 may need to increase Coordinates::additional_overlap_size. ` but runs fine if one comments out the processor_topology line or runs on a single processor.
Peter and I are still debugging this process topology creation method.Proposed Tax Increases Threaten to Stunt Oklahoma Recovery
The Oklahoma legislature is considering tax increases on cigarettes, beer, and fuel taxes along with doubling the severance tax on new oil and natural gas wells.
The Oklahoma legislature is considering tax increases on cigarettes, beer, and fuel, along with doubling the severance tax on new oil and natural gas wells. The estimated $455 million in annual revenue from this revenue grab will likely be as large as a percentage of state GDP than any other tax increase in any other state this year. This weighty burden threatens to erode Oklahoma’s competitiveness even as the state struggles to recover from the regional recession.
The cigarette tax increase would force individual workers to pay hundreds of dollars more annually in taxes. That is $273 for someone smoking half a pack a day. Doubling the cigarette tax from $1.03 per pack to $2.53 per pack would generate more than $243 million annually in new taxes. The tax per pack would soar from 36th in the nation to 12th, joining the ranks of high-tax states such as California, Connecticut, New York and Rhode Island. In addition, this proposed legislation increases taxes on “little cigars” and smokeless tobacco products. The tax in Oklahoma will be a whopping 34 percent to 93 percent higher than these respective neighbors. An Oklahoma taxpayer who smokes half a pack per day would save $430 annually by purchasing cigarettes in Missouri and $308 annually by purchasing cigarettes in Colorado.
Small businesses reliant on revenue from cigarette sales would feel the most damage from this specific tax. Nationally, cigarettes account for 31.3 percent of in-store sales nationwide, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores. Spurring Oklahoma taxpayers to purchase cigarettes across state lines or on the internet in response to a cigarette excise tax increase jeopardizes the economic livelihood of Oklahoma retailers.
An increase in the motor vehicle fuel tax will hurt workers and businesses. A family with two vehicles filling up once each week could forfeit an additional $100 per year, mostly in part to the six cents per gallon tax increase. Oklahoma already spends more funds per state on state-controlled highway mile than four of its neighboring six states. Of those four lower spending states, three rank higher in overall highway performance. Enhanced efficiency in transportation spending should be sought before resorting to additional fuel taxes.
In addition to these taxes, legislators are proposing a four percent gross productive tax on new oil and natural gas wells. Yet another blow to the Oklahoma energy sector is the doubling of the current severance tax on new oil wells. A tax on new wells will be a disincentive for exploration, extraction and development dollars. Other states with energy reserves compete for investment allocations. Many of these locations such as Colorado and Texas are close by. Oklahoma’s current general severance tax of seven percent on oil and natural gas is higher than Colorado’s one percent-five percent rate and exceeds Texas 4.6 percent rate on oil extraction. Loss of this economic activity harms landowners, energy producers and workers.
Spending excess, not a lack of revenue, has created this budget impasse. The total Oklahoma state government expenses reached a record $17.96 billion in Fiscal Year (FY)2016 and likely hit another record for FY2017, a feat almost certain to be repeated in FY2018. The budget crises could be addressed with spending reforms such as those contained in the ALEC State Budget Reform Toolkit rather than through increased taxes. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the state of Oklahoma spent more per capita in the fiscal year 2015 than 21 other states. In fact, for every $1 per capita spent by Texas, Oklahoma spent $1.31.
