VOL. 132 | NO. 37 | Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Shelby County Commissioners endorsed state legislation Monday, Feb. 20, that would legalize marijuana for medical purposes, came out against a school voucher bill by state Senator Brian Kelsey of Germantown and turned away a social media use policy for county employees.

The commissions 9-2 vote to back the medical marijuana bill sponsored in the Tennessee Legislature by state Rep. Jeremy Faison came without debate one in a series of votes that are part of the commissions group of positions on legislature pending in Nashville.

Commissioners Mark Billingsley and Heidi Shafer voted no with commissioner George Chism absent and commissioner Justin Ford not in the commission chambers when the vote was taken.

In December, the same commission defeated an ordinance on final reading that would have allowed Shelby County Sheriffs deputies to write a civil citation or ticket for possession of half an ounce or less of pot.

There was much more debate among commissioners Monday on the social media policy changes prompted by a November post from Shelby County Corrections Center Deputy Director David Barber that the Klan is more American than then-President Barack Obama, on his personal Facebook page. The page listed his job with Shelby County government. Barber retired during furor over the post.

The policy amendment proposed said an employees personal social media use should not be attributable to an agency of county government.

Be aware if you identify yourself as an employee of SCG (Shelby County Government) or an affiliate organization/department on your personal social profile, any information you post will be held to a higher level of scrutiny, the amendment read. And you should determine how you wish to present yourself as a SCG professional, appropriate with the public trust associated with our position, and conforms to the policies and procedures of SCG and its officials.

Commissioners had lots of questions about Facebook posts by county employees who dont show where they work but who are outed as a county employee by others. Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Kim Hackney said any county action would depend heavily on the posting and how that relates to other county government policies against racial, religious and gender discrimination.

This is a first line of defense, commissioner Mark Billingsley said. It provides clarity around our countys values and culture.

Commissioner Terry Roland, however, said the policy is wrong and that county government would quickly become entangled in questions of Constitutional law and freedom of expression.

The social media thing, I think, is wrong, he said. You cannot tell somebody how to think. There are so many variables. What if I get tagged?

Roland acknowledged social media posts by him in recent weeks have been highly critical of Planned Parenthood.

I dont give a damn who watches mine. Next theyll be looking at your emails, he said. Were starting to take right away from people.

The amended social media policy would not have applied to elected officials just as the current policy does not.

Commissioner Walter Bailey who is politically the opposite of Roland on many issues, agreed with Roland in his position as well as being a vocal critic of the rule.

I think we expose ourselves to litigation, he said. Thats their privacy.

Bailey called the policy change a slippery slope that could have the effect of putting a chill on free speech and expression.

The resolution on the policy change fell one vote short of the seven votes needed for approval. Commissioners Bailey, Roland, Steve Basar and chairman Melvin Burgess voted no.

The commission also approved Monday a resolution coming out against Kelseys school voucher bill which would apply only to Shelby County.

The 10-0 vote, with Shafer abstaining, came the same day that a fiscal note attached to the legislation in Nashville by the General Assemblys Fiscal Review Committee estimated Shelby County Schools would lose $18.6 million in revenue a year as a result, starting in 2019.

I dont know why he continues his assault on education in Shelby County, when his constituents and our constituents do not support it, commissioner David Reaves said. If this goes through, I think we need to be prepared to challenge it. Even our municipal districts, it will continue to expand and eat away at education funding.

See more here:

County Commission Backs Medical Marijuana, Opposes School Vouchers - Memphis Daily News

PH up by 12 notches in Economic Freedom Index 2017 ranking | SunStar Sun.Star Meanwhile, the new indicators (Fiscal Health and Judicial Effectiveness) placed the country in 26th and 110th rank, respectively. The Heritage Foundation and Wall Street Journal lauded the Philippines' notable economic growth amid challenging global ...

Read more:

PH up by 12 notches in Economic Freedom Index 2017 ranking | SunStar - Sun.Star

David Maynier and Alf Lees say there has been fiscal slippage due to lower-than-expected economic growth

Main Budget 2017 Preview

David Maynier MP, Shadow Minister of Finance &

Alf Lees MP, Deputy Shadow Finance Minister

We need a Comprehensive Spending Review

We propose implementing a Comprehensive Spending Review which would require National Treasury, working together with national departments, provinces, municipalities and state-owned entities, to review the composition of spending, the efficiency of spending, and future spending priorities with a view to reprioritizing expenditure over the medium term between 2017/18 and 2019/20. We have to reprioritize expenditure to fund programmes to provide opportunities for the lost generation, which includes millions of young people who do not have jobs, or have given up looking for jobs, in South Africa.

1. Introduction

The Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, will table the main budget later this week in Parliament. The fact is that a staggering 8.9 million people, many of whom are young people, do not have jobs, or have given up looking for jobs, and live without dignity, independence, and freedom in South Africa. However, the ministers hands are effectively tied behind his back: he has very little political space, fiscal space and policy space to deal with the economic crisis in South Africa.

2. The minister has been contained

Political Space: The minister has very little political space in which to manoeuvre: First, a political campaign, by President Jacob Zuma and his allies inside and outside the ruling party, against the minister has resulted in persistent rumours of a cabinet reshuffle, creating the impression that the minister is about to be substituted. Second, the implementation of the structural reforms to boost economic growth and create jobs has been centralized in the Presidency under the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation. Third, the implementation of state-owned enterprise reform has also been centralized in the Presidency, under the Presidential State-Owned Companies Coordinating Council. And finally, the management of big fiscal risks, such as the nuclear build programme, has been warehoused in the Department of Energy, under Eskom and the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation.

Fiscal Space: The minister has very little fiscal space in which to manoeuvre: First, economic growth, forecast at 1.3% for 2017, is likely to be revised down, closer to 1.1% in line with the South African Reserve Banks forecast, and is significantly lower than the 5.4% envisaged in the National Development Plan. Second, despite fiscal consolidation and efforts to maintain a prudent fiscal path, there has been constant fiscal slippage with the national debt now only expected to stabilize at R2.6 trillion, or 47.9% of GDP, in 2019/20. Third, there is significant financial risk, in the form of government guarantees, to the tune of R469.9 billion, to state-owned enterprises, including zombie state-owned enterprises such as South African Airways, which now faces a monster fine of R1.16 billion. And finally, additional spending pressures loom in the form of the public sector wage bill, post-school education and national health insurance.

Policy Space: The minister has very little policy space in which to manoeuvre given the fact that the ministers drive to pursue inclusive economic growth, by restoring investor confidence and boosting private sector investment, is now competing with, and is in danger of being extinguished by, a new approach to the economic crisis, which is radical economic transformation, driven by President Jacob Zuma.

Worse, the announcement that disgraced former Eskom group chief executive, Brian Molefe, will soon be warming a parliamentary bench was a planned political hit. The Guptas must be delighted because if theState of Capturereport is anything to go by the National Treasury, the Public Investment Corporation and South African Airways will effectively be on speed dial. The bottom line is that appointing Brian Molefe to any position in the finance family would be a clear-and-present danger to the institutional independence of National Treasury and the Public Investment Corporation, and it would be bad for South Africa.

What all this means in the end is that the minister is effectively being contained and confined to balancing the books, with a view to avoiding a ratings downgrade, when he tables the budget later this week in Parliament.

