World News Update: July 2011

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Teachers March in Washington - Washington Post

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PersonalizeThe Washington PostD.C. MarylandVirginiaCrimeEducationObituariesTraffic & CommutingWeatherBlogs & ColumnsSpecial ReportsIn the NewsMatt Damon 14th Amendment Slut Walk Redskins ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ TWP_Debug.pagedebug && window.console && console.log && console.log('[' + (new Date()-TWP_Debug.initialTime)/1000 + ']' + ' skeleton - start');Teachers march on Washington

Tracy A Woodward/The Washington Post - Teachers march past the White House during a ”Save Our Schools“ rally.

Text SizePrintE-mailReprints By Michael Alison Chandler and Sarah Khan,

There are many reasons thousands of teachers traveled across the country to protest in front of the White House on Saturday — including to oppose charter schools, to fight for equal funding for poor schools, and to have more say in public education policies.

But at a noisy rally starting at noon under soaring temperatures, their message boiled down to one point, which was summed up by the sound check before the first speaker took the stage:

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(Tracy A Woodward/The Washington Post) - Mary Horsley, an elementary school teacher from Richmond, joins the rally.

(Tracy A Woodward/The Washington Post) - “This has been a horrible decade for teachers,” actor Matt Damon told the crowd.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Two Libyan cities bombed after Gadhafi rallies supporters - CNN

A file photo of armed Libyan rebels standinjg next to coffins in Benghazi on June 10, 2011.

A photo of rebel armed Libya file standinjg with the coffins of Benghazi on June 10, 2011.The rebel - held attack Misrata city and the besieged city of Dafniya SaturdayExplosions began shortly after Gadhafi threatened to take the fight against the U.S. EuropeThe is taking the threats seriously, a spokesman for the Department of State saysU.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the NATO mission is underway

Misrata, Libya (CNN) - heavy artillery fell on the city Misrata besieged port and the city besieged Dafniya Saturday's agreement to a team CNN in Libya, he heard the explosions.

Attacks began shortly after the ruler Moammar Gadhafi, meeting his supporters in a State television audio message, threatened to take the fight to Europe in retaliation for the NATO bombing campaign.

"As soon as he finished the speech by Gadhafi, started shelling Dafniya and around midnight there except eight rockets in own Misrata, and remains in the front this morning", said Ben Wedeman of CNN, who was in Misrata on Saturday.

Gadhafi has vowed revenge for the bombing in Libya. He said that the Libyan military could be "like locusts, as bees" in Europe, potentially aimed at homes and offices.

"You are wrong, is involved in a battle that you do not know what you face, so remove and flee" Gadhafi said a pro-Government meeting in Tripoli. "Our people are capable of one day to move the battle to the Mediterranean and able to move the battle to Europe".

Gadhafi referred to NATO, which began the bombing of military targets in Libya after the UN Security Council passed a resolution existing authorization of March by any means necessary - with the exception of an invasion of the ground - to protect civilians.

On Saturday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that NATO in Libya's mission is under way, with pressure on the rebel forces getting stronger and Assembly of Gadhafi.

"We have to see this from, and we fully agree that we," said on Saturday with the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs in Madrid.

In Washington, the spokesman for the Department of State Mark Toner said that United States was taking seriously the comments made by the Libyan leader. "No doubt this is a person who is obviously capable of performing this type of threat," he told reporters. "It is what makes it so dangerous.""But it is also someone who gives the exaggerated rhetoric."

He said that United States will continue to support the growing pressure of Gadhafi NATO's mission to put aside.

The French Government was in talks with Libyan rebels on supplying arms and ammunition, a military spokesman of the opposition Libya in Misrata said Thursday.

The French Government has not confirmed the claim, which follows a recognition earlier this week that its military has previously fallen light weapons to rebels in other parts.David McKenzie of CNN contributed to this report

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Energy problems could make to Panetta first head of Department of Defense green - New York Times

More than 3,000 members of service and civilian contractors have been killed or wounded protecting the long-term supply convoys carry fuel and water through winding roads of Afghanistan, according to the Secretary of Defense Deputy William Lynn. Recognizing that even though the military is becoming more technologically capable, it is more intensive in energy, the Pentagon last month released its first strategy of energy of battlefield (Greenwire, 15 June).