Tax increases negatively impact Oklahoma’s ability to compete economically with other states. Oklahoma now ranks 6th in economic performance national but just 16th in economic outlook, according to Rich States, Poor States ALEC-Laffer Economic Competitiveness Index. These tax increases could erode outlook further to 20th or below. With effects of the localized recession from the ending oil boom still being felt, Oklahoma needs economic growth. Levying additional taxes on workers and businesses hampers this prosperity.Christian Dior’s first fragrance debuted in 1947 as an “homage to [his] sister, Catherine Dior, [who was] deported during the Second World War and who has become a muse for the artists who worked on the codes of Miss Dior and the fragrance,” explained Herve Mikaeloff, the show’s curator. For the exhibition, fifteen female contemporary artists from around the world “were given carte blanche to create large-scale works inspired by Miss Dior,” according to Women’s Wear Daily. Each piece was created using different media, but the artists all shared a global vision in making the exhibition come to life. The artwork will be accompanied by a reference to whichever part of Miss Dior that inspired it, including everything from Dior’s creations to Natalie Portman’s role as the modern face of the fragrance. The exhibition doesn’t just commemorate Dior’s legacy – rather, it’s a meaningful blend of history, art and fashion that proves that the appreciation of one is incomplete without that of the other two.
The Huffington Post reports that Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Or) is investigating articles of impeachment for Chief Justice Roberts in response to the Court’s decision in Citizens United.
This is absurd. Even liberal academics who are exceedingly critical of Chief Justice Roberts and the Supreme Court’s alleged turn to the right recognize the silliness of Rep. DeFazio’s charge.
“This is neither well-advised nor plausible,” said Geoffrey R. Stone, a professor at the University of Chicago Law School. “Nominees may not perjure themselves, of course, but nothing in Roberts’ testimony along these lines can fairly be characterized as perjury.”...
There is also an irony to seeking to impeach the Chief Justice for his alleged willingness to overturn precedent when the Roberts Court, thus far, has overturned prior precedents (and statutes) at a lower rate than its predecessors.
JCRC would like to thank Representative McMurtry and Senator Creem for sponsoring anti-BDS amendments to the House and Senate versions of the Economic Development Bill (H. 4413 and S. 2432) this session. Although both amendments were ultimately withdrawn in recent days, we thank them for their strong support for our community and for Israel.
In withdrawing their amendments, it was very clear that the reasons were in the interest of time, and not substance, given upcoming recesses and the need to fully brief their colleagues. Sponsors of the amendments, and JCRC, firmly believe that this language puts in place a standard to ensure that the state does not subsidize discriminatory businesses that passes free speech review. This language was passed in South Carolina and Rhode Island and another nine states passed similar legislation. We plan to take up the issue again next session and expect that when there is time to more fully brief the membership, it will also be passed in MA.
We believe that when we band together to demonstrate our support for Israel next session, this important legislation will be passed in Massachusetts as a similar resolution passed with unanimous support earlier this session.
Suze Orman represents one of the most successful self made brands in the world. As a financial adviser, she has her own TV show, works as a motivational speak, and has written a number of New York Times bestsellers. The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom is one of her first books.
I don’t understand why there are so many Suze haters out there; she came from very humble beginnings and overall has a very admirable story to share. Yes, her tone can be annoying and sometimes even condescending, but for the most part, her financial advice is sound.
The nine steps are listed below, and where this book really differentiates itself from its peers is when Orman focuses on the psychology and emotions surrounding our relationship with money. I really enjoyed the chapter about giving, where she explains how being generous to others can empower you and why a cheapskate is not a “truly” wealthy person.
One thing I didn’t like was how she jumped back and forth throughout the book between high level, emotional perspectives about wealth and very technical personal finance, such as estate planning. While I truly enjoyed the former, the latter was a bit disorganized and quite frankly not up to par with some of the other personal finance books out there.
If you’re not a numbers person but want to get a start in managing your own wealth, this book can definitely help you. And even if you don’t need the financial advice, I think just reading about Orman’s story will motivate you: at the age of 30 Orman was a broke waitress – now she’s a multi-million dollar walking brand.
There are better ways to go about smoking without a rig which I mentioned above. The stove is fine for heating up your hot knives, but we’ve found some people are just dropping their concentrates on the eye of the stove. First off, the concentrates tend to drip off the sides only to be caught by your stove’s grease trap. 
This method is just asking to be put on the evening news. You can use the red-hot coil of a car lighter to vaporize concentrates, but you’re most likely going to end up ruining your car lighter pretty quickly. The coil will vaporize most of it, but there’s always a