3. Economic growth is stagnant

The medium-term budget policy statement, delivered on 26 October 2016, promised balanced consolidation, with a mix of tax increases and expenditure cuts, which would require a total adjustment of R48 billion, including tax increases of R28 billion and expenditure cuts of R20 billion, in 2017/18. However, since then the outlook for economic growth, revenue, expenditure, the fiscal deficit, and debt has deteriorated for 2017/18.

Growth: The economic growth rate forecast at 1.3% for 2017 is likely to be revised down to 1.1% in line with the forecast by the South African Reserve Bank. The free fall in economic growth is illustrated by the fact that projections for economic growth for 2017 have decreased from 3% (Main Budget 2015), through 1.7% (Main Budget 2016) to 1.3% (Medium-Term Budget 2016), and is now likely to be 1.1% (Main Budget 2017).

Revenue: Total consolidated revenue of R1.4 trillion, or 30.1% of GDP, was budgeted for 2017/18. However, the lower-than-projected economic growth is likely to result in lower- than-expected revenue in 2017/18. The revenue shortfall, assuming a tax buoyancy rate of 1.43%, could be as much as R3.6 billion, in 2017/18.

Expenditure: Total consolidated expenditure of R1.5 trillion, or 33.3% of GDP, was budgeted for 2017/18. The expenditure ceiling has been set at R1.2 trillion for 2017/18. However, new spending pressures loom, including: higher-than-expected spending on compensation of employees, which is budgeted to cost R549.4 billion in 2017/18; and higher-than-expected spending on post-school education, which is budgeted to cost R76.6 billion in 2017/18.

Balance: The lower-than-expected revenue, taken together with higher-than-expected expenditure, may result in fiscal slippage and push out the fiscal deficit, which is expected to be R147.1, or 3.1% of GDP, in 2017/18.

Debt: This would, in turn, put pressure on net loan debt, which is expected to be R2.2 trillion, or 47% of GDP, and consequently debt service costs, which are expected to be R163.6 billion in 2017/18, and risk compromising governments key fiscal objective, which is to stabilize net loan debt at 47.9% of GDP in 2019/20. Debt service costs are now the fastest growing expenditure item and will cost a staggering R541.6 billion between 2017/18 and 2019/20.

To put debt service costs in perspective, consider the fact that we will spend more on debt service costs (R541.6 billion) over the medium term than we will spend on, for example, police services (R298.4 billion) and post-school education (R247.1 billion) between 2017/18 and 2019/20.

4. So theres been fiscal slippage

The fact is that because of the failure to implement structural reform, to restore investor confidence and boost private sector investment, the economic growth rate for 2017 has consistently been revised down from 3% (Main Budget 2015) through 1.3% (Medium-Term Budget 2016), and is likely to be revised down further to 1.1% (Main Budget 2017).

This has major implications because as former Minister of Finance Nhlanhla Nene liked to say: Without economic growth, revenue will not increase. Without revenue growth, expenditure cannot increase.

There has been fiscal slippage because of lower-than-expected economic growth: during the medium-term budget policy statement the fiscal deficit was revised up by R11.8 billion and national debt was revised up by R13 billion for 2017/18.

And because of lower-than-expected economic growth, there is a risk of further fiscal slippage, which may require a further adjustment to the budget, beyond the R48 billion adjustment, announced during the medium-term budget policy statement, for 2017/18.

5. Which means taxes will increase

The minister is, therefore, drowning in red ink and will have to hold the fiscal line and balance the books by announcing a combination of direct and indirect tax increases aimed at raising at least R28 billion in 2017/18.

Personal Income Tax: We believe the minister may raise personal income tax, which raised R428.5 billion, or 37% of tax revenue, in 2016/17. We expect the minister to either (1) raise the personal income tax rate by about 1%; (2) provide limited or no relief for fiscal drag, which could raise between R7 billion and R13 billion; or (3) create a new upper tax bracket, and a higher marginal tax rate of say 43%, for individuals earning a taxable income of more than R1.5 million per year, which could raise about R5 billion in 2017/18.

General Fuel Levy: The minister may also increase the fuel levy, currently charged at R2.85 per litre, which raised R64.2 billion, or 6% of tax revenue, in 2016/17. An increase in the fuel levy of, for example, 50c per litre could raise about R11.3 billion in 2017/18.

Wealth Taxes: We believe the minister may raise wealth taxes such as Dividends Tax, Capital Gains Tax and Transfer Duties in 2017/18.

Excise Duties: The minister may also introduce above inflation increases in sin taxes especially on alcohol and tobacco products in 2017/18.

Special Voluntary Disclosure Programme: The minister will also rely on the Special Voluntary Disclosure Programme, designed to allow tax dodgers with unauthorized offshore assets or income to regularize their tax affairs in 2017/18.

Sugar Tax: We also believe the minister will introduce a sugar tax in 2017/18. However, we do not expect the minister:

- to raise Corporate Income Tax (28%), which raised R200.8 billion, or 17% of tax revenue in 2016/17, because it would be detrimental to economic growth; or

- to raise Value Added Tax (14%), which raised R293.3 billion, or 25% of tax revenue in 2016/17, because it is considered to be a regressive tax and is strongly opposed by Cosatu.

What this means is that whether you are rich, and taxed directly, or whether you are poor, and taxed indirectly, the minister is going to reach into your pocket and help himself to at least R28 billion to plug the fiscal hole in 2017/18.

6. But there are other options...

What we know is that last year the minister reached into your left pocket and helped himself to R18.1 billion. And this year the minister will reach into your right pocket and help himself to at least R28 billion. And if that is not bad enough, President Jacob Zuma and his cronies, inside and outside the ruling party, are reaching into your back pocket helping themselves to billions of rands.

However, there are alternatives to tax increases, which are not likely to find their way into the budget, but could generate the revenue required to plug the R28 billion fiscal hole in the budget for 2017/18, including boosting economic growth, selling assets, cutting spending and eliminating waste.

Boosting Growth: The minister warned that decisive action is needed to implement the structural reforms necessary to boost economic growth in South Africa. With decisive action to boost economic growth, government could raise significant amounts of additional revenue in 2017/18. To illustrate the effect of economic growth on revenue, consider that an increase of 1% in GDP could raise R18.2 billion in additional revenue, assuming a tax buoyancy rate of 1.43%, in 2017/18.

Selling Assets: The former Minister of Finance, Nhlanhla Nene, began a process of selling non-strategic assets, and made a good start by selling governments stake in Vodacom, which raised R25.4 billion in revenue in 2015/16. However, the process of selling non-strategic assets appears to have been abandoned. The fact is that substantial revenue could be raised by:

- selling assets by privatizing or part-privatizing some of the 215 Schedule 1, Schedule 2, Schedule 3A and Schedule 3B state-owned entities, which had a net asset value of R1.1 trillion in 2015/16;

- selling assets by privatizing or part-privatizing some of the 112 Schedule 3C and Schedule 3D provincial public entities; and

- selling or leasing dead capital, such the 13 043 underutilized land parcels, not well located for housing development, and the 1 939 buildings not being utilized or leased under the control of the Department of Public Works.

This is in line with thePresidential Review Committee on State-Owned Entities,especially Recommendation 20, which recommends more private sector investment in state-owned entities in South Africa.

To illustrate the potential of asset sales to raise revenue, consider the fact that the sale of governments stake in Telkom alone could raise about R14.7 billion in 2017/18.

