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Priceless Vol 7 Number 7


Personal and Professional Empowerment www.hamptonroadsmessenger.com


Serving Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach since 2006


2013 Lunar New Year Celebration in Virginia Beach


Page 8


Defense Spending Will Keep Rising Despite Sequestration


Hollywood in Hampton Roads Valentine’s Ball


Page 9


The Hampton Roads Messenger Donates to Local Non-profits


Page 2


Bryant & Stratton College Invests in Men’s Basketball Team On


and Off the Court BY CHRIS PARKS This past


Citing sequestration, the Navy says the USS Harry Truman will not be deployed on schedule.


BY KENRIC WARD FREDERICKSBURG


— Scary budget scenarios are flying over Virginia faster than F-15s over Afghanistan, but fiscal analysts say Chicken Little defenses are pointless, and off target.


“There is no doubt some


communities will be hit by sequestration (cuts). But the Pentagon is making things worse for themselves,” said Veronique de Rugy, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.


“The military has had


a year and a half to plan but continued to fight the fight for more spending. With the exception of 2014, defense outlays will be over $500 billion every year, not counting


war spending,” de Rugy told Watchdog.org.


A state-by-state map by


the Pew Center shows that defense-heavy Northern Virginia and Maryland stand to “lose” the most from a sequestration program that would cut an estimated $85 billion in overall federal spending. About half those automatic cuts would target defense.


To put $85 billion in


perspective, de Rugy notes that Washington is spending $3.5 trillion annually, leaving a deficit of $845 billion for fiscal 2013.


The Congressional Budget


Office shows that defense- related spending will continue to grow every year after 2013. (Note charts on Pages 25-26.)


Winslow Wheeler, an


analyst for the Center for SEQUESTRATION PAGE 3


THIS EDITION’S HIGHLIGHTS


Your Opinion Matters Editorial Career Opportunities Hampton Roads Upcoming Events Scholarships Watch


Women and Men Can Learn from Madame C.J. Walker A Virginia Vietnam Veteran’s Story


Become a State Farm Agent Company Brings Jobs and Millions to Suffolk Employment Workshop The Friends of Hampton Roads Scholarship


4 4


10 12 13 11


basketball season was the first time the Bryant & Stratton College Bobcats played together as a team. Anticipation was high for the inaugural group of students that were chosen to represent the school and they did not disappoint. The Bobcats ended their first season with a respectable record and a winning attitude


Free March 2013


(front row/kneeling) 3 – Chris Taveras, 24 – Alito Melton, 21 – Ricky Hughes, 1 – Cedric Barfield, 5 – Marquise Barfield, 4 – Sheldon Cuffee, 6 – Andre Herriot (Back row) Coach Jermaine Woods, Bobcats’ Assistant Dylan Verbal, 33 – Daniel Carrington, 15 – Anthony Peoples, 34 – Malcolm Kelly, 32 – Darius Peede, 23 – Kelvin Leaks, Bobcats Assistant Eric Harrell, BSC Bobcats Business Director Erik Blackwell


that scores points both on and off the court. Chris Taveras (#3), knows a thing or two


about balancing schoolwork and teamwork. He will be graduating this year with a degree in criminal justice from Bryant & Stratton


College, and now works for the Norfolk Police Department. His career aspiration is to become a U.S. Marshal. Taveras believes that the best part of Bryant & Stratton College's team is player diversity. “We have an outstanding


BASKETBALL TEAM PAGE 4


Credit Cards: How to Avoid Costly Mistakes


When you’re just starting


out on your own, credit cards offer a convenient way to make purchases and build a credit history. But it’s also easy to make costly mistakes and damage your credit record. Here are tips for responsibly managing credit cards.


Read the fine print.


“Before you apply for a credit card, read all the terms and conditions so you know exactly what you’re getting into,” said Susan Boenau, Chief of the FDIC’s Consumer Affairs Section. “This is especially important if the card offers a low introductory Annual Percentage Rate because you need to know when the introductory rate ends and what the new, higher rate will be.”


You can avoid fees by being aware


of your card’s credit limit. If you want your credit card issuer to permit transactions over your credit limit to go through, you must notify your lender that you want that service in advance and will pay the resulting fees. “To


avoid the fees from going over your credit limit, don’t ask for the service and instead allow the transactions to simply be turned down,” said Heather St. Germain, an FDIC Consumer Affairs Specialist.


Try to pay the entire balance in full and


on time every month. That way, you will avoid interest charges and save money. However, if you can’t pay the balance in full, pay at least the minimum monthly payment amount, and


COSTLY MISTAKES PAGE 7


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