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Find Out!   Election Websites Election Bookstore Official Blunders Border Security Archives Home Auctions By State   Archive Pages 1 2 3   Issues, Archives and Feature Articles Issues Fighting Crime Offbeat Responsible Leadership Official Blunders Taxes, Jobs, and the Economy America's Foreclosure & Credit Crises Hottest Campaign Tips Voter & Election Issues Homeland Security and Illegal Aliens Technology Environmental Issues Campaign Tips Campaign Tools Lawsuits Fraud Alerts County Security Breaches Aiding  Criminals Letters to the Editor Archives NFPO Archives Newsletter Back Issues Top News in 2007 Featured Articles America's Loneliest Counties America's Most Wanted Aliens How Criminals Use Online County Records Terrorist Access to County Records America's 99 Fastest Growing Counties Courthouse for Sale - Cheap America's Online Land Auctions Suits, Charges Plague Government Tech Vendors Red Light Cameras Spark Lawsuits Criminal Links to Government Web Sites   Websites for Small Campaign Budgets   Campaign Tips, Tricks,  and Strategies In the News                                           The Campaign Tool Chest   Tips, Tricks, Techniques Campaign Websites Campaign Books Custom Literature Campaign Newsletters Campaign Faxes Campaign Studies Royalty Free Fundraising Letters Unlock the secrets to a winning campaign       Free Campaign Literature Greeting Cards, Postcards, Brochures    Full Color Brochures Act Now - Offer ends soon Click Here     Build a Professional Campaign Website for Under $25 In Three Simple Steps  A recent study by the Institute for Politics, Democracy & the Internet found that almost half of small online donors ...         Today's Top Ten Best Deals for Election Campaigns TV Advertising    Banners Campaign Web Sites Be a 7Search.com Advertiser! Custom T-Shirts Campaign Loans Yard Signs Voter Mailing Lists Flags Rapidly Rising Cost of Teaching English to Illegal Aliens Programs to assist non-English speakers adapt to the educational environment in public schools are costly to local taxpayers and an added fiscal burden at the national level ...remedial programs may absorb resources that otherwise would be available for native-English speaking students.   Official Misconduct Former County Commissioner to serve 5-year Prison Sentence for Land Deals Former Palm Beach County Commissioner Tony Masilotti was sentenced to federal prison for his role in a number of illegal land deals ...   Official Misconduct Georgia County Officials Plead Guilty to Fraud, Firearms Charges Berrien County Sheriff Gerald W. “Jerry” Brogdon pled guilty to violating firearms charges on the same day Clinch County court clerk, Daniel V. Leccese Sr. entered a guilty plea on one count of felony fraud charges. Brogdon's attorney says the cases could be related ...   American Land Auctions Recent technology in online auctions now makes it possible for even unsophisticated buyers to find, finance and buy property right from their desktops in live real estate property auctions . This site offers live updates on real estate auctions across the country... Find yours   Offbeat, Shocking, Bizarre or Just Plain Interesting Cold Hard Cash Angers Taxman Delaware County Indiana Treasurer Warren Beebe lost his cool when Cary Malchow brought over twelve thousand dollars in pennies, nickels, quarters and one dollar bills to the county office...Video   Hispanic and Black Leaders Call for End to Alien Sanctuary Policies Political Pandering was Complicit in the Senseless Murders of Three Youths ... Full report   Hottest New Campaign Tips and Strategies Got Website? Reuters just published an enlightening article about a study conducted by Veronis Suhler Stevenson. The headline tells the story: More Time Spent on Web than Newspapers: Study Learn what this means for your election campaign   Official Mistakes, Misconduct and Corruption Convicted Court Clerk Will Serve Until Sentencing The sitting Circuit Court Clerk of Jefferson County, Miss., has been convicted by a federal jury in Natchez, Miss., of embezzlement, money laundering, and tax evasion but will be allowed to serve until sentencing.... Full story   America's Foreclosure Epidemic Tragedy for Some, Opportunity for Others...   One of 134 Households Face Foreclosure in First Half of 2007 Foreclosure Activity up Over 55 Percent with more than 573,000 properties in some stage of foreclosure during first six months of 2007. Special report   Voter Issues Kentucky AG Threatens Lawsuit against Voting Machine Makers Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo today demanded that electronic voting machine manufacturers Hart InterCivic and Diebold Election Systems, Inc. immediately correct security flaws identified in an independent review by experts in California or face a lawsuit from the state...   Sheriff Accused of Covering Up Deputies Drive By Shooting   Towns County Georgia isn’t the kind of place anyone expects to hear the sounds of drive-by-shootings and certainly not the kind of place where deputy sheriffs act as trigger men. Now one of the accused deputies has apparently taken his own life,  and Sheriff Rudy Eller is free on bail...   