WASHINGTON For decades, lawmakers helped home-state manufacturers lower the cost of imported materials by crafting tiny bills that reduced or eliminated tariffs on products that range from massive factory equipment to vats of industrial-strength chemicals.

Every year or two, hundreds of these duty suspensions would be rolled into one big miscellaneous tariff bill #x2013; an MTB, in Capitol Hill parlance — and passed. Such legislation was so routine, it was approved by unanimous voice vote.

But like so much else in Washington these days, the commonplace has become controversial, and these targeted tax breaks have come under scrutiny.

Improving lighting efficiency is an investment in the future.
While today cost remains a barrier to the adoption of more
efficient lighting, particularly LED lighting, those costs are declining
rapidly and mass adoption could happen in a relatively short timeframe.
According to a recent report from Pike
Research, LEDs will displace more than 52% of the
global market for lamps in commercial buildings by 2021. The
cleantech market intelligence firm anticipates that the combination of
declining prices for LED lighting and the accompanying extended lamp
lifetimes will have the effect of shrinking the overall value of the
market.

While revenues from LED lamps in the commercial sector will rise
by 8.5% through 2021, to $2.7 billion, Pike Research forecasts, the
overall market for commercial lighting will peak at $54 billion in 2012
before contracting through the remainder of the decade, hitting about
$30 billion in 2021.

“It would be hard to imagine in todays world that technology will
not beat out tradition,” says senior analyst Eric Bloom. “The
commercial lighting industry will undergo a transformation over the next
10 years that will result in a significant drop in direct revenue from
unit sales. Lamp and luminaire manufacturers and others in
the value chain will have to rely on lighting controls and services to
offset the revenue and profit lost in this process.”

Internationally, the trend toward efficiency is highly correlated
with economic and infrastructure conditions. While Europe
and Asia are conservation-minded and open to government programs to
limit consumption, the United States is highly fragmented due to
state-driven codes and regional electric rate variations, and is
comparatively new to the concept of conservation. Much, but
not all of Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and parts of Asia are
working toward developing adequate infrastructure and are lagging behind
in commercial lighting efficiency due to other higher priorities.

Pike Research’s report, “Energy
Efficient Lighting for Commercial Markets”, describes
the key factors that are influencing the market for energy efficient
lighting around the world: trends in energy codes, rebate and subsidy
programs, sustainability/green certifications, raw material supply
issues, geopolitical influences in developing and developed nations, and
more. The report describes the influence of industry
structure, key applications, and the many technology issues involved in
the decision to specify various lighting technologies. Comprehensive
unit and dollar forecasts are presented through 2021, segmented by
application, lamp type/LED, luminaires, and geographic region. An
Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the
firm’s website.

Pike Research is a market research and consulting firm that
provides in-depth analysis of global clean technology markets. The
company’s research methodology combines supply-side industry analysis,
end-user primary research and demand assessment, and deep examination of
technology trends to provide a comprehensive view of the Smart Energy,
Smart Grid, Smart Transportation, Smart Industry, and Smart Buildings
sectors. For more information, visit www.pikeresearch.com
or call +1-303-997-7609.

WASHINGTON —
For decades, lawmakers helped home-state manufacturers lower the cost of imported materials by crafting tiny bills that reduced or eliminated tariffs on products that range from massive factory equipment to vats of industrial-strength chemicals.

Every year or two, hundreds of these duty suspensions would be rolled into one big miscellaneous tariff bill #x2013; an MTB, in Capitol Hill parlance — and passed. Such legislation was so routine, it was approved by unanimous voice vote.

But like so much else in Washington these days, the commonplace has become controversial, and these targeted tax breaks have come under scrutiny.

The scrutiny has opened a rift among Republican lawmakers. They like tariff reductions as tax cuts, but some who favor a flatter income-tax system and a #x201C;level playing field#x201D; for businesses see miscellaneous tariff bills as congressional pork doled out to favored companies with lobbyists to push for the duty suspensions and campaign contributions for senators or representatives who get them.

Perhaps nowhere is the rift clearer than in South Carolina, a conservative bastion with seven of eight congressional seats held by Republicans.

Sen. Jim DeMint is known as Senator Tea Party, while Rep. Mick Mulvaney is a tea party favorite who joined Congress in the 2010 wave of conservative newcomers.

DeMint, a Greenville Republican, wants to limit lawmakers#x2019; role in obtaining the duty suspensions, which he views as another form of the spending earmarks he#x2019;s led colleagues to ban.

#x201C;Why must we erect needless obstacles and force businesses to hire lobbyists and grovel for attention from politicians just to be heard?#x201D; DeMint told McClatchy.

