States Going Bankrupt

[Mrs. Sharon B. Hodge]

October 09, 2008 - Dow Drops Below 9000 in Massive Sell-off

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States That Can't Pay for Themselves
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Business Week
by Prashant Gopal
Wednesday, October 8, 2008

http://finance. yahoo. com/loans/article/105909/States-That-Can%27t...

The Golden State, which recently scrambled to fill a $15 billion budget gap, still may not be able to meet its payroll without help

California is going to Washington, D.C., to ask for $7 billion to cover its budget shortfall. Otherwise it won't be able to pay for its teachers, cops, firemen, and other essential services. Unfortunately, California won't be alone. A number of other states are experiencing a huge dive in tax revenue and could be going cap in hand to Uncle Sam alarmingly soon. How bad could it get? The potential cost for all the 31 states facing both major and minor shortfalls could be as much as $53.
4 billion

The data is based on a study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released at the end of September and shows the states that have seen the biggest shortfalls in tax revenue in their fiscal 2009 budgets



California
Budget gap (as a % of the total budget): 22%
Gap: $222 billion

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger warned this week that the state might need to borrow $7 billion from the federal government, if credit markets don't ease, to pay for salaries and other operating costs.
The state, which has been battered by falling home prices and foreclosures, enacted a budget that imposed cuts to the state's health insurance program for the poor and other social service programs

Arizona
Budget gap (as a % of the total budget): 199%
Gap: $2 billion

Arizona was hit hard by the subprime crisis, and its economy has slowed significantly since mid-2006.
Lawmakers, who had to make up a $2 billion budget shortfall for fiscal 2009, reduced the Medicaid rolls, put a freeze on hiring, and cut funding for community health centers and state universities

Florida
Budget gap (as a % of the total budget): 199%
Gap: $51 billion

The Florida housing slump is one of the worst in the nation and only appears to be getting worse. The $66 billion Florida budget for the coming year is about $6 billion less than the one approved the previous year.
It includes a $332 million reduction in public school spending and cuts to state hospitals, nursing homes, and various social programs


Nevada
Budget gap (as a % of the total budget): 16%
Gap: $12 billion

Nevada has the worst foreclosure rate in the nation, and its economy has slowed dramatically this year.
The governor capped the state's children's health program and increased children's health-care premiums, and cut funding for K-12 education, higher education, and welfare

Rhode Island
Budget gap (as a % of the total budget): 131%
Gap: $430 million

Rhode Island's economy has been weakened by its housing market, one of the worst in the nation.
Lawmakers are trying to make up for a $430 million shortfall in their budget with proposed cuts to the public college system and aid for municipalities, as well as tighter limits on welfare benefits

New York
Budget gap (as a % of the total budget): 98%
Gap: $55 billion

New York, which had a $4.9 billion budget gap, faced an additional $630 million shortfall after the budget was enacted.
The state made cuts to the health insurance program for low-income families, froze hiring, and enacted tax and fee increases


Alabama
Budget gap (as a % of the total budget):
95%
Gap: $784 million

Alabama closed some corporate tax loopholes, and made cuts to colleges and universities

Georgia
Budget gap (as a % of the total budget): 87%
Gap: $18 billion

The state's economy has been impacted by a slowing housing market.
The governor has asked state agencies to cut 4% to make up an expected shortfall in the $21 billion budget for the coming fiscal year

New Jersey
Budget gap (as a % of the total budget): 77%
Gap: $25 billion

The state's economic slump is due to the weak housing market and rising inflation. The state legislature passed a $32.8 billion budget that is $600 million less than last year's budget.
New Jersey plans to trim the budget by offering early-retirement incentives for state employees and through attrition


Maryland
Budget gap (as a % of the total budget): 72%
Gap: $11 billion

Maryland enacted a $1.35 billion tax increase in late 2007, which (along with $277 million in budget cuts passed by the General Assembly) is designed to help address the state's deficit.
However, a continuing economic weakness has led to an additional $270 million gap, which is likely to be addressed by further spending cuts

