“Katyn” has been exhibited at the Library of Congress and the European Union headquarters in Brussels.
Photo by Michael S. Gordon / The RepublicanMarie T. Jablonski, a member of the board of directors of the Polish Center of Discovery and Learning in Chicopee, looks at panels of the exhibit 'Katyn,' which will be on display at the center until April 21.
CHICOPEE – Dr. Julian Gruner was a physician in Kalisz, Poland, and a three-time national champion in the high jump and javelin throw. A picture shows him with a handkerchief in his breast pocket and an arm around his wife. Their little girl shyly turns her back to the camera.
Gruner was murdered in 1940 at age 42 in a Soviet death camp.
He was one of six million Poles who died in a hidden holocaust of World War II whose details are still emerging.
Gruner died in Charkov, but the atrocities of the period are now known collectively by the name Katyn, a village where many other Poles were executed by Soviet invaders.
IF YOU GO
Exhibition: “Katyn” When: April 11-19 and 21, 10-7 p.m., April 20 until 2 p.m. Where: Polish Center of Discovery and Learning, 33 South St., Chicopee Admission: Free. Donations appreciated. More information: (413) 592-0001 or www.polishcenter.net
Soviet dictator Josef Stalin ordered the massacre at Katyn, but he denied his guilt to the last, and world politics abetted him in his lie. Only in modern times have documents exposed his role.
“It’s a story seldom written about,” said Stanislaw Radosz, executive director of the Polish Center. “Not in the media, and certainly not in textbooks.”
One of the first things Stalin did when he invaded Poland, said Radosz, was to round up the Polish officer corps and men of distinction who had been lawyers, teachers, priests and, like Gruner, doctors – the cream of Polish society. He executed them, then sent their families to internment camps, “marked for extermination.”
Printed on 44 seven-foot-tall panels, “Katyn” tells its shocking story through text and period photographs.
The reams of print can be overwhelming, but some of the grainy pictures are amazing historical documents – the Rev. Peter Sosnowski facing a firing squad without a blindfold, families bundled against the cold in a Siberian camp, a letter to “my dear husband” discovered in a mass grave.
The show is not recommended for children under 12.
IF YOU GO
Event: Panel discussion with scholars and Polish citizens who were sent to Siberia or lost family at Katyn When: April 20, 5:30 p.m. Where: Scanlan Hall, Westfield State University Admission: Free More information: (413) 592-0001
The Nazis shared in the savagery. Tadeusz Kuroz was 13 when they demanded that his father give up one of the eight children in his family. Tadeusz was chosen.
His slave labor for the Nazis included the collection of dead bodies after bombing raids.
Later, Kuroz managed to emigrate to America. He is buried in the cemetery of St. Stanislaus Church in Chicopee with the ashes of his pet dog.
“These are your neighbors,” said Radosz. “Americans have never learned much about their Polish-American neighbors.”
“Katyn” has been exhibited at the Library of Congress and the European Union headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
It was produced by the Polish Council for the Protection of Memory, the Kosciuszko Foundation and the Polish Embassy.
25-year-old Lashanda Armstrong plunged the van into the river late Tuesday.
Associated PressNewburgh resident Cynthia Beadle throws flower petals on a boat ramp where, on Tuesday night, a woman drove her car with some of her children into the Hudson River in Newburgh, N.Y., Wednesday, April 13, 2011. The mother and three of her children died.
NEWBURGH, N.Y. — A 10-year-old boy clambered out the window of a minivan and swam to shore after his mother drove into the frigid Hudson River, killing herself and her three other children, officials said. A relative had called police to report a domestic dispute shortly before.
Lashaun Armstrong was the only survivor after his mother, 25-year-old Lashanda Armstrong, plunged the van into the river late Tuesday in this city 60 miles north of New York City.
When the van hit the water around 8 p.m., it was just past high tide and the Hudson was flowing swiftly to the south, pulling the vehicle some 25 yards out into the rain- and melt-swollen river, Fire Chief Michael Vatter said.
The chief figured the van floated in the 45-degree water for no more than two minutes.
"He got out of the car, got up onto the boat ramp, turned around and it was gone," Vatter said.
The boy's great-aunt, Angela Gilliam, told The Associated Press that he was "doing good" Wednesday and "taking it all in."
"He rolled the window down and got out," Gilliam said.
In the van with Lashanda Armstrong were Landon Pierre, 5, Lance Pierre, 2, and 11-month-old Lainaina Pierre, police said. Her husband and the father of the three dead children, Jean Pierre, was questioned. Police would not give details of the interview or say if the father had been charged with anything.
Gilliam, Lashanda Armstrong's aunt, says she spoke to her niece earlier Tuesday and she was "not too good." Gilliam later called police in Newburgh about her niece's well-being and they acknowledge that officers went to the apartment. Neither Gilliam nor police provided other details about the domestic call.
By the time police got there, Armstrong had already taken the fatal plunge with her children.
Police said there was no history of domestic violence at the address.
Armstrong seemed stressed but not depressed when she picked up the children Tuesday at the Young and Unique Christian Development Child Care, said Shaniesha Strange, supervisor in the infant room.
"It just seemed like she was having a bad day," Strange said. "I could see that something was kind of bothering her but she didn't talk about it. She wasn't one to talk about her business. The only thing she'd say was that she was so alone. She's a single parent, she takes great care of her kids, goes to school, and works. She really needed a helping hand."
Vatter said a passer-by saw Lashaun Armstrong come out of the river, picked up the soaking wet boy and took him to a nearby fire department. Vatter said the boy was so distraught that he had difficulty talking but ultimately told firefighters what happened. Rescuers went immediately to the river but it was too late to save the four victims.
