In the Middle East, water is a source of conflict and an opportunity for peace. From the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea and all along the River Jordan there is a need for cooperation over water. In the mountain aquifer under West Bank settlements there is conflict over its allocation. In fact, the World Bank just issued a report finding huge disparities in water use between Israelis and Palestinians.

Weeam Iriqat, a Palestinian woman who lives in Jericho, used to cross the River Jordan as a small girl. “The quantity of water was really high when you passed over the bridge. Now when we go to Jordan we don’t feel there is a river. The future of our entire region concerns water. The next war will be about water.” Water straddles political boundaries in the region and over the years there have been clashes. In fact, water was a factor in the Six Day War in 1967. The River Jordan is a vital lifeline to Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Syria. People depend on it for health, industrial productivity and agriculture.

No where is the crisis more apparent than on the River Jordan, the waterway that is a holy spot for Christians, Muslims and Jews. Ninety percent of the water in the river has been diverted, half of it to Israel for agriculture. What has complicated the scenario is that farming accounts for only 2% of Israel’s GNP. Israel’s settlements are green and flourishing and growing Palestinian villages are drying up even though there are more people desperate for water. The Dead Sea has shrunk by 30% in the last 50 years. Meanwhile, Jordan and Syria are still fuming because Israel transferred water from the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan a generation ago to make the Negev desert bloom and turn Israel into the dynamic country that it is.

At the same time Jordan and Syria diverted water from key tributaries leading into the river Jordan, further depleting the river and its abilities to be sustainable for the future. Political divisiveness is making it difficult to maintain and construct sewage and water projects. Israelis say they have boosted the fresh water supply to the Palestinians by three times the amount used there in 1967. The total consumption of fresh natural water in Israel rose from 1967 to 2006 by nearly 700%. Water consumption in the West Bank rose during the same period by 2300% for the growing population.

“The bottom line is there is a severe water crisis out there, predominantly on the Palestinian side, and it will be felt even worse during this coming summer,” says Gidon Bromberg who heads Friends of the Earth Middle East, (http://www.foeme.org) which is a unique collaboration of Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians cooperating on solving the water issues in the region. Gidon Bromberg, an Israeli, Nadeer Khateeb, a Palestinian, and Munqeth Mehyar, a Jordanian are working together as the leaders from each nation to solve the region’s water issues while creating the necessary conditions for lasting peace in the region. There is a peace island on the river and Friends of the Earth Middle East is trying to expand the zone’s special status. Mayors from Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian communities along the river are joining together to honor peace agreements calling for protection from pollution and recognition of the disparity in standards of living on each side of the river.

One specific example of cooperation is along the Green Line between the West Bank and Israel. Israelis built a water treatment plant while Palestinians a stones throw away had waste running into their water. With one pipe they are connecting their sewage systems together and both will see the benefits. The Palestinian mayor will buy back treated water for agriculture and the Israelis will make money selling the water. They don’t love each other but they are cooperating. Where political solutions are difficult, grassroots solutions for the mutual benefit of communities are leading to co-existence and cooperation.

Of course it is not simple. Everything is political in the region and all attempts at peace are exacerbated by the ongoing conflict, walls, checkpoints, settlements, the very existence of Israel, etc. The development of water-sucking West Bank settlements like Ma’aleh Adumim and the proposed expansion into another called Mevesseret Adumim, threatens to blow attempts at peace between Israelis and Palestinians out of the water. On a clear day you can see the mountains beyond the Jordan river from there. You can also see the contrast between the lushness of Ma’aleh Adumim and its Palestinian neighbor, Azariyah, which both get their water from an underground aquifer. Even so, those who are working to make the allocation of water more equitable, say the River Jordan has historically been the site for exchange between peoples, cultures and ideas and the interaction must continue between Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians, all who have a stake in water and peace.

By: Vicky Collins

After a ten month investigation, federal officials raided six meatpacking plants that were hiring illegal immigrants, some with stolen identities of U.S. citizens.

The raids at the plants operated by Swift & Company, resulted in the apprehension of almost 1,300 illegal immigrants. The Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) raid netted 1,217 persons that were being detained on immigration charges and another 65 on identity theft charges. Some of these persons were wanted on outstanding existing criminal warrants for crimes previously committed. Most of the identity theft involved the use of legitimate Social Security numbers assigned to U.S. citizens. The arrested workers were from, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Peru, Laos, Sudan, Ethiopia and other countries according to ICE.

