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- Educate yourself on ins and outs of warranties Charlotte
Observer, The, January, 2006 by CRISTINA BOLLING
What the law says
State law doesn't require builders to offer any warranties, but
most do because it's simply good business, says Paul Wilms, director
of government affairs for the N.C. Home Builders Association.However,
courts in North Carolina almost always rule in favor of home buyers
if problems crop up within a year, and are caused by craftsmanship
or materials that are of a poorer quality than what's commonly
built in that area.
N.C. law does, however, give home buyers three years from the
date of closing to file a lawsuit in Superior Court demanding
a builder fix a defect that was visible at closing. For problems
that weren't visible at closing, buyers have three years from
the date they discovered the problem to file a lawsuit. As a rule,
no lawsuits can be filed more than six years after buying a home.
- When bigots become reformers: the Progressive Era's
shameful record on race Reason, May, 2006 by Damon W. Root
The Progressive Era and Race: Reform and
Reaction, 1900-1917, by David W. Southern, Wheeling, W.V.: Harlan
Davidson, 240 pages, $15.95
THE PROGRESSIVE movement swept America from roughly the early
1890S through the early 1920s, producing a broad popular consensus
that government should be the primary agent of social change.
To that end, legions of idealistic young crusaders, operating
at the local, state, and federal levels, seized and wielded sweeping
new powers and enacted a mountain of new legislation, including
minimum wage and maximum hour laws, antitrust statutes, restrictions
on the sale and consumption of alcohol, appropriations for hundreds
of miles of roads and highways, assistance to new immigrants and
the poor, women's suffrage, and electoral reform, among much else.
Today many on the liberal left would like to revive that movement
and its aura of social justice. Journalist Bill Moyers, speaking
at a conference sponsored by the left-wing Campaign for America's
Future, described Progressivism as "one of the country's
great traditions" Progressives, he told the crowd, "exalted
and extended the original American Revolution. They spelled out
new terms of partnership between the people and their rulers.
And they kindled a flame that lit some of the most prosperous
decades in modern history."
- Free money! 10 ways to fund your dreams Essence, May,
2006 by Tamara E. Holmes
Is cold hard cash all that stands between
you and your dream of going to college or starting a business?
A lack of money doesn't have to be a dream killer, says Michelle
Oliver, president of The Oliver Financial Group in Richmond. "Free
your mind," she says, and don't focus on the limitations
of your bank account. Be willing to search the Web, fill out a
grant application, or write a scholarship essay or two to find
the money to pursue your goals. To get started, consider these
options:
Dream: To Get a College Degree
Many organizations that offer scholarship money are looking for
well-rounded applicants who meet criteria beyond grades, such
as community service, ethnicity, personal goals and career interests.
Grants made available by the federal government and state agencies
provide another option. Some other sources to look into:
* The Jeannette Rankin Foundation (rankinfoundation.org) offers
grants of $2,000 each fall to low-income women 35 and older who
can convey how their education will improve their lives as well
as that of their families or communities.
- WBA honors bankers who give time to educate youngsters
Northwestern Financial Review, Nov 15-Nov 30, 2005
The Wisconsin Bankers Association doled
out its annual PEP awards recently, honoring three bankers for
their exceptional financial education effort.
Stacey Renn, a personal banker who works at the Janesville branch
of M&I Marshall & Ilsley Bank, gained recognition for
giving 81 presentations coordinated with both National Teach Children
to Save Day and Get Smart About Credit Day. Her presentations
occurred in elementary, middle and high schools, and amounted
to more financial education presentations than any other banker
in Wisconsin.
In addition to receiving a PEP award, Donna Gross, vice president
of Hartford Savings Bank, earned the Wisconsin Teach Children
to Save Day Award. In addition to making 71 in-school presentations,
Gross led a program for her local 4-H clubs. Partnering with University
of Wisconsin extension agents and 4-H leaders, Gross helped design
a year-long special emphasis program called "Money, Money,
Money - Invest in Your Future," which educated older 4-H'ers,
who in turn, led financial education activities within their 4-H
clubs.
Julie Schumacher of Union State Bank of West Salem, received her
PEP award for giving 59 presentations, bank tours and school visits
at West Salem Elementary. She also collects children's deposits
and helps establish savings accounts through the bank's Just Us
Kids Club.
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