Firefighters and police officers responded to the 45-degree river with boats. Divers searched for the minivan for about an hour before finding it submerged in 10 feet of water. They used a heavy-duty tow truck to pull it up the boat ramp and onto land.
Everyone inside was dead.
Armstrong lived in an apartment in a gritty part of this humble river city. Several neighbors on Wednesday recalled her as an attentive mother who balanced care of her children with an outside job. They were shocked by the news.
"She was a very good mom," said Tina Claybourne, who lives nearby. "She took care of her kids. She always was with her kids."
Neighbors said the children seemed energetic and happy and would play on the block and ride bikes.
"You know kids, they make noise, they play around," said Shantay Means, a downstairs neighbor.
The boat ramp was unguarded by gate or chain. There was no sign that anything tragic had happened save for a single teddy bear left at the end of a dock that runs alongside the boat ramp.
Newburgh, which has about 30,000 residents, sits on the western shore of the part of the river that runs south through New York state and eventually splits New York and New Jersey.
A similar incident occurred in 2006, about 20 miles south of Newburgh.
In 2007, Victor Han, of Queens, was sentenced to three years of probation after pleading guilty to child endangerment. Han admitted he knew he was putting his daughters at risk when he stepped out of the family minivan on Bear Mountain in June 2006, leaving them with their mother, 35-year-old Hejin Han. She then drove the Honda Odyssey off a 300-foot drop, killing herself. The mother was killed but the children somehow survived.
It's also reminiscent of the case of a South Carolina woman who drowned her young sons in 1994.
Susan Smith is serving a life sentence for killing 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex by strapping them into their car seats and driving the car into a pond. Smith originally claimed she was carjacked before the truth came out.
Manufacturing, consumer spending and corporate hiring increased in all regions surveyed by the central bank.
File photo / Associated PressThe JPMorgan Chase flag flies in front of its skyscraper building in New York in this February photo. JPMorgan Chase's reported Wednesday that its first-quarter profit jumped 67 percent on solid growth in investment banking fees and a drop in losses in its credit card portfolio.
NEW YORK – Stock indexes gave up early losses and edged higher Wednesday after the Federal Reserve reported encouraging news on the economy. Manufacturing, consumer spending and corporate hiring increased in all 12 regions surveyed by the central bank.
Hans Olsen, chief investment officer at J.P. Morgan Private Wealth Management, said it was a good sign that the Fed’s regional economic report showed that more people were quitting their jobs.
“That only happens if people are starting to feel more confident about their job prospects,” Olsen said.
The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 0.25 point, or less than 0.1 percent, to 1,314.41. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 7.41, or 0.1 percent, to 12,270.99. The Nasdaq composite gained 16.73, or 0.6 percent, to 2,761.52.
Financial stocks fell broadly after the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase said the bank’s losses from mortgages will continue.
JPMorgan Chase & Co., the first big bank to release first-quarter earnings, reported net income that beat expectations. The company’s investment banking and credit card businesses did well, but its mortgage business remained weak. Chief executive Jamie Dimon said JPMorgan and other banks will likely pay more fees and penalties after investigations into foreclosure proceedings in all 50 states are finished.
JPMorgan lost 0.8 percent, Bank of America Corp. fell 1.5 percent and Wells Fargo & Co. lost 2.3 percent.
Stocks had risen in early trading after the government reported that retail sales rose 0.4 percent overall in March, though much of the gain was due to higher gas prices. It was the ninth straight month of increases.
President Obama outlined a proposal to cut the nation’s budget deficit by reducing spending on defense and the growth of Medicare spending, while raising taxes on high-earning Americans and cutting many tax loopholes.
Silgan Holdings Inc., a consumer packaging maker, jumped 19 percent after announcing that it had agreed to buy rival Graham Packaging Co. in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $1.28 billion. Graham jumped 33 percent.
iRobot Corp., the maker of the Roomba vacuum cleaning robot, jumped 13 percent after saying it had signed a $230 million contract with the U.S. Navy to develop small robotic vehicles.
Rising and falling shares were roughly even on the New York Stock Exchange. Consolidated volume came to 3.9 billion shares.
The president vowed he would not allow benefit cuts for the poor and the elderly to pay for tax breaks for the rich.
Associated PressPresident Barack Obama outlines his fiscal policy during an address at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, April 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
By JIM KUHNHENN
WASHINGTON — Forcefully rejecting Republican budget-cutting plans, President Barack Obama on Wednesday proposed lowering the nation's future deficits by $4 trillion over a dozen years and vowed he would not allow benefit cuts for the poor and the elderly to pay for tax breaks for the rich.
"That's not right and it's not going to happen as long as I'm president," Obama declared.
While the president recommended trimming health care costs in Medicare and Medicaid, he also called for cuts in defense, an overhaul of the tax system to eliminate many loopholes enjoyed by individuals and corporations, and an end to Bush-era tax cuts for wealthier Americans.
"We have to live within our means, we have to reduce our deficit, and we have to get back on a path that will allow us to pay down our debt," Obama said in a combative speech at George Washington University.
As much a policy speech as it was a political address, Obama drew stark lines between his vision of governing and that of Republicans — a contrast he will surely repeat during the 2012 presidential campaign. He criticized a Republican plan that cuts about $5.8 trillion in spending over the next decade and which the White House says unfairly singles out middle-class taxpayers, older adults and the poor. And he pointedly noted that the GOP plan has already been embraced by some Republican presidential candidates.
Such cuts, he said, "paint a vision of our future that's deeply pessimistic."
He laid the blame for the rising debt on the spending increases and tax cuts enacted during the presidency of George W. Bush and the recession that struck in late 2007. "We lost our way," he said.
And he rolled out large political themes, casting himself as a defender of an American altruism while portraying Republican budget cutters as having a larger ideological purpose.