Swift & Co. was not charged. Why not, you ask? They claimed that they had no idea that they had employees on the payroll using the same Social Security numbers as an American worker in other cities. The company had participated in a government program known as “Basic Pilot” since 1997 to ascertain through a federal database the legitimacy of the SS numbers that were presented by the prospective employee. That is probably why officials of Swift & Co. were not charged. However, the database only tells the inquirer that the numbers are legitimate. It does not tell them that the applicant is presently working in another city.

When I was in business, I was required, as every employer is, to file quarterly 941 tax forms. These forms contain the names and SS numbers of all employees on the payroll and the employer identification number of the company. Listed on the form are all the payments made during the last quarter for monies collected for, withholding taxes, SS contributions, Medicare contributions and any other payments the employer is required to withhold and deposit with the Internal Revenue Service. So don’t try to tell me that if I have an employee in Colorado that is using the SS number of a worker in Detroit and paying SS contributions from two separate employers during the same working period their computers would not pick that up. I know, it is easy to say that the person probably has a part time job after his regular one. However, it is a hell of a commute from Detroit, Michigan to Greeley, Colorado.

It is amazing how AOL can tell me to pick another password or screen-name because one of their millions of subscribers already has the one I want. However, the government cannot tell an employer that someone in another city is already paying taxes under that SS number.

The real question is whose accounts were the SS payments being credited to, the worker in Michigan or Colorado? Secondly, if there was an overpayment who received the refund? That answer is simple. If you do not know you overpaid, you never ask for a refund so IRS does not send one. Therefore, the money paid as SS contributions by the illegal worker stays in the fund. The only beneficiaries are the SS fund and the worker who retires and collects their benefits which may now be larger because more was paid in. The problem is, no one is asking to verify the address that belongs to the SS account in question.

So what is the downfall of the ICE raids? An ABC news reporter in Denver is quoted as saying,” Quite honestly, you’re looking at two weeks before Christmas, and there is buying power leaving the economy.” If that reporter really thinks that the reduction in Christmas shopping spending by the 261 employees Detained in Colorado, that are now without a job is going to affect the economy of Colorado there is a bridge in New York City I would like to sell that reporter.

If they were not working there, taking jobs away from Americans there would be 261 Americans spending at the malls.

Judy Griego, director of Weld County Social Services is quoted in the Greeley Tribune as saying, “Our wish would have been they (ICE) should have let us know beforehand. We have kind of collapsed around this situation internally. Frankly, we don’t know how many kids are involved in this now. It’s kind of guesswork.” Why is she blaming ICE for not informing her? Swift & Co. knew months before the raid was coming. They even went to court to try to stop it. Why didn’t Swift & Co. inform social services? I believe they have a much greater obligation and involvement in the community than ICE.

I can hear all the politicians on both sides of the aisle in outrage. These people were doing jobs that Americans will not do we need them. Really! Prior to the Hart/Celler Act of 1965 there was negative emigration not immigration. Actually, from 1921 until 1965 immigration was close to zero. Think about this, our lettuce was picked, our houses were cleaned, our children were cared for and our lawns were mowed. Whom do you think did all that work?

The Hart/Cellar bill, which opened up our borders to a flood of immigration, may be the reason for the problems we see today. During the hearings of the senate immigration subcommittee, Chairman Edward (Ted) Kennedy (D-MA) reassured his colleagues and the nation with the following statement: “This bill will not flood our cities with immigrants. It will not upset the ethnic mix of our society. It will not relax the standards of admission. It will not cause American workers to lose their jobs.”

Here is the punch line to all this. The opening line in the Rocky Mountain News of December 15, 2006 said, “The line of applicants hoping to fill jobs vacated by undocumented workers taken away by immigration agents at the Swift & Co. meat- processing plant earlier this week was out the door on Thursday.” Did you notice the word “Undocumented?” They were documented, some just had other peoples documents. Political Correctness triumphs again.

A full-page ad in Wednesday’s Greely Tribune states that the company is offering a $1,500 signing bonus for new employees. It said all shifts and all experience levels are needed. It looks like it was a Merry Christmas for some people in Greeley.

