obama will give his second State of the Union address Tuesday and will probably make the economy, health care and the war the center of his speech.
The economy is in a poor state even though the economy is in recovery. With unemployment being a big issue in the United States, Obama will discuss job creation. The United States as a whole has been in a great amount of debt. Due to the economy gas prices has skyrocketed, hitting all time highs. Much like Acting Governor, Early Ray Tomblin, President Obama will discuss the unemployment issue and more than likely promise more job creation.
The president may also introduce a more concrete plan for the budget deficit. The drastic economic decline has created the major deficits we have seen for the past few years.
President Obama will discuss his successes, and a major example of this is the Health Care reform. Last year health care was a big topic of interest. At the time of the State of the Union address last year, the reform had not yet been passed so he will definitely talk about how health care has helped others and how they will continue to work toward making it better for the people. The bill, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was also passed through congress this year. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tellended a ban on gays serving openly in the military field. It has yet to be officially implemented but is still a big success for the president.
Although the economy and health care are important, I think the war will be the topic of the night. In last year’s State of the Union, Obama promised troops would be out of Iraq by August. The president will make a lot of the same promises about the war because the war is such a big issue for the county. He will also discuss the war in Afghanistan and possibly make additional promises to end the war. In last year’s State of the Union, his major discussion was about the war and nothing has changed since then. I think a lot of this year’s discussion will be a repeat of last year. Although he did bring troops out of Iraq, he stationed them in other destinations, which I think could possibly happen again.
His speech has the potential to be like several of his predecessors because of the shape of the economy but I think it will be most like John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.
With the closeness in age between President Barack Obama and John F. Kennedy, I think Obama’s speech may be similar to Kennedy’s State of the Union speech in 1961. Kennedy said a lot about making peace with the world and with the war I think Obama will hope for the same goal. They are among the younger presidents, and Obama will continue to try to better the countryso this speech will be very important to his career, as it was for Kennedy.
During the time of Nixon’s State of the Union speech was also the time of the Vietnam War. In Nixon’s 1970 State of the Union address he discussed bringing the troops out of Vietnam, but it took much longer than expected much like what is happening with Obama right now. Nixon’s speech was dedicated to the war because it was of major concern to the people of the United States. Obama and Nixon share the same issues, therefore Obama may share some of his goals in the State of the Union address.
With the new majority of Republicans in the House and being a Democratic president, his speech will resemble Bill Clinton’s with some of the same ideas and hopes. When Clinton first came into office, there was a majority of Republicans. Clinton had the same challenges as Obama with getting the Republicans to work with the Democrats for the greater good of America. and may use Clinton’s uplifting and strong tone for his speech. The Republicans are trying to repeal the health care reform and Obama will have to keep his position and rise above it, much like Clinton did during his term as president.
President Obama is very well spoken and we will see this during the State of the Union address Tuesday.
Laura Hatfield
President Barack Obama will give his second State of the Union address Tuesday and will probably make the economy, health care and the war the center of his speech.
The economy is in a poor state even though the economy is in recovery. With unemployment being a big issue in the United States, Obama will discuss job creation. The United States as a whole has been in a great amount of debt. Due to the economy gas prices has skyrocketed, hitting all time highs. Much like Acting Governor, Early Ray Tomblin, President Obama will discuss the unemployment issue and more than likely promise more job creation.
The president may also introduce a more concrete plan for the budget deficit. The drastic economic decline has created the major deficits we have seen for the past few years.
President Obama will discuss his successes, and a major example of this is the Health Care reform. Last year health care was a big topic of interest. At the time of the State of the Union address last year, the reform had not yet been passed so he will definitely talk about how health care has helped others and how they will continue to work toward making it better for the people. The bill, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was also passed through congress this year. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tellended a ban on gays serving openly in the military field. It has yet to be officially implemented but is still a big success for the president.
Although the economy and health care are important, I think the war will be the topic of the night. In last year’s State of the Union, Obama promised troops would be out of Iraq by August. The president will make a lot of the same promises about the war because the war is such a big issue for the county. He will also discuss the war in Afghanistan and possibly make additional promises to end the war. In last year’s State of the Union, his major discussion was about the war and nothing has changed since then. I think a lot of this year’s discussion will be a repeat of last year. Although he did bring troops out of Iraq, he stationed them in other destinations, which I think could possibly happen again.
His speech has the potential to be like several of his predecessors because of the shape of the economy but I think it will be most like John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.
With the closeness in age between President Barack Obama and John F. Kennedy, I think Obama’s speech may be similar to Kennedy’s State of the Union speech in 1961. Kennedy said a lot about making peace with the world and with the war I think Obama will hope for the same goal. They are among the younger presidents, and Obama will continue to try to better the countryso this speech will be very important to his career, as it was for Kennedy.
