Unfortunately, the bee business isn’t going so well. A new phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has been taking a great toll on our honey bees. During fall 2006, beekeepers in many countries around the world noticed a sudden disappearance of managed honey bee colonies, and for no apparent reason. These hives were formerly healthy, but for some reason bees simply abandoned their hives, often leaving honest the queen and a few caretakers. In February 2007, the syndrome had been named (Kaplan). Congress recognized Colony Collapse Disorder as a threat in 2007 and granted emergency funds to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study honey bee disappearances. The 2008 Farm Bill granted the Department of Agriculture $20 million each year to support bee research and related work (NRDC). Research is underway to try to determine the causes of CCD, and how to prevent it from occurring. Possibilities involve combinations of pesticide exposure, invasive parasitic mites, inadequate food supply, transportation, and many different viruses. As the cause is believed to be from multiple sources, pinpointing them will be difficult. Many viruses are believed to be passed on by the mites, which in of themselves are devastating enough.

At an apiculture conference, a commercial beekeeper cries in front of the audience. In 6 months, he was broke, loosing his house, and his entire beekeeping operation had been wiped out. The cause of his disaster was two little parasites. One, the varroa mite, is described by James Tew, a specialist in beekeeping at Ohio State University, as the “biggest catastrophe to befall apiculture since its establishment in this country in the 1600s… In only a few years, the varroa mite redesigned nearly 300 years of North American apiculture in ways akin to the dramatic way the boll weevil restructured the cotton-producing industry … in the early 1920s.” Varroa mites are sizable enough to be seen by the eye. Female varroa mites attach to bees between abdominal segments, feeding on a substance similar to our blood, called hemolmph. When females enter a nursery cell, called a brood cell, the mites lay eggs. The mite nymphs then feed on the developing bees. The mites and bees leave the brood cell together, as adults. The mites cause many birth defects, such as shortened abdomens, deformed wings and legs, or sometimes cause death. Colonies infested with varroa mites that are not treated can survive for about 8-18 months. Scott Camazine, an entomologist at Penn State University, believes that the mites aren’t the main plight. He says that the mites are simply making viral transmission faster (Doebler).

The other mite feeding on honeybees are tracheal mites. These mites are much smaller than varroa mites and believed to be less dangerous. These parasites live and feed in the bee’s trachea, clogging the airway and limiting respiration. The major effect of this is that bees cannot raise their metabolic rate to keep warm while they fly. Beekeepers frequently set grease patties or menthol chips inside the hives when honey is not being produced to slow the spread of tracheal mites.

Many studies trying to determine the cause of CCD are built on a project started for the California almond crops. The eye started as a method to artificially supplement the honeybee’s diets in order to do larger colonies (Flores). As California is a major consumer of honeybee use for pollination, it is not surprising that the first effort to fight CCD have started there.

Entomologist Jeff Pettis, research leader of the ARS Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, is working on several collaborations to try to determine the cause of CCD. One eye is looking at the combination of pesticide use and Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), found in a previous study with university researcher Jay D. Evans, to be strongly associated with CCD. The second experiment will look at the effects of varroa mites and pesticides combined. If these two studies fail, other combinations will be explored. One of the issues with these and other CCD studies is that samples have only been taken after CCD has been reported. Therefore, Pettis has begun his study with three different beekeepers one both healthy and affected hives. Hopefully, the samples will give information to previous signs and causes of CCD (Kaplan). John Adamczyk, the acting research leader for ARS’s Honey Bee Research Unit in Weslaco, Texas, explains the hope for the study: “At the end of the 5-year cycle we’ll have specific recommendations that the beekeeper could use on how to manage bees more efficiently during long-range transport for pollination. We want to be able to transfer that technology to be useful by the ruin user” (Flores).

A major issue is the huge outburst of IAPV. Some opinion that importation of bees from Australia and China had brought the disease with them, but entomologists Yanping (Judy) Chen and Evans, both also with the ARS Bee Research Laboratory, found otherwise. Chen said that “Our study shows that, without seek information from, IAPV has been in this country since at least 2002. This work makes it positive that IAPV is not a new introduction from Australia” (Kaplan). This however, does not rule out IAPV as a cause of CCD.

