| Economic stimulus a big break for home buyers
Although Fannie and Freddie are independent, publicly traded companies, there is universal belief that the U.S. government would ride to their rescue if need be. "If they end up buying up bad loans or getting themselves in trouble so that their own survival is in question, the federal government will bail them out, I don't doubt it," Baker said. Supporters of the cap hike say that the housing market is in such crisis that a quick infusion of capital is the best way to prevent foreclosures from spreading even more. Now that the Bush administration and House leaders from both parties have agreed on the stimulus package, it will go to the full House and then to the Senate. Underscoring how urgently Congress views the economic situation, legislators plan to fast-track the bill so it reaches Bush by mid-February.
The Super Tuesday Strategy Guide
Unlike the Republicans, the Democratic National Committee awards all delegates on a proportional basis. That means Hillary and Obama are likely to pick up delegates in each of the 22 states. Edwards, meanwhile, is a wild card. He'll only receive delegates in a state if he clears the 15 percent viability threshold. If that happens, look for the tight race between Hillary and Obama to get even tighter, since they'll have trouble winning by huge margins. In which case, the contest is likely to extend well beyond Feb. 5. Hillary Clinton: The proportional-delegate system doesn't help the national frontrunner because she can't rack up a commanding delegate lead. So, for Clinton, Feb. 5 is about maximizing her advantage in states that already favor her. She owns the tri-state delegate behemoth of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut (468 delegates total).
Bill Saas answers questions from WTNH.com viewers
Ken from Shelton asks: Can I take an IRA deduction for 2003? My current employer does not have a retirement plan, but my previous employer did. I'm 60 and have a lot of income since my sister died and left me her 401K. Bill Saas responds: If you worked for your present employer all 2003, you're clearly eligible for a deductible IRA. Your write-off could be as much as $3,500 since you're over 50. If you worked for your “former employer" part of the year, inspect your W-2 “pension plan" designation for accuracy. Consider also a “spousal IRA" for your wife, who we assume was not separately covered under and employer plan for 2003. Mark from Glastonbury asks: Can money from my company's “flexible spending account" be used for my childrens' pre-school program even though my wife only works 2 days per week.
Gary K. King, Democrat
Education: Bachelors in chemistry, New Mexico State University, 1976; Ph.D. in organic chemistry, Colorado University, 1980; J.D., University of New Mexico, 1983. Please list the experience you think would help you be a good attorney general. I have been practicing law for 23 years. I clerked for the chief justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court and then started my own general practice law firm in Moriarty in 1984. I served as city attorney and prosecutor for Moriarty. I also litigated many types of cases, including domestic relations, property disputes and probate of estates. I was a guardian ad litem for abused children and have been a domestic violence hearing officer. I was chief counsel and senior scientist for a New Mexico environmental engineering firm for nine years.
A College’s Delicate ‘Balancing Act’
That system has served the college reasonably well, McKenzie says, but circumstances over the past year — on and around the campus — have prompted a review. The case of Dylan and Shasta Groene, a brother and sister who were allegedly abducted, assaulted and, in Dylan's case, killed by a convicted sex offender in neighboring Idaho, sharply raised awareness and concern about sex offenders throughout the Northwest, and especially in eastern Washington, 30 miles from the scene of the kidnapping and the murders of Dylan and his parents. Second, the number of sex offenders enrolled at Spokane Community College has risen, McKenzie says, from just one or two Level 3 offenders a few years ago to seven now (and to a total of 20 convicted offenders all told). Reasons for the increase are unclear, though most observers believe it has more to do with heightened disclosure than with any actual rise in the number of offenders seeking an education.
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