The facts have not all come out in the Cedric Benson boating incident, but Bears general manager Jerry Angelo expressed disappointment Saturday night in the predicament he believes his running back put himself into last weekend.

Benson was arrested May 3 near Austin, Texas, and charged with boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest. While police said Benson became unruly, causing him to be pepper-sprayed, Benson contends he wasn’t drunk and alleges officers abused him. Two witnesses back Benson’s claim of being a victim.

“The thing that I’m most disappointed [in] is the fact that he put himself in a position to be the victim,” Angelo said from the Bears Care Gala at Soldier Field on Saturday night. “That’s the disappointment.

“He has done a real fine job in the off-season. Obviously, this makes big story lines that’s not good for business. But, unfortunately, we’re having to deal with it.”

Angelo started Saturday’s media session by saying the organization would not be quick to judge anybody until all the facts are out. Benson has a court date scheduled for May 19, and those close to the case don’t expect charges to be dropped before that date.

As for how the Bears might discipline Benson, Angelo said he anticipates having Benson present for the start of training camp July 23, which would indicate the Bears have no intentions of cutting Benson soon. He has yet to speak with Benson.

“I’m not anticipating any reason why he wouldn’t be [at camp],” Angelo said. “Again, we’re talking way premature right now. We’ll just let the courts decide what the facts are and we’ll go from there.”

But Benson could face some penalty. The league is aware of the matter and looking into it.

“As you know, there is a personal conduct [code] with our league, so it really is in their hands every bit as it is ours—probably more so, at this point, with them," Angelo said. "So we'll just wait until things are settled down, then we'll go from there."

Asked to explain why he labeled Benson's situation a "lapse in judgment" without the facts being clear, Angelo stood by his statement.

"He put himself in a position," Angelo said. "Obviously, he knows that he's going to be held to a higher standard. All athletes know that, particularly those that are high-profile like him. That's his hometown. Everybody knows him. Again, it is what it is, and we'll deal with it."

Several teammates spoke on Benson's behalf Saturday night, none more supportive than running back Garrett Wolfe.

"For something like that to happen, it kind of hurts my heart," Wolfe said. "Of course, Cedric's my teammate, and I'm always going to believe what Cedric says until proven otherwise. And I trust Cedric's judgment. … I know, in the end, Cedric did the right thing."

Quarterback Kyle Orton echoed some of Wolfe's thoughts.

"It's just a tough situation, and obviously he has all the support from the guys," Orton said. "Hopefully things come out and put him in a little bit more of a positive light.

"I'm sure he's upset. Obviously, this isn't the kind of stuff he wants to have out about him. But Cedric's a good guy, a good friend and a good teammate."

www.chicagotribune.com

An arrest warrant was issued this morning for Lindsay Rowles, 54, when he failed to appear in North Shore District Court, charged with operating a vessel in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk.

The warrant was withdrawn at midday when Rowles arrived at court.

The charges were laid under the Maritime Transport Act after his children Erina, eight, and Travis, five, drowned when the family’s boat sank near Shag Island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf on Anzac Day last year.

Rowles also faced charges of indecent assault, offensive behaviour and cruelty relating to an attack on a pet mouse.

He allegedly grabbed the mouse from a woman’s cleavage and bit it, killing it.

Rowles was remanded to reappear in court on March 27.

www.stuff.co.nz

Both selectmen and residents alike have made recommendations as to what the regulations should be and voters will decide which set of rules to implement.

“The reason that the rules were brought up this year is because of a few situations with overcrowdedness and boats being left unattended,” said Town Administrative Assistant Beatrice Marconi. “Because of the problems that we encountered, we’d have to set rules and that also involves enforcement,” she said.

Selectmen have introduced a set of rules that were temporarily adopted in August of 2007 and have since been amended to reflect double the amount of regulations suggested by more than 24 registered voters.

Selectmen suggested regulations include:

The dock is for Newington mooring owners to gain access to their moorings. Dock usage for other Newington residents may be granted by the Board of Selectmen on an individual basis if space allows.