American foulbrood a bacterial disease of the honey bee, which is very devastating to bee colonies. The most obvious symptom is a creamy or dark brown glue-like larval remain that can be pulled out in a rope. This test is known as the ‘matchstick test.’ It affects the brood cells, killing bees before they are productive, usually while pupae, and occasionally with larvae. Brood cells may be spotted, showing early signs (de Graaf). Introduction of American foulbrood, or any other foulbrood, can kill off all future generations of honey bees is not spotted and treated immediately. A fresh drug, tylosin tartrate (TYLAN Soluble), has been approved for use to treat foulbrood (Honey Bees). If treated, colonies can continue to thrive.

A very large study involving pesticides has been conducted. 158 pesticides were tested among the honey bee, the leaf cutting bee, and the alkali bee. The leaf cutting bee is a solitary nesting bee that mainly foraging on alfalfa plants. Nests are built in narrow tube-like cavities, and separate cells are made for each egg and lined with alfalfa. The cell is then plugged with alfalfa leaves, and a novel nest is made in the area. The alkali bee is also a solitary, bee that builds nests in soil. This western bee likes alkaline soils near water. The nest is between five and twenty centimeters deep, with many oval cells branching off the main shaft. This bee pollinates mainly alfalfa, onion, clover, celery, and mints. A smaller pesticide study has also been conducted on the bumble bee. Bumble bees are social insects, like honey bees. They develop smaller nests, consisting of only 100-500 individuals. They prefer to nest underground, like the alkali bee, and need undisturbed meadows, old barns or woodlots. Bumble bees work harder than honeybees at cooler temperatures. They pollinate a larger variety of plants, but do particularly well on tomatoes and berries. The results were very similar for all species, although clear bees do better than others with different pesticides (Devillers).

Many researchers have found a completely different solution to the problem of CCD, that is, to simply not have honey bee hives. Wild bees, also known as non-honey bees, have been shown to be better pollinators than the honeybee, although it is still unclear as to whether non-native honey bees are negatively effecting wild native bee populations. Studies are conflicting, and great pollination results have occurred when used together, yet the large numbers of honeybees could have a large impact on native species if food supplies are limited (Paini). Entomologist James Cane has found that a new native bee, called the Osmia bee, or the Mason bee, is a wonderful pollinator of berries. Cane learned of the bee from bee enthusiast Ron yon der Hellen, who told Cane of the quarter-inch long metallic green bee that had housed itself in his wooden nesting boards that he keeps as housing for leaf cutting bees. Cane borrowed several hundred of these bees and found that they visited as many red raspberry flowers as did honey bees in the same amount of time,, and nearly as many blackberry flowers. While red raspberries and blackberries are self-pollinating, bee visits made berries better. Cane found that red raspberry flowers visited by honey bees or the Osmia bees bore berries that were 30% heavier. The Osmia bee however, always gathered pollen, while honeybees did not. Even better, these bees are resistant to the devastating mites. After 5 years of study, Cane plans to give these emerald-green bees to growers and beekeepers (Wood).

Another peep shows that native bees are up to five times more efficient at pollinating sunflowers than honeybees alone. Researchers at the Berkeley and Davis campuses of the University of California found that wild bees play a crucial role in the pollinating process. Sarah Greenleaf, the study’s leader, says that, “Up until now, we have thought that honey bees alone were doing most of the pollination, but now we know that a lot of honey bee pollination happens because of their interaction with wild native bees. This means that wild bees are much, much more important that we previously thought.” She and Claire Kremen observed the behavior of honey bees and wild native bees in sunflower fields during two different growing seasons. They found that in fields where wild bees were rare, one honeybee visit produced, on average, three seeds. As the number of wild bees increased, so did the number of seeds produced, up to 15 seeds per visit. To keep their data clean, each flower was bagged before it bloomed, allowed one visit, and then re-bagged until the seeds were produced (Two Bees). The drastic difference shows that native bees are a vital part of the pollination process.

Native bees are shown to be the most important crop pollinators in a recent discover of watermelon crops. This study showed that native bees alone are sufficient to pollinate the watermelon. The study involved 46 species of wild bees, and showed that native bees, given proper habitat, could replace the honey bee if needed. Natural habitat must be provided, launch soil for soil-dwelling species, and year round food supply must be available within 0.3 kilometers, although further distances may suffice (Winfree).