California Bars Voting Machines – US Considers California’s top election official on Friday decertified systems produced by Hart Intercivic, Diebold Election Systems and Sequoia Voting Systems effectively barring their use anywhere in the state. However... Full Story   Offbeat, Shocking, Bizarre or Just Plain Interesting Strange Sub Surfaces in NYC Harbor Police arrest three men in Brooklyn in connection with a strange-looking submarine that surfaced in a security zone near the docked Queen Mary 2. No indication the find was terrorism related....Video   Texas Attorney General Warns Homeowners of "Equity Stripping" Scams By Greg Abbott Attorney General of Texas Aug-03-07   Flawed Copies Could Cost Counties, Profit Criminals According to a recent ruling by the District III Court of Appeals in Wisconsin, convicted criminals could be due compensation from County government for poorly reproduced copies of INSTANT SEARCHES... Full article   Offbeat, Fun, Bizarre or Just Plain Interesting Mystery Fish Found In Washington's Black Lake This huge 330 pound, 6 foot six inch monster fish that recently surfaced on Black Lake in Thurston County Washington has mystified experts....Video   Border Security and Illegal Aliens Local Governments Move to Protect Their Own Borders The primary function of government, any government, is to protect citizens within its own borders. Against a backdrop of perceived federal inaction concerning illegal immigration, a growing number of cities, counties and states are taking matters...  Full  story   Cities Fight Gang Violence With Lawsuits Fed up with deadly drive-by shootings, incessant drug dealing and graffiti, a growing number of cities across the U.S. are trying a different tactic to combat gangs: They are suing them! Associated Press Video Report   Clean Energy Grants Boost Small Businesses, Governments Brian Fairbank, owner of a Massachusetts ski resort, received two grants to partially fund a 37-story windmill. The clean energy project will save the small businessman nearly $600,000 per year. Mr. Fairbank provides tips on obtaining grants. Video   City Accountant Wins $662,363 in Whistleblower Suit against Police Eric Heckmann, an accountant with the City of Detroit, was just doing his job in 2002 when he reported what he believed to be evidence of financial misconduct within the police department...   U.S. lawmakers eyed in corruption cases More than a dozen current and former U.S. lawmakers are under the microscope in several unrelated corruption cases, The New York Times... Full story   Hot New Campaign Tips and Strategies Raising Money in Difficult Times I've had three different conversations this week with Republican state party leaders ...   Former Butler County Clerk Now a Federal Fugitive POPLAR BLUFF, MO - Federal authorities yesterday issued a warrant for the arrest of former Butler County Clerk John Dunivan.   County clerk charged with seven felony counts Former Cumberland County Clerk Lynne Groce was arrested last month after a four-month investigation by Kentucky State Police that was triggered by a 2005 state auditors report.   County Posts Private Medical Data Online The private medical information, including Social Security numbers and treatment details of people who sought medical assistance from the county was posted on the Hidalgo County Website for nearly two months before county officials removed the private data Monday   HIPAA Privacy Regulations Impact Local Government  Compliance with the Federal Health Information Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) is required of many public entities, including school districts and other local government entities such as counties or cities...   Campaign Tips and Strategies Why Do You Want Media Coverage Anyway?   It's a simple question. But most people struggle to come up with a single, succinct answer...Read more   Offbeat, Fun, Bizarre or Just Plain Interesting Robin Hood Bird Steals from Store, Shares with Friends CAUGHT ON TAPE: Bird bandit steals a bag of chips each day from a convenience store to share with his less daring bird friends ... Watch Video   California's Mortgage Foreclosure Crises: Fighting Back  Five thousand home owners in Contra Costa County California were put on notice last month they will be losing their homes. Expert says say some may be victims of fraud and predatory lending... Video Report   Texas Bars Use of Dead Soldiers' Names On Shirts Texas has become the fifth state to bar T-shirt makers from using the names of soldiers killed in Iraq without permission from...   Information War Heats Up In Erie County When an Ohio newspaper editor published private information about thousands of gun permit owners, The Buckeye Firearms Association  fired back with a broadside of private information they found on the county website about the editor. Read Robert Franco's Commentary on the Erie County Data War   Many Jihadist Web sites hosted in U.S. Many Jihadist websites that spread hate and train terrorists hosted are by servers in the US according to a former Israeli intelligence agent. The report uncovers terrorist sites hosted in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Texas, Minnesota, Washington and New Jersey... Full Story   Teen-Age Girls Overpower Cop, Steal Car Police say two teenaged girls who were running away from foster care overpowered a state officer and stole his car... Video   Manhunt: County Official Sought on Child Sex Charges July-20-07 Missouri State Police are conducting a statewide manhunt for former Butler County Missouri Clerk John Dunivan, 60, who disappeared after being accused of sexually abusing two girls who are under 12 years of age...   