Mulvaney, an Indian Land Republican, disagrees with the junior senator from his state #x2013; and has let DeMint know it.

#x201C;I#x2019;ve had very candid conversations with Sen. DeMint,#x201D; Mulvaney said. #x201C;He#x2019;s trying to make the case why these are earmarks. I just don#x2019;t get it.#x201D;

DeMint and Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat who#x2019;s waged her own battle against earmarks, are pushing legislation that would allow companies to seek duty relief directly from the International Trade Commission. Under the current system, the trade commission vets such requests after receiving them from members of Congress.

#x201C;We have a win-win, bipartisan solution that will result in more tariff suspensions, streamlines the process, ends the pay-to-play scheme, gives small businesses better access and still retains congressional authority,#x201D; DeMint said.

The DeMint-McCaskill measure would require Congress to pass legislation containing the duty reductions or removals the trade commission approved. It would retain the current $500,000 maximum for each tariff suspension, most of which last two or three years.

South Carolina#x2019;s senior senator, fellow Republican Lindsey Graham, said that while the DeMint-McCaskill bill had some merit, it might create other problems.

#x201C;Is it better to have unelected bureaucrats who are really not accountable to the voters make these decisions or is it better to have elected officials do the gate-keeping?#x201D; Graham said.

Instead of lawmakers trading votes among themselves, Graham said, transferring more power to the executive branch could lead to favor exchanges between a presidential administration and members of Congress.

Following is a list of reports filed by officers of the Wentzville Police Department from Tues., March 27 through Thurs., March 28, 2012.

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March 27

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• An officer issued a summons for a miscellaneous ordinance violation at 4:25 am in the 400 block of Harby Drive.

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• A report was taken at 7:53 am for domestic violence in the 300 block of Ash Street.

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• An officer issues a summons for a miscellaneous ordinance violation at 11:47 am on W. Northview Avenue at Campus Drive.

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• A report of fraud was taken at 2:09 pm in the 500 block of Lias Way.

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• Stealing was reported in the 500 block of Michael Avenue at 3:48 pm

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• A report of a runaway/missing person was taken at 4:05 pm in the 1400 block of Plaza Place.

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• A burglary was reported at 4:43 pm in the 100 block of Pine Needle Drive.

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• Property damage was reported in the first block of Love Park Lane at 5:07 pm

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• A report of a runaway/missing person was taken at 8:28 pm in the 500 block of Meyer Road.

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March 28

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• A DWI was reported at 12:09 am on Interstate 70 east at Wentzville Parkway.

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• An officer issued a summons for a miscellaneous ordinance violation at 7:40 am in the 1900 block of Wentzville Parkway.

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• A derelict vehicle on East Route A at I-70 East was given a 48-hour warning at 9:37 am

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• A report of suspicious circumstances was taken at 9:44 am in the 600 block of Carr Street.

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• An officer issued a summons for a miscellaneous ordinance violation at 11:44 am on Green Summit Drive.

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• An officer wrote a report on a pedestrian check at 12:31 pm in the 800 block of East Pearce Boulevard.

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• A report of harassment by telephone or mail was taken at 2:46 pm in the 1000 block of Crosswinds Court.

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• Property damage was reported in the 100 block of Bear Claw Drive at 7:53 pm

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• Stealing was reported in the 200 block of Homeshire Circle at 8:39 pm

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March 29

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• Domestic violence was reported in the 1400 block of Kathleen Drive at 12:20 am

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• Officers took a report of a suspicious person at 8 am on the South Service Road West at South Point Prairie Road.

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• Stealing was reported at 8:22 am in the 100 block of Bear Claw Drive.

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• Stealing was reported at 12:03 pm in the 1900 block of Wentzville Parkway.

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• Domestic violence was reported at 12:33 pm in the first block of Edith Street.

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• A sudden death was reported at 3:06 pm in the 1800 block of Hackmann Hollow Drive.

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• Stealing was reported in the 1200 block of W. Pearce Boulevard at 5:35 pm

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• A suicide attempt was reported at 10:59 pm in the 300 block of Bears Den Drive.

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• Domestic violence was reported at 11:39 pm in the 100 block of Old Williamsburg Parkway.

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March 30

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• Fraud was reported at 9:42 am in the 1400 block of Continental Drive.

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• A sex offense was reported at 12:29 pm in the 500 block of Highway N.

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• Domestic violence was reported at 2:25 pm in the 1400 block of Coco Place.

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• Police were called to a disturbance in the 400 block of Mar Le Drive at 2:28 pm

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• Police took a report of protective custody in the 8100 block of Peine Lakes Drive at 3:37 pm

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• Stealing was reported at 5:52 pm in the 1900 block of Wentzville Parkway.