"Their vision is less about reducing the deficit than it is about changing the basic social compact in America," Obama said, as the author of the Republican plan, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, sat in the front row of the university auditorium.
Still, Obama also set himself apart from Democrats as well, noting that some of his critics will argue that the government should not undertake cuts in spending until the economy has recovered fully. "Those are mostly folks in my party," he said.
“We have to live within our means, we have to reduce our deficit, and we have to get back on a path that will allow us to pay down our debt.”
- President Barack Obama
For all the tough talk, Obama called for both parties to work with him and strike a deficit cutting compromise. He asked party leaders to name negotiating teams and set a June deadline for an agreement.
Obama previewed his proposals to congressional leaders Wednesday morning. And even before he delivered his speech, top Republicans were pushing back.
"If we're going to resolve our differences and do something meaningful, raising taxes will not be part of that," House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, declared shortly after his White House meeting.
This new clash comes just a week after the president announced he would seek re-election. For the past two months, Obama has been arguing for protection of his core spending priorities, including education and innovation. His turn to deficit reduction reflects the pressures he faces in a divided Congress and with a public increasingly anxious about the nation's debt, now exceeding $14 trillion.
"Any serious plan to tackle our deficit will require us to put everything on the table, and take on excess spending wherever it exists in the budget," the president said.
To help enforce budget discipline, the president called for resurrecting a spending cap that would be triggered if the nation's debt did not stabilize and begin to decline by 2014. The cap would not apply to Social Security, low-income programs or Medicare benefits.
The president's plan, outlined in a seven-page White House fact sheet, draws many of its ideas from the December recommendations of Obama's bipartisan fiscal commission, which proposed $4 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years. As in the commission's plan, three-quarters of the deficit reduction would come from spending reductions, including lower interest payments as the debt eases. One-quarter, or $1 trillion, would come from additional tax revenue.
For the White House, the speech comes as Obama pushes Congress to raise the limit on the national debt, which will permit the government to borrow more and thus meet its financial obligations. The country will reach its debt limit of $14.3 trillion by May 16. The Treasury Department has warned that failure to raise the limit by midsummer would drive up the cost of borrowing and destroy the economic recovery.
In laying out his plan, the president is wading into a potential political thicket. Liberals are loath to making cuts in prized Democratic programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and in Social Security. Moderates worry that his plan could unravel bipartisan deficit-cutting negotiations. And Republicans reject any proposal that includes tax increases.
The proposal calls for cutting $770 billion from non-defense domestic spending by 2023. That figure does not include spending on major benefit programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. The plan also would reduce defense spending by $400 billion during the same 12 years.
Obama envisions spending cuts in Medicare and Medicaid of $480 billion through 2023. Those are in addition to the $500 billion in reductions over 10 years from projected increases in Medicare spending contained in the health care law Congress passed and Obama signed last year.
The president's planned health care reductions include vague proposals to lower Medicaid costs and reduce Medicare prescription drug expenses.
While the White House concedes that Social Security is facing pressure from an aging population, Obama did not specify any changes to the national retirement system other than calling for bipartisan efforts to "strengthen the program."
The private Springfield Library and Museums Association sold the property to the Urban League in 2003.
Mark M. Murray / The Republican04.13.2011 | SPRINGFIELD - Youngsters tour the Mason Square Branch Library which officially re-opened Wednesday morning.
SPRINGFIELD – It took eight years, but residents and city officials made it clear Wednesday that the newly reopened Mason Square Library on State Street was well worth the wait.
“It brought tears to my eyes, it really did,” said Ethyl Hudson, 86, of Union Street. “Just to be able to walk through and see the renovations. I got a really warm feeling. We’re back.”
The reopening was celebrated with a gathering of community leaders, neighborhood residents, and children from nearby schools who were excited to have the full-service library at 765 State St.
It was closed and sold by the Springfield Library and Museums Association in 2003 to the Urban League of Springfield to the surprise and anger of many residents.
The reopening was made possible by a sustained lobbying effort by the neighborhood and its supporters, and a contribution of approximately $1.5 million from the Springfield Library Foundation to purchase, renovate and furnish the building, officials said.
Many of the speakers at the ceremony praised the late Annie Curran, who left her estate of more than $1 million in the 1950s for the stated purpose of maintaining a library in the Mason Square area. The private, nonprofit foundation oversees her fund.
The city took the building by eminent domain in 2009 for its appraised value of $802,500, forcing the Urban League to relocate. The league had set aside some space for library services during its ownership of the building. Most of the renovations, furnishings and relocation costs, all totaling about $700,000, were funded by the Library Foundation.
Residents of all ages were taking part in the daylong celebration that included a children’s chorus, poetry reading, flag and ribbon-cutting ceremonies, tours and demonstrations. Additional activities were scheduled today and Friday.
“I feel happy,” said William Chapman, 9, a third grader at William N. DeBerry School. “It’s nice. Now, people can borrow books to read.”
Jesse Lederman, youth chairman of the McKnight Neighborhood Council, said there are many programs for all ages and more being developed. A career center, for example, will provide information “on getting a GED, how to write a resume, and getting a job,” he said.
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said neighborhood residents were steadfast in their effort to restore a full branch library at the site. The taking was approved by the City Council and Sarno.
Former Mayor Charles V. Ryan, president of the Library Foundation, praised the “extraordinary generosity” of Annie Curran and the tenacity of the neighborhood.
“People of the neighborhood just would not give up,” Ryan said. “They knew they had to keep pushing and did keep pushing. This is a great day.”
Morris Jones, a resident and former city councilor who lobbied for the reopening of the library, said it “will serve as a lighthouse and a beacon for the Mason Square community.” He was unable to attend the event due to being in the hospital, but provided a written statement.
