Thursday, November 12, 2009

Can Martha Stewart Ever Vote Again?

You can totally dismiss TOY ota as a valid car maker, more like liars, crooks and con artists

U.S. criticizes Toyota for 'misleading' (LYING) public in recall

Washington — The government sharply criticized Toyota Motor Corp. Wednesday for its

“inaccurate and misleading”

suggestion that sudden acceleration in some vehicles bound for recall may be due only to improperly fitting floor mats.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's criticism of Toyota's statement is the latest hit to the automaker's reputation from what will be the largest safety recall in its history: 3.8 million vehicles.

NHTSA said Toyota inaccurately suggested in a press release this week that the agency had concluded “that no defect exists in vehicles in which the driver's floor mat is compatible with the vehicle and properly secured,” the agency said in a statement.

“It was never our intention to mislead or provide inaccurate information (BS) . Toyota agrees with NHTSA's position that the removal of the floor mats is an interim measure and that further vehicle-based action is required,” said Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons.

“We are in the process of developing vehicle-based remedies to help avoid the potential for an unsecured or incompatible floor mat to trap the accelerator pedal.”

On Monday, Toyota refuted suggestions that other defects might be causing the accidental acceleration, and pointed to the government's decision not to investigate a consumer complaint.

Bob Carter, general manager of the Toyota-brand division of Toyota Motor Sales USA, told reporters there is “absolutely no evidence” pointing to a defect other than poor-fitting floor mats.

Sean Kane, president of Massachusetts-based Safety Research & Strategies, said Toyota was “waving the agency's denial of the latest petition for a defect investigation like a victory banner.”

While NHTSA hasn't found a vehicle-based defect that is causing unwanted acceleration, “it doesn't mean there isn't one,” he said. “It just means that the agency hasn't found it.”

NHTSA says removing the recalled floor mats is the most immediate way to address the safety risk.

“But it is simply an interim measure.

This remedy does not correct the underlying defect in the vehicles involving the potential for entrapment of the accelerator by floor mats, which is related to accelerator and floor pan design,” the agency said.

Reply

Courtesy of: Lexus

Toyota’s Lexus recently unveiled its highly anticipated and first-ever LFA Supercar at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Lexus announced that their luxury LFA Supercar will go into production this December. Orders are now being taken at http://www.lexus.com/LFA/.

The launch of the LFA high-performance supercar, illustrates a strategic move by Lexus as it enters the exotic sports car market alongside such legendary names as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin.

The LFA will offer a bold design structure with an intensely powerful engine that is unlike any other Lexus vehicle on the road today. Lexus is redefining the supercar for the 21st century.

The first Supercar by Lexus redefines the segment with ultimate performance, featuring:

• 4.8L V10 Engine Generates 552 Horsepower for Powerful Rear-Wheel Drive

• Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Helps Provide a Light and Strong Structure

The Lexus LFA supercar will be on display for the first time in North America at two back-to-back premier venues – the 2009 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show in Las Vegas this November and the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show in December.

In 2010, Lexus will show the LFA Supercar at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Chicago Auto Show, Dallas Auto Show and New York International Auto Show.

As the first Lexus supercar, the LFA serves as the flagship for the F portfolio of Lexus performance models and redefines the supercar for the 21st century. The Lexus F brand complements the core Lexus DNA by emphasizing serious performance. The LFA was carefully developed from a blank canvas by a small and dedicated team of hand-picked engineers that pushed every possible dynamic boundary.

“The development of the LFA was unlike any other Lexus,” said Mark Templin, Lexus division group vice president and general manager. “Minute details were engineered to provide an engaging and serious supercar that delivers impressive performance on and off the race track. Only 500 will ever be built worldwide, and each will be assembled to customer order, offering a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be part of a small, exclusive group of individuals.”

Courtesy of: Lexus

All 500 LFA supercars will be hand-assembled by skilled technicians in the “Lexus LFA Works” at the Motomachi Plant in Toyota City at a rate of no more than 20 per month.

The rear-wheel drive LFA is dynamically styled and powered by a sophisticated new high-revving 9,000 rpm (redline) 4.8-liter V10 engine that generates 552 hp and 354 lb.-ft. of torque for adrenaline-fuelled 202- mph performance. This specially-developed powerplant is paired with a unique six-speed Automated Sequential Gearbox (ASG) with blazing-quick paddle-activated shifts for ultimate driver control.

Linked by a rigid torque tube for excellent drivetrain integrity, the ASG is located in a transaxle layout over the rear axle for an optimal 48:52 front-to-rear weight distribution. Motorsport-developed lightweight aluminum alloy suspension components are complemented by Carbon Ceramic Material (CCM) brake discs and an innovative electrically assisted rack and pinion steering system.