At the same time, fuel costs are affecting the budget of the hard Department - in 2008, when oil prices hit record, the Pentagon spent 20 million dollars in fuel alone. Each $10 increase in the price of a barrel of oil cost the Department $ 1.3 billion extra.

"The way to build energy in our operations is a key part of fight and win wars of the nation", said Lynn at the opening of the new energy battleground of the Pentagon report last month. "We need less [energy], the more operationally resistant will be".

But while insiders say outgoing Secretary of Defense Robert Gates understands military energy dependence poses serious security challenge, he stopped participating publicly the issue. And although President Obama talked often geopolitical threats from dependence on fossil fuels, power of the military requirements have not made their way into its national programme of energy.

Now, as Panetta comes to the Pentagon-backed bipartisan, strong, some energy defense insiders expect it will bring the kind of support at a higher level that could break the Department grinding bureaucracy and bring transformational change.

His friends and colleagues say they have little doubt that Panetta understands the importance of energy issues for the Department of Defense and the advantages and disadvantages in the game.

"Get the equation of energy beautifully," said Admiral James Watkins, a Republican who was senior officer of the Navy in the 1980s before becoming Secretary of energy by President George h. Bush and served as co-Chairman of the joint initiative of Committee of ocean with Panetta. "It has long prospects, has reality in the short term, who knows that he has to face and he knows how to deal with the two."

Former Senator John Warner (R-va.), a former Secretary of the Navy and President of the Commission of the Senate Armed Services said that Panetta is the dependence of fuel for the military security implications.

"Given the fuel is as ammunition - one without the other can do", said Warner.

But get nothing in agenda of the Chief of the defence budget and the current wars found that a heavy lift. In confirmation of Panetta hearing month passed there was only a question of energy buried among the flood of consultations on spending cuts, terrorism and the withdrawal of troops.

"This is an area that I want to learn much more about" Panetta told Senator Mark Udall (D - Colo.), who recently submitted a draft law on Defense (Journal on June 9 in E & E) energy. Udall thanked him and then directed the conversation to terrorist havens in Pakistan.

Costs of energy in question

Panetta was chosen largely for his budgetary prowess. As a Congressman from California, he presided over the Committee's budget from 1989 to 1993. During the Clinton administration, he was director of the Office of management and budget and later served as Chief of staff of the White House. Obama calls for 400 million dollars in defense cuts in the next 12 years, and some in Congress want to go even deeper. If energy capture attention of Panetta in his new job, likely to be at the cost.

"When you look at the tax cuts that would have to make, it would be almost impossible not to address energy," said retired air force general Charles Wald, who now works in the main military power of Deloitte DOD business issues. "Different types of energy can have the potential to reduce costs, and you can certainly ensure greater stability [than oil] as regards budgets."

Money saved in energy can be reinvested elsewhere in the army, as Gates suggested other savings this year, said Wald.

But while the savings of energy efficiency measures can return quickly, alternative fuel and clean technology is currently being pushed by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and others typically require large initial investments and take years to pay for themselves.

The formulas that the Pentagon used to calculate the return on investment are beginning to take into account these paybacks in the long term and are beginning to incorporate the intangible benefits, such as the security that comes from a base not dependent on the civil power grid. But in the current fiscal environment, Panetta will be under pressure to reduce costs in the short term, and currently the Department is taking all the advantages of financial tools that you can distribute the costs of investment in years (Greenwire, 30 June).

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Monday, July 4, 2011

Dominique Strauss-Kahn diners as the conditions of bail violation claim lift - Telegraph.co.uk

When leaving the frantic atmosphere of the room packed Manhattan, its covered arm to the shoulder of his wife, Mr. Strauss-Kahn seemed as if it had lifted a heavy weight on his shoulders.

His bail of $ 1 million and $ 5 million bonus will now be returned and is free to travel anywhere in the United States, although the authorities will keep your Passport, awaiting possible trial.

The restrictive conditions of bail - even with a monitor of ankle, output limited and confined to a house in Lower Manhattan, under the surveillance of armed guards - were also lifted.

Savouring their first hours of freedom, Mr. Strauss-Kahn left his home which later Friday dressed in a dark suit. His wife Anne Sinclair, on the other hand, disappeared behind the tinted windows of a large SUV 4 x 4 black.

The party went to dinner at Scalinatella, an Italian restaurant on the superior-este side, located at the corner of 61 Street and Third Avenue, is occasionally visited by the star of pop Madonna.