Native bees are a possible, and currently the best, solution to the problem of CCD. To encourage native bees to live around your home, farm, or orchard, plant native plants. Native plants will thrive without much care and native bees are already well genuine to them. Use diversity in color, shape, and flowering times to attract many species to make permanent homes. Not all bees like the same colors or the same shape flowers, so be sure to get a variety. Avoid pesticides, or read the Devillers study to settle what would be safest to use, and when. Sure pesticides can only be used safely on different parts of plants; however there are a few pesticides which have been shown to be completely safe for the studied bees. Nesting sites are a must, so leave so open ground undisturbed, and consider making nesting boxes (NRDC). All these things combined can aid a farm or orchard save money by not renting out honeybees, and as CCD becomes more of an issue, these prices may rise.

Although native bees seem to be a solution to the CCD problem, other issues arise. Most wild bees are solitary, making transportation to large crops like the California almonds nearly impossible. If you of honeybees stopped in the United States, the millions of dollars received from honey and beeswax would no longer exist. These products would need to be imported, and prices would rise drastically. As CCD affects the world, these products may someday be completely eliminated if we do not catch a handle on CCD. Also, the different native bees have other diseases they are susceptible to, and share many of the same diseases with honeybees.

Colony Collapse Disorder is a serious problem effecting beekeepers, farmers, and consumers. If we cannot get a handle on what is causing this, the world may fall into a greater depression, and food prices will soar. To combat this, we need to stop abusing our honey bees and encourage native bees to take residence near farms and orchards. Pesticide use needs to be cut down, obsolete in safer ways, or altogether eliminated. Mass transportation of hives over hundreds of miles needs to be stopped, as this likely causes great stress to the honeybees, making them more susceptible to disease.

de Graaf, D. C., “Diagnosis of American Foulbrood in Honey Bees: a Synthesis and Proposed Analytical Protocols.” Letters in Applied Microbiology 43.6 (Dec. 2006): 583-590. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 27 Oct. 2008 .

Devillers, J., “Comparative toxicity and hazards of pesticides to Apis and non- Apis bees. A chemometrical study.” SAR & QSAR in Environmental Research 14.5/6 (Oct. 2003): 389-403. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. [University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 1 Nov. 2008 .

Doebler, Stefanie A. "The Rise and Tumble of the Honeybee." Bioscience 50.9 (Sep. 2000): 738. Environment Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 3 Nov. 2008 .

Flores, Alfredo. "Improving Honey Bee Health." Agricultural Research 56.2 (Feb. 2008): 7-7. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 27 Oct. 2008 http://libproxy.unm.edu/login? url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=28748594&site=ehost-live.

Honey Bees Procure a New Antibiotic." Agricultural Research 54.7 (July 2006): 23-23. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 28 Oct. 2008 .

Kaplan, J. Kim. "A Complex Buzz." Agricultural Research 56.5 (May 2008): 8-11. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 28 Oct. 2008 .

NRDC: Honeybees and Colony Collapse Disorder. Sept. 2008. National Resources Defense Council. 2 Nov. 2008

Paini, D. R. "Impact of the introduced honey bee (Apis mellifera) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) on native bees: A review." Austral Ecology 29.4 (Aug. 2004): 399-407. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 14 Nov. 2008 .

"Two Bees Better Than One." Science & Children 44.3 (Nov. 2006): 8-9. Education Research Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM.]. 14 Nov. 2008 http://libproxy.unm.edu/login? url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=ehh&AN=22885757&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Wood, Marcia. “Wonderful Wild Bees. (Hide story).” Agricultural Research 56.2 (Feb. 2008): 4-6. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 14 Nov. 2008 .

Winfree, Rachael, et al. “Native bees provide insurance against ongoing honey bee losses.” Ecology Letters
10.11 (Nov. 2007): 1105-1113. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 14 Nov. 2008 .

1. Safe Drivers

Being a trustworthy driver has its advantages: You don’t have to pay for costly repairs to a damaged vehicle, no one ever gets hurt on your watch and you might qualify for unique auto insurance discounts. Specifically, some states require that insurers provide premium discounts to consumers who complete driver safety courses, according to the AARP.

Thirty-six states require the discount if you take the Driver Safety Program in a classroom with an approved instructor, and 10 states even require it if you catch the course online. This can mean a serious auto insurance reduction even if you’ve had tickets or accidents in the past.

2. Retirees

Did you know that there are original auto insurance discounts for retirees? Some car insurance companies give reduced rates to seniors who are at least 55-years-old and are no longer employed full-time.

This is not a requirement, of course, and all insurance providers are different. However, if you can find a provider in your area who offers this discount, you’ll save a bundle on car insurance.