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• A report was taken at 6:42 pm of an animal at large in the 500 block of River Forest Drive.

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• A report was taken at 9 pm of an animal at large in the 400 block of Bridle Ridge Court.

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• A suicide attempt was reported at 10:16 pm in the 300 block of Park Lane.

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• Domestic violence was reported at 10:43 pm in the first block of Boles Avenue.

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• A report of harassment by telephone or mail was taken at 11:38 pm in the 400 block of Campus Drive.

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With the tax deadline quickly approaching, some people might be wondering what work-related expenses they can deduct on their tax return.

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Heres a tip: dont try to deduct gym memberships, country-club dues, cosmetic surgery to make you look more attractive, haircuts, thongs, weddings or veterinary bills, according to NPRs Planet Money blog.

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Nevertheless, there are several business expenses that the Internal Revenue Service says are OK to deduct. Heres a list provided by the IRS of expenses that generally qualify for an itemized deduction:

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• Business travel away from home

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• Business use of your car

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• Business meals and entertainment

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• Travel

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• Use of your home

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• Education

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• Supplies

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• Tools

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You must keep records to prove the business expenses you deduct, according to the IRS. However, if an employer reimburses you under an accountable plan, you should not include the payments in your gross income, and you may not deduct any of the reimbursed amounts.

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The IRS says accountable plans must meet these three requirements:

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1. A person must have paid or incurred expenses that are deductible while performing services as an employee.

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2. A person must adequately account to his or her employer for the expenses within a reasonable time period.

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3. A person must return any excess reimbursement or allowance within a reasonable time period.

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People who receive reimbursements from their employers through non-accountable plans, the payments should be included in the wages shown on their Form W-2s. The income must be reported and the deductions must be itemized for the expenses to be deducted, according to the IRS.

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Unreimbursed expenses should be reported on IRS Form 2106 or IRS Form 2106-EZ and attached to Form 1040. Deductible expenses are reported on IRS Schedule A as a miscellaneous itemized deduction subject to a rule that limits your employee business expenses deduction to the amount that exceeds 2 percent of your adjusted gross income, according to the IRS.

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For more information on deductions and recordkeeping, see IRS Publication 529 (Miscellaneous Deductions) and IRS Publication 552 (Recordkeeping for Individuals). Both publications are also available by calling 800-TAX FORM (800-829-3676).

Bangalore: The Karnataka High Court has ruled that life sentence can be a ground to grant divorce. Rejecting a Miscellaneous First Appeal by a husband serving life in a murder case, a division bench, headed by Justice KL Manjunath in its recent order said when the appellant is convicted for life, even the grounds of desertion have to be taken into account legally because the man cannot live with the wife and give her conjugal happiness.

For the rest of her life, for no fault of hers, she cannot be made to suffer if marriage is allowed, the court observed while rejecting the appeal of a life convict of Central Prison, Bellary.

The man had challenged the July 18 2011 order of a family court in Shimoga in allowing the petition filed by his wife, seeking divorce on the grounds of cruelty and desertion.

By STEVE HUSZAI

Staff Writer

WOOSTER — A warmer than usual winter season did not translate to an increase in building activity over the first quarter of 2012.

Commercial activity continues to be the driver of Woosters economy, but is down from 2011, specifically projects within the medical community.

But in a sign of a still-depressed economy, miscellaneous activity outpaced actual building projects.

Miscellaneous activity encompasses permits issued for electrical, heating, plumbing, fire protection, moving/demolition/floodplain and sidewalk/driveway projects.

While 2012 is starting off a little slowly, we are currently seeing a lot of activity and are working on plans for the new hospice facility, two assisted living facilities, and Wooster Community Hospital renovations, said Tim Monea, chief building official for the city. Other activity is up, but the projects are smaller.

Renovation projects have sprouted up across Wooster as JoAnn Fabrics plans its move to Burbank Road, City Square Steakhouse fixes its patio and upgrades to the South Market Grill approach.

Monea noted 2011s activity finished roughly on pace with 2009; 2010s activity in the city was influenced by the large Scot Center project at The College of Wooster campus.

In the first quarter of 2012, there were 13 residential projects compared to 11 commercial projects permitted. An additional 144 permits were issued for smaller miscellaneous work.

The 168 total permits equated to $2.04 million worth of construction value, or a 37 percent drop compared to 2011s first quarter activity.

Breaking down the numbers further, miscellaneous permits totaled $893,112; commercial building, $719,500; residential building, $431,590.