Cutting Spending: The minister has cut spending, lowering the expenditure ceiling by R10.3 billion, from R1.24 trillion to R1.22 trillion in 2017/18. However, much more can be done to cut spending, for example, by:

- rationalizing: the national executive and legislative organs, which will cost R13.9 billion in 2017/18; external affairs and foreign aid, which will cost R12 billion in 2017/18; public service, which will cost R549.4 billion in 2017/18; provincial legislatures, which will cost R546.8 million in 2017/18; national non-profit organizations, which cost R2.4 billion in 2015/16; and provincial non-profit organizations, which cost R22.7 billion in 2015/16;

- cutting spending on: VIP Protection Services, which will cost R1.3 billion in 2017/18; International Relations, which will cost R2.9 billion in 2017/18; Defence Foreign Relations, which will cost R225.8 million in 2017/18; travel and subsistence, which cost R9.7 billion in 2015/16; catering, entertainment and venue rental, which cost R1.93 billion in 2015/16; consultants, which cost R5.4 billion; and leases on buildings, which cost R11.3 billion in 2015/16; and

- cancelling: the capital contribution instalment of about R3.9 billion for the New Development Bank in 2017/18.

Eliminating Waste: The fact is that irregular expenditure, defined as expenditure that is not incurred in the manner prescribed by legislation, increased from R26 billion in 2014/15 to R46 billion in 2015/16. And fruitless and wasteful expenditure, defined as expenditure made in vain and that could have been avoided had reasonable care been taken, increased from R1.04 billion in 2014/15 to R1.36 billion in 2015/16. We have to eliminate corruption by implementing what the Auditor-General, Kimi Makwetu, calls a less tolerant approach, and ensuring that there is consequence management for officials who do not comply with the Public Finance Management Act (No. 1 of 1999).

7. So what we need is a spending review

The minister employs a fragmented arsenal of fiscal tools to contain spending, including an expenditure ceiling, cost containment measures, procurement reform, and performance and expenditure reviews.

However, the expenditure ceiling, which is the foundation of our fiscal credibility, is a blunt instrument and often results in perverse outcomes, including the reprioritization of expenditure in favour of administrative posts, rather than front-line professional posts; the cost containment measures are important, and send the right fiscal message, but are largely fiscal spin because they target a small proportion of expenditure; procurement reform, especially the review of contracts entered into by state-owned entities, is resisted; and performance and expenditure reviews are normally confined to reviews of specified programmes, and appear to gather dust in National Treasury.

***

We need to do things differently and so we will propose implementing a Comprehensive Spending Review aimed at all three spheres of government and state-owned entities. A Comprehensive Spending Review would require National Treasury, working together with national departments, provinces, municipalities and state-owned entities, to review the composition of spending, the efficiency of spending, and future spending priorities with a view to reducing and reprioritizing expenditure in the medium term between 2017/18 and 2019/20.

***

The National Treasury conducts select performance and expenditure reviews from time to time including reviews of spending on foreign missions, land distribution and road maintenance.

However, a Comprehensive Spending Review would be different: National Treasury, working together with national departments, provinces, municipalities and state-owned entities, would review the composition of spending, efficiency of spending and future spending priorities, with a view to reducing expenditure and reprioritizing expenditure over the medium term between 2017/18 and 2019/20.

Savings identified as a result of the Comprehensive Spending Review should be used to hold the fiscal line, fund further investment in infrastructure and fund programmes to provide opportunities for the millions of young people who do not have jobs, or have given up looking for jobs, in South Africa.

The Comprehensive Spending Review model has proved to be successful ininter aliaAustralia (Comprehensive Spending Review 2010), Canada (Strategic and Operating Review 2011) and the United Kingdom (Comprehensive Spend Review 2010).

8. Conclusion

Whether you are rich, and taxed directly, or whether you are poor, and taxed indirectly, the minister is going to reach into your pocket on budget day and help himself to at least R28 billion to plug the fiscal hole in 2017/18. Whether you have a high-paying job and drive to work, or you have a low-paying job and take a bus to work, or even if you have no job and take a taxi to look for work, you will be paying more because of tax increases in 2017/18. However, there are alternatives to tax increases, including boosting economic growth, selling assets, cutting spending and eliminating waste.

And that is why we propose implementing a Comprehensive Spending Review that would require National Treasury, working together with national departments, provinces, municipalities and state-owned entities, to review the composition of spending, the efficiency of spending, and future spending priorities with a view to reprioritizing expenditure over the medium term between 2017/18 and 2019/20. In the end, we have to reprioritize expenditure to fund programmes to provide opportunities for the lost generation, which includes millions of young people who do not have jobs, or have given up looking for jobs, in South Africa.

Issued by the DA, 20 February 2016

Excerpt from:

Budget 2017: Why taxes will increase - DA - Politicsweb

By Chandeepa Wettasinghe Sri Lanka slipped down to the Mostly Unfree country territory this year in the Index of Economic Freedom, with the lack of government integrity being the only contributor towards the slip in both the ranking and the score. The perceived level of corruption is debilitating, the US-based Heritage Foundation, which compiles the index, said. Sri Lanka slipped to the 112th place from the 93rd place last year, while the country score, which had increased to 59.9 out of 100 in 2016, just 0.1 below a Moderately Free country, declined to 57.4 this year, recording a 6 year low, since 57.1 recorded in 2011. A score below 50 indicates a Repressed country, while a score above 70 denotes a Mostly Free country, and above 80 is classified as Free. Under the rule of law category, the score for property rights increased to 48 in 2017 from 40 in the last year even though the Heritage Foundation noted, investors claim that protection could be flimsy. The unity government, which came to power in 2015, had attracted greater rankings on government integrity, reaching up to 39 in 2016, before nose-diving to 30 this year, matching the lowest levels of 1995 and 1996. Global corruption watchdog, Transparency International, too in its Corruption Perception Index recently pointed out the increasing threats to transparency in Sri Lanka under the current government. However, government ministers claim there is a gap between their good work and the communication of their endeavors to the public. The current government had come to power promising to eliminate corruption, on a wide platform of good governance and transparency. However, many stakeholders are now contradicting the publicly announced policies with the policies formulated in secrecy. The countrys government securities market was also shaken through insider deals allegedly connected to a Central Bank Governor appointed by the unity government, for which action has been slow. Judicial effectiveness for this year was recorded at 48.3. Meanwhile, Sri Lankas tax burden was considered as free, with a score of 85.3, up from 85.1 YoY, despite the increases in taxation legislated in late 2016. Government spending too fared well, increasing to 90.2 from 90.0 YoY continuing an upward trend, despite cuts witnessed in expenditure in 2016 to bring the budget deficit. Fiscal health however, recorded at 31.2. Regulatory efficiencies recorded all-around improvements in 2017, with business freedom increasing to 72.8 from 70.3 YoY, labour freedom increasing to 57.5 from 56.5 YoY and monetary freedom increasing to 76 from 71.5 YoY.

The business start-up process has been streamlined, and the number of licensing requirements has been reduced, the Heritage Foundation said, but noted that labour market lacks efficiency. Sri Lankas commitment towards open markets remained relatively unchanged, with only trade freedom increasing to 74.5 from 72.4 YoY, while investment freedom and financial freedom remaining stagnant at 35.0 and 40.0, respectively. Sri Lanka ranked 25th in the entire Asia Pacific region, while China ranked 24th, Bangladesh 28th, Pakistan 32nd, India 33rd and Vietnam 35th. Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia were ranked in the top 5 both in Asia Pacific as well as in the World. Switzerland managed to edge out Australia by ranking 4th in the world, while Taiwan filled up the 5th position in Asia Pacific.