According to Silvia Grottola, a Canadian who was inside the restaurant for your dinner, Strauss-Kahn and his wife were recognized and greeted by a couple dined at a nearby table.

The couple came up and shook the hand of the former IMF Chief and his spouse.

"I saw him in the news," said Ms. Grottola. "He looks in a good mood, is having a very good diner." The wife is having a good time. "The smile on his face was enough for me."

After an aperitif of Serrano ham and melon, Strauss-Kahn had a course of pasta pappardelle with truffles, which are on the menu at $100 per plate.

"This is not the dish more expensive - pasta with white truffle is $180,", said the owner of the restaurant, who would not give his name.

Under the gaze of several bodyguards with earphones, the guests drank red wine Brunello di Montalcino (116 dollars). For dessert, the former head of the IMF had cheesecake and a cafe.

The tab ran around $600, the owner.

The four guests came out through the back door, but without trying to hide. Confrotned by photographer expects Mr. Strauss-Kahn and Ms. Sinclair only smiled.

But its problems have not disappeared. Lawyer of the maid, Kenneth Thompson, she says her story to the media, amid fears that prosecutors are preparing to abandon the case.

"The only defense that Dominique Strauss-Kahn has is that the sexual encounter was consensual." "That's a lie," said Mr Thompson.

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Ministry of Foreign Affairs denies that they claim Irish sabatoge flotilla - Jerusalem Post

US boat to Gaza flotilla 'Audacity of Hope'

Photo: REUTERS/John Kolesidis Israel wasn't behind damage of the engine to an Irish ship participating in Gaza flotilla linked, officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Saturday.

Last week, Saoirse, one of the ten ships to sail in the mass movement to break the blockade of Gaza sea, was docked in Turkish waters, when it suffered engine damage. Fintan Lane, Coordinator of the Irish shipping organization in Gaza, called the law of "dangerous sabotage" and said that the boat believed to be that the divers had worked under water to cut a piece of the propeller shaft.

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Damage to the transatlantic Irish caused the boat pull the flotilla.

The controversy surrounding the Saoirse is only the latest in a series of events that have caused the new flotilla difficulty in the establishment of sailing.

On Friday, the Greek Ministry of citizen protection issued a statement saying that the Minister, C. Papoutsis, decided to prohibit the departure of ships flying Greek flags or foreigners "to the maritime area" of Gaza.

"On the orders of the coast guard Hellenic headquarters central to local authorities all of the coast guard Hellenic, all appropriate measures for the implementation of this decision", the statement said.

The Greek Ministry said that the "broader East Mediterranean Sea area will be continuously monitored by electronic means to monitor, where appropriate, of the movements of the ships allegedly involved" in the flotilla from Gaza.

While Cyprus had already banned headed to Gaza to leave its ports of vessels, the Greeks had not taken this measure until Friday.

The Greek Coast Guard intercepted a boat carrying activists we shortly after it set sail from Greece on Friday to join a flotilla of pro-palestinos in Gaza, one of the activists said.

Friday night, the ship's U.S. scheduled to take part in the flotilla from Gaza, the audacity of hope, returned to a Greek port after was intercepted by Greek commandos on Friday night, organizers said via his Twitter feed. The ship was taken under coastguard escort to a coast guard closed base in Greece.

The ship had just left Perama port of Piraeus, the open sea, a Reuters witness said.

Minutes before being intercepted initially, organizers said that the passengers of the ship being prepared for "not violently resist any attempt to stop the boat," said moments later that the ship "is about to set sail," followed by a message saying that the boat had left. By feeding twitter of the ship, said the organizers a ship Greek coastguards approached the audacity of hope was pulling the base, but then accelerated distance.

Click for full Jpost coverage

It is expected that a flotilla of ships plans to challenge the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip Israel to sail the next week, after repeated delays blamed on sabotage Israeli activists. Israel has denied the accusations.

"We are only here two miles in Piraeus". We have detained by the coast guard, his maniobrado ship in front of us services and they are now talking to the captain, they want to turn back, "Ann Wright, one of the activists, told Reuters."

"We are not violent, they pose no threat," he added, saying that the Group was informed of the ban on navigation as he was leaving.