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Amid crisis, states forced to take ‘drastic action’
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States slashing budgets, axing jobs, halting major construction projects

MSNBC
10-09-08

http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/27103082

With the economy in a slide and the credit markets seized up, states are slashing budgets, eliminating jobs, putting major construction projects on hold and nervously waiting to see whether their shriveled pension funds recover

They are also weighing lawsuits against Wall Street firms.
And at least one state — California — may ask Washington to come to the rescue

Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger warned he may have to beg the federal government for a short-term loan to cover operating costs for schools, nursing homes and police if the nation's most populous state is unable to borrow a short-term $7 billion on the credit market

Dozens of states are expecting big drop-offs in revenue and dispiriting pension-fund losses, and are making another round of emergency spending cuts on top of deep cutbacks earlier in the year, when the economy began softening and the mortgage crisis started to unfold

"I think everybody agrees: The iceberg is in sight," said Murray Levy, a Maryland state lawmaker

New York, the capital of the nation's financial industry, is grappling with the highest unemployment rate since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks and a $1.
2 billion deficit that could balloon to $2 billion by the end of the fiscal year March 31

"We're going to have to take drastic action," Gov.
David Paterson said

Payroll cuts
In Massachusetts, Gov. Deval Patrick may ask state lawmakers for the power to make midyear cuts to close a $223 million budget gap.
Massachusetts also saw its pension fund shrink by nearly $4 billion in September alone to about $46 billion

States such as Massachusetts, Indiana, Washington, Pennsylvania and Colorado are either putting a freeze on hiring or hoping to reduce their payroll through attrition

With tax revenue expected to fall at least $2.5 billion short of previous estimates, Virginia Gov.
Tim Kaine ordered 570 layoffs, cut college funding by at least 5 percent and postponed state employee raises from next month until next summer

Washington Gov.
Chris Gregoire suspended the early stages of a program that would give employees paid family leave

In Utah, more than 19,000 people who received vision, physical therapy, speech therapy and other benefits from Medicaid will lose those services.
North Carolina's governor told state agencies to plan for a 3 percent budget cut, and canceled the purchase of a $9 million jet for showing off the state to executives looking for places to do business

Transportation woes
Transportation projects and other capital spending have taken a hit because the crisis has made it difficult to borrow money on the bond market

In Missouri, plans to repair the St. Louis airport and fix 802 of the state's worst bridges have been delayed or scrapped. So has an expansion of Minnesota's 911 communication system.
The crunch also threatens the building of new schools in Connecticut and prison construction in Iowa

Massachusetts successfully sold $750 million in bonds to pay state bills this week, but only after twice delaying the sale because of the paralyzed credit market

In some states, the fiscal woes have bubbled over into anger and threats of lawsuits

West Virginia's governor has asked his staff to research possible legal action after the state suffered deep losses in pension funds with holdings in Wall Street players like AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and Washington Mutual

"I want somebody to pay," Gov. Joe Manchin said. "It's outrageous.
We should be looking at the people who walked away with the money"

New Jersey investment chief William Clark said the state pension board is considering legal action against Lehman Brothers after the state bought about $180 million of Lehman stock in June and sold it for a loss of about $100 million

The attorneys general and Connecticut and other states are investigating investment banks for alleged misleading and deceptive statements regarding sales of mortgage-backed securities.
Connecticut also sued three of the nation's leading credit rating firms, accusing them of giving artificially low ratings to cities and towns

"The federal government has been asleep at the switch and my hope is that the SEC and other federal agencies will be more active and aggressive," Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said




October 06, 2008 - Experts predict that California will run out of cash by the end of the month, That prompted lawmakers to ask for a federal loan so the state can pay its expenses throughout the fiscal year, which ends June 30th


Emergency Response? Natural disasters? California is bankrupt, what are you talking about Arnold, MARTIAL LAW?