“I am glad and honored to be part of the team,” Jones said. “The most important thing is we should never let a major facility such as a library go without a community public hearing.”
He and others urged the community to use the library.
Molly Fogarty, city library director, called the reopening a “glorious occasion.”
“A lot of people worked really hard for a long time with determination, courage and dedication to restore the library to its full potential,” Fogarty said.
The library is “a center for education and community life,” she said.
Estelle Early, a resident who recalls the library as a youth, said she is happy the library is back as a legacy to the city.
“It’s important to our youth who are now coming up,” Early said. “Reading has become a lost art to some and hopefully having the library back will rebirth that energy.”
Anita Medina, who recently moved back to Springfield, said she is happy to see the library open.
“I plan on coming here, grabbing a couple of books and pushing my kids because reading and education are very important,” Medina said. “I would like for them to grow up differently than I did.”
City Councilor E. Henry Twiggs said the library offers a “world of knowledge” to people of all of ages.
“Libraries say a lot about a city’s priorities, especially how a city regards learning and culture,” Twiggs said.
Jerry Orbe, an intern with The Republican, contributed to this story
A man who police say was stabbed by the woman who falsely accused Duke lacrosse players of rape has died.
(AP Photo)Crystal Mangum, the woman who falsely accused three Duke Lacrosse players of rape in 2006, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and has been jailed since the April 3 stabbing.
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — A man who police say was stabbed by a woman who falsely accused Duke lacrosse players of rape has died.
Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez Jr. told The Herald-Sun of Durham on Wednesday that 46-year-old Reginald Daye had died. According to WRAL and the newspaper, Daye had been taken to Duke University Hospital after being stabbed with a kitchen knife on April 3.
Crystal Mangum is charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and has been jailed since the stabbing. It was not immediately clear where or how Daye died.
Durham police didn't immediately return messages from The Associated Press.
The police chief told the newspaper that additional charges against Mangum are possible.
Jail officials didn't know if the 32-year-old Mangum had an attorney.
Massachusetts lawmakers are hearing from the public on a series of proposed amendments to the state constitution, including one that would create term limits for judges and a second that would restrict the use of the state's eminent domain powers.
BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts lawmakers are hearing from the public on a series of proposed amendments to the state constitution, including one that would create term limits for judges and a second that would restrict the use of the state's eminent domain powers.
Another of the proposed constitutional amendments slated to come up before the Judiciary Committee on Thursday would eliminate the eight-member Governor's Council that must approve judicial nominations.
Critics of the council say it's an archaic remnant from the state's past while supporters say it's an important check and balance on the power of the governor.
The eminent domain measure would bar the state from taking property from one private owner to give to another.
Another proposal eliminates lifetime tenure for judges. They would serve a seven-year term, after which they could be reappointed.
A petition was initiated by new Selectman Edward Maia, who says videotaping the Finance Committee meetings would "show transparency across the board."
The Republican | Don TreegerMonson Town Hall.
MONSON – Videotaping Finance Committee meetings and studying the current governance structure are some of the questions that will come before voters at the May 9 annual Town Meeting.
The petition was initiated by new Selectman Edward A. Maia, who says videotaping the Finance Committee meetings would “show transparency across the board.” Fifteen residents, including Maia, signed a petition asking for the warrant article, which was approved by selectmen at their Tuesday night meeting.
“I was prepping for getting on the selectboard and started hitting the different meetings. The Finance Committee develops the budget. As I’m sitting there listening and watching, I’m thinking, ‘This is like one of the more powerful boards in the town as far as what they’re charged to do. Why are they not being taped?,’” Maia said.
Maia said he has talked to M-Pact, which already tapes selectmen and School Committee meetings, and was told they would be able to cover the Finance Committee’s Monday meetings at no extra charge. Maia said the only change would be that the Finance Committee would have to move its meetings from the town accountant’s office to the selectmen’s room because that is where M-Pact’s equipment is located.
“The more transparent the town government is, the less it gives people the chance to say, ‘They’re hiding stuff. They’re trying to trick us,’” Maia said. “There’s power in knowledge.”
Maia is a former School Committee member; four School Committee members who served with him also signed the petition.
Town Moderator Richard E. Guertin, who runs the annual and special Town Meetings, also signed the petition. Guertin hopes that airing the meetings will entice people to join the Finance Committee, and said it will also help people learn the issues before they get to Town Meeting.
Voters also will be asked if they want to videotape Town Meetings, so they can be aired at a later date, and also will be asked if they want a committee to be formed to review the town’s governance structure.
Meanwhile, the town is facing a shortfall of $129,000 for fiscal 2012, and Town Administrator Gretchen E. Neggers and Finance Director Deborah A. Mahar will be developing a list of potential cuts for Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting.
Neggers said selectmen identified budget priorities, which include meeting the mandatory legal requirements, protecting emergency services and financial operations, meeting net spending for the schools, consolidating services wherever possible, and avoiding a disproportionate cut to the library.
She said they also were asked to show the risk and benefit associated with each proposed reduction.
The competition would see which town’s residents can save the most money on electricity using WMECO's Western Mass. Saves program.
EASTHAMPTON – The city is considering a friendly competition with Ludlow to see which town’s residents can save the most money on electricity using the Western Mass. Saves program.
Both towns are participating in the Western Mass. Saves Challenge, which is run by Western Massachusetts Electric Co. to help customers reduce their energy consumption. Amherst and Sunderland are also participating.
All residential WMECO customers can sign up for free online to receive personalized suggestions on reducing energy use and track their savings. Users accumulate “Recyclebank Points” that can be redeemed at stores.
If a town in the challenge shows a 3 percent reduction in residential energy use, it will receive a free one-kilowatt solar energy panel.