Excerpt from:

Sri Lanka's govt. integrity, economic freedom deteriorate - Daily Mirror

HARRISBURG As state legislators seek to address the heroin and opioid overdose epidemic, support appears to be growing for the idea of forcing some drug abusers into treatment.

The Senates highest-ranking Democrat this month introduced legislation that, if enacted, would let family members petition to involuntarily commit a relative to treatment. In the House, the Republican chairman of the Health Committee says he is preparing a separate bill that would allow involuntary treatment of a drug user after an overdose.

The proposals reflect what some say is a wave of despair fueled by an opioid epidemic rippling the state and the country.

I heard from a number of folks throughout the commonwealth that have expressed to me that they feel helpless at times trying to get treatment options for a loved one, said Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny.

The numbers have been sobering: Drug-related overdose deaths in Pennsylvania spiked 23.4 percent, to 3,383, from 2014 to 2015, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. State officials have projected that the final tally for 2016 will be even higher.

Gov. Tom Wolf has made battling the opioid epidemic a priority. He has asked the Legislature for $10 million in the next fiscal years budget to expand access to naloxone, the drug used to revive people from overdoses.

But its not an issue divided along party lines.

This is the first time I can recall in 25 years there seems to be a strong bipartisan level of support for some form of procedure by which individuals or families are able to pursue treatment for loved ones that need professional help, said Rep. Matt Baker, R-Tioga, the Health Committee chairman who is building support for his own involuntary commitment bill.

The details of how such a law would be implemented and enforced are still evolving. Some critics have already emerged.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania said it will oppose Mr. Costas bill, which would allow involuntary drug-treatment commitments after a petition from a spouse or relative, an evaluation by a physician and a hearing.

While drug and alcohol addiction is a serious problem, ACLU spokesman Andy Hoover said, We have concerns about this approach undermining peoples fundamental rights to liberty.

He noted the bill does not define what kind of imminent danger a person must be in to qualify for involuntary commitment and that it allows for a single doctor to sign a statement that the person has an addiction.

David Hickton, who as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania made opioids one of his top concerns and co-chaired a national task force on heroin use, said a balance must be struck.

The opioid battle has shown that many times parents are frustrated trying to get help for their kids, especially people who are in the throes of opioid dependence where they are resistant to the help they need, Mr. Hickton said. Its a balance, but there is no liberty and there is no freedom once you die of a drug overdose.

Deb Beck, of the Drug and Alcohol Service Providers Organization of Pennsylvania, said most people dont enter treatment without some kind of push, whether from family members, doctors or employers.

Theres no question that forced treatment can be effective, Ms. Beck said. The problem is we have no locked facilities in Pennsylvania, and frankly we dont have much bed space at this point.

Rep. Gene DiGirolamo, R-Bucks, who is an advocate for addicts and their families, said the concept is a good idea but echoed that it would face a challenge in the lack of secured treatment facilities for drug and alcohol addiction.

Mr. DiGirolamo has firsthand experience with trying to persuade a loved one to get help. His son was a heroin user, he said.

We finally convinced him, after a long struggle, to get into treatment, Mr. DiGirolamo said. Hes 17 years in recovery. I know how frustrating for families this can be.

Karen Langley: klangley@post-gazette.com; Twitter: @karen_langley.com.

Read more:

State lawmakers looking at forced treatment as option to combat opioid crises - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The United States is no longer among the worlds top 15 freest economies. In fact, according to an annual index released by the Heritage Foundation on Wednesday, the U.S. fell from being the sixth-freest economy in the world when President Barack Obama took office in 2009 to being the 17th freest economy in the world today.

The U.S. economic freedom score for 2017 was 75.1 out of 100. This means economic freedom in the U.S. has fallen to its lowest level since the Heritage Foundation started keeping track in 1995. America now ranks behind such nations as Chile, Estonia, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. Since the Heritage Foundation ranks countries with scores above 80 as economically free, it has only ranked the U.S. as mostly free since 2009.

The Heritage economic freedom index is calculated based on 12 factors of economic freedom, including property rights, government spending, freedom from corruption, fiscal freedom, monetary freedom, business freedom, labor freedom, trade freedom, investment freedom and financial freedom. The 2017 report lists large budget deficits, an enormous national debt, a substantial expansion of government bureaucracy and an increased tax burden as contributing factors to the decline in Americas economic freedom.

Another index of economic freedom, published by the Fraser Institute, shows that the U.S. fell from being second freest economy in 1980 to being the 16th freest economy in 2014. According to this assessment, U.S. economic freedom actually rose from 1980 to 2000 but has been in steady decline since the turn of the millennium.

The Fraser Institute reports that the U.S. economic freedom index fell from 8.07 to 7.75 between 1980 and 2014, while Chinas economic freedom index rose from 3.64 to 6.45 during the same time period. As the U.S. turns its back on Adam Smith-style capitalism and China turns its back on Mao Zedong-style communism, both nations are adopting a mixed socialist market economy where property is privately owned but micromanaged by government bureaucrats.

Germany and most members of the European Union also have economic freedom scores in the moderately free zone, a category associated with mixed socialist market economies and authoritarian bureaucracies.

For the past two centuries, the form of government championed by Britain and Americaa form of government that has at its heart some important biblical principleshas spread throughout the Western world. Yet, in recent years, nations around the globe have been turning their back on the Anglo-American methods of economic management.

Even many key American officials have adopted an approach similar to Barack Obamas philosophy that nations should not debate the ideologies of capitalism and communism, but instead should pursue a mixed economy that uses bits of Communist theory and bits of capitalist theory.

To see where this dangerous decline in economic freedom is leading, please read Democracy Is Dying.

More here:

US Economic Freedom Hits Historic Low - theTrumpet.com

Sarah Hauck

What has been dubbed the sound of freedom has been a constant reminder of the areas proximity to Camp Lejeune, particularly in the last week.

As part of an extended training exercise aboard Camp Lejeune artillery blasts have been heard into the wee hours of the morning, causing quite a stir even farther and later than normal.

While many residents are used to the blasts and booms that sometimes rattle windows and doors, many will admit that the last weeks activities have been more, well, active than usual.

The excessive military-related noise is scheduled to end Monday, Camp Lejeune-New River Director of Public Affairs Nat Fahy said.

Some residents have contacted to base to share their frustrations, including some asking if such exercises could be moved elsewhere, he said.

Due to recent fiscal constraints and budget cuts, the Marine Corps is emphasizing home station training, which saves the cost of transporting large amounts of Marines, ammunition, and military equipment to remote locations, Fahy said in response to the residents concerns. Additionally, due to the return of many Marines who were deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq for the last 15 years, many more Marines are at Camp Lejeune. This means that there are more Marines conducting more training so that they can stay ready to fight when the nation calls on them.

A Hubert resident since 1987, Dawn Morton said the occasional blast has become something she and her husband have become accustomed to.

There seems to be less down time between the largest booms, and it usually doesnt continue after 11 p.m. she said.

Morton said the extra noise in the later hours kept her awake the other night, something she isnt used to with the noise.

Camp Lejeune issued a noise advisory early last week to warn the community of the quiet hour violations due to the exercise.

Morton said, however, the cracks in the sheet rock, pictures being broken when they are vibrated off the walls and her pets seeming nervous during the explosions are things she expected when she bought her home.