3. Students

Younger drivers aren’t left in the dust. Other unique auto insurance discounts include reduced rates for full-time students. If you’re getting your education, you probably don’t have extra money to throw around, and with the discount you might be able to afford a few non-Ramen meals outside the dorm.

In most cases, unique auto insurance discounts for students require that the consumer be under 24 or 25 years of age and maintain a certain grade point average. You might not qualify if you are married or included on your parents’ insurance coverage.

4. Students’ Parents

One of the most unique auto insurance discounts available is the reduced rate for students’ parents. If you support a child (he or she lives with you, in other words) you might qualify for a discount. However, there are always lots of stipulations, so you’ll want to check with your insurance agent for details.

5. Farmers & Ranchers

Many farmers and ranchers own dedicated vehicles that never leave their property. In this case, you might qualify for a unique auto insurance discount that insures your truck for less.

Remember that in order to qualify for this discount, you will need to own an applicable vehicle that follows the rules on the policy. Otherwise, you might wind up paying worthy more.

There are plenty of other unique auto insurance discounts that you might not have heard about. If you want to take advantage of them, you’ll need to sit down with your insurance agent and discuss the options available to you.

It is also a salubrious idea to research other insurance providers from time to time. You never know when a unique auto insurance discount is going to crop up that would save you money on car insurance.

Source:

AARP

Most states now offer mature defensive driving courses designed to keep driving skills sharp. As is the case with Driver’s Ed, about two thirds of all states mandate insurance companies give policy discounts upon completion of these courses. Generally, the cost for these two day courses is less than $30.00 and may well provide a 10% discount on auto insurance for 3 years. Checking with your insurance agent, AAA, or AARP can get you information on where courses are offered in your state along with actual costs.

Seniors should carefully consider the vehicle being driven for a number of reasons. As a rule most insurance companies give discounts across the board for safety and anti-theft features, updating or upgrading could save money over the long haul. Additionally, as we age our reflexes and reaction time slows, so now more than ever it is principal for the car to be properly maintained and easy to operate.

One of the biggest money savers on car insurance is also the most obvious – avoiding accidents. Any driver regardless of age who is uncomfortable during certain conditions such as weather, darkness, or rush hour should simply just not drive.

Joining AAA, or AARP is well worth the yearly fee, not only will it save you money on car insurance in some cases, but it can also do on repairs. Always shop around for the best prices, or at the very least review your policy yearly with an agent to be sure you’re not missing any discounts.

Sources:
http://www.hometownquotes.com/auto-insurance-tips-for-seniors.html

http://www.sbaaa.com/Insurance/Auto/auto_insurance_senior_citizen_drivers.htm

http://www.seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Discounts/2007/7-06-28-SenCitCanFind.htm

Auto insurance for your teen driver will be expensive but there are steps you can remove to lop the cost of teen automobile insurance. One way to decrease the cost of automobile insurance for teenagers is not popular with most teens – - choosing a vehicle that is not a sports car, not a brand new vehicle, does not contain a noteworthy engine and does not have a sound system that would make an Imax theater jealous. In addition to age and driving history, automobile insurance companies take into consideration the vehicle that the driver will be using when quoting rates. As with adults, the vehicle can affect the insurance rate and teens are infamous for wanting fast, loud vehicles, which also are a huge distraction for them when driving. Even though it may not be popular with your teen driver, choose a modest, family vehicle for their first car. This will not only lower your automobile insurance (it will still be high) but it could also reduce their risk for an auto accident.

In addition to choosing a vehicle, comparison shopping for auto insurance for teenagers is mandatory to get the best teen auto insurance at the lowest rate. Begin with your current automobile insurance provider and obtain a quote for adding your teen to your policy as well as a quote for a separate auto insurance policy for your teen driver. It is best to obtain quotes for both options, as obtaining a separate policy may be a better value than adding your teen to your insurance policy. Do not forget to ask for specials and discounts from your current company for family insurance coverage and long-standing customers. After you have an insurance quote from your current insurance company, contact several insurance companies and obtain teen insurance quotes to compare prices.