Miscellaneous values do not include values from moving/demolition/floodplain and sideway/driveway projects, neither of which is calculated in the citys reporting.

Last years first quarter permitting saw 174 permits; 146 miscellaneous, 17 commercial and 11 residential.

Likewise, total construction value in 2011s first quarter was $3.21 million. Commercial value equaled $1.63 million; miscellaneous was $952,619; residential was $634,415.

And total fees collected in 2012 by the city for permitted work amounted to $29,685; $30,108 in fees were collected in 2011s same quarter.

Reporter Steve Huszai can be reached at 330-287-1645 or shuszai@the-daily-record.com. He is @GeneralSmithie on Twitter.

Following is a list of reports filed by officers of the Wentzville Police Department from Sat., March 31 through Mon., April 2, 2012.

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March 31

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• At 12:30 am, drug violation were reported in the 600 block of Campus Drive.

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• A DWI was reported on Highway 61 at McHugh Road at 1:35 am

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• An officer issued a summons for a miscellaneous ordinance violation at 3:28 am in the 1600 block of Fairway Valley Drive.

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• An officer issued a summons for a miscellaneous ordinance violation at 3:37 am in the 400 block of Wind Creek Drive.

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• An officer issued a summons for a miscellaneous ordinance violation at 3:43 am in the first block of Wessex Court.

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• An officer issued a summons for a miscellaneous ordinance violation at 3:50 am in the 300 block of Fiarview Summit Drive.

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• An officer issued a summons for a miscellaneous ordinance violation at 3:57 am in the 1400 block of Devonshire County Drive.

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• An officer issued a summons for a miscellaneous ordinance violation at 4:08 am in the 1400 block of Devonshire County Drive.

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• An officer issued a summons for a miscellaneous ordinance violation at 4:13 am in the 1400 block of Devonshire County Drive.

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• An auto accident was reported at 12:09 pm on I-70 at mile marker 210.

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• Stealing was reported at 6:44 pm in the 200 block of Main Street.

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• An auto accident was reported at 9:10 pm on Highway Z at South Church Street.

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• Officers were called to check on the well-being of a resident in the 600 block of Grayhawk Circle at 10:53 pm

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• A peace disturbance was reported at 11:24 pm in the 1400 block of Vero Drive.

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April 1

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• An assault was reported at 4:03 pm in the 1400 block of E. Pitman Ave.

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• Stealing was reported at 4:09 pm in the 1900 block of Wentzville Parkway.

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• An animal at large was reported at 5:50 pm in the 400 block of Kent Drive.

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• Domestic violence was reported at 6:32 pm in the first block of Ramblewood Court.

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• An auto accident was reported at 7:53 pm in the 1400 block of the South Service Road.

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• Property damage was reported at 11:39 pm in the 200 block of Niagra Drive.

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April 2

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• Officers took a report on a traffic incident at 3:14 am at Goss Court and John Charles Drive.

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For years, people have been cautious about being exposed to too many X-rays for fear of miscellaneous health problems, but now a study seems to prove that some serious risks are associated with them.

According to a recent study in the medical journal Cancer, people who get frequent dental X-rays are journal much more likely to develop a brain tumor called meningioma. The link to dental X-rays specifically is likely the fact that meningiomas are the most common type of tumor that appears in the head.

The study analyzed 1,433 patients participants. Their average age was 57. Study author Dr. Elizabeth Brooks Claus noted that older patients may have more radiation exposure from older X-ray technology.

Patients who had a specific type of dental X-ray, called a bitewig exam, were 1.4 to 1.9 times more likely to have a meningioma, though the results did depend on what age patients were when they got the exams.

My impression is that people get more dental X-rays more frequently than the American Dental Association says, Claus said, according to CNN.

Some experts have pointed out that the study might have a margin of error it relied upon a patients memory of how many X-rays he or she received, rather than documented proof. The American Dental Association was quick to shoot down the findings.

Studies have shown that the ability to recall information is often imperfect, the ADA said in a statement. Therefore, the results of studies that use this design can be unreliable …

More adventures in psuedoscience:

• The teen birth rate is on a decline in the country. Is sex education working after all?
• Are nail polish companies painting over the truth? Toxins found in so-called non-toxic polish.
• Could a mothers obesity lead to autism in her child?

In its weekly release, Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. (BHI) reported an unchanged US rig count (number of rigs searching for oil and gas in the country), as an increase in the number of oil rigs was offset by a fall in the gas rig count.

In particular, the natural gas rig count dropped for the twelfth time in 13 weeks to touch a new 10-year low, while oil drilling jumped to another 25-year high.