Were not military, but we love this area and respect and cheer for our military neighbors, she said.

Former Marine and Queens Creek resident Tim Carmody said the blasts have woken his 2-year-old up, which is frustrating. One of the worst parts for him? The late night shoots after 12 a.m. when you are awoken at 1-2 a.m. when your day starts at 3:30-4 a.m., he said.

Carmody said his familiarity with artillery from his time in the military hasnt been able to prevent him from being startled a time or two by the current operations.

The family never would have settled in Hubert had they known the disturbance from the base exercises would be so common, he said.

I lived off of Gum Branch in the Half Moon area and dont recall hearing it, Carmody said. The worst there was the flight path, which wasnt too bad.

In the initial noise advisory Camp Lejeune issued cited weather also playing a factor in how readily heard the artillery blasts may be during the exercise.

On occasions, weather conditions can also greatly affect hownoisetravels, Fahy previously told the Daily News. Variations in temperatures at higher atmospheres can create a trap-like effect that bounce sound waves back toward the ground, creating areas of high intensity sound miles away from the sounds source.

The additional artillery noise outside of quiet hours is part of a comprehensive live fire and maneuver exercise supported by 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fahy said.

Quiet hours are normally 12:01 - 6 a.m. Monday-Saturday and from 12:01 a.m.-noon on Sundays, Fahy said.

The base releases a noise report every Friday in ongoing effort to keep the community informed.

That report can be found at lejeune.marines.mil/news/noise-advisories.

View post:

Sounds of freedom rattling to far reaches of area - Jacksonville Daily News

The 1987 movie, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, featured a scene in which John Candys character is driving the wrong direction on an interstate while Steve Martins character sleeps in the passenger seat. A concerned motorist on the proper side of the highway pulls alongside the wayward vehicle and begins honking, then rolls down his window and hollers, Youre going the wrong way. To which Mr. Candy replies, How would he know where were going?

The scene comes to mind amid the release this week of the Heritage Foundations economic freedom index. Were going the wrong way.

The Hill reported Wednesday that the United States slipped six spots from last year, coming in at 17th among 180 countries. The nations 75.1 ranking out of 100 a dead-solid C is its worst ever showing and continues a trend in which the United States has moved backward in eight of the past nine years.

Hong Kong, Singapore and New Zealand topped the list, with respective scores of 89.8, 88.6 and 83.7. Switzerland (81.5) and Australia (81.0) were the only other countries to score 80 or more, the studys threshold to be considered economically free. Countries between 70 and 79.9 are considered mostly free.

The United States: Land of the mostly free. Pretty inspiring.

The index is weighted in 13 components, and the United States fared miserably in three of those areas: tax burden (65.3), government spending (55.9) and fiscal health (53.3). On the bright side, however, improvements in all three of those issues could be on the horizon.

President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress have already stated their intention to pass long-overdue tax reform. The president has also spoken in no uncertain terms about peeling back bloat in government spending and staffing, as the federal debt approaches $20 trillion.

Should Congress and the president successfully steer through saner tax policy and more sound spending legislation, Americas flat-lining F score of 53.3 in fiscal health will also almost certainly improve.

Its a simple formula. Now, Congress and President Trump need to slam the brakes on this careening car, do a quick U-turn and start accelerating in the right direction. Make America great again? An obvious place to start would be to make this country economically free again.

Read this article:

EDITORIAL: The United States continues to drop on the Heritage Foundation's index of economic freedom - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Liberian Leader, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Ukraine increased its points from 46.8 to 48.1 score on a scale of 0 to 100, falling from 162nd to 166th position among 180 countries (178 a year ago), according to the Heritage Foundation annual study.

Liberia, Chad, Afghanistan, Sudan and Angola are ahead of Ukraine (with scores from 49.1 to 48.5). Suriname, Bolivia, Guinea and Turkmenistan follow Ukraine (with scores from 48 to 47.4). All these countries are in the group of repressed economies (49.9-40 scores).

Ukraines economy has contracted deeply and remains very fragile. Ongoing disruptions of the countrys productive and export capacities and significant capital outflows have put increasing pressure on the currency and reserves, severely undermining monetary stability, according to the study.

The overall soundness of fiscal policy has deteriorated substantially, and public deficits and debt have increased sharply. The rule of law remains fragile and is further undercut by judicial ineffectiveness.

A strong commitment to structural reforms to reduce corruption and open the economy further to Western investment and financial institutions will be crucial in helping to stabilize the economy. The government has launched a comprehensive set of reforms to restore growth, but progress is not yet evident, reads the study.

Financial freedom is estimated at 30 points, government integrity at 29.2, investment freedom at 25, and judicial effectiveness at 22.6, while trade freedom was assessed at 85.9 and tax burden at 78.6.

The top five countries of the index with 89.8-81 score are Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland and Australia.

SOURCE: News Now/ Heritage Foundation annual study

(Visited 158 times, 128 visits today)

comments

Visit link:

Liberia Ahead Of Ukraine In Index of Economic Freedom 2017 - Global News Network

The Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom compares countries on a number of measures of how free their economies are. (Heritage.org)

Economy: The U.S. currently ranks a dispiriting 17th on the Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom. That's down from 6th when Obama took office in 2009. The question isn't whether President Trump can turn this dismal trend around, it's whether Democrats will let him.

The Heritage Foundation has been publishing this index since 1995. It measures things like property rights, fiscal health, business freedom, tax burden, government spending, rule of law and other indicators of economic freedom in 186 countries. Based on these, each country gets an overall freedom index score, which then can be ranked against other countries.

As Heritage points out, there is good reason to focus on these measures of economic freedom, since theydirectly correlate with a country's growth and prosperity. "The affirmative link between economic freedom and long-term development is unmistakable and robust," the report notes. "The higher a country's level of economic freedom is, the higher its income per capita also is."

The good news is that economic freedom worldwide has been inching up for the past two decades. It went from a low of 57.1 in 1996 to 60.9 today.

The bad news is that it's been on the decline in the U.S. since 2008, when it stood at 80.7. Since then, it has dropped every year but one under Obama, and now measures 75.1. That's the lowest score for the U.S. since Heritage started this index 22 years ago.

As a result, the U.S. now ranks behind Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand Canada, Taiwan, the U.K., Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Even Lithuania currently has more economic freedom than the U.S.

"The substantial expansion of government's size and scope, increased regulatory and tax burdens, and the loss of confidence that has accompanied a growing perception of cronyism, elite privilege, and corruption have severely undermined America's global competitiveness," the report finds.

In other words, the U.S. index was dragged down by Obama's anti-growth war on businesses, investors and other productive elements of the economy.

Not surprisingly, the past eight years have also been characterized by historically low economic growth rates, with annual GDP growth never once hitting 3% under Obama.

Turning this around should be a priority in Washington for both Republicans and Democrats. Faster economic growth is desperately needed, not only to create jobs and increase prosperity, but to reduce the federal government's yawning deficits and mountain of debt.

Unfortunately, Democrats and the mainstream press are entirely focused on destroying the Trump administration before it has the chance to put forward any of its pro-growth proposals.

If the U.S. continues to slide down the scale of economic freedom and the economy continues to struggle, the blame will rest on the shoulders of these obstructionists.