Lightweight, powerful and balanced, the LFA features advanced Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) construction for its chassis and much of its bodywork to deliver a light, incredibly strong and impact-resistant structure. Rather than outsource this sophisticated materials technology, the LFA team took the radical step of developing its own CFRP processes internally for ultimate quality control and to make a sound engineering investment in the future.

The LFA’s sporty styling is distinguished by coherent lines that flow from roof to sill in a seamless convex to concave line for sophisticated aerodynamics. Its front-mid engine layout, long wheelbase, short overhangs, and snug, low-slung cabin identify it as a supercar.

CFRP also gave the LFA’s designers a far higher degree of design freedom, allowing them to create shapes, curves and edges that would have been impossible with metal. For example, the sharp trailing edges at the rear of the LFA that help provide superlative aerodynamics would not have been possible had traditional metal been used for the bodywork.

A dramatic low-slung cockpit has been intelligently designed and hand-assembled with the finest materials to reflect the car’s driver-centric dynamics. The intimate two-seat cabin has been conceived at every stage – ergonomics, acoustics, materials, comfort, versatility and visibility levels have all been painstakingly engineered – to put the driver at the center of the driving experience.

Production of the LFA supercar will begin in December 2010 with deliveries continuing for the following 24 months.

Consumers may contact the Lexus LFA Information Center at 866-LFA-4794 to express interest, or visit www.Lexus-LFA.com for more information.

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Can Martha Stewart Ever Vote Again?

When and whether federal inmate No. 55170-054, Martha Stewart, ever votes again depends on which of her homes she claims as her primary residence after release from the federal correctional facility. Stewart owns several homes, one each in Connecticut, New York and Maine.

The Fourteenth Amendment grants power to the individual states to determine whether to disenfranchise its citizens “for participating in rebellion, or other crime.” States typically interpret felonies to belong to the nebulous category, “other crimes.”

Most people assume that all felons forfeit the right to vote for life, but only 37 states deny the right to vote to convicted felons who have paid their debt to society. Currently, 48 states and the District of Columbia deny incarcerated felons the right to vote, Maine and Vermont being the only exceptions.

Residency's Role in Reestablishing the Right to Vote

Is it the residence in New York, Connecticut or Maine that Stewart calls home? One of those must serve as her primary residence at any given time, but that has proven unclear in the past, especially to Stewart. In 1991, she told New York authorities that the Westbury, CT residence was her primary residence, claiming that her East Hampton, NY home was uninhabitable. In fact, one of those recitations of the facts took place under oath. In the Christmas issue of her magazine, she must have been confused, because she referred to the uninhabitable East Hampton residence as home. Perhaps the heart of the inconsistency lies in the definition of the word “uninhabitable,” or perhaps East Hampton sells more magazines than Connecticut, but this editorial oversight cost Stewart dearly-in excess of $200,000 in back New York state income taxes, fines, and interest.

If Stewart claims Maine as her primary residence, not only would she be allowed to vote as a convicted felon after serving her sentence, but she would also be allowed to vote by absentee ballot while serving her prison sentence in whatever federal correctional facility Stewart will temporarily call home sweet home. Since Stewart has never claimed Maine as her primary residence either informally or under oath, it's unlikely that she will be the target of any get-out-the-felon-vote initiatives.

If Stewart decided to inhabit her Connecticut farmhouse for 183 or more days of any given year, then she would still be able to vote upon completion of her sentence. Connecticut does not automatically reinstate the right to vote for discharged prisoners. Instead, the felon bears the burden of proof that the sentence has been fully discharged. In addition, the felon must satisfy all fines and penalties levied in connection with the conviction. Until submitting satisfactory written proof to the office of the Registrar of Voters, convicted Connecticut felons cannot vote.

Given that that Stewart plans to serve out the additional five months of her sentence at her Bedford, NY estate, it is likely that she would meet the residency requirement to vote in the state of New York. If Stewart claims her current Bedford, NY estate as her primary residence, her disenfranchisement would end automatically at the conclusion of her sentence or parole, whichever comes first. No further action would be required on Stewart's part.

Regardless of her final destination after confinement, she need only comply with state regulations in whichever state she will call home to reclaim this all-important civil right. Since Stewart leaves little to chance, one wonders how 100% of her homes happen to be located in states that allow convicted felons to vote. Was this an entry on her real estate checklist, falling somewhere between rich, fertile land and rich, old-money neighbors?

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