Record Number of Foreign Language Voter Lawsuits Filed  The Justice Department announced on Monday that with the filing of six foreign language ballot cases in Texas, the Department set a new record for most voter rights cases filed in a single day. The suits accuse Galveston County and five local governments in the Texas Panhandle.   Campaigns Find Creative Ways to Turn Cell Phones Into Votes With cell phones becoming all-in-one tools, candidates are looking for creative ways to turn  text messages into votes and ring tones into campaign slogans... Learn how   National Agency Warns Homeowners of Online Deed Fraud A national vacation home rental agency, is issuing a warning to homeowners regarding how easy it is for criminals to steal your home. The County Website and a simple form is all a criminal  needs.   Government Blames Technology for Rash of Expunged Record Breaches Online breaches of expunged cases could leave hundreds of counties nationwide facing lawsuits ... read more   Youngest Elected Official Quits After Third Arrest One of the youngest politicians ever to be elected in Indiana abruptly resigned last month after he was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and underage drinking, according to the Chicago Tribune...   Border Security and Illegal Aliens Index Legal & Illegal Workers Win Nearly $2M Wrong Language Lawsuit   Survey: Government Websites Expose Sensitive Infrastructure and Military Data After a  Greensboro, NC, city employee became alarmed after watching a user with an electronic address from Iran download drawings of the city's water infrastructure, the Associated Press uncovered sensitive military documents found unprotected on federal, state and county FTP servers nationwide. Watch video   Border Security and Illegal Aliens Marriage for Money Sting Nets  More Suspects The Feds arrest more people involved in a marriage for money scheme where Chinese nationals paid U.S. citizens tens of thousands of dollars to marry them.... Short UPI  story   County Official Arrested on Child Sex, Drug Charges Jul-09-07 INDIANAPOLIS: Roger Fisher, a long-time Parke County official, was arrested Monday for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old boy he met over a telephone chat line. Fisher, 53, is also charged with possession of narcotics as a result of the arrest.   More Illegal Aliens Using Stolen ID's More illegal aliens are using identities stolen from legal citizens now that employers are required to check for valid Social Security numbers according to a Los Angeles Times report Monday ...   Border Sheriffs: 'We Were Screwed'! HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas - Running for re-election, Gov. Rick Perry repeatedly applauded border-county sheriffs for being "on the front lines" of a violent battle to keep criminals out of Texas. Perry's ads boasted ‘If the US won't protect our borders, Texas will’. But a year later, those on the front line say they were “screwed” out of desperately needed funds... Read more   Public Officials Doing Things Right Register of Deeds Investigation Leads to ‘Forgery Factory’ Convictions DETROIT-- Bernard J. Youngblood’s Wayne County Register of Deeds office does more than simply file and preserve documents. ...   Petition Site Protests Handling of County Auditor's Arrest CAMERON COUNTY -- A concerned citizen has started an online petition asking citizens to sign on to express their ‘disappointment’ in the way the Cameron County District Attorney handled the recent arrest of County Auditor Mark Yates...   Former County Commissioner Pleads Guilty to Taking Bribes Former El Paso County Commissioner Betti Flores pleaded guilty to six counts of conspiracy to commit mail or wire fraud ...Continue reading   State Treasurer Denies Drug Charges - Could Face 20 Years, $1Mil Fine State Treasurer Thomas Ravenel and his alleged dealer pleaded not guilty Friday on a federal cocaine charge. Ravenel will be free on bail .. will face 20 years in prison and $1Mil fine... More   The Information War By Robert Franco It used to be that the mainstream media had a monopoly on publishing and they took advantage of their First Amendment rights to do so. The Internet has changed all that and now the shoe is on the other foot. Last month, the Sandusky Register in Ohio published a list of nearly 2,700 individuals who have concealed carry permits. The list was not public, but the media had been permitted access to it...   Immigrant Convicted in Campaign Funding / Identity Theft Scheme A jury in Multnomah County Oregon says a Ukrainian immigrant forged signatures and stole identities to help his candidates take hundreds of thousands of dollars from the public campaign finance system...   