RELATED:

January's Jobs Jump: The Trump Economy Begins

Now They Tell Us: Trump's Economic Plan Will Boost Growth

Donald Trump News & Tweets: ObamaCare, Immigration, Trade, Economy

Read the original here:

Thank You, Obama: US Steadily Lost Ground On Economic Freedom Over Past 8 Years - Investor's Business Daily

Scott Pruitt arrives at Trump Tower for a meeting on December 7th. (Getty)

Scott Pruitt, Donald Trumps nominee to run the Environmental Protection agency, has been openly critical of the agency he would lead.

His confirmation vote is scheduled for February 17, even though, the night before, a judge in Oklahoma ordered him to turn over thousands of emails that critics say will show he has deep ties to the fossil fuel industry.

Hes also a climate change skeptic whos fought the EPA as Oklahomas attorney general.

The Hill reports hes expected to win confirmation, despite losing a Republican vote.

Heres what you need to know:

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, President Donald Trumps nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency, arrives for the Inaugural Luncheon in the US Capitol January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Getty)

According to CNBC, an Oklahoma County judge on February 16 ordered Pruitt to turn over thousands of communications to a watchdog group.

The Washington Times reported that the emails are related to his communications with the oil-and-gas industry.

The Center for Media and Democracy had sued, alleging Pruitt was in violation of the open records laws because he wouldnt release the documents, which the group requested in 2015, CNBC reported.

The judge ordered Pruitt to give about 3,000 emails to the group by Tuesday, February 21, according to CNBC. NBC reported that the liberal CMD organization asked for correspondence between Pruitts office and Koch Industries, mining and drill companies and the Republican Attorneys General Association.

Scott Pruitt. (AG file photo)

Pruitts Attorney General biography says that, before being elected AG in 2010, he served eight years in the Oklahoma State Senate where he was a leading voice for fiscal responsibility, religious freedom and pro-life issues.

Hes known for his dramatic quotes. Pruitt once said, The American People are tired of seeing billions of dollars drained from our economy due to unnecessary EPA regulations, and I intend to run this agency in a way that fosters both responsible protection of the environment and freedom for American businesses.

Scott Pruitt, Donald Trumps nominee for EPA Administrator, is pictured during a meeting with US Senator Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV) on Capitol Hill January 4, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Getty)

In his bio, Pruitt is open about how he sees the EPA. Pruitt is a leading advocate against the EPAs activist agenda, the bio says.

Susan Collins, a Republican Senator from Maine, announced she would not vote for Pruitt, writing in a news release that I have significant concerns that Mr. Pruitt actively opposed and sued EPA on numerous issues that are of great importance to the state of Maine, including mercury controls for coal-fired power plants and efforts to reduce cross-state air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Hill reported that Republican Sen. John McCain wont be there for the Pruitt vote but that Pruitt is expected to pick up two Democratic votes, meaning hes likely headed for confirmation.

According to the New York Times, Pruitts nomination to run the EPA has so troubled people who work in the agency that they have called U.S. Senators urging them to oppose the pick. The Times says that Pruitt has made a career out of fighting the EPA, noting that Trump has vowed to get rid of the agency.

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, President Donald Trumps choice to head the Environmental Protection Agency, testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on Capitol Hill January 18, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Getty)

Pruitt filed the first lawsuit challenging the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, his bio says. He also has served two terms as president of the Republican Attorneys General Association, according to the bio.

Think Progress reports he once referred to another Senator when saying of climate change, it is just a religious belief for him and for others. The site reports that Pruitt sued the EPA 14 times.

Appearing before Congress, though, Pruitt said he would not seek to overturn a 2009 finding allowing the EPA to regulate carbon dioxide, for instance, and acknowledged the reality of climate change but said the role of humans in that was open to debate, according to Think Progress.

Green Peace alleges that previously obtained emails showed Pruitt and other Republican attorneys general collaborating with corporations and lobbyists to file lawsuits and challenge federal regulations on everything from fracking to air pollution.

Green Peace says that Pruitt has received $318,496 in campaign contributions from the fossil fuel industry since 2002 and is a supporter of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Scott Pruitt has been married to his wife for 27 years. (Facebook)

According to his bio, Pruitt has been married to his wife, Marlyn, for more than 25 years. They have two children, McKenna and Cade.

You can read more about Pruitts wife and kids here:

Scott Pruitt, Donald Trump's nominee for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, is married and has two children, McKenna and Cade.

Read this article:

Scott Pruitt: 5 Fast Facts You need to Know - Heavy.com

Ad will collapse in seconds CLOSE February 16, 2017 02/16/2017 12:47 p.m. By Adam K. Raymond

Share

With a vote of 5149, the Senate confirmed South Carolina representative Mick Mulvaney to lead President Trumps Office of Management and Budget. Every Democrat in the Senate voted against Mulvaney and they were joined by Republican senator John McCain.

A co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus, Mulvaney is a hard-core fiscal hawk, who has yet to meet a federal spending cut he does not like. He supports cutting Social Security and Medicare, has repeatedly advocated shutting down the government to defund Planned Parenthood and kill Obamacare, and opposes increased military spending which is why he lost McCains vote.

My decision to oppose this nomination is not about one person. It is not about one cabinet position. This is not personal. This is not political. This is about principle, McCain said in a statement criticizing Mulvaneys attempts to cut defense spending. Mulvaneys position on defense spending is also at odds with Trumps. The president has promised new planes, new ships, new resources, and new tools for our men and women in uniform.

Melania Trump Is Reportedly Miserable in Her Role As First Lady

Another Reason to Be Thankful Youre Not Married to Donald Trump Jr.

The Rhetoric of Evasion: What Trumps White House Has Done to the Language of Lying

Karlie Kloss Appears As a Geisha in Vogues Diversity Issue

Why Your Dogs Personality Is a Lot Like Yours

Ben Affleck Quitting Batman Might Be Just the Disaster the DC Superhero Movies Need

Omarosa Manigault Produces Secret Recording of White House Dispute With Journalist

Nighttime Voice-mails From the White House

Former Obama White House Photographers Instagram Is a Master Class in Shade

Introducing Trash Dove: The Floppy-Necked Purple Bird Taking Over Facebook

Most Popular Video On Daily Intelligencer

During a crowded worship service.

Highlights from the presidents 77-minute tirade about how dishonest the media is and how racist he isnt.

Hes the least racist person youve ever seen.

Shermichael Singleton was preparing for confirmation by Ben Carson, whose campaign he had previously worked on.

In a remarkable 80-minute presser, Trump did not try to reach people with a message via the media; the message itself was to mistrust the media.

One official told CNN that you never want to have a barrier in place that will obstruct your vision.

With no time to spare and no margin for error, the new OMB director must somehow give Congress guidance after resolving his differences with Trump.

Last month in Russia, Trump received more media attention than Putin.

The president then asked a black reporter if she were friends with the black caucus and denied the existence of recent anti-Jewish hate crimes.

The first hearings for Scalias seat now vacant for more than a year will begin March 20.

After a tough week, Trump plays it safe on a nominee who has been confirmed by the Senate multiple times before.

The now-former congressman has yet to meet a budget cut he doesnt like.

Immigrants in several major cities are staying home from work or school today.

Americas top diplomat got off to a bit of a stilted start.

The Defense Secretary appeared to shoot down plans for the U.S. and Russia to align against ISIS.

The for-profit prison industry looks forward to a border boom thanks to Trumps executive order on stepping up immigrant detentions.

Were putting conundrums on top of hypotheticals on top of conjecture here.