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Governor Schwarzenegger Highlights Efforts to Boost Emergency Response Capabilities
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Written by Imperial Valley News
Saturday, 04 October 2008

http://www. imperialvalleynews. com/index. php?option=com_content&a...

Sacramento, California - Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday joined with emergency responders, volunteers and private industry partners to highlight his administration’s recent actions to strengthen the state’s ability to respond to emergencies and natural disasters

At yesterday’s event in San Diego, the Governor showcased four memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with the private sector that officially make them key partners in the state’s disaster response system, and he discussed how recently signed legislation will enhance our emergency response capabilities
“With these agreements, California is better prepared than ever before for disasters, which is important especially now, at the start of Santa Ana wind season in Southern California,” Governor Schwarzenegger said. “We have the world’s best firefighters, police and first responders, but we all know government cannot do it all-making these kinds of public-private partnerships exactly what California needs.
I am so pleased that these private sector partners will be on call 24-7 for the people of California next time an emergency strikes”

Acknowledging the important role that the private sector plays in helping California respond and recover from emergencies, the Governor in 2006 issued Executive Order S-04-06, which called on the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) to make the private sector part of the state’s disaster response system

As part of its implementation, OES has been actively forming partnerships with private industry.
To date, OES has signed MOUs with the following private sector partners: Business Executives for National Security, the California Grocer’s Association, the California Utilities Emergency Association and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc

These MOUs will allow for more targeted and efficient delivery of goods and services by formalizing 24-hour contacts with the private sector. Just like we have 24-hour access to our governmental partners, the state now has well-established personal relationships with emergency management professionals in the private sector that we can call on 365 days per year. These partners will also be allowed into the State Operations Center during a disaster to staff a “Business Operations Center,” which is currently being established by OES.
Having the private sector side-by-side with state and federal emergency management personnel will expedite response activities and maximize resources

Examples of how these MOUs will benefit Californians include:

* Restoring power - the California Utilities Emergency Association coordinates the repair of power, water and other utilities via its affiliate businesses, which is critical during an emergency to restoring a community back to normal

* Providing food and water - the California Grocer’s Association can access their network of members to provide food, water and other provisions to emergency responders and evacuation centers

* Access to supplies - Wal-Mart has access to goods and supplies throughout the country and has a sophisticated logistics system to ensure that necessary supplies get to where they are needed in the shortest time-frame possible

* Access to emergency professionals - the Business Executives for National Security have a host of professional emergency managers that can aid in immediate response activities and long-term recovery efforts

As part of the Governor’s efforts to streamline the state’s emergency response capabilities, he recently signed AB 38 by Assemblymember Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara), which will combine OES and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security (OHS) into a new cabinet-level California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA).
The bill gives the merged agency the responsibility of overseeing and coordinating emergency preparedness, response, recovery and homeland security activities in the state

Additionally, the Governor signed the following legislation this year to strengthen California’s emergency response and firefighting capabilities:

* AB 2327 by Assemblymember Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) requires entities that provide assistance during an emergency or disaster to strive to ensure that all victims receive the assistance they need and for which they are eligible

* AB 2796 by Assemblymember Nava authorizes OES to establish a statewide registry of private businesses and nonprofit organizations that are interested in donating services, goods, labor, equipment, resources or other facilities in times of emergency.
These efforts will be a valuable complement to OES’ ongoing partnerships with the private sector

* SB 1595 by Senator Kehoe (D-San Diego) updates existing fuel management laws by amending defensible space requirements that separate structures from surrounding vegetation and other potential wildfire fuels

* AB 2859 by Assemblymember Ted Gaines (R-Roseville) expands the authority for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to thin green trees and other vegetation to promote healthy forests in areas with disease or insect infestations