It was not immediately clear how affect global plans for the flotilla departure of the ship. Sign up for our newsletter to receive news directly to your email

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Court decides against ban on affirmative action in Michigan - Boston Globe

DETROIT - a federal appeals court yesterday quashed the ban in Michigan for the consideration of race and gender in university admissions, saying minority of loads and violates the Constitution.

The decision 2-1 upends a comprehensive law that forced the University of Michigan and other schools to change admission policies. The Sixth Circuit Appeals Court said the law, passed by voters in 2006, violates the equal protection of the amendment clause XIV.

The Court mostly concerned about how the ban on affirmative action was created. Because it was adopted as an amendment to the Constitution of the State, can only be altered with another vote of the entire State. This places a large burden on minority opposed to it, said that judges r. Guy Cole Jr. and Martha Craig Daughtrey.

They said supporters of the ban on judges could have chosen "less onerous means to achieve political change", in the opinion of the Court. "

Michigan promised to appeal. State of Arizona, California, Nebraska and Washington have similar bans, but are not affected by the decision because the judgment of the Court is limited to the States in the Sixth Circuit, which includes Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee.

The judges cited two cases of cut Supreme's United States, one in 1969 with the repeal of a law on equity housing in Akron, Ohio and another in 1982 with an effort to stop the racial integration in schools of Seattle.

The American trade union freedoms, which was part of a group who defied the ban of Michigan, welcomed the decision of the Court.

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Sunday, July 3, 2011

Charges in the case of 1957 - Northwest Herald

By KATE SCHOTT - Shaw Suburban Media

SYCAMORE: a Seattle man has been charged in the murder of Sycamore 1957 7 years Maria Ridulph.

Prosecutor Clay Campbell in the State of the County of DeKalb announced in a press release Friday that Jack Daniel McCullough's 71-year-old was charged with murder for allegedly causing the death of Ridulph when she was kidnapped on December 3, 1957.

A warrant for the arrest of $ 3 million was obtained for McCullough, to be held in the prison of King County in Seattle pending extradition proceedings. He was arrested on Wednesday, police said, and reserved in the King County jail coming from 2: 50 am on Thursday, according to reservation in the prison register.

Detective Mark Jamieson with the Seattle Police Department, said the Illinois State police established contact with his Office and asked for help in locating McCullough. He said that McCullough was taken into custody without incident.

Family to the brother of the Sycamore House of Maria, Charles Ridulph, refused to comment Friday on the arrest.

The file of McCullough in Office of the DeKalb County Court circuit used in Sycamore said that he was facing charges of murder, kidnapping a felony and the abduction of a child. The documents were presented on Friday.

Ridulph and her friend were playing near their homes in Sycamore when she was kidnapped. Their skeletal remains were found on April 26, 1958, in Jo Daviess County.

According to the press release, McCullough was a suspect at the time of the disappearance, but the case was cold after McCullough, then known as John Tessier, joined the military and changed its name.

"This crime has tormented Sycamore for half a century", Campbell said in the press release. "We hope that the family of Maria Ridulph and this community can find some comfort and closure to this arrest."

Don Sycamore's Chief of police Thomas said authorities received new information on the case several years ago and which caused that authorities focus on McCullough.

In 1957, McCullough was 18 years old and known by the name of John Tessier, said Thomas and lived in Sycamore within two blocks of the Ridulph family. At the time of the incident, which had an alibi, said Thomas.

The new information helped authorities to re-interview some people, as well as to McCullough, said Thomas. Allowed the police to "prevent his alibi", said Thomas and develop necessary to proceed with the arrest of probable cause. At the moment there is no any DNA evidence, he added.

"I'm not going to comment on the details of the interview," said Thomas. "I will say this: during the interview, we have been able to confirm that he was the author of the crime."

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Obama: put an end to taxes necessary to cut the deficit - Reuters

By Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON | SAT 2 Jul 2011 6: 34 am EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama press its case Saturday to reduce the deficit in part by complete tax and singling out the managers of hedge funds, oil corporations and billionaires to get success.

Obama is locked in a dispute with the Republicans on how to bring down the deficit as part of an agreement to raise the debt ceiling and avoid default Washington.

Democrats insist that some tax increases include a deficit-reduction package.

Republicans say that it would be bad for the economy.

"Now, would be nice that we could keep to every tax break, but we can not afford them," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address.

"Because if we decide to keep these exemptions from taxes for millionaires and billionaires, or administrators of funds coverage and owners of corporate jet or oil and gas companies pulling in huge profits without our help - then is to make it even shorter than anywhere else."