Stephen Feinberg, a billionaire Trump ally, has reportedly been tapped to look into streamlining the agencies.

Liberals disliked Puzder for anti-labor policies and proud sexism. National Review disliked his immigration views. His many problems did him in.

In a suburban Atlanta district Trump only carried by one point, Democrats have a viable candidate but a poor turnout record in this kind of election.

See original here:

Senate Confirms Fiscal Hawk Mick Mulvaney As Trump's Budget Director - New York Magazine

The Fiscal Times

10 Things to Know About Stephen Feinberg, Trump's Potential Intelligence Czar The Fiscal Times Not listed on the Cerberus website is its ownership of Freedom Group, a firearms holding company that controls such brands as Remington, Marlin and Bushmaster, maker of the AR-15 used by the Beltway snipers in 2002 and in the 2012 Sandy Hook ... and more »

See the original post here:

10 Things to Know About Stephen Feinberg, Trump's Potential Intelligence Czar - The Fiscal Times

Much like their Maysville City counterparts, Mason County Commissioners gave the go-ahead for the Washington Volunteer Fire Department to become independent from the city.

The department currently operates under the MFD.

In doing so, the county agreed to provide support in the form of insurance on vehicles and, eventually, on buildings. That should total about $2,500 after the first three years, officials said.

The process of pulling city fire department support from the WVFD will be a three-year process, Maysville City Manager Matt Wallingford told county commissioners.

As an independent department, the WVFD will be eligible for federal grants and state aid, have control over its own budget and freedom to raise funds, Wallingford said. During the transition, the city will lease the current fire building to the volunteers for $1 annually for three years and pay utilities on the building, also for three years, he said.

Last fall, talks first began with plans to merge the WVFD with another county department. It was later decided the firefighters with WVFD would prefer to go it alone, Wallingford said.

Even though the department is located within the city limits, it is a county fire department, Wallingford said.

WVFD Chief Darrell Kalb said his department covers an area which serves 400-600 households and has mutual aid agreements with neighboring departments to share services and equipment and responds when requested. The department has recently added more firefighters to its roster and has started a junior firefighters program for teens ages 15-18, he said.

City officials are currently working to secure non profit status for the WVFD and acquire a tax ID number for the group. Before any official agreement is brought to a vote, the city needed a "green light" to continue the process and county officials gave the proposal a thumbs up.

Mason County Judge-Executive Joe Pfeffer said the WVFD is just another example of the city and county working together.

Also Tuesday, the county commissioners heard an update from Buffalo Trace Health Department Executive Director Allison Adams on the Community Health Needs Assessment and Health Improvement Plan.

"The staff of the Buffalo Trace District Health Department have a vision for a healthy community for everyone," Adams said in a letter opening a booklet outlining the assessment and community health improvement plan.

Adams said several things stood out in the assessment including smoking, diabetes, immunization, sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy rates. rates. There is also a large incidence of single parent households and grandparents raising grandchildren in the area. Those all contribute to lower life expectancy, she said.

"We want everyone to have the opportunity to be healthy," Adams said.

While the goal is to get the community healthy, that isn't going to happen overnight -- just as becoming less than healthy was a long process so too will changing attitudes and outcomes be a long-term process, she said.

In other business, commissioners:

-- Heard from Barry Fryman with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 9 office who outlined Rural Secondary Fund allotments for the county and recommendations for state road projects including Tuckahoe Road, Helena Road, Ewing Road and Salem Ridge Road.

-- Approved reports from the Road Department, Animal Shelter, Sheriff, Landfill and Recycling Center, Detention Center and Treasurer.

-- Approved the addition of Robert Scott and Larry Rice to the list of approved electrical inspectors.

-- Appointed Andrew Wood to an unexpired term on the Ethics Committee and reappointed John Larry Dodge to the same committee.

-- Learned Pfeffer named Barry Fields to fill the unexpired term of Juston Pate to the Maysville-Mason County Industrial Authority.

See the original post here:

Mason Fiscal gives WVFD go-ahead - Ledger Independent

Elvert Barnes / FlickrWhen three men were arrested for robbing a drug dealer in Tallahassee, Florida, in 2013, prosecutors seemed to have a slam dunk case. As The Washington Post reported, Tadrae McKenzie and his friends used BB guns to rob a drug dealer, taking $130 worth of marijuana and his cellphone. A few days later the local police tracked them down and charged them with possession as well as armed robbery with a deadly weapon.

During the trial, the defense raised questions about how the police were able to locate the suspects so quickly, but the police and prosecution refused to answer. The judge ordered them to disclose the information, but instead of complying, the prosecution offered the defendants a plea bargain. McKenzie and his friends could have spent anywhere from three to 30 years in jail for their crime. Instead, the three men received probation with no jail time. As Cato Institute policy analyst Adam Bates pointed out during a panel discussion yesterday, the reason for the discrepancy was that the police and prosecution were unwilling to admit they had used a surveillance tool called a "Stingray" to find the criminals.

Stingrays mimic the signal of a cellular tower and lure nearby mobile phones to connect to their fake network. Through this connection, law enforcement can track the cellphone's location and even download its content. The device allowed cops in Tallahassee to locate the three robbers with ease by tracking the drug dealer's stolen phonebut when faced with the necessity of acknowledging the technology's existence and explaining in court how it was used, the government's lawyers opted to drop the case rather than speak candidly.

"Through the use of nondisclosure agreements, a refusal to honor freedom of information requests, and deceit toward courts and the public, the full capabilities of these devices, the extent of their use by law enforcement, and the existence of policies to govern their use remain secret," Bates writes in a report on law enforcement use of Stingrays.

The report explains that nondisclosure agreements between local law enforcement and the FBI and Harris Corp. (the manufacturer of the devices) keep the public in the dark about these cellular surveillance devices: "The government plainly views sacrificing individual prosecutions, even for serious crimes, as an acceptable price for concealing the nature of stingray surveillance," Bates argues. "The FBI's nondisclosure agreement is clear: in exchange for permission to use stingray devices, state and local officials must surrender prosecutorial discretion to the federal government."

Advocates such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have tried to increase transparency about the government's use of Stingrays, with varying degrees of success. In 2014, the Florida chapter of the ACLU filed a freedom of information request and was granted access to documents about the Sarasota Police Department's use of the devices. Before the department could hand over the information, the U.S. Marshals intervened, raiding the department and seizing the requested documents.

The ACLU has been able to gather some data, though. It found that at least 23 states and the District of Columbia have law enforcement deploying Stingrays.

A House Oversight Committee report, published in December, found that in from fiscal year 2010 to fiscal year 2014, the Department of Justice (DOJ) spent more than $71 million to acquire and use cell-site simulators, and has 310 devices agency-wide. In the same span, the Department of Homeland Security spent more than $24 million for 124 devices for that agency. Since January 2006, the Treasury Department has spent more than $1.3 million and possess three devices.

The lack of transparency and accountability has led to much concern about civil liberties violations. U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (RUtah) is planning to introduce two bills to demand more congressional oversight of how the federal government use Stingrays. Reason reporter Eric Boehm provides a more in-depth look at the proposed legislation here.

See the rest here:

Officials Continue to Dodge Attempts to Disclose Use of Stingrays - Reason (blog)

Much like their Maysville City counterparts, Mason County Commissioners gave the go-ahead for the Washington Volunteer Fire Department to become independent from the city.

The department currently operates under the MFD.