Read The Rest HERE



Arnold announces layoff of 22000 state workers July 31, 2008


California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger talks about the tentative budget agreement with the legislature during a news conference at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., on Friday, Sept.
19, 2008 - According to The Los Angeles Times, California’s Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says California may need an emergency loan of up to $7 billion from the federal government

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Schwarzenegger to US : State may need $7-billion loan
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In a letter obtained by The Times, the governor warns that tight credit has dried up funds California routinely relies on and it may have to seek emergency aid within weeks

By Marc Lifsher and Evan Halper, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
October 3, 2008

Schwarzenegger letter to Paulson link:
http://www. latimes. com/media/acrobat/2008-10/42718750. pdf

SACRAMENTO -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, alarmed by the ongoing national financial crisis, warned Treasury Secretary Henry M.
Paulson on Thursday that the state might need an emergency loan of as much as $7 billion from the federal government within weeks

The warning comes as California is close to running out of cash to fund day-to-day government operations and is unable to access routine short-term loans that it typically relies on to remain solvent

The state of California is the biggest of several governments nationwide that are being locked out of the bond market by the global credit crunch.
If the state is unable to access the cash, administration officials say, payments to schools and other government entities could quickly be suspended and state employees could be laid off

Plans by several state and local governments to borrow in recent days have been upended by the credit freeze.
New Mexico was forced to put off a $500-million bond sale, Massachusetts had to pull the plug halfway into a $400-million offering, and Maine is considering canceling road projects that were to be funded with bonds

California finance experts say they know of no time in recent history when the state has sought an emergency loan of this magnitude from the federal government.
The only other such rescue was in 1975, they said, when the federal government lent New York City money to avoid bankruptcy


"Absent a clear resolution to this financial crisis," Schwarzenegger wrote in a letter Thursday evening e-mailed to Paulson, "California and other states may be unable to obtain the necessary level of financing to maintain government operations and may be forced to turn to the federal treasury for short-term financing"

The letter, obtained by The Times, came on the eve of a vote by the House of Representatives on a $700-billion rescue package, but it was too soon to know how the package would affect the nation's paralyzed credit markets.
The Senate approved the so-called rescue bill Wednesday night

A top Schwarzenegger aide followed up the letter with a call to the Treasury secretary Thursday night.
Treasury Department officials could not be reached for comment

Read The Rest HERE


California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sets down the pen after signing an executive order eliminating 22,000 part-time and temporary positions and ordering 200,000 state workers receive the federal minimum wage


Exterminators of Americans - Warren Buffett, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lord Jacob Rothschild






Terrorists in Homeland Emergency Preparedness teaches how to Create An Evacuation Plan Saturday, 4 October 2008



Click Here To See Army Photo (censored on MySpace)
Canadians integrate US Soldiers into training - September 21, 2008 Soldiers from the 4th Platoon, H Company, 2nd Royal Canadian Regiment and the 209th Military Intelligence Company, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division pose for a group shot after Military Operations in Urban Terrain training at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center on Sept 12


Dr Yessica Chaparro, Deputy Director of Emerging and Reemerging DISEASES (!!!) in the Emergency Health Department of Mexico’s Ministry of Health, discusses government actions during a hypothetical pandemic influenza in North America during US Northern Command’s Trinational Pandemic Influenza Tabletop Exercise and Seminar in Colorado Springs, Colo.
, on June 16, 2008


Soldiers check an AH-64 Apache Longbow at Fort Bliss, Texas, before conducting an aerial reconnaissance flight over the southwest border, The mission was coordinated by Joint Task Force North, the U.S.
Northern Command unit tasked to support federal law enforcement agencies in the identification and interdiction of suspected transnational threats within and along the approaches to the continental United States




Amy Goodman delivers some good news: September 22, 2008 - "this new mission marks the first time an active unit has been given a dedicated assignment to NorthCom, a joint command established in 2002 to provide command and control for federal homeland defense efforts and coordinate defense support of civil authorities"