Asking for discounts for the following factors when comparison shopping can also save you money when purchasing auto insurance for teenagers:

1. Taking and passing a Drivers Education Course

2. Good Student Discount – discounts for teen drivers who maintain high grade point averages

3. Passing their driver’s examination with high scores

4. Taking a Defensive Driving Class or Accident Prevention Course

Do not opt to reduce insurance coverage to save money – - it is best to pay the slight increase to have full coverage on your teen driver than to save a few bucks and risk lowering coverage. For more information on how to protect your teen driver read the information provided at Progressive.com and Nationwide.com about teen drivers.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1. Determine what type of coverage you need for your vehicle. Depending on the age of your vehicle and its condition it may be unnecessary to carry full coverage insurance on your vehicles. Most states require bulky coverage on vehicles that are being leased or have a payment because the insurance will be needed to pay off the car if it cannot be repaired. However, if you acquire your vehicle without making a monthly payment you may do better with a liability only policy. Liability only policies cloak damage caused to property, other drivers, and other cars in the event of an accident. Liability coverage will not pay to repair your car in the event of an accident. Rates for liability only coverage are usually much lower than full coverage policies

2. Know what your state minimums are. If you want to save money the easy way your best bet is to go with your states minimum auto insurance requirements. The indispensable thing to remember when going with the minimum is that in the event of an accident you will more than likely have higher out of pocket costs.

3. Employ all resources available. Many people use the internet as their only source of shopping when it comes to car insurance. While the internet is a great resource for car insurance quotes and policies you may find a better deal by contacting your local agency. Local agencies will be able to give you more information on what is required in your state and may also be able to offer you better rates. Local agents in general take more time to find out about you and your driving history which may place you money in the long hurry. If you are visiting a local agent or getting a quote online or over the phone be sure to have a copy of your current coverage available for comparison. Also your local independent insurance agent can check rates with more than one company which will set aside you time.

4. Do not over insure your vehicle. Many companies offer services such as rental reimbursement while your car is being repaired. Determine if services like this are something you would need to take advantage of if you are involved in an accident. If you have an extra vehicle in your garage that you use on occasion you may not need this coverage which would save you money each month.

5. Take advantage of incentives and special offers. Many insurers offer safe driving discounts, trustworthy student discounts, and lower rates for infrequent drivers such as college students. Also many companies offer discounts for auto club members and sometimes offer discounts based on your employment. Many of these services are not automatic so in order to rob advantage of these services you must ask.

Shopping for car insurance does not have to be something you avoid. All it takes is educating yourself on what is available and determining what you need. If you deem you are paying too remarkable for your insurance take the time to evaluate your policy and compare it to what is currently available. Doing this every time you renew will ensure that you are receiving the best rates possible for your auto insurance.

While the state of Illinois ranks below the national average for auto insurance, which is approximately $1,800, the state falls into the mid-range when it comes to minimum auto liability insurance coverage amounts. In the spot of Illinois, it is against the law to drive without minimum coverages of $20,000 injury or death of one person in an accident, $40,000 injury or death of more than one person in an accident, and $15,000 damage to someone else’s property (20/40/15). 20/40/15 might be enough to cover a few drivers, but in most cases, the minimum coverages are not enough.

When determining rates, Illinois auto insurance companies will consider age, gender, employment, driving record, marital status, get and model of vehicle, and even credit history. Auto insurance providers will recommend certain coverages bases on your specific circumstances. According to Autoinsurancetips.com, most Illinois auto insurance providers will recommend uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM) coverage in as much UM/UIM as you can afford. This will protect you against drivers that have no insurance or not enough insurance. This is usually the case with drivers that carry the minimum amounts of coverage required by law.

Once you obtain your auto insurance policy, Illinois driving law requires that all drivers carry proof of insurance at all time. There are no exceptions to this rule.
In addition, the state of Illinois has random insurance screening. This means, if you do not provide proof of insurance upon request, your license plates will be suspended upon failure to provide proof.

Driving without auto insurance in the state of Illinois is against the law. If you get stopped for a traffic violation or for any other reason and you fail to form proof of insurance, your registration will be suspended. In order to reinstate your registration, you will have to pay a fine of no less than $500 and $100 to reinstate your registration.

Now that you have the basics of how Illinois auto insurance works, here are some tips on how to purchase auto insurance and ways to assign.

When purchasing auto insurance in the area of Illinois, look for auto insurance providers with a solid reputation in the industry. Log onto your celebrated search engine to launch you search. Choose 3-4 top auto insurance providers. You can do an online quote or simply call an agent. Sometimes it’s better to talk to a live agent – especially if you think you’ll have lots of questions. After you have received several quotes, decide which policy offers the most coverage, not the lowest monthly payment. Ample amounts of coverage will save you a indispensable amount of money and aggravation in the long run.