Getting Out Of The ARM Trap DALLAS - When Enej Dreca took out an adjustable-rate subprime mortgage in 2005, he knew the interest rate was likely to rise in two years. But he wasn't prepared for how high it would go... Full Report   Judge Sends Ex-Governor, CEO to Prison on Bribery Charges Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman got more than seven years and co-conspirator former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy was sentenced to nearly seven years in federal prison in a bribery and...   Counties Sue Drug Companies Over Meth Ingredient Sales About fourteen counties in Arkansas have filed a class action lawsuit against makers of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine claiming the companies knowingly sold far more ingredients for methamphetamine than was required for any legitimate use...   Woman Pleads Not Guilty Over Registering Dog To Vote The Seattle Grandmother who registered her dog to vote pleads not guilty to making false statements on voter registration form... Full Story   Judge: County Property Tax Assessments Unconstitutional (Pittsburgh) A judge has declared that the way in which Allegheny County assesses property values for tax purposes is unconstitutional. Case could lead to similar decisions affecting all  homeowners in all counties... Watch video report   Cities, Counties May Take Control of  Immigration Battle The collapse of congressional efforts to overhaul the nation's immigration laws is expected to dramatically accelerate an effort by state and local governments to take matters into their own hands to deal with the nation's 12 million illegal aliens....   County Cracks Down on Sex In Public Places Allegheny County (PA) Police have arrested more than a dozen people for having sex in public places ... Watch Video   Nation's Sheriffs Stretched to Limit County Sheriffs are America's first line of defense against terrorism, violent crimes, and drug trafficking but illegal aliens, epidemic methamphetamine abuse, increasing numbers of inmates with deadly diseases, an alarming number of foreclosure auctions and 75% funding cuts may be overwhelming our elected law enforcement officials... Full Story from Chicago Tribune   Lawsuit Blames County Sprawl For Global Warming The suit, filed by California Attorney General Jerry Brown represents an unprecedented legal effort to hold state counties and cities accountable for how poorly planned suburban sprawl can lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions...   Five Million Dollar Reward! ICE Most Wanted Featured Fugitive: Fabio Enrique Ochoa Vasco The U.S. Department of State is offering a REWARD OF UP TO $5 MILLION for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Fabio Enrique Ochoa Vasco... Read More   Woman charged with stealing toilet paper from courthouse  A woman from Marshalltown Iowa is accused of stealing toilet paper from the Marshall County Courthouse and could find herself facing years behind bars...   Iowa bears deep scars from an intractable war Methamphetamine has claimed every tooth in Dennis Patten's head, which is why his face is caving into his jaw and why just about everything south of his neck is falling apart. The squat Patten is a 28-year veteran of the Iowa drug wars, 25 of them spent ... Full Story   Green Bay Targets Employers Who Hire Illegal Workers Wisconsin’s unofficial football capital, fueled by frustration, added its name this week to the growing number of local communities trying to address the issue that has Congress tied in political knots...   County Auditor Arrested Jun-28-07 Cameron County Auditor Mark Yates has been arrested by special investigators with the DA's office and Sheriff's deputies but former Cameron County District Attorney Yolanda De Leon  says the arrest in an 'obscene political move'...   Illegal alien concerns echo in Latin America Efforts to stem the flow of illegal immigrants from bordering countries are rising in Latin America because of concerns, parallel to those in the United States, that they drive down salaries and bring crime and violence with them...   Deputies Search Car, Find Nobel Prize Salt Lake County Sheriff Deputies arrested Russell Gillett, 24, after what they described as a series of strange events . . .   GAO Recognizes ID Theft-INSTANT SEARCHES Problem The Feds have finally realized just how serious a problem identity theft through online INSTANT SEARCHES is, AND that  government has been the biggest contributor to the epidemic.   Baby Girl's Knock Out Name Leaves Registry Reeling Baby Autumn Brown has a name to live up to. In fact she has 25 of them . . .   County Treasurer Accused of Funding Nigerian Con Artists A Michigan county treasurer who lost his own life savings to a Nigerian scam has been charged with embezzling $1.25 million in public funds and transferring it to the foreign fraudsters...   Newly Elected County Officials Go on Million Dollar Spending Spree Newly elected officials in Orange County California  . . Video Report   Website lets public monitor violence from space New website allows internet users to monitor most violent areas on earth with high resolution satellite images.   