Brigade homeland tours start Oct 1 - 3rd Infantry’s 1st BCT trains for a new dwell-time mission Helping ‘people at home’ may become a permanent part of the active Army
http://www. armytimes. com/news/2008/09/army_homeland_090708w/

Exercise Vigilant Shield ’08 slated for October
http://www. northcom. mil/News/2007/083007. html



Soldiers preparing for a mission coordinated by Joint Task Force North, the US Northern Command unit

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Army combat unit to deploy within US
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CNN
October 3, 2008

http://edition. cnn. com/2008/US/10/03/army. unit/

http://edition. cnn. com/2008/US/10/03/army. unit/

From Larry Shaughnessy
CNN Pentagon producer

Story Highlights

- Soldiers first in Iraq are part of unit that tackles domestic emergencies

- Northern Command, created after 9/11, is overseeing the initiative

- Critics concerned that unit will be used for law enforcement

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States military's Northern Command, formed in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, is dedicating a combat infantry team to deal with catastrophes in the U.S.
, including terrorist attacks and natural disasters

The 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 3rd Infantry, which was first into Baghdad, Iraq, in 2003, started its controversial assignment Wednesday

The First Raiders will spend 2009 as the first active-duty military unit attached to the U.S. Northern Command since it was created.
They will be based in Fort Stewart, Georgia, and focus primarily on logistics and support for local police and rescue personnel, the Army says

The plan is drawing skepticism from some observers who are concerned that the unit has been training with equipment generally used in law enforcement, including beanbag bullets, Tasers, spike strips and roadblocks

That kind of training seems a bit out of line for the unit's designated role as Northern Command's CCMRF (Sea Smurf), or CBRNE Consequence Management Response Force.
CBRNE stands for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive incidents

According to Northern Command's Web site, the CBRNE Consequence Management Response Force is a team that will ultimately number about 4,700 personnel from the different military branches that would deploy as the Department of Defense's initial response force

Its capabilities include search and rescue, decontamination, medical, aviation, communications and logistical support.
Each CCMRF will be composed of three functional task forces -- Task Force Operations, Task Force Medical and Task Force Aviation -- that have individual operational focus and mission skills, the Web site says

The Army says the unit would be deployed to help local, state or federal agencies deal with such incidents, not take the lead.
The law enforcement-type training is not connected to its new mission, it says

Use of active-duty military as a domestic police force has been severely limited since passage of the Posse Comitatus Act following the Civil War

Bloggers are criticizing the new force, saying that because it has been training in law enforcement tactics it could be be used for domestic law enforcement

Troops may be trained in non-lethal tactics, but they are not trained for what they may have to deal with in domestic situations, said Gene Healy, a vice president of the conservative think-tank Cato Institute

Healy said civilian police and, if circumstances are extreme, National Guard troops under the command of state governors should keep the peace

"Federal troops should always be a last resort, never a first responder," he said

Critics also point to a General Accounting Office study in 2003 that found that domestic security missions put a strain on a military stretched thin by two simultaneous wars, and that a unit's readiness for combat is reduced if the members have to take time out to respond to an emergency at home

The U.S.
military "is not a Swiss Army knife," ready to fight the Taliban one week, respond to a hurricane the next and put down a major political protest the third week, Healy said

The Army says the non-lethal training is an outgrowth of missions that troops have faced around the world in recent years

"We need a lot more in our toolbox in order to deal with angry people on the street," said Col. Barry Johnson of U.S.
Army North

The units are well-trained in the skills they might need to assist the Northern Command, and that won't weaken the unit when and if it goes back to Iraq

The designation of a specific unit as the CCMRF is a step forward, he said

The active-duty military has long had units capable of handling chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or other domestic emergencies, such as hurricanes, Johnson said. But they were assigned as needed.
Now they will have a unit that knows in advance that it might be called upon to respond in a domestic emergency

"We don't have the luxury to wish these things away.
We have to imagine the unimaginable," Johnson said



National Terror Alert - September 2008 - . S. Army Brigade Deploys ...