Tenders must be registered annually by owner and size with the town and display a sticker.

Size limited to a 14-foot tiller controlled only by tenders.

The end of the dock is for loading and unloading only.

The dock is only for Newington residents.

dock master and selectmen can limit the number of tenders to avoid overcrowding and damage to the dock.

he town is not responsible for maintaining boats at the dock. Neither the town, selectmen nor dock master are responsible for any theft or damages of goods or property at Fox Point.

of these regulations shall result in the forfeiture of rights to the dock.

Old Post Road resident Gurubhai K. Khalsa, along with at least 24 other residents, brought forth a petition that would allow the town to vote to reinstate and adopt the following dockside rules at Fox Point:

No exclusive privileges will be granted to any boat owner in Newington.

Residents of the town may utilize the town dock at Fox Point, provided their dinghy is 14 feet in length or less. No special consideration will be given to whether or not they have secured a mooring through the Port Authority.

In the event a shortage of dock space occurs, every Newington boater will have equal and unrestricted access to the boat ramp, in order to launch their dinghy. This applies to those with moorings and those without.

A dock master will be elected by majority vote in the town elections.

Town Clerk Jane Mazeau said she expects a good amount of discussion surrounding the dock regulations.

Residents will also consider the appropriation of $65,000 to be placed in the existing capital reserve fund for the purpose of construction or improvements to the town garage.

Last year the town appropriated $50,000 to be placed in the fund and Selectman Jack O’Reilly said the total cost of the project is between $700,000 and $800,000.

O’Reilly said that the creation of a town garage is long overdue and the town will most likely bond the rest of the money in the next couple of years.

The moderator for this year’s meeting is Ruth K. Fletcher. Town officials expect it will begin at 1:30 p.m, directly following the annual school meeting.

The governor pointed to a recent report from the nonpartisan state legislative analyst, Elizabeth Hill, that suggested raising $2.65 billion a year by repealing various tax credits.

Maybe that’s essential to keep essential state services — schools, highways, the CHP — from facing excessive cuts. Maybe not.

But that debate needs a dose of honesty, so let’s be clear: Most of those “loopholes” are what California families call “lunch money.”

The single largest “loophole” — worth $1.3 billion a year — would be reducing the credit for dependents that eases families’ income-tax bills. If passed, this proposal would cost taxpayers $200 more for each child or other dependent when they file their state returns.

Another “loophole” is the senior tax credit, worth $94 a year for taxpayers older 65.

Another would phase out enterprise zones, where businesses win tax breaks for setting up in economically depressed areas, and repeal recent renewals of expiring zones. They include the Shasta Metro Enterprise Zone, which was reauthorized last year. Ending that tax break would hit thousands of businesses in the Redding and Anderson areas.

Maybe these are sensible steps to make California’s tax system more rational while raising money for the schools, but let’s not pretend it’s all about the “yacht tax.”

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Those credits – sometimes called “loopholes” by critics – range from the mortgage interest deduction to research credits for business to enterprise zones in the inner city. Many of them represent politically popular benefits that analysts say will be very difficult to eliminate when a two-thirds vote is required.

Still, Democratic lawmakers remain committed to solving the remaining $8 billion deficit without relying exclusively on cuts to state programs.

“I just think the problem is so deep and the reductions have been made over a number of years, that there’s just not a lot left to cut,” said Sen. Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach, chairwoman of the Senate Revenue and Taxation committee. “We’re going to have to make some real choices. I think the ultimate solution will have to consider tax increases.”

At a Revenue and Taxation hearing this week, tax experts identified a dozen credits that they suggested should be among the first that lawmakers consider reducing. The committee did not vote on any recommendations, but may do so after future hearings.

The largest of those is the popular mortgage interest deduction, which benefits homeowners throughout California, but costs state government almost $5 billion per year. Two other credits popular with the business community are for research and development, $919 million, and enterprise zones, $454 million.