Obama shows a variety of areas, some of them are considered major democratic political priorities, which face the chopping block if such taxes were allowed to continue.

?We have to say to a student, "does not get a scholarship universitaria.??? We have to say to a medical researcher, "that cancer can be done.'" We have to tell seniors, 'You have to pay more for Medicare,' ", said."

"It is not correct, and is not intelligent." "We have to cut the deficit, but we can do it at the same time that investment in education, research and technology that really create jobs."

Senator Dan Coats, delivers the weekly Republican address, he said was the key to reducing spending.

"The President and Democrats in Congress should recognize that their game plan doesn't work," said. "It is time to recognize that the Government and higher taxes is not the answer to our problem." "It is time for bold action and a new plan to resolve the current crisis."

TIT FOR TAT

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has warned of the enormous risks if Congress does not raise the ceiling of the debt of $ 14.3 trillion by August 2, potentially trigger a defect that could send chills through an already fragile banking system.

Obama said that both sides agreed to cuts were necessary and said that he and Vice President Joe Biden has advanced to the legislators to agree on areas to cut.

"In recent weeks, the Vice-President and I have reached both sides identify over 1 trillion dollars in spending cuts," said Obama.

"But after a decade in which Washington presented the country's credit card, we must find more savings out of the network." "It means looking at each hop program and taxes in the budget - each - to find places to cut waste and save money."

Fears of a default value, which could disrupt everything from debt payments to retirement benefits, when the Republicans withdrew from the negotiations on the budget led to Biden last week.

Coats told Obama step to make a deal.

"Now is the time for decisive leadership of the President," he said. "It is time to put aside the false security of political denial and re-election hopes and puts the future of our country above all else."

(Edited by Jackie Frank)

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Saturday, July 2, 2011

The Governor of the province of Hama - Xinhua active Syrian President

(Damascus, July 2 Xinhua) - the President of Syria Bashar al - Assad Saturday sacked Governor of the central province of Hama Ahmed Khaled Abdul-Aziz, healthy news agency official of informed Syria without giving further details.

Al - Assad, since the outbreak of protests in March, has dismissed three Governors as part of many other gestures made calm the demonstrators demanding radical reforms in Syria, namely, the Governors of Latakia, Homs and the southern province of Daraa, which has been the epicentre of protests.

Syria has been in turmoil since mid-March when anti-Government protests erupted in the southern province of Daraa and spread to other Syrian cities. Syria blamed the unrest on "armed groups and foreign conspiracy" and noted it could locate to gunmen who have been intimidated to persons and damage to public and private property.

The Government said hundreds of security officers and policemen were killed by gunmen since the outbreak of protests. Syrian opposition, however, accused the security forces crackdown Syrian hard protests.

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Number of Syrians taking refuge in Turkey falls to 10,547

NKARA, Xinhua, July 2)-number of the Syrian people, who fled the violence in the home and will retreat in Turkey declined to 10,547 as of Saturday, said an official statement.

A total of 15,205 Syrian citizens had fled to Turkey, 4,658 of whom have returned to his country until Saturday, according to the Communique released by the disaster of the first Turkish Ministry and the direction of emergency (AFAD) management. Full story

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The pinch of the closure of the Minn. feel vulnerable. gov ' t - Atlanta Journal Constitution

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By MARTIGA LOHN

The Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota lawmakers headed home for a long holiday weekend, bracing for likely public anger as some of them meet constituents for the first time since a failure to reach a budget agreement forced a government shutdown.

Map locates all states that have experienced a shutdown in the last decade

Barriers were in place on the road in front of the Minnesota State Capitol Friday, July 1, 2011 in St. Paul, Minn., after negotiations over the state budget between Republican lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton broke down and the government shutdown at midnight. AP Photo/Jim Mone)

A bicyclist rides on the road leading out of the closed Fort Snelling historic site Friday, July 1, 2011 in Minneapolis after negotiations over the state budget between Republican lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton broke down and the government shutdown at midnight. AP Photo/Jim Mone)

The reception they get starting Saturday, and during 4th of July parades around the state, could go a long way toward determining how long the shutdown lasts. Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton and GOP leaders had no plans for new talks before Tuesday, five full days after the shutdown started.

