| Texas Lottery Commission Investigating Hispanic Chamber
The financial management of the Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is facing challenges on three fronts, including two legal actions filed by members and now a Texas Lottery Commission review of the chamber's bingo operations. The lottery commission last week confirmed it is reviewing whether the chamber is using its charitable bingo revenues properly, based on a complaint by a Waco businessman. The review could take several weeks, but no further information was available, a lottery commission spokeswoman said. Meanwhile, four chamber board members elected in 2006 are continuing their district court lawsuit to remove the board president, vice president and executive director from power, along with the entire slate of board members elected last month. The plaintiffs, who claim the recent election was invalid, went through mediation with the defendants in mid-March but could not reach an agreement.
Iran's uranium use not sign of nuclear weapons
In recent weeks, the White House has expressed concern about Iran's claim that it has produced mass quantities of uranium, which is used in nuclear weapons. The production has exceeded the limits that the UN has in place.
Issam Nassar, an assistant professor in the Department of History, said it is not soon enough to tell whether or not they are going to build weapons.
"[Iran's] official position is that they are not producing nuclear weapons, they are just using the uranium for electricity and industry," he explained. "We do not know for sure [if they are producing nuclear weapons]."
Even if they are not holding or creating weapons, provoking or labeling them would not be the best idea either, according to Ali Riaz, an associate professor in the department of Politics and Government.
Union Contracts OK'd
New contracts with the Norwalk Municipal Employees Association and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, Local 2405, which were approved by the Common Council in a 10-3 vote April 10, include 3.5 percent wage increases for 2007-08, as well as increases in employee contributions to health care. Voting against the contracts were council members Matthew Miklave, D-At Large, and Gwen Briggs and William Krummel, both D-District E, who explained that they felt that giving such wage increases to union employees was irresponsible when the operating budget cap for 2007-08 will require the Board of Education to make cuts in programs. Kevin Poruban, D-At Large, abstained, and Fred Bondi, D-District C, was absent from the meeting. According to Personnel Director H.
Labor targets small business with GST cuts
EMMA ALBERICI: Labor is trying to win back some friends in small business today, as it unveils plans to reduce the GST load on more than one million businesses.
Labor has been under fire this week from the business sector over its plans to reintroduce unfair dismissal rules on smaller firms.
But Labor is today stepping up its bid to attract the small business vote, by promising to lift the burden of GST paperwork
Labor's Small Business Spokesman, Craig Emerson, has been speaking to Gillian Bradford.
CRAIG EMERSON: Labor's plan for the GST would reduce the paperwork burden for small businesses by up to 85 per cent.
The Howard Government back in 1996 said that in it's first term it would cut red tape by 50 per cent. What it's actually done is continue to put more and more red tape in place, most dramatically through the GST, which is showing up even today six years after the GST as the number one red tape bug bear for small businesses.
AIRLINES: Northwest attendants are barred from striking
A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld an injunction barring a strike by flight attendants at Northwest Airlines Corp., which is operating under bankruptcy court protection.
The flight attendants had sought the right to strike after Northwest, with a bankruptcy judge's permission, imposed pay cuts and other work rule changes as it reorganized.
The attendants still could strike if they are released from mediated talks by the National Mediation Board.
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