How fast can some unemployed Americans find a job? Well if you live in Greeley, Colorado or any of the other five cities that were raided it seems it will happen pretty “Swift.”

And, that is my opinion.

By: M Solomon

This is a classic line, from the movie Top Gun, which holds true even today. Whether it’s a quest for financial gain or political glory, the results are the same. The Wall Street big wigs and President Obama are writing checks they just can’t cash.

Wall Street’s non-existent view of a healthy economy and a lust for quick profits led the United States into one of the worst economic downturns in history. Wall Street dreamed up all sorts of investment schemes in order to make large profits. To Wall Street, it didn’t matter the losers would be the American people and their retirement funds.

We Americans have not seen the end of Wall Street’s destruction. Credit Default Swaps (CDS) are a contract in which an individual pays for protection in case of a default of an event. Unlike insurance, CDS are derivatives and therefore priced based on financial models. The CDS market around the world has grown exponentially over the last decade. To put it into perspective, the housing market is roughly $7 trillion in size and the CDS market is estimated to be near $50 trillion. Should the CDS market collapse, our economy will reach lows never seen in its 234 year history.

President Obama came onto the World stage with an agenda and the President has not veered from it once. To admit that his wishes are to help others, there is no doubt. To his timing, it couldn’t be worse. We’re coming off one of the worst economic down turns in our country’s history. We’re experiencing unemployment rates near ten percent. Mr. President, this is not the time to be focused on an agenda that was put together a decade ago.

Now is the time to put all those charity plans aside and create a new plan. A plan no-one would have imagined necessary even five years ago. Today, we need to focus on getting capital to our small businesses. Small business is the engine that drives employment in the United States. Our Congress has invested way too much time on National Health Care Reform instead of focusing on the economy.

Banking, in the United States, is broken. Bankers have discovered there are more lucrative options to put our money into such as hedge funds and CDS. We need to find a way to make lending to small business more appealing to bankers. We need to distinguish between acts of gambling and good business practices. Placing our bank deposits into hedge funds and CDS is gambling with other people’s money. It’s time to get the American engine turned on and begin to grow employment.

Mr. President, now that the Health Care bill has passed, why can’t we push back the implementation until a constructive mile marker is reached? Maybe we can set unemployment below seven percent as the mile marker to begin spending on Health Care? Maybe we should try and reach a certain amount of lending to small business as the mile marker? Now is not the time to be asking businesses to take a charge for health care. Heath Care Reform will require AT&T to take a $1 billion charge; Caterpillar – $100 million; 3M – $350 million, etc. This will have the opposite effect of a true economic stimulus plan. We’ve reached a point where we’re finally getting some footing, why are you pulling the rug out from under us now?

By: Frank Denver

You win some and you lose some is a common phrase, one that the coffee bean recently experienced in regards to women’s health. Two reports released this month both involved the health effects of coffee on female health. One report coffee was not too fond of and, the other, coffee liked a lot, or, should I say, a latte.

The coffee cup was half empty when researchers published at article in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology that spoke of the correlation between coffee and miscarriage risk. Drinking coffee, the report states, during pregnancy can increase the chance that a woman will miscarry. This is worse news for news that was already bad: regardless of coffee consumption habits, 20 percent of pregnancies end in a miscarriage.

But, unfortunately for java lovers, coffee could make this worse.

The recent research states that women who drink coffee while pregnant nearly double their chances of not taking their baby to term. The research isn’t, however, purely out to grind coffee: soda, tea, hot chocolate, sports drinks, or anything with caffeine can add to an increased risk. These findings are reported to have doctors split between telling their pregnant patients not to drink caffeine or telling them simply not to drink it in excess. Regardless of what is decided, caffeine, if not cut out of the diet all together, should be kept to a minimum.

Luckily for coffee, not all of the recently reported news was bad for the bean.

Another report released this month by US researchers stated that drinking caffeine appears to lower the women’s risk of developing ovarian cancer. This is particularly true, it appears, in women who have already gone through menopause and for those who have never used oral birth control. It was concluded that the more caffeine consumed the lower the risk. Still, this doesn’t mean women should drink four hundred cups of coffee a day: excessive use of caffeine can cause a whole slug of other problems.