Minnesota's second shutdown in six years was striking much deeper than a partial 2005 shutdown. It took state parks and rest stops off line, closed horse tracks and made it impossible to get a fishing license. But it also was hitting the state's most vulnerable, ending reading services for the blind, silencing a help line for the elderly and stopping child care subsidies for the poor.

The shutdown was rippling into the lives of people like Sonya Mills, a 39-year-old mother of eight facing the loss of about $3,600 a month in state child care subsidies. Until the government closure, Mills had been focused on recovering from a May 22 tornado that displaced her from a rented home in Minneapolis. Now she's adding a new problem to her list.

"It just starts to have a snowball effect. It's like you are still in the wind of the tornado," said Mills, who works at a temp agency and was allowed to take time off as she gets back on her feet — but after the shutdown also has to care for her six youngest children, ages 3 through 14, because she lost state funding for their daycare and other programs.

Minnesota is the only state to have its government shut down this year, even though nearly all states have severe budget problems and some have divided governments. Dayton was determined to raise taxes on the top earners to help erase a $5 billion deficit, while the Republican Legislature refused to go along with that — or any new spending above the amount the state is projected to collect.

Here, as in 21 other states, there's no way to keep government operating past the end of a budget period without legislative action. Even so, only four other states — Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Tennessee — have had shutdowns in the past decade, some lasting mere hours.

The shutdown halted non-emergency road construction and closed the state zoo and Capitol. More than 40 state boards and agencies went dark, though critical functions such as state troopers, prison guards, the courts and disaster responses will continue.

On Friday, former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz started the court-appointed job of sifting through appeals from groups arguing in favor of continued government funding for particular programs.

Nonprofit groups helping the state's poor have already been hit hard. Some closed their doors immediately, while others continued services, at least for now. Some were looking at layoffs, said Sarah Caruso, president and CEO of Greater Twin Cities United Way, which funds 400 programs serving poor people. She said the impact will depend on how long the shutdown lasts.

"If we go well beyond that two-week window, I think then we will start seeing much more significant closure of programs to support the vulnerable, and the long-term financial viability of some of these agencies will really be called into question," she said.

So far, 30 agencies had accepted United Way's offer of advances on their grants, seeking cash to stay up and running.

The stoppage suspended some programs for the blind and visually impaired, including a radio reading service run by volunteers and training for blind people who are learning to walk with a cane. Bonnie Elsey, director of the state's Workforce Development Division, said a vocational rehabilitation program that places people with disabilities in jobs or school was halted.

Minnesota food pantries scurried to make sure they would still get 700,000 pounds of food — about 30 percent of their total volume — in the next two months through a federal program. Nearly a million pounds already in warehouses were also put on hold by the shutdown. Colleen Moriarty, executive director of Hunger Solutions Minnesota, said the federal program's operation depended on a single state employee working in a data management system. Later Friday, Moriarty said the employee had been called back to work.

The shutdown also idled a state hotline set up to help seniors and their caregivers find services, housing options, help with Medicaid and Medicare insurance and more. A call to the 800 number Friday got a recording saying callers could leave a message.

The political stalemate meant instant layoffs for 22,000 state workers, including Paul Bissen, a road and bridge inspector for more than 26 years. Bissen said he cut back on spending last month. He figured he could go a couple of months without worrying, but on the first day of the shutdown, he said it looked like his washing machine had died — adding another expense.

"I want to work. I've got road construction projects to build, to try to make them safe and make them smooth so people can get back to forth to their work," Bissen said.

Fearful of voter anger, both parties blasted each other for Minnesota's second shutdown in six years.

GOP Chairman Tony Sutton called Dayton a "piece of work" and accused him of inflicting "maximum pain" for political reasons.

Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Chairman Ken Martin laid the blame on Republicans, saying they drove the state to a shutdown to protect millionaires from tax increases sought by Dayton.

The Alliance for a Better Minnesota, a left-leaning group supportive of Dayton, plans to run weekend radio ads in three popular vacation areas blaming Republicans for the impact of the shutdown, including closed state parks. The group also debuted a "shutdown shame" website.

The shutdown has been a slow-motion disaster, with a new Democratic governor and new Republican legislative majorities at odds for months over how to eliminate the state budget deficit. Dayton has been determined to raise taxes on high-earners to close the deficit, while Republicans insisted that it be closed only by cuts to state spending.