The Easthampton City Council is considering a resolution that would make the challenge to Ludlow, said city planner Stuart Beckley, who proposed it last week. He said he wants the competition to begin on Earth Day, which is April 22, and last through September, when the Western Mass. Saves Challenge ends.
The council would have to vote at its next meeting on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at White Brook Middle School.
“Hopefully, the City Council will think of a prize” for the winner, Beckley said.
WMECO has hired the marketing firm SmartPower to promote the Western Mass. Saves Challenge. SmartPower Vice President Jonathan Edwards said the Western Mass. Saves program is not limited to homeowners, but that businesses may not participate.
The Easthampton-Ludlow competition was SmartPower's idea, he said.
“It’s an outreach concept,” said Edwards. “(It’s) a way to expand exposure for the website and the program and the importance of energy efficiency on a residential level in a way that makes people comfortable.”
“It’s a good, friendly challenge,” said Ludlow energy committee chairman Chip Harrington. That committee was formed last year.
“Our charge was to see if we could come up with some creative ways to save energy, which saves money for the municipality and the residents,” said Harrington. He said he personally uses Western Mass. Saves and hopes at least 10 percent of Ludlow residents will sign up, as well.
“I’ve taken some of (the program’s) suggestions, put them into practice and seen some savings,” Harrington said. “Last month, I saved $12 or $13.”
Harrington said the Easthampton competition would be “just to increase awareness and get people involved. ... I’m hoping that we can get more of our residents to become more involved with the Western Mass. Saves Challenge.”
As Congress votes on a long-overdue spending bill through September, more budget fights lay ahead.
(AP)House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., at podium, declares that he was "disappointed" in President Obama's speech on a federal spending plan, Wednesday, April 13, 2011, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. From left are: House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., Ryan, Republican Conference Chairman Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Va. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House and Senate are ready to vote on legislation cutting almost $40 billion from the budget for the current year, but President Barack Obama and his GOP rivals are both eager to move on to multiyear fiscal plans that cut trillions instead of billions.
Lawmakers were to vote Thursday on a long-overdue spending measure funding the day-to-day budgets of federal agencies through September. Later in the day, Republicans dominating the House will launch debate on a 2012-and-beyond plan that promises to cut the long-term budget blueprint Obama laid out in February by more than $6 trillion.
Obama countered Wednesday with a new call to increase taxes on wealthier people and impose quicker cuts to Medicare, launching a roiling debate in Congress and the 2012 presidential campaign to come.
Obama fired a broadside at the long-term GOP plan, which calls for transforming the Medicare health program for the aged into a voucher-like system for people under the age of 55 and imposing stringent cuts on Medicaid, which provides health care to the poor and disabled, including people in nursing homes.
More immediate, however, is the 2011 spending measure. It combines more than $38 billion in cuts to domestic accounts with changes to benefit programs, like children's health care, that Congress' own economists say are illusory.
Obama said Wednesday that spending cuts and higher taxes alike must be part of any deficit-reduction plan, including an end to Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy. He proposed an unspecified "debt failsafe" that would go into effect if Congress did not make sure the national debt would be falling by 2014 relative to the size of the overall economy.
"We have to live within our means, reduce our deficit and get back on a path that will allow us to pay down our debt," the president said in a speech at George Washington University, a few blocks from the White House. "And we have to do it in a way that protects the recovery, and protects the investments we need to grow, create jobs and win the future."
Obama's speech was salted with calls for bipartisanship, but it also bristled with attacks on Republicans. They want to "end Medicare as we know it," he said, and to extend tax cuts for the wealthy while demanding that seniors pay more for health care.
Obama spoke to an audience that included Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., author of the House Republican budget that drew repeated presidential scorn. The Budget Committee chairman later told reporters he had been excited to receive an invitation to the speech, believing the administration was extending an olive branch.
"Instead, what we got was a speech that was excessively partisan, dramatically inaccurate and hopelessly inadequate to addressing our country's pressing fiscal challenges," Ryan said. "What we heard today was not fiscal leadership from our commander in chief. What we heard today was a political broadside from our campaigner in chief."
The president spoke less than a week after he reached a compromise with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, on the unprecedented package of spending cuts for this year, just in time to avoid a partial government shutdown. Both houses of Congress are expected to pass the measure and close the books on the current budget year, clearing the way for a far broader debate about the size and shape of the government.
Obama stepped to the podium at a juncture when tea party-backed Republicans are relishing early victories in the House, the 2012 Republican presidential field is just beginning to take shape and moderate Democratic lawmakers are charting their re-election campaigns. The president's emphasis on deficit reduction marked an appeal to independents as well as other voters who are eager to stem record annual deficits as well as gain control over a national debt of more than $14 trillion.
At the same time, Obama sought to keep faith with liberals and other supporters.
Obama's plan would cut military spending by $400 billion through 2023. Domestic programs would absorb $770 billion in cuts and mandatory programs such as agricultural subsidies another $360 billion.
An additional $480 billion would be saved from Medicare — and from Medicaid, the state-federal program that is ticketed for a huge expansion under the health care law Obama signed into law last year.
In line with the wishes of Senate Democratic leaders, the president made no recommendations for savings from Social Security, which he said is neither in a crisis nor "a driver of our near-term deficit problems." He said he supports unspecified steps to strengthen it for the long term, but ruled out any attempt to privatize it.
Obama's plan relied on some of the same deficit-reduction measures proposed in December by a bipartisan fiscal commission he appointed. The president is scheduled to meet Thursday at the White House with the co-chairmen of the commission, Democrat Erskine Bowles and Republican Alan Simpson.
Neither Obama nor his aides distributed any detailed accounting of the effect of his recommendations on the deficit, which is expected to top $1.5 trillion this year, or the national debt.