Political analysts say given the size of these credits and their popularity with interest groups on both sides of the aisle, it may be nearly impossible to swing a two-thirds vote on the largest ones, if any.

“They would be horribly hard to tackle, because they would impact huge numbers of people,” said Barbara O’Connor, director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and the Media at Cal State Sacramento. “Clearly the philosophy has been hurt the smallest number, and if you’re a Democrat, hurt the smallest number of normal folks who vote for us.”

As a result, she said, it is likely to be a “long, hot summer” of budget debate because Republicans won’t yield on tax increases or loopholes, and Democrats likely won’t agree to fee increases on college students or at public parks.

The enterprise-zone tax credits in particular were controversial during the tax hearing, as a representative of government employee unions said they have been ineffective in creating jobs in low-income, inner-city areas as they were intended.

“We believe each enterprise zone should be rescinded immediately,” said Willie Pelote, a representative of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. “We don’t believe they work.”

But some representatives of business groups and some Republican lawmakers said the enterprise zones have been effective in attracting businesses into depressed areas.

Republican lawmakers have already blocked an effort this month to eliminate a $21 million tax loophole for yacht buyers, and are expected to continue fighting against closing any others.

They question whether eliminating such credits and deductions is fiscally wise, because they help attract business and encourage economic activity in the state. Cutting them, they argue, could ultimately hurt the state’s economy and result in less tax revenue in the long run.

“We already clearly are having a loss of high-paid manufacturing jobs leave California,” said Sen. George Runner, R-Lancaster. “I think it would be wrong for us to shortsightedly decide we’re going to go ahead and find something that saves us some short-term money, but has long-term costs because of jobs we’d be chasing out.”

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is open to looking at eliminating some of those tax loopholes, though he has only specifically backed closing one, the yacht tax. Schwarzenegger said some proposals for eliminating tax credits made by Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill are worthy of examination.

www.presstelegram.com

A Dayton couple, along with their son and his friend, died of carbon monoxide poisoning on this boat in 2006.

CLARKSTON – A fourth civil lawsuit against Clarkston’s Mills Manufacturing in connection with the deaths of four people was filed in Asotin last week.

In May of 2006, four people from Dayton were found dead on their 21-foot boat in the Dworshak reservoir. Jeffrey Meredith, his wife Natalie, along with their son Jonathan and friend Kyle Hayes all died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

On Tuesday, Natalie Meredith’s parents, Bud and Marcy Smith, filed a lawsuit in Asotin County. They are suing the boat company for wrongful death and product liability.

According to court documents, they are asking for funeral expenses, loss of earnings, loss of enjoyment of life and love, pain and suffering, as well as attorney’s fees.

A judge from Columbia County will hear the case, but a date has yet to be set.

www.Klewtv.com

Contact Pete Fowler: 384-9121pfowler@postindependent.com

Post Independent, Glenwood Springs Colorado CO

OSWEGO COUNTY, N.Y. — A Cicero man will spend time in state prison after admitting to killing an 85-year-old in a boating accident last summer.

In Oswego County court Thursday Brad Bouthillier, 22, pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal boating accident. He admitted to causing the death of John Kowalewski last August on Oneida Lake by running over the older man’s boat with his own and then leaving him there.

In court Bouthillier admitted he was not paying proper attention and had a woman in his lap when his boat crashed into Kowalewski’s. He said he left the scene knowing the older man had died.

As part of the plea deal Bouthillier faces one and a third to four years in state prison.

“There’s no question that a man died under very unfortunate circumstances. It is incredibly tragic. All we were looking for was to see this case disposed of the way similar cases were disposed of,” said defense attorney Sal Piemonte.

Bouthillier’s lawyer points to the Cortland City Police Officer who was off duty when he hit and killed a woman with his vehicle. Police say the driver, Jeffrey Stockton, was drunk at the time of the crash. He received a six month jail sentence for the incident.

Family members of Kowalewski’s were unavailable for comment.

www.news10.com