During the time of Nixon’s State of the Union speech was also the time of the Vietnam War. In Nixon’s 1970 State of the Union address he discussed bringing the troops out of Vietnam, but it took much longer than expected much like what is happening with Obama right now. Nixon’s speech was dedicated to the war because it was of major concern to the people of the United States. Obama and Nixon share the same issues, therefore Obama may share some of his goals in the State of the Union address.
With the new majority of Republicans in the House and being a Democratic president, his speech will resemble Bill Clinton’s with some of the same ideas and hopes. When Clinton first came into office, there was a majority of Republicans. Clinton had the same challenges as Obama with getting the Republicans to work with the Democrats for the greater good of America. and may use Clinton’s uplifting and strong tone for his speech. The Republicans are trying to repeal the health care reform and Obama will have to keep his position and rise above it, much like Clinton did during his term as president.
President Obama is very well spoken and we will see this during the State of the Union address Tuesday.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
State of the Union
President Barack Obama will give his second State of the Union address. Tuesday, Jan. 25 the president will look back at the past but more importantly he will look on to the future. The president will discuss several issues including the economy, health care reform and the war.
The economy is in a very poor state even though we are in recovery. Unemployment is a big issue in the United States as a result of companies making cutbacks to save money. The United States as a whole has been in a great amount of debt. The economy has forced gas prices to skyrocket, hitting all time highs. Much like Acting Governor, Early Ray Tomblin, Obama will discuss the unemployment issue and more than likely promise more job creation. When the economy dropped, people had to borrow more money for their houses. To keep their homes people had to pay more money than what their houses were worth, leading to more foreclosures. The solution Obama will come up with for the economic problems will be job creation and more work on social security issues. The president may also introduce a more concrete plan for the budget deficit. The drastic economic decline has created the major deficits we have seen for the past few years.
President Obama will discuss his successes and a major example of this is the Health Care reform. Last year health care was a big topic of interest. At the time of his speech last year, the reform had not yet been passed so he will definitely talk about how health care has helped others and how they will continue to work toward making it better for the people. He also passed the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell bill. The bill has been a major topic of issue this past year. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tellended a ban on gays serving openly in the military field. It has yet to be officially implemented but is still a big success for the president.
Although the economy and health care is very important, I think the war will be the topic of the night. In last year’s State of the Union Obama promised all the troops would be out of Iraq by August yet this has still not happened. The president will make a lot of the same promises about the war because it is one of the United States biggest issues at the moment. He will also discuss the war in Afghanistan and possibly make promises to end the war. In last year’s State of the Union his major discussion was about the war and nothing has changed since then. I think a lot of this year’s discussion will be a repeat of last year. Although he did bring troops out of Iraq, he stationed them in other destinations, which I think could possibly happen again. He will probably mention the shooting in Arkansas and discuss gun control, tied in with the subject of war.
His speech has the potential to be like several presidents because of the shape of the economy but I think it will be most like John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.
With the closeness in age I think Obama’s speech may be similar to John F. Kennedy’s speech in 1961. Kennedy said a lot about making peace with the world and with the war I think Obama will hope for the same goal. They are among the younger presidents and Obama will continue to want a name for himself so this speech will be very important to his career, as it was for Kennedy.
During the time of Nixon’s speech was also the time of the Vietnam War. In Nixon’s 1970 State of the Union address he discussed bringing the troops out of Vietnam, but it took much longer than expected much like what is happening with Obama right now. Nixon’s speech was dedicated to the war because it was of major concern to the people of the United States. Obama and Nixon share the same issues, therefore Obama may share some of his goals in the State of the Union address.
With the new majority of Republicans in the house and being a Democratic president, his speech will resemble Bill Clinton’s with some of the same ideas and hopes. When Clinton first came into office, there was a high majority of Republicans. Clinton had the same challenges as Obama and may use Clinton’s uplifting and strong tone for his speech. The Republicans are trying to repeal the health care reform and Obama will have to keep his position and rise above it, much like Clinton did during his term as president.
The State of the State
10. First three paragraphs from a newspaper
Job creation in West Virginia is key to acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. In the annual State of the State address Wednesday night at the capitol, Tomblin reiterated education is key for job creation. "And while we must do all we can to foster the creation of good paying jobs, it all goes for naught if we do not have a world-class, educated workforce to fill those jobs," Tomblin said.
Tomblin said there is nothing more important than "good paying jobs with good benefits." "In everything I do as Governor, I will create a renewed focus on putting the Government in a position that creates a favorable environment for the private sector to do what it does best - creating good paying job opportunities for the people of our state," Tomblin said.