Obama saved some of his sharpest rhetoric for Republican proposals to end traditional Medicare for anyone currently under 55, and to give the states near-total control over Medicaid.
For Medicare, he said: "It says instead of guaranteed health care, you will get a voucher. And if that voucher isn't worth enough to buy insurance, tough luck — you're on your own."
He said the Republican budget could cut health care coverage for 50 million Americans, including grandparents needing nursing home care, children with autism and kids "with disabilities so severe that they require 24-hour care. These are the Americans we'd be telling to fend for themselves."
Otis police chief and local farmer clash over political seat, cheap wine and more of this morning's news.
(AP Photo/Journal Inquirer, Leslloyd F. Alleyne) Police officers from Massachusetts and Connecticut watch as a car traveling 25 miles per hour hits a crash test dummy during training exercises in Enfield, Conn., last week. Officers from across the region were participating in a training program to hone their skills in accident reconstruction.
Hartford police are investigating the city's 11th homicide of the year after a man died from multiple gunshot wounds Wednesday afternoon.
(AP Photo/Journal Inquirer, Jim Michaud)Hartford, Conn. Police are seen at the scene of the city's 11th homicide of the year, Wednesday afternoon, April 13, 2011, on Oakland Terrace in Hartford's north end. A man in his 20's was shot in an apparent drive by shooting in broad daylight. The victim was transported by a family member to St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center where he died a short time later, police said.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Police say the death of a young man in Hartford is being ruled a homicide.
Police say they responded to Oakland Terrace just before 3 p.m. on Wednesday to reports of shots fired.
Responding officers found clothing and shell casings at the scene and learned that the victim had already been brought to St. Francis Hospital in a private vehicle. The driver reportedly left after dropping off the victim, who was pronounced dead around 3:30 p.m.
The victim's name has not been released and there was no immediate word on a motive or suspects in the slaying.
Police said the trio may face additional charges, depending on the outcome of the investigation.
SPRINGFIELD -- Three Springfield men were arrested around 2:30 a.m. Thursday after police officers investigating a burglary at a Citgo station at 736 Boston Road stopped a vehicle seen leaving the area.
Charged with felony counts of larceny and breaking and entering during the nighttime were Santos Diaz, 42, of 19 Saab Court, Alexander Ortiz, 19, of 500 Hancock St., Apt D1, and Henry Rodriguez, 31, of 106 Mayflower Road. The men were expected to be arraigned Thursday in Springfield District Court.
Springfield Police Capt. Cheryl Claprood characterized the arrests as a "good grab" for the responding officers, who stopped the suspect vehicle near the intersection of State and Benton streets, several miles west of the Citgo station.
Based on what officers recovered in the vehicle -- about 50 packs of cigarettes, multiple cell phones, gloves and a pipe -- investigators believe the men might be responsible for other area break-ins, according to Claprood.
"The detectives are still questioning them," Claprood said at around 6:45 a.m. Thursday, adding that additional charges may be filed.
The array described in the ordinance would be much larger than solar systems used for private homes, which are already allowed by city zoning.
A photovoltaic array in California.
NORTHAMPTON – In an effort to ensure that the city can make hay while the sun shines, the City Council has moved along a proposed ordinance to facilitate the installation of large-scale photovoltaic panels.
The ordinance that came before the council last Thursday asks that the zoning be amended so that solar photovoltaic systems of more than 250 kilowatts be allowed by right in a variety of zones. Currently, a special permit is required to install such a system. The council referred the matter to the Planning Board, Ordinance Committee and Committee on Education, Housing and Land Use for comment and review.
Planning Director Wayne M. Feiden, who sponsored the ordinance along with Ward 4 Councilor Pamela Schwartz and Energy Officer Christopher Mason, said it would streamline the installation process and help Northampton take advantage of an opportunity to sell renewable electricity to power companies. According to Feiden, power companies are required by law to purchase a portion of their electricity from “green” sources.
“It’s a window that’s going to close after the power companies get to 15 percent,” he said.
The array described in the ordinance would be much larger than solar systems used for private homes, which are already allowed by city zoning. Feiden said a developer would need at least four acres to install enough panels to generate 250 kilowatts. His office has already fielded several calls from people interested in locating a photovoltaic array in Northampton.
“Investors around Massachusetts are looking for sites,” he said.
Northampton could follow the lead of other communities that are planning photovoltaic arrays over capped landfills, Feiden said. The city’s Department of Public Works has been looking into putting one at the Glendale Road facility after it reaches capacity and shuts down next year.
Mason said the ordinance also serves the purpose of cementing Northampton’s status as a “green” community, a designation that gives it an advantage when applying for state energy grants. The council will revisit the matter when the ordinance comes back from the committees.
The National Weather Service has lifted its flooding warning for Montague
Greg Saulmon / The Republican04.14.2011 | EASTHAMPTON - The parking lot at the Route 5 boat ramp at the Oxbow Thursday morning.
SPRINGFIELD – A “gorgeous” day is in the offing for Western Massachusetts with sunny skies and a high of about 65 degrees, abc40 / Fox 6 meteorologist Mike Masco said.
That’s the good news. The not so good news is that we are in for a cloudy weekend with the potential for a half-inch to inch of rain Saturday night into Sunday, Masco said.
“Today is the pick of the next seven,” Masco said.
The National Weather Service, meanwhile, has canceled its flood warning for the Connecticut River in Montague.
The flood warning continues along the Connecticut in Northampton and minor flooding is occurring. The river there is expected to fall below flood stage Thursday night.
Further south, along the river in Thompsonville, near the Massachusetts line, the flood warning will likely remain in place until Friday morning.
Masco said the weekend rain has the potential to bring minor flooding to areas along the river once again.
Temperatures could sink as low as 30 degrees Thursday night into Friday. That’s well below the average low of about 38 degrees for this time of year.