If you want to save money, go for discounts instead of skimping on coverage. Illinois auto insurance providers offer safe driver discounts and discounts for added safety features. If the insurance company is also a health, life, and
Homeowner’s insurance provider, you may qualify for a discount if you carry your other policies with the same provider. And finally, if you have more than one vehicle in your household, you can put up to 15% if you add it to your policy.

For more information about Illinois Auto Insurance, Illinois driving statistics and more, please visit:

Illinois Secretary of Status (DMV)
http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/

Auto Insurance Tips
Illinois Auto Insurance

California Department of Insurance (Website)
http://www.insurance.illinois.gov/

United States Census Bureau
http://www.census.gov/

1. Do you know the competition?

Insurance companies may have a situation quote they offer you, but with a bit of haggling you can get that quote lowered significantly. Knowing the prices and offers from the competition gives you a huge advantage when it comes to taking down the cost of your car insurance policy.

2. Know the blue book value and risk of your vehicle

Knowing both the blue book value and the risk your vehicle poses (theft, harm rate in accidents, and reliability) helps you get a lower cost insurance policy. Knowing both these values will insure that you are not overpaying for your policy.

3. Shop around

The absolute best way to get a cheap car insurance policy is to shop around at multiple auto insurance companies.

4. Know your driving record

Nothing jacks up a car insurance rate like moving violations in your vehicle. Before shopping for cheap car insurance make distinct that you have your driving record available since it will be asked for.

5. Make, model, year, millage, VIN, and previous accident reports

When shopping for car insurance make sure that you have the accomplish, model, year, mileage, VIN and all previous accident reports. All these documents or information will be asked when filling out a car insurance application execute.

6. Do you have multiple vehicles?

Having multiple vehicles will help you get a cheap car insurance policy by offering a substantial discount on the policy. If you insure your vehicle on the same plan as your home you will also regain a substantial discount.

7. Know the discounts

Discounts such as good student, safe driver, multiple vehicle discounts, and safe vehicle discounts are all common discounts that drivers may be eligible for. Make sure you apply all discounts to get the best possible rate.

8. Higher deductibles?

To save money on your car insurance premium you may want to opt for a higher deductible concept.

9. What belief do you really need?

There are many different car insurance policies available, make sure you know exactly what you are looking for; if you catch more than you want you will be paying much more than you expected.

10. What is the minimum insurance requirement of your state?

One of the most obvious ways to gain cheap car insurance is to look at what the minimum requirements that your specific state requires. You may be paying hundreds less per year by knowing this information instead of being up sold by an insurance agent.

Sources:

Personal experience

www.edmunds.com

Let’s examine the Declaration of Independence for a miniature the one written by our CHRISTIAN fore fathers

“IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes well-known for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”

The opening statement of the Declaration says a lot, but can be simplified. I feel the Nicholas Cage’s character “Benjamin Gates” in the movie “National Treasure” simplifies it best in saying, “Those who have the means have the responsibility, to take action. That is exactly what our fore fathers did. In the subsequent statements following this opening are charges against the King of England. Our fore fathers charged the king with several injustices against the colonists.

Our fore fathers feeble their most powerful means to engage on the responsibility to make our country free from the British Crown, Their Voice!

We all are given a voice by the documents written to attach, as well as the freedom that our fore fathers have fought and died for, in this country. We need to use the most noteworthy weapon we have by voting and by letting our elected officials know that we want real issues dealt with.

What issues are there?

· Rising cost of living

· Unemployment

· Jobs being sent out of the country

· Rising fuel costs

· Affordable Health care

· Increasing violence in schools and everywhere

· Unpleasant education

In my idea, there is a smoke screen up fair now. The gun control debate has reared its ugly head once again, we haven’t heard about it for several years but now in this time of Presidential elections and rising gas prices it has re-surfaced. Let’s be realistic, common sense tells any logical person that allowing people to carry arms in public is asking for more violence and crime. Gun enthusiasts and activists, like my father, will say it is a just by the constitution and for protection.

Let’s see, if the only people allowed to carry weapons in public are law officials and/or military then you don’t need it for protection. The second amendment states;

“Amendment II

A well regulated Militia, being critical to the security of a free State, the legal of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Lets examine this for a moment; “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State”

A Well regulated Militia, regulated by whom? We can assume by the government. During the revolutionary war, a militia was groups of farmers and towns’ people set up to assist the military in rural areas and on land that was familiar to them. Translated to modern day you could argue that today’s reservists are a type of militia the reservists are established to encourage the regular military.