National Terror Alert – Oct 1, 2008 - Former FBI Analyst Predicts T...



Soldiers at Great Lakes Naval Station, Ill., practice skills they will use when their units assume a consequence management response mission Oct. 1.
Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Thomas J Miller


Service members onboard HMCS Toronto demonstrate an at-sea rescue during the joint Canada-United States Command Senior Enlisted Conference held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, The sailors also demonstrated interdictions conducted by the ship’s Naval Boarding Party and manoeuvres by a Sea King helicopter


Soldiers from the 379th Chemical Company train on detecting hazardous materials at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Ill, in late August, The Chicago-based Army Reserve unit will be assigned Oct 1 to US Northern Command as part of CCMRF 9,1


Canadian Chief of Defence Staff Gen Walter J Natynczyk addresses personnel at the headquarters of North American Aerospace Defense Command and US Northern Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo, on July 23, 2008 Natynczyk visited NORAD as part of a familiarization tour after his appointment to the position of CDS


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DoD Announces Assignment of Forces to US Northern Command
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Defense Link
October 03, 2008

http://www. defenselink. mil/releases/release. aspx?releaseid=12260

The Department of Defense announces the assignment of an enhanced military capability to U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) to assist civil authorities in the response to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive (CBRNE) incidents in the U.S.
homeland

“The stand-up of the first of three CBRNE Consequence Management Forces (CCMRF) represents a force of 4,000 to 6,000 personnel that can be quickly tailored to support a coordinated national response to a specific CBRNE incident.
This is a fundamental change in military culture and capability,” said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas’ Security Affairs Paul McHale

CCMRFs are Title 10, U.S.
Code, joint forces capable of responding to a wide range of CBRNE attacks against the American people with a wide range of services, including: radiological assessment, decontamination and security of a contaminated site or area; medical triage, treatment, and care; and transportation and logistical support

This first CCMRF will fall under the operational control of USNORTHCOM’s Joint Force Land Component Command, U.S.
Army North, located in San Antonio, Texas

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to support civil authorities, visit DefenseLink at http://www. defenselink. mil/policy/sections/policy_offices/hd/



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Exercise tests border readiness
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Calgary Herald
Gwendolyn Richards
Friday, September 19, 2008

An explosion at a Sweetgrass rail yard kicked off a cross-border exercise Thursday morning designed to test the response of agencies on both sides of the 49th parallel with a mock terrorist attack

In the scenario that began around 8 a.m.
, participants were asked to respond to a nerve gas bomb that exploded in a rail car carrying dangerous goods, including chlorine

A small explosion and smoke were used to simulate the blast

The explosion, in a switching yard on the Sweetgrass side of the border, prompted volunteer firefighters from Coutts to respond as other agencies jumped into action

The exercise began Monday with intelligence gathering. It ultimately involved 33 agencies on both sides of the border, including the FBI, RCMP, U.S.
air force, Red Cross and emergency management agencies for both Alberta and Montana


Read The Rest HERE

Click Here To See Army Photo (censored on MySpace)
Marking Zones - September 15, 2008 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel mark the simulated zones of contamination during an anti-terrorism exercise in Doral, Florida

Click Here To See Army Photo (censored on MySpace)
Radio Controlled Bomb Robot - USAG Miami September 15, 2008 A radio-controlled robot from the Miami-Dade Police Bomb Squad brings the suspicious package out of a building at USSOUTHCOM headquarters during a recent anti-terrorism exercise

Click Here To See Army Photo (censored on MySpace)
Securing the package - September 15, 2008 A wire-guided bomb disposal robot belonging to the Miami-Dade Police Bomb Squad delivers a simulated hazardous package into the Total Containment Vessel

Sep 15, 2008
U. S. Army Garrison - Miami anti-terrorism exercise involves local ...


