http://eliel42.bloghostpro.com/ it is the theory which decides what can be observed - einstein en http://eliel42.bloghostpro.com/2008/10/07/in-lieu-timber-payments-reauthorized-scheduled-to-phase-out-in-4-years.html Looks like there’s a bit of rural timber county pork in the bailout bill. Unfortunately it shall phase out “in lieu” payments to the county over 4 years. Better than nothing I expect. The next few years shall take a toll on budgets on behalf of local schools as well as services… Lake County News | California - Thompson: Bailout an imperfect but necessary choice After the first version of the bill went down to defeat, work began on another version. Thompson said he trusted everyone in Congress came combined to endeavour to work through what was, on behalf of many, a new issue. Members of Congress also met with academics as well as economists to endeavour to find out the best course to take, he said. Thompson said he talked to everybody that had insight into the economic issue that he could. He said they needed as numerous eyes on the plan as they could get. Hundreds of pages added to legislation The text of the bill that the Senate, as well as later the House, ultimately passed on Oct. 3 is – at about 450 pages – roughly three times as long as the original bill that failed on Sept. 29. A key addition is an increase in deposit insurance coverage offered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. at FDIC-insured banks. Previously, deposits up to $100,000 were insured; that now rises to $250,000 per account owner. The increase became effective Oct. 3 as well as runs through Dec. 31, 2009. Many of the additional provisions are related to energy production incentives, including credits on behalf of renewable as well as clean energy sources, such as solar, biodiesel as well as geothermal; energy conservation as well as efficiency provisions; extension of energy credits on behalf of refined coal facilities; carbon capture requirements on behalf of certain fuels; as well as financial incentives on behalf of refining tar sands as well as oil shale. There also are tax extenders as well as alternative minimum tax relief, with extensions on behalf of both individuals as well as businesses; temporary suspension of limitations on the contributions of food to charitable organizations made by farmers as well as ranchers; temporary tax relief on behalf of areas of the Midwest hit earlier this year by severe storms, tornadoes as well as flooding; as well as temporary tax-relief bond financing as well as low-income housing tax relief on behalf of areas hit by Hurricane Ike, among numerous other measures. One notable addition to the ultimate version of the bill is a four-year reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools as well as Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, which supplies funds to rural communities on behalf of roads as well as schools based on historic timber receipts. Since the bill ran out at the end of 2006, it has jog into repeated roadblocks as proponents tried to get it extended. In recent years Lake County has received about $1 million a year, which has been split between the county road department as well as local schools, an estimated all notably those in Upper Lake, where much of the county’s timber was harvested. Illinois Valley News: The Voice of the Illinois Valley Josephine County Commission Chairman Dave Toler as well as other officials throughout S.W. Oregon felt relieved Friday, Oct. 3 at the end of President Bush signed a financial rescue plan extending federal timber payments to counties on behalf of another four years. Toler referred to as the forthcoming monies “a bridge to the future.” Oregon is to receive the biggest share of payments — approximately $254 million in the current budget year. Following are California ($63 million) Washington ($43 million), Idaho ($43 million) as well as Montana ($32 million). The federal funding shall continue to put Josephine as well as other counties in a solid financial position. Josephine as well as other counties in S.W. Oregon were facing the likelihood of drastic reductions in law enforcement, road maintenance, as well as other services. Senators inserted the timber portion under the Secure Rural Schools as well as Community Self-Determination Act. It provides monies to rural counties that had been receiving O&C funds, but which were reduced by restrictions on federal logging harvests. The House approved the bill Oct. 3, two days at the end of Senate passage. Said Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), “For rural Oregonians, we ultimately succeeded in reauthorizing as well as funding our county timber payments program on behalf of the next four years, as well as we fully fund Payment in Lieu of Taxes through 2012. “This is an enormous victory on behalf of our Oregon schools, counties, libraries, road departments as well as law enforcement agencies. Counties as well as schools can now restore essential services as well as real, family wage jobs. “For taxpayers,” said Walden, “this measure prevents 21 million Americans in the middle class as well as 237,000 additional Oregon households from having to pay the onerous Alternative Minimum Tax, which would otherwise cost families $62 billion in higher taxes this year alone. “It extends tax relief on behalf of qualified college tuition as well as on behalf of teachers who personally pay on behalf of classroom needs. It extends the child tax credit, which is essential to growing families. Failure to stop these tax increases on the middle class would manufacture their family economic situation even worse than it already is. “For Oregon’s renewable energy sector,” Walden continued, “this measure extends tax incentives that are creating green collar employment opportunities right here in Oregon through the development of wind, solar as well as fuel cells while providing research incentives on behalf of clean coal, plug-in hybrid vehicles as well as other conservation initiatives that shall help manufacture America more energy independent.” The so-called county payments law provides hundreds of millions of dollars to Oregon, Idaho as well as other states. Those states have counted on federal timber sales to pay on behalf of schools, libraries as well as other services in rural areas. Nationwide, payments go to 700 counties in 39 states. Following the president signing the bill, Dave Toler, chairman of the Josephine County Board of Commissioners said that the funding shall provide a “bridge to the future.” He added though that citizens require to understand that the amount counties shall receive won't be as much as during previous years. Additionally, he noted, the payment shall decrease each year. Said Toler, “Calling it a four-year subsidy is really kind of inaccurate. This is a serious ramp-down. It goes from 90 percent in the first year to 40 percent in the last year, to zero.” The chairman stated that Josephine County residents should not view the short-term subsidies as a permanent funding solution to the county’s public safety financial problems. “This is a four-year phase-out,” Toler stressed, “and emphasis (should be) on the over as well as out.” [emphasis added]        Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:19:57 -0400 eliel42