The Baker Hughes rig count, issued since 1944, acts as an important yardstick for drilling contractors such as Transocean Inc. (RIG), Diamond Offshore (DO), Noble Corp. (NE), Nabors Industries (NBR), Patterson-UTI Energy (PTEN), Helmerich amp; Payne (HP), etc. in gauging the overall business environment of the oil and gas industry.

Analysis of the Data

Weekly Summary: Rigs engaged in exploration and production in the US totaled 1,979 for the week ended April 5, 2012, same as the previous weeks count.

The current nationwide rig count is more than double that of the 6-year low of 876 (in the week ended June 12, 2009) and significantly exceeds the prior-year level of 1,782. It rose to a 22-year high in 2008, peaking at 2,031 in the weeks ending August 29 and September 12.

Rigs engaged in land operations climbed by 2 to 1,912, while offshore drilling was down by 2 to 44 rigs. Meanwhile, inland waters activity remained steady at 23 units.

Natural Gas Rig Count: The natural gas rig count decreased for the twelfth time in 13 weeks to 647 (a drop of 11 rigs from the previous week). As per the most recent report, the number of gas-directed rigs is at their lowest level since May 3, 2002 and is down almost 31% from its 2011 peak of 936, reached during mid-October.

The current natural gas rig count remains 60% below its all-time high of 1,606 reached in late summer 2008. In the year-ago period, there were 889 active natural gas rigs.

Oil Rig Count: The oil rig count was up by 11 to 1,329. The current tally the highest since Baker Hughes started breaking up oil and natural gas rig counts in 1987 is way above the previous years rig count of 886. It has recovered strongly from a low of 179 in June 2009, rising more than 7.4 times.

Miscellaneous Rig Count: The miscellaneous rig count (primarily drilling for geothermal energy) at 3 remained unchanged from the previous week.

Rig Count by Type:The number of vertical drilling rigs rose by 17 to 583, while the horizontal/directional rig count (encompassing new drilling technology that has the ability to drill and extract gas from dense rock formations, also known as shale formations) was down by 17 at 1,396. In particular, horizontal rig units that reached an all-time high of 1,185 in January this year fell by 15 from last weeks level to 1,165.

To Conclude

As mentioned above, the natural gas rig count has been falling since the last few weeks, 287 rigs in fact (or 31%) from the recent highs of 934 in October 28.

Is this bullish for natural gas fundamentals? The answer is no, if we look at the US production and the shift in rig composition.

With horizontal rig count the technology responsible for the abundant gas drilling in domestic shale basins currently close to its all-time high, output from these fields remains robust. As a result, gas inventories still remain at elevated levels up some 60% above the benchmark five-year average levels.

Hamstrung by this huge and sharply widening surplus, natural gas prices have dropped approximately 57% from 2011 peak of $4.92 per million Btu (MMBtu) in June to the current level of around $2.10 (referring to spot prices at the Henry Hub, the benchmark supply point in Louisiana). Incidentally, prices hit a 31-month low of $1.88 during last week.

To make matters worse, a near-record mild weather across most of the country curbed natural gas demand for heating all winter, leading to an early beginning for the stock-building season. The grossly oversupplied market continues to pressure commodity prices in the backdrop of sustained strong production.

This has forced several natural gas players to announce drilling/volume curtailments. Exploration and production outfits like Ultra Petroleum Corp. (UPL), Talisman Energy Inc. (TLM) and Encana Corp. (ECA) have all reduced their 2012 capital budget to minimize investments in development drilling.

On the other hand, Oklahoma-based Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK) the second-largest US producer of natural gas behind Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) and rival explorer ConocoPhillips (COP) have opted for production shut-ins to cope with the weak environment for natural gas that is likely to prevail during the year.

However, we feel these planned reductions will not be enough to balance out the massive natural gas supply/demand disparity and therefore we do not expect much upside in gas prices in the near term. In other words, there appears no reason to believe that the supply overhang will subside and natural gas will be out of the dumpster in 2012.

With natural gas unlikely to witness a durable rebound in prices from their multi-year plight and at the same time crude prices topping $100 a barrel, energy producers are boosting liquids exploration to take advantage of this trend. As a result of movement of rigs away from natural gas towards oil, the tally of liquids-directed rigs has climbed to a 25-year high.

Read the full analyst report on BHI

Read the full analyst report on CHK

Read the full analyst report on COP

Read the full analyst report on PTEN

Read the full analyst report on TLM

Read the full analyst report on NE

Read the full analyst report on XOM

Read the full analyst report on RIG

Read the full analyst report on ECA

Read the full analyst report on HP

Read the full analyst report on UPL

Read the full analyst report on NBR

Read the full analyst report on DO