The honest of the people, what people? By reading the first line, “A well regulated militia” to me this means the people in a militia the right of those people to gain and bear arms to protect the freedom of others within the state and/or country.

As citizens we have the right to occupy arms be it for sporting purposes, collecting or protection, bearing arms to me would be the suitable to in times of grief or war, not in everyday life.

Enough on the smoke screen; let’s address some issues.

Let’s start with Health care; rising health care has been a political hot button for several years, blame it on smokers, drinkers, pollution, preservatives in food, whatever. Let me ask you this, people long to eat properly and eat good food, right? How can people eat properly when they cannot afford the “good foods” they want. Why should it cost so much to eat right to be healthy? Lower health care? Compose it easier and less expensive for people to eat right and eat the proper kinds of food, thus making people healthier and not using health care so much thus in theory lowing health care costs. If more people are healthy and not sick that means fewer claims made on health care insurance, less claims means less pay out means more profit for insurance carriers, which is the bottom line, MONEY!

Jobs being sent out of the country, rising cost of living and unemployment, all kind of play together. They are all on the playground of making money. Why do we give tax breaks to companies that send jobs out of our country instead of tax breaks to companies that create jobs in our country? Barak Obama is the only candidate that has touched on this issue. This is a major issue, why do CEO’s need to make millions why does anyone need that much money? My Christian beliefs deny me that these people are idolizing false Gods and adore the almighty dollar. Just an example, and my concept and I don’t have exact facts but you can look it up for yourself. The family of a MAJOR retailer reportedly made in one year 19 billion dollars.? WHAT? Who in the world needs that kind of money? If this company is so family, and community oriented as they claim, why wouldn’t they return oh say 9 billion or so wait on into their company to increase their employee’s rates of pay so they can afford to live, or cut costs further to extend more savings to shoppers in the community.

Remember the ragged saying “you can’t take it with you” duh then why do we need so much? Again the bottom line is MONEY!

Poor education; wow this is a bad subject but we have kids graduating every year that cannot read, do simple math, or comprehend simple leases or rental contracts. Why, do we allow our future to be dumped on, on a regular basis? Why are so many parents not involved in what their children do? Well one answer is that some parents would rather their kids were out of the way than have to deal with them. There is another reason, so many parents have to work two jobs or work and go to school to make ends meat, so when do they have family time, aka the family dinner where as parents we spend time with our children learning about their day what’s going on in their lives etc. Parents need to be keen in their future (children).

Children need to be shown that school is like their parents job, school is their job, would parents go to their job dressed as their kids go to school, I doubt it! A dress code in schools is necessary; I don’t mean uniforms, but proper attire that is not flaunting, sexual, advertising, racist, promoting wrong doing etc. Some parents will argue that stopping children from wearing what they want to wear does not allow them to be individuals; you can be an individual without being a spectacle. Hormone charged boys are not learning or paying attention in class when they are looking at the undergarments of the girl in front of them or trying to find a glimpse of the bra of the girl wearing the sheer top or spaghetti string top. Or the girl looking at the boy’s boxers hanging out of his pants that are hanging off his backside. We send our kids to school (their job) to learn, not to be in a fashion show. Children are the future of this country and frankly as I look at kids today in school this country’s future scares me.

Rising gas prices; why do we as American citizens do we sit idly by and allow gas prices to continually climb? Why does the government continually allow sky rocketing prices in an economy that cannot afford them? How can anyone expect to stimulate the economy when people cannot even afford the gas to go to work? The average job available in today’s America is around $8.00 per hour lets break it down;

$8/hr X 40hrs/wk = $320/wk
$320/wk X biweekly pay 2x’s mo = $640/month

Gas is currently $3.24/gallon

The average cars gas tank is about 15 gallons which translates into $48.60 a week; let’s say $50.00/week equals $200.00/month in gas alone, now there is utilities, rent or mortgage, food. Where is the money to assign away for retirement, since we all know that social security will be gone soon and even now is not enough for people to live off of? Let’s not forget insurance how do we pay for that. People that cannot afford insurance are another cause of high health care costs.

How many times has this happened to you, your employer says that you are getting a 3% cost of living raise, then go home and on the news they space that the cost of living has increased 16% did you really gain anything?