MTV Threatens Us With A Martial Law Scenario


Martial Law Bailout Fear Mongering exposed by Rep Sherman on CSPAN - October 2008



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U.
S-Canada border training simulates dirty-bomb attack
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The Missoulian
Sept 19, 2008

By MARTIN J KIDSTON of the Helena Independent Record


SWEETGRASS - A simulated attempt to smuggle a dirty bomb into the United States using the railroad drew a massive cross-border response here, testing the ability of state, federal and provincial agencies to react to an act of terrorism

Six months in the planning and at a cost of $20,000, Thursday’s exercise involved eight Canadian agencies, seven federal agencies, seven state agencies and the Montana National Guard

“The more you practice the better you get at what you do,” said Monique Lay, an emergency management specialist with Montana Disaster and Emergency Services.
“It’s important that as we get more resources and more training that we do exercises like this, so we know how to use the resources if an actual event occurs”

A recent report by the Government Accountability Office described the northern border as the longest open border in the world.
It noted the border’s importance to international trade and detailed how 90 percent of Canada’s population lives within 100 miles of the international boundary

At the same time, however, the March report warned against the border’s porous nature. Investigators found that the northern border offers “a multitude of opportunities for clandestine and undocumented crossings” by terrorists into the U.
S

Thursday’s exercise took the report into account, simulating an attempted crossing by a group of terrorists planning to execute attacks on targets in the southern U.
S

Dubbed “Operation Sweetgrass,” the exercise began shortly after 8 a.m.
with the simulated burst of a chlorine bomb on a railroad car held up at the Sweetgrass Port of Entry

Within the hour, more than 300 personnel from 23 agencies had responded, including members of the Alberta provincial government

Read The Rest HERE





Camp Pendleton Martial Law War Prep - July 2008
For 2 months at Camp Pendleton there have been military operations on an increasing scale and the local news have provided sanitized versions of these ops. With an upcoming attack on Iran and who knows what other nations. A crumbling economy heading for massive inflation, political unrest, police state measures, etc.
It's only a matter of time before that tyranny becomes full blown






U.S. Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, left, commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, and Canadian Air Force Lt.-Gen. Marc Dumais, commander of Canada Command, signed a Civil Assistance Plan that allows the military from one nation to support the armed forces of the other nation during a civil emergency. The signing took place at U.S. Army North headquarters, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Feb.
14, 2008

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CANADIAN ARMY MAY ASSIST LOCAL MAINE AUTHORITIES DURING CIVIL EMERGENCIES
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Deschesne Meets with General Libby to Discuss Civil Assistance Plan

Fort Fairfield Journal
March 26, 2008
David Deschesne

Last month, the United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and Canada Command signed an agreement that would allow the military of one country to assist civil authorities in the other’s during times of emergency

The so-called “Civil Assistance Plan” (CAP) allows Canadian soldiers to function with civil authorities in the United States and United States soldiers in that capacity in Canada during a declared emergency

The CAP was not authorized by Congressional legislation, or as a treaty between two countries by the U.S.
Senate

It also seems that the respective State governors and their adjutant generals weren’t apprised of the agreement either

Recently, the Fort Fairfield Journal questioned the Maine Emergency Management agency for their thoughts on the plan, a plan which they weren’t even aware of

“It came as a bit of a surprise to me,” said Maine Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management Commissioner and Adjutant General, Major General Bill Libby in an exclusive interview with the Fort Fairfield Journal.
“I’m a little disappointed that I had to learn of the (Civil Assistance) plan from the editor/publisher of the Fort Fairfield Journal”

According to a NORTHCOM press release, published on their website, the CAP was signed by U.S. Air Force General, Gene Renuart, commander of North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) Command and NORTHCOM and Canadian Air Force Lt.
-General Marc Dumais on February 14, 2008 in a ceremony at Fort Sam Houston, Texas

Alternate news media covered the story on the internet as early as February 21 and the Fort Fairfield Journal was made aware of it by its nationwide network of independent, volunteer researchers on February 24