Ohio Man Files $3M Lawsuit Over Red-Light Cameras The suit alleges that City officials and Redflex Traffic Systems Inc. used an unconstitutional ordinance to extort money from more than 20,000 motorists.   Former NFL Player Charged In $42mil Mortgage Fraud Scheme Former NFL defensive end Dwight Sean Jones and four other men have been indicted on charges they allegedly collaborated in a multi- million dollar mortgage fraud scheme.   Title Industry Expert Warns Against Using County Websites After officials in Maryland read Ed Rybczynski's  white paper they issued warnings designed to protect county agencies from errors and omissions on county websites. After you read it, you'll want to check the disclaimer on your official site. . . .Learn why   Charges Filed Against Clerk Who Fixed Tickets For Terror Suspect (Philadelphia) Charges were filed in New Jersey against a clerk accused of fixing tickets for one of the Fort Dix terror plot suspects. . . . Video   On-line Records Put To The Test   Red Light Cameras Pose Legal Hazard to City Officials       Campaign Tip Do You Have a Fundraising Gap or Bulge? By Mark Montini Red Light Camera Cops Face Bribery Charges  Two high-ranking police officers in Edmonton Canada face charges of accepting bribes from red light camera supplier Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) . .   Panhandle Residents Ponder Polygamist’s Move   Will You Be A Foreclosure Statistic? By Peter G. Miller      Using Home Equity to Fund Your Election Campaign   Foreclosure! Ten Ways to Save Your Home   Can Consumers Fight Back Against Credit Fraud?   Virginia Watchdog Takes a Bite Out of Ohio   The Real Cost of Redaction   County Clerk Denies Postage, Labor Theft   America's 99 Fastest Growing Counties For the 21st Century   11-Year-Old Bags Monster Pig in Clay County, AL Step aside Hogzilla, meet Monster Pig and the eleven-year-old boy who bagged a pig the size of a buffalo. Read more   Commissioner Calls for Federal Investigation into Misuse of Homeland Security Funds   Illegal Immigration Rx – Can We Afford It?   Recorders Warn Of Property Deed Scam   AG Sues County Over Global Warming   School Districts and HIPAA - What Are The Compliance Risks?   The Wal-Mart Courthouse In 2004, Randall County, Texas faced a problem...   America's Loneliest Counties Stories and Statistics from America's Least Populated Counties Steeped in history and rich in tradition, these counties are the least populated and most isolated places in America ...   Colorado's Best Kept Secret   Nestled high in a valley in the Heart of the San Juan mountains, San Juan County is America’s ninth least populated county, with a population of just 578. The county is home and hideaway for residents and visitors who desire a simpler way of life. . . .   America's Ten Fastest Growing Counties According to the Census Bureau, the populations of these counties are growing faster than any other. . .   Obama Takes MySpace Page from Hapless Supporter   Illegal Alien Act Trumps Deep Pockets of Opponents   Experts Recommend Six Steps To Electronic ID Theft Prevention   Proposed Legislation Would Drastically Raise State's Copy Fees   Deputy Sheriff, Clerk Sentenced for Stealing Children's ID From City Database   Quality vs. Quantity: Which Is Best for Your Campaign? By Mark Montini   Write an Effective Fundraising Letter in 14 Steps By Alice Feathers, M.A. TESOL   FBI's Most Wanted White Collar Criminals Aren't Americans  59% of the most wanted scam artists in America are foreign nationals   The Murder of Amy Boyer Far too often as we grapple with the issue of balancing the privacy of Americans with the necessary and legitimate uses of Americans’ personal information the debate centers on discussions of “data”, but not the lives behind the “data”. . .   America's Most Wanted Violent Criminals Aren't Americans  49% of the most wanted violent criminals in the U.S. are foreign nationals   When Elected Officials Aren't What They Seem Texas officials and Pennsylvania cats tout misleading credentials Rounding up Mexico's Most Wanted   Red Light Cameras Exposed Thousands To Identity Theft   Judge: Red light cameras are illegal City could face million dollar lawsuit   A Line in the Sand: Confronting the Threat at the Southwest Border HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY   More From the Interim Report Influence of Mexican Drug Cartels Violent Border Battles Criminal Nexus at the Border Smuggler's Disregard for Lives Attacks on U.S. Officers Smuggler's Technology & Arms Attacks on U.S. Citizens Terrorist Infiltration Texas Border Security Initiatives Federal Border Security Efforts Conclusion   Redaction Scheme Fails Governor's Social Security Number still online Florida Governor Jeb Bush's Social Security remains on websites worldwide months after it was removed from official County website. . . continue reading       County Recorder Charged with 19 Felony Counts Accused of selling real property records     Archive Pages 1 2 3

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