Ovarian cancer is most common in women over 50. It remains a particularly volatile form of cancer because – unlike cervical cancer – no test exists to detect precancerous cells and prevent them from forming. Ovarian cancer also does not usually possess a plethora of symptoms in its early stages, making its diagnosis particularly evasive. When it is caught in its final stages, the outlook is particularly dire.

The research for the ovarian cancer and caffeine link was based on a study of 121,000 women between the ages of 30 and 35. While regular coffee proved beneficial, decaffeinated did not.

By: Jennifer Jordan

Boise, Eagle, Garden City, Nampa, Caldwell, Idaho Market Potential and Growth

(Economic City Report Service Sector)

Boise, Eagle, Garden City, Nampa, Caldwell, etc. The Boise Area was rated number two in the nation as the best place to do business. Boise is getting their share of the California exodus and that growth has been as high as 2.6% to 2.7% per year up until 2000 (Then 181,700 pop) and now is said to be 1.8% to 2% growth, which is staggering and literally put it as one of the top 20 cities for growth in the US. It rivals Reno, NV for its growth still.

Boise does not have as many sunny days a year as you might think and it gets about 234 on average and gets its share of both rain and snow in Winter. Rain about 12.1 inches and snow about 21.4 inches. Some of the storms are intense when the weather flows over the Cascades in WA and OR or fast moving North East storms out of CA and NV. The crime is relatively low. Housing costs are low and cost of living is said to be 14% below average in America. Forbes taking this into consideration has moved Boise from fifth place in 2000, sixth in 2001 and then second in 2002 as the best city to do business in. Austin, TX was number one and Forbes may have played a little politics on that one in my opinion. However Austin certainly deserves one of the top billings.

The lifestyle is also a major plus and mountain bikes and outdoor toys and hiking equipment sells well and there is a 46 miles trail “The Boise River Greenbelt.” This has provided homebuilders and business investment in the area with a proven ROI. Corey Barton Homes a local favorite has built some 38 housing tracts in the area. Average House Prices are $96,000 in Canyon County and $142,000 in Ada County. We talked to one lady moved from Lakeview Suburb of Denver and she said her house payment was $300.00 per month cheaper than her apartment in Denver? Her house was purchased within the standard range and was $130K, she was divorced and said she was much happier in Boise and away from the Rat Race. Reason for divorce appeared to be money issues with jobs in Denver, isn’t it always about money? These issues are tearing apart America.

When Forbes voted it number 2, it was a god sent for the Economic Development Association and City, Regional and State Chamber of Commerce. Shirl Boyce, VP Metro Chamber Economic Development Council, was quite satisfied on a job well done from the team there.

http://www.BoiseChamber.org .

Now their team has concentrated on the next upswing for the Nano-Tech Industry. With the DOE in state they believe they have a chance to compete to make Boise the Nano-Tech area of the Country. But when we visited New Hampshire they too were interested in expanding that sector while Boston and San Diego and Virginia all hot on the trail. And do not count out Denver or NM or PHX or LA (the Jury is still out on the Nano Capital of the US). Other cities in the Forbes study, which were rated high were. Also Research Triangle in NC, Atlanta and suburbs and Madison, WI (which we totally disagree with) and Provo, UT which we are unconvinced and Omaha, NE (but we like Lincoln better but still the cities are nearly touching now, so it is an okay call).

Big employers in Boise include some huge companies in the Fortune 1000. Alberstons HQ # 35, Washington Group # 435, Boise Cascade # 254 (just bought Office Max) and employs 1,000 in the city, 1300 in the state. Micron # 554 with 9400 in state. HP and spin-off company Pro-Clarity. Also in Boise big employers include J.R. Simplot personal Friend and potato grower to Mc Donalds, employs 2500 in Boise and 4500 in state. St Lukes Hospital 3295 employees. Direct TV call center renamed to Contact Center due to FTC attack on call centers employs 1600. Amalgamated Sugar 380 employees, Zilog wafer manufacturer 210 people. With the cost of living under that of Phoenix and Portland it makes a lot of sense. Kids and family enjoy the Roaring Springs Water Park in summers with 450 employees, 150 of which are certified lifeguards, very impressive. Lots of soccer teams, parks and baseball fields over half with lights. The apartment vacancy rate is 10.9% which is less than last years 12.2% and supply and demand issues are holding prices of apartments up even with low interest rates and new homes in nearby areas of Nampa and Caldwell. Both growing, Nampa faster than could have been predicted. Labor rates are generally $6.00 to $7.00 at most temporary services. Intermountain and Labor Ready on the $5.50 – $6.35 area. This costing the employer about $9.87 to $10.57 and the rates vary widely. North West Staffing at 41% for quality labor from college age kids.