Even after the shutdown looked like a certainty, Dayton and Republicans did not soften their conflicting principles. Dayton said he campaigned and was elected on a promise not to make spending cuts to a level he called "draconian."

___

July 02, 2011 04:46 AM EDT

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Greater Bay area bridge tolls, rates of traffic Friday - San Francisco Chronicle

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Higher Bay Area bridge tolls, transit fares Friday Article:Higher Bay Area bridge tolls, transit fares Friday:/c/a/2011/06/29/BABK1K4CJO.DTLArticle:Higher Bay Area bridge tolls, transit fares Friday:/c/a/2011/06/29/BABK1K4CJO.DTL advertisement|your ad here SFGateHome of the San Francisco Chronicle

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Higher Bay Area bridge tolls, transit fares Friday Michael Cabanatuan, Chronicle Staff Writer

San Francisco Chronicle June 30, 2011 04:00 AM Copyright San Francisco Chronicle. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Thursday, June 30, 2011

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Thomas Levinson / The Chronicle

A hybrid vehicle passes through the Bay Bridge toll booth HOV lane in Oakland. The program that allowed single occupants of hybrids to use carpool lanes expires at the end of June.

Images

Passengers ride a cable car as it travels along Powell St...

Angelica Araya waits to start her shift as a toll collect...

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Gasoline prices may have fallen recently but the cost of getting around the Bay Area is going up Friday for many transit riders and drivers.

And for hybrid drivers who have cruised solo through the carpool lanes for years, the cost will be rising. The state-issued gold stickers that allowed access become worthless Friday. Only drivers with white stickers, issued to all-electric and some compressed natural gas vehicles, will be allowed an exemption to the carpool rules.

And drivers of multiple-axle vehicles, including big-rigs, recreational vehicles and those towing boats or trailers, will pay higher tolls starting Friday.

When the Bay Area Toll Authority raised tolls for car drivers crossing state-owned bridges last year, it delayed the multiple-axle increase for a year to allow trucking companies to negotiate rates with clients. The increase also applies on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Boaters and RV owners are unhappy with the change, saying they shouldn't be treated the same as commercial truckers, but state law requires that tolls be charged by the number of axles.

Rates vary by the number of axles and at the state-owned and Golden Gate spans. At state bridges, the toll for a five-axle semi goes from $11.25 to $18 and will rise to $25 in 2012. Three-axle vehicles, including most boat trailers, will be charged $10.50, up from $6. That will rise to $15 in 2012. On the Golden Gate, a three-axle vehicle will pay $13, up from $9, and a five-axle truck will pay $22, up from $15.

The cost of some transit rides is also going up.

In San Francisco, the cost of adult Muni Fast Passes will rise by $2 a month, while passes for youths, seniors, the disabled and low-income riders will go up by $1. Tourists and cable car aficionados will also feel the pain. The cost of riding the rolling landmarks will increase to $6 per trip.

Caltrain will add 25 cents to one-way fares Friday. Parking will be $4 a day, up from $3, or $40 a month, up from $30.

Golden Gate Transit and Ferry fares are also going up. Ferry riders will pay an additional $1 from Sausalito and 50 cents more from Larkspur, bringing the one-way fares to $9.25 for the Sausalito boat and $8.75 for the Larkspur service. Discounted fares for Clipper card users will remain unchanged, but the cost of special event ferries to AT&T Park will go from $8 to $8.75.

The cost of riding Golden Gate Transit buses will rise by 5 percent. Fares will rise between 10 and 55 cents, depending on distance traveled.

Some of the new fares State bridges

$18

Five-axle semi

$10.50

Three-axle vehicles, including most boat trailers

Golden Gate

$22

Five-axle semi

$13

Three-axle vehicle

Transit

$2{utriangle}

Muni Fast Pass increase

$1{utriangle}

Youth, senior, disabled and low-income pass increase

Cable cars

$9.25

Ferry ride from Sausalito

$8.75

Ferry ride from Larkspur

E-mail Michael Cabanatuan at mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page C - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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Subscribe to the San Francisco Chronicle and get a gift:Sunday + a $15 gift cardFri-Sun + a $15 gift cardMon-Sun + a $25 gift card Higher Bay Area bridge tolls, transit fares Friday Articles Gasoline prices may have fallen recently but the cost of getting around the Bay Area is going up Friday for many transit riders and drivers. And for hybrid drivers who have cruised solo through the carpool lanes for...