Greg Saulmon / The Republican04.14.2011 | NORTHAMPTON - Water approaches a garage on Route 5.
The Forecast
The National Weather Service has canceled its flood warning for the Connecticut River in Montague, but the warning continues in Northampton "until late tonight... or until the warning is canceled."
View full sizeDon Treeger / Greg Saulmon 04.13.2011+04.14.2011 | EASTHAMPTON - Water levels at the Route 5 boat ramp mid-day Wednesday and early Thursday.
Data show the river rose to 113.46 feet in Northampton early this morning and fell back to 113.16 by 8 a.m. Flood stage is 112 feet.
Outside of the official data are the more informal gauges. With the river tapping on Route 5's shoulder, water reached the edge of the tilting garage outside the home at the corner of Island Road. In the boat ramp's parking lot, the water climbed a few inches up the sign that The Republican's Don Treeger photographed yesterday.
Temperature- and all-around-weather-wise, abc40 / Fox 6 meteorologist Mike Masco calls today "...the pick of the next seven.”
In a new Associated Press-GfK poll, 54 percent of respondents said they believe their tax bills are either somewhat fair or very fair.
46 percent said their tax bills are unfair.
The nationwide poll of 1,001 adults, conducted via landline and cellphone interviews, was conducted March 24-28 by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Corporate Communications. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.
What do you think -- is your 2010 tax bill fair? Vote in our far less scientific poll, and check back tomorrow for the results.
Wednesday's results: Yesterday, we asked, "Have the construction projects in downtown Westfield kept you from visiting the city?" 9 people voted. 77.78% said "yes"; 22.22% said "no."
Wednesday's Top 5
The top 5 headlines on MassLive.com on April 13 were:
Section 1A details revenue sources; below, a look at how tax revenues break down for the category of "All Budgeted Funds."
Note: This doesn't show -$.6 million in the category of Public Utilities; accounting for that, total tax revenues shown in the budget are $20.525 billion.
54 percent believe their tax bills are either somewhat fair or very fair.
Associated PressIn this April 14, 2010 file photo, tax forms are seen on a counter at the U.S. Post Office Hollywood Station in Los Angeles.
WASHINGTON — For all the complaining this time of year, most Americans actually think the taxes they pay are fair.
Not that they're cheering. Fewer people expect refunds this year than in previous years, a new Associated Press-GfK poll shows. But as Monday's filing deadline approaches, the poll shows that 54 percent believe their tax bills are either somewhat fair or very fair, compared with 46 percent who say they are unfair.
Should taxes be raised to eat into huge federal deficits? Among the public, 62 percent say they favor cutting government services to sop up the red ink. Just 29 percent say raise taxes.
That's sure to be a major issue as Congress takes up budget legislation for next year and the 2012 presidential campaign gets under way in earnest. On Wednesday, President Barack Obama revived his proposal to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans to help reduce government borrowing.
In the poll, Democrats were more likely than Republicans to think their tax bills were fair. Liberals and moderates were more likely to think so than conservatives. Women more likely than men. Most whites thought their tax bills were fair; most non-whites didn't.
The young and the old — adults under 30 and seniors 65 and above — were much more likely to say their taxes were fair than those in their prime earning years. Surprisingly, there was little difference in the perception of fairness across income levels.
But just because people say they pay a fair amount doesn't mean that they think others do.
Sandra Jennings, a retired teacher in South Bend, Ind., said her federal taxes are fair, but she thinks rich people get off too easily.
Rich people, she said in an interview, "get all these loopholes. The middle class does not have loopholes."
Mari Lemelson of Edison, N.J., said, "I have a big problem with the millionaires, at least what I understand to be the millionaires' tax breaks."
Jim Martel, an electrician from Weymouth, Mass., said his tax bill is already unfair, but he would be willing to pay more if he thought the money would be spent wisely. He's not optimistic.
"If I thought people in office had the right thing in mind and they were doing the right thing with the money instead of blowing it and wasting it and funding these stupid projects that are totally ridiculous, I wouldn't have a problem with it," Martel said. "But they don't, so that's what bothers me."
Monday is the filing deadline for federal tax returns — three days later than usual because a local holiday is being observed in the nation's capital on Friday, the traditional deadline.
Federal tax receipts are projected to hit their lowest level in 60 years when measured as a share of the overall economy. Tax receipts dipped during the recession and have stayed low in part because Congress has extended Bush-era tax cuts at every income level, leaving federal rates unchanged for much of the past decade.
Residents in many states, however, have faced higher taxes because — unlike the federal government — states, school districts and municipalities must balance their budgets each year.
The share of the public believing their tax bills were fair was nearly identical to an AP poll taken in 2007, even though fewer people than in the past said they expect to get refunds this year. Fifty-one percent of those polled said they expected refunds this year, down from 57 percent in 2009 and 66 percent in 2007.
Many people who don't expect refunds could be in for a pleasant surprise.
Through March 25, about 87 percent of the individual returns processed by the Internal Revenue Service qualified for refunds. That's about the same rate through the same period as last year.
Ultimately, about 85 percent of individual returns qualified for refunds last year, totaling about $360 billion. The refunds averaged $3,000, about the same amount as so far this year.
Economists say tax refunds typically provide a boost to the economy each spring. This year, however, more people say they plan to save, invest or use their refunds to pay down debts.
Only 27 percent of the people surveyed said they plan to simply spend their tax refund, down from 38 percent in 2009.
Forty-five percent said they would save or invest their refunds, compared with 35 percent in 2009. Forty-four percent said they would pay down debt, compared with 37 percent in 2009.
"A lot of people got caught with too much debt going into this recession and may well take this as an opportunity to reduce their debt level rather than go out and rent that summer house," said David Wyss, chief economist at Standard & Poor's in New York. "When they're scared, they are more likely to save it than if they are happy and feel like the good times will continue forever."