There are some 12,759 apartments in Ada County. 750 under construction and to be finished before 2004. Manufacturing jobs are continually being a problem as the high tech field has had so many layoffs. They expect the Manufacturing Sector to lose about 1.2% in 2004. We believe it might be higher unless they reposition themselves and they are working on it. 8 out of 10 jobs are in the service business or jobs in the service sector, of course this includes Agricultural jobs for restaurants. One-bedroom apartments are averaging $566.00 and two bedroom are $642.00 these are down about $25.00 since last year.

The National Association of Residential Properties is still bullish on the Boise Market as well;

http://www.narpmswidaho.org .

It has been discussed that since the previously predicted 600,000 jobs maybe less and lets say 577,000 or less in 04 then apartment prices might be a supply and demand issue with several new apartments going up in Nampa, but also with the Hispanic growing populations and the influx of California Refugees continue it might be sufficient to say all is well on price and supply. Downtown is flourishing considering the excellent job on renovation and proximity to the State Capital Building. There are 2600 parking stalls in covered garages downtown, many high rises.

Traffic is a little bit of an issue and the city is under perpetual construction admits all residents. It will never be done. We could barley get downtown to the chamber of commerce with the construction and all the one-way streets. Complete hell. But they must do road construction in summer to make it work in Winter, after all it is the capital and must look good for politicians to prove self worth, most people are satisfied with government in ID. It took us 28 minutes and 14 seconds to drive from Broadway and Front to the Chinden-Broadway Connector and across Fairview to Garden City, city limits during rush hour. During non rush hour about 18 minutes and 20 seconds, missing six signals. Freeway on the 184 took eight minutes during rush hour. The city is navigatable, but trips need to be planned whether it is Winter or Sunny summer during construction.

We were able to discuss the growth with one Media Advertising Salesman, who said furniture sales were good due to the new housing and mass exodus people from the Socialist Republic of California (SRC) as they refugees often call it as the leave CA and then slander it. The price to advertise for small business is very doable and even the local florists can afford the TV Cable and radio ads. This individual and his wife were from Austin and Dallas and would move back, but the cost of living and the earning potential did not make sense to move back to TX even though all their families are there. Now that is an awesome testimonial, considering both those great markets. Our interview with him seemed to correspond close to the Boise Advertising Federation, which he also sits on the board.

We talked to one couple older who moved to Logan, UT from San Francisco and will never go back. After selling their property at a loss and having health issues wanted to move to Boise for the low cost of living and excellent hospitals. Including a Veterans Hospital, St. Lukes and Saint Alphonsus with a 208 million dollar expansion almost completed. The city has 7 colleges and 7 Tech Schools and many transplants from the Moscow, ID and Lewiston, ID area and from Pullman, WA, who upon graduation come to Boise, and draws the kids from the rural areas in WA and ID. We met several including one who worked in the Prisons helping kids get HS Diplomas while in jail or juvenile hall. The education of the population had interesting figures as well, for instance 86% had above HS education. Over 25% had Bachelors Degrees. This may help out in the unemployment figures, which are not too bad. In 2001 at 5.1% and now about 5.8% non-agriculture figures.

Meridian a near by suburb; has a huge expansion curve as demographics go. Top ten in country for its size. Nampa with 100K population now and Caldwell is pushing its size past its 25,000 Census figures of 2000. Also an older crowd moving into trailer homes and high-end retirement houses in the Meadow Lake Estates. Boise is a perfect market with growing suburbs for any small business, multi-chain operation or large business, which wishes to tap into the good labor market there. We are impressed with all the have done and are continually doing to maintain smart and steady growth in the region.

By: Lance Winslow