The Govenor submitted a proposal about focusing W.Va. on job creation and economic development. "I have challenged the Department of Commerce to take a closer look at their operations and make sure that they are properly structured to recruit and keep businesses here," Tomblin said. "I will personally involve myself in these discussions and intend to have specific recommendations in the coming months."
The issue was job creation at this year's State of the State address. Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin put West Virginians in a uplifting mood Wednesday night. While Tomblin assured the people of the importance of job creation he also stressed the importance of education in this task. "And while we must do all we can to foster the creation of good paying jobs, it all goes for naught if we do not have a world-class, educated workforce to fill those jobs," Tomblin said.
As his first speech as acting Gov., Tomblin did well with making his points heard around the room. His information was clearly stated and to the point. It is clear Tomblin has the people of W.Va. in mind when thinking of job creation and education, where it has been such a problem in the past. "We have a stable government, a talented workforce, and a business climate that continues to improve on multiple fronts," Tomblin said. "It has taken a lot of hard work, but we are finally starting to right our economic ship."
In my opinion, Tomblin's proposal for job creation and more work with education should be adopted because it will only better our state. Without a good education, we do not have the grounds for good job creation like Tomblin stated above.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
thelede.blogs.nytimes.com
The Lede is a blog site that writes about more hard news. This blog site dicusses issues worldwide, which I thought was very interesting and well rounded. I think that every newspaper should have a blog centered around politics and informational material about world issues. Although I thought the site was very important and stronger than the other blogs I thought it was a little hard to follow. However, the use of video and pictures helped to give information on the material. I like that some of the stories started out with the videos to give the general idea and then the back up information following the video. I thought this blog site was a very different way of writing, but was very influential.
The Web site is http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/
The Web site is http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/
thequad.blogs.nytimes.com
This blog site is soley about sports. While I am not a huge sports fan I found the site very interesting. I like how authors of this site not only write about up to date current issues such as games and sportsmanship but the authors also delve into the hard issues such as sexual assult. I found it very interesting the decisions the authors made while writing these posts. These posts were less narrative and more informative. These blogs are something you would read in a newspaper article, something I found interesting about the site. I like that the site is very well connected to other parts of the New York Times and it gives links to similar pages of interests for the reader.
This Web site is http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/
This Web site is http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/
cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com
While reading this blog site I found a few elements of the writings a little surprising. When I think of a professional blog coming from the New York Times, I think of something well formated and writeen with proper style. The author of today's post, Andy Newman writes a lot like Eugene Robinson. The post is written in a narrative style. I enjoyed the reading and could relate to the school children but I was surprised by him calling the mayor two-faced when describing the children's anger toward the mayor. He puts a lot of his own opinions into his writing. I personally like face to face interviews better than pulling quotes from twitter or facebook, but I thought it was a clever way of proving his points by posting their pages. I also like the layout of this blog site. The layout is very well put together with many informational tools and realted stories. I think this site is very useful for daily information and thoughts.
The Web site is http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/
The Web site is http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/
Eugene Robinson
While reading work by Eugene Robsinson I discovered his vast amount of interest in political injustice. In several of his posts for The Washington Post he examines issues where people are on trial, crimes people have commited and issues that have long time been in question. Robinson uses his own ideas and thoughts through his writings. He writes using correct AP style and gives informational details.
In Robinson's work he does very investigative interviews. He doesn't just go to the first source he digs down deeper getting the full story. I really like his use of narration, from his point of view. He gives the reader a visual in his writing. I also like how all of his posts are about the same genre of material. He states his opinion and then backs it up with great detail by interviews and statistics. While reading his posts I could see a great deal of thought was put into the research and writing.
Most posts I have read use only the writers thoughts and intuitions but Robinson brings up great points about issues that really matter; such as health care, crime, and current issues happening in the world today. I really like how he gives the information, writes his opinion and then marks it with a link to support what he means. All of his work is well thought out and descriptive, In my opinion, making for a strong writer.
In Robinson's work he does very investigative interviews. He doesn't just go to the first source he digs down deeper getting the full story. I really like his use of narration, from his point of view. He gives the reader a visual in his writing. I also like how all of his posts are about the same genre of material. He states his opinion and then backs it up with great detail by interviews and statistics. While reading his posts I could see a great deal of thought was put into the research and writing.
Most posts I have read use only the writers thoughts and intuitions but Robinson brings up great points about issues that really matter; such as health care, crime, and current issues happening in the world today. I really like how he gives the information, writes his opinion and then marks it with a link to support what he means. All of his work is well thought out and descriptive, In my opinion, making for a strong writer.
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