The Associated Press-GfK Poll was conducted March 24-28 by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Corporate Communications. It involved landline and cellphone interviews with 1,001 adults nationwide and had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.
Parents of the 20-year-old Danroy Henry Jr. called the award insensitive and arrogant.
Associated PressAngella Henry, left, the mother of Danroy Henry, breaks down while thanking the Pace University students who helped her son who was shot and killed by police, after the charges against them were dismissed at Mount Pleasant Town Court, Thursday, March 24, 2011, in Mount Pleasant, N.Y. At second from left is Desmond Hines, who wasn't charged but was initially held, standing next to Joseph Romanick, Joseph Garcia, Yves Delpeche and Daniel Parker, right.
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — A police union has given its Officer of the Year award to the policeman who shot and killed a college football player during a disturbance in the New York City suburbs.
Parents of the student, 20-year-old Danroy Henry Jr., of Easton, Mass., called the award insensitive and arrogant.
"We simply asked for truth and honesty, and we've gotten arrogance," said Danroy Henry Sr. "Some people see themselves above the law and above simple human dignity."
The student's mother, Angella Henry, said: "Now everyone else is getting to see the kind of inhumane treatment we've gotten."
The Police Benevolent Association of the Pleasantville Police Department said Wednesday it honored Officer Aaron Hess for his dignity and professionalism since the October shooting and throughout his career.
Hess fired at Henry's car as Henry drove away from a disturbance that spilled out of a bar in Thornwood, just north of New York City, after Pace University's homecoming game. Hess was cleared of criminal wrongdoing by a Westchester County grand jury in February.
Autopsy results found Henry was above the legal limit for alcohol, but his family says he wasn't drunk.
Hess, who suffered leg injuries, said he shot at Henry after Henry's car hit him. Some witnesses disputed that.
The Henry family is seeking federal intervention, and the Department of Justice has said it will review the evidence to determine whether there were any civil rights crimes.
The Henrys are planning a $120 million lawsuit against Pleasantville and Mount Pleasant.
The PBA said the award wasn't meant to offend the Henry family.
But family lawyer Michael Sussman said, "They're offended."
Police pulled the suspect over on Princeton Street Tuesday night.
Bryan Murph
SPRINGFIELD – Information garnered from neighbors in the Pine Point neighborhood and through the anonymous “Text-a-Tip” program led to the arrest of a suspected cocaine dealer Tuesday night .
Numerous surveillancesconducted over a number of weeks led to the information that the suspect, 21-year-old Bryan Murph, of 55 East Bay Path Terrace, was slated to make a cocaine delivery, Sgt. John M. Delaney said.
Police tailed the suspect’s Acura to Princeton Street at about 6 p.m. and pulled him over. “The detectives observed him trying to swallow the evidence,” Delaney said. “He could not possibly swallow the evidence, it was too much.”
Police seized 3.2 grams of cocaine and $545 in cash. Investigators then raided Murph’s home where they found more cocaine and another $1,000 in cash, Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet, said.
Murph was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and violation of a drug-free school zone (Central High School).
Text-a-tip can be reached via cell phone, text “CRIMES,“ or “274637,“ and then begin the body of the message with the word “SOLVE.”
The plans include a new lodge building and swimming pool.
SPRINGFIELD – City officials on Thursday unveiled a $3.3 million master plan for Camp STAR Angelina at Forest Park, which includes a new lodge and swimming pool, with all buildings and amenities designed to be fully accessible for the handicapped.
It is slated to become the first universally designed day camp in Western Massachusetts. The design focuses on providing recreational opportunities for youth all abilities, officials said.
The first phase of the three-phase project involves a new sloped-entry recreational pool and bathhouse. Two future phases involve construction of a lodge, activity center, amphitheater, and boardwalk trail to Porter Lake.
The city will primarily rely on private funding including an ongoing major fundraising effort, officials said. The plans were revealed during a press conference at Forest Park, attended by various city officials, camp staff and business leaders.
Camp STAR Angelina is Springfield’s inclusive day camp program operated by the Recreation Division, located adjacent to Forest Park on Trafton Road and serves campers, ages 3-22, with and without disabilities.
“I am very excited about this opportunity to transform Camp Star Angelina into an accessible facility that will allow all of residents, most importantly our children and young adults, to experience the benefits of Forest Park without impediments,” Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said in a prepared release. “This program has been a valued resource in our community for over 50 years.”
For many years, the summer camp was divided into two camps at separate locations.
The camps merged in the early 2000’s and moved to Forest Park. The current camp programs serves more than 150 campers with and without disabilities, particularly those with physical, emotional, behavioral and learning disabilities, hearing and vision impairments and other medical concerns.
According to Tony Restivo, therapeutic recreation director, “the camp program has been a life changing experience for the campers and staff as camp is about sharing and the memories are heartwarming.”
“We all come away from it with a sense of pride and joy – this is the essence of Camp STAR Angelina,” Restivo said.
The city in announcing the master plan, honored some of the participating organizations and donors including MassMutual Financial Group, Irene A. & George E. Davis Foundation, Parent and Friends of Camp STAR, the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, Springfield Public Buildings Tradesmen Association, Department of Health and Human Services, SCCCA, and William and Edward Walker Trusts.
The city has already raised approximately $410,000 including a $150,000 donation from MassMutual
Donations can be made out to "SCCCA-Camp STAR Angelina" at 200 Trafton Road, Springfield, MA, 01108.
Marie T. Jablonski, a member of the board of directors of the Polish Center of Discovery and Learning in Chicopee, looks at panels of the exhibit 'Katyn,' which will be on display at the center until April 21. 