How can anyone make a living when their income does not add up to their cost of living? The cost of living needs to decrease and the average income needs to increase, so many Americans are relying on credit and credit cards ultimately spiraling them into debt and owning nothing.

So how do we fix things? Let’s start with making alcohol expensive. In the movie “I Robot” Will Smiths character pays $46.50 for four beers, makes sense to me if it cost that much many people wouldn’t drink as much thus in theory chop drunk driving. Now, saying that, drunk drivers should be paying 10 times the amount to register a vehicle, renew a license, etc. they should also have to be issued a pink license plate telling everyone that sees it that they are an idiot. In my opinion anyone that drives drunk and kills someone else should be tried for pre meditated murder because they knew they shouldn’t be driving, it’s time for people to pay for the Privilege to operate a motor vehicle. This should hold true for anyone, movie star, singer, or the average Joe.

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Many employers do not offer life insurance to part time employees, contractors, or even in some cases full time employees depending on the type of work you do. It is so important to have some kind of life insurance in place to protect the financial well being of your family. I am going to provide you with some very principal information to use when shopping for your life insurance policy.

The first thing to consider before you even start shopping for life insurance is your budget. Only you know what is truly affordable to you. I hear people say all the time that they can’t afford life insurance. Let’s face it, these days money is tight for everyone even if both adult family members are working. Figure out what your family’s budget can handle comfortably and stick to that number.

Secondly, you will need to decide how much life insurance you will need to cover funeral expenses. You will also want to consider some other things such as, your home mortgage, vehicle loans and credit card bills. If you can comfortably afford to steal a life insurance policy that will shroud some of these items as well, it would be a marvelous idea.

Once you have an idea how much life insurance you need and what you want to pay for it, there are a few key points to keep in mind when shopping for your life insurance policy. Do your research when choosing a life insurance company. You want a company in pleasant standing with the insurance commissioner. You can do a search for insurance commissioner online to find lots of information. Ask friends or family who they spend and why. People will be more than cheerful to share their experiences with you.

Not all policies are alike and there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” policy when it comes to life insurance. Fair like no one family has the same needs as another family. There are several options and all of them have very good qualities. Get information on the types of life insurance policies companies offer. Get multiple quotes from more than one company. Life insurance companies will give you this information free for you to analyze before you decide which one is best for you.

All life insurance companies carry pretty much the same types of policies. They can vary from company to company as far as price and options available. The following information is a brief description of whole life and term life policies.

1. A whole life policy is what they call in the insurance business “permanent insurance”. This means that you pay on this forever. However, some whole life policies pay up in a certain amount of time or by a certain age. Meaning that at the end of a given time frame, say twenty years, or by a sure age, let’s just say ninety, the policy is considered fully paid up and will just sit there and accrue interest.

Whole life insurance also may pay out dividends that will increase your original coverage. The pros to this policy are that it is always there as long as you pay your premium and most of them accrue dividends, which adds to the value of the policy. Some policies have a area premium that never goes up in stamp no matter how long you have it. One con is, whole life insurance policies can be expensive however, if you want to make determined you have at least funeral expenses covered during the course of your life, it is a good one to consider.

2. Term life insurance is just that. You pay for it for a definite number of years, at the end of which, the policy ceases to exist. The pros to this policy are it is usually very inexpensive and you can afford a lot more coverage for a lower impress. This is especially righteous if you have bought a home and need to have life insurance policy to cover the mortgage. In addition, some term policies are convertible which means that you can, at some point in the future, covert all or part of the policy to a whole life policy.

The Cons of term life insurance is that it is temporary and it will end eventually. This means that after 15-30 years go by and the insurance ends, you are much older and insurance is much more expensive the older you get. Another con to term life insurance is that the premium cost will go up every year.

TIP: There are riders that you can put on your insurance depending on needs as well, such as, return of premium, accelerated death, accidental death, and riders to help pay the premium should you become disabled or unemployed. Ask your agent about these when you suppose with them.

Regardless of what type of life insurance you end up choosing for your family’s needs, If you hold these key points in mind when shopping for your life insurance you will be able to get the right policy for your family’s needs.

TIP: Once you have purchased your life insurance, you need to review your policies with your agent once a year to acquire sure your beneficiary and personal information is up to date as well as making sure that the policy you chose is tranquil right for you. Situations and priorities do change so you will want to keep your life insurance information as up to date as possible.