In doing so, the county agreed to provide support in the form of insurance on vehicles and, eventually, on buildings. That should total about $2,500 after the first three years, officials said.

The process of pulling city fire department support from the WVFD will be a three-year process, Maysville City Manager Matt Wallingford told county commissioners.

As an independent department, the WVFD will be eligible for federal grants and state aid, have control over its own budget and freedom to raise funds, Wallingford said. During the transition, the city will lease the current fire building to the volunteers for $1 annually for three years and pay utilities on the building, also for three years, he said.

Last fall, talks first began with plans to merge the WVFD with another county department. It was later decided the firefighters with WVFD would prefer to go it alone, Wallingford said.

Even though the department is located within the city limits, it is a county fire department, Wallingford said.

WVFD Chief Darrell Kalb said his department covers an area which serves 400-600 households and has mutual aid agreements with neighboring departments to share services and equipment and responds when requested. The department has recently added more firefighters to its roster and has started a junior firefighters program for teens ages 15-18, he said.

City officials are currently working to secure non profit status for the WVFD and acquire a tax ID number for the group. Before any official agreement is brought to a vote, the city needed a "green light" to continue the process and county officials gave the proposal a thumbs up.

Mason County Judge-Executive Joe Pfeffer said the WVFD is just another example of the city and county working together.

Also Tuesday, the county commissioners heard an update from Buffalo Trace Health Department Executive Director Allison Adams on the Community Health Needs Assessment and Health Improvement Plan.

"The staff of the Buffalo Trace District Health Department have a vision for a healthy community for everyone," Adams said in a letter opening a booklet outlining the assessment and community health improvement plan.

Adams said several things stood out in the assessment including smoking, diabetes, immunization, sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy rates. rates. There is also a large incidence of single parent households and grandparents raising grandchildren in the area. Those all contribute to lower life expectancy, she said.

"We want everyone to have the opportunity to be healthy," Adams said.

While the goal is to get the community healthy, that isn't going to happen overnight -- just as becoming less than healthy was a long process so too will changing attitudes and outcomes be a long-term process, she said.

In other business, commissioners:

-- Heard from Barry Fryman with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 9 office who outlined Rural Secondary Fund allotments for the county and recommendations for state road projects including Tuckahoe Road, Helena Road, Ewing Road and Salem Ridge Road.

-- Approved reports from the Road Department, Animal Shelter, Sheriff, Landfill and Recycling Center, Detention Center and Treasurer.

-- Approved the addition of Robert Scott and Larry Rice to the list of approved electrical inspectors.

-- Appointed Andrew Wood to an unexpired term on the Ethics Committee and reappointed John Larry Dodge to the same committee.

-- Learned Pfeffer named Barry Fields to fill the unexpired term of Juston Pate to the Maysville-Mason County Industrial Authority.

See the original post here:

Mason Fiscal give WVFD go-ahead - Ledger Independent

The economic freedom in the United States has fallen once again, says a new report from the Heritage Foundation. For the ninth time in the last 10 years, Americas standing in economic freedom has dwindled, a revelation that shows the 44th president not leaving behind much of a legacy.

According to a new study by the conservative think tank, the U.S. comes in 17th place in the world when it comes to economic freedom. This means that the Land of the Free is mostly free. The U.S. is ahead of Denmark, Sweden and Latvia, while sitting behind Lithuania, The Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Researchers looked at a wide array of factors, such as property rights, tax burden, monetary freedom, trade freedom, fiscal health and much more.

These commitments have powerful effects: Countries achieving higher levels of economic freedom consistently and measurably outperform others in economic growth, long-term prosperity, and social progress. Those losing freedom, on the other hand, risk economic stagnation, high unemployment, and deteriorating social conditions, the report stated.

Americas standing in the index had dwindled steadily during the Obama years. This largely owed to increased government spending, regulations, and a failed stimulus program that enriched the well-connected while leaving average Americans behind. Registering its lowest economic freedom score ever, America continued its string of discouraging trends in the 2017 index. Obamas Washington-first, government-centric approach to policymaking has inflicted long-term damage to U.S. economic growth.

What countries topped the ranking system? Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland and Australia. All of these nations made gains, especially New Zealand.

So what exactly will be former U.S. President Barack Obamas legacy? Less economic freedom.

Read the rest here:

Study: US falls to 17th place in 2017 global economic freedom index - Economic Collapse News

The Fiscal Times

Are Republicans Losing Momentum on Obamacare Repeal? The Fiscal Times But 40 or so members of the House's far right Freedom Caucus blew up that political calculus Monday night after agreeing among themselves to refuse to support anything but the most extreme version of Obamacare legislation, comparable to the 2015 ... GOP may boost Medicaid spending in order to slash the programPolitico The ObamaCare Repeal Will Derail The Republican Agenda Unless Congress Gets SmartThe Federalist all 382 news articles »

Read this article:

Are Republicans Losing Momentum on Obamacare Repeal? - The Fiscal Times

TOPEKA Compensating Floyd Bledsoe for his wrongful murder conviction and nearly 16-year incarceration would cost the state of Kansas at least $1.4 million under a Senate bill considered Tuesday.

State budget director Shawn Sullivan wrote in a fiscal note to the Senate Judiciary Committee that the Attorney Generals Office anticipates Senate Bill 125 would result in $1,250,000 in compensation plus up to $200,000 in attorney fees to Bledsoe.

SB 125 would compensate exonerees $80,000 for each year they served in prison or $1 million if they were on death row, along with $5 million to the heirs of anyone wrongfully executed in Kansas. It would also compensate a wrongfully convicted person for attorney fees he or she incurred.

There are so many things that I lost because of my wrongful conviction, Bledsoe told the Senate Judiciary Committee in prepared remarks. I lost the opportunity to watch my sons grow up. I lost my property and career. I lost my freedom.

Senate Bill 125 would ensure that other Kansans like me receive the financial compensation they need to get back on their feet and recover from the nightmare of a wrongful conviction.

Bledsoe was wrongfully convicted of kidnapping and killing Camille Arfmann in Oskaloosa in 1999. He was sentenced to life in prison but released in December 2015 after DNA results and suicide notes from his brother showcased his innocence.

The day that I was released from prison, I had nothing but the clothing that the (University of Kansas) law school provided for me, he told the committee. I had no money and no place to live.

No one testified in opposition to the bill Tuesday. Bledsoe plans to move ahead with a civil lawsuit regardless of the Legislatures action or inaction on SB 125.

Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook, R-Shawnee, asked whether it would be possible for con artists to use the bill as a scam by allowing themselves to be wrongfully convicted, serving time in prison, and then presenting evidence they had previously withheld proving their innocence to collect a payout.

With all due respect, no one in their right mind would do that, Bledsoe said.

Sen. Molly Baumgardner, R-Louisburg, said the bill doesnt address the issue of exonerees being released from prison with no money and few skills. She asked whether legislation has been put forth to remedy that problem. Those testifying said no such bill has been introduced.

Sen. David Haley, of Kansas City, is the bills sponsor and the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. He urged his fellow committee members to imagine losing their liberty because a public employee a bad cop, bumbling prosecutor or erring judge locked them up for a crime they didnt commit.

Other supporters include the Innocence Project, the Midwest Innocence Project and the Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Michelle Feldman, state policy advocate for the Innocence Project, urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to remove an exemption in SB 125. Under the bill, defendants who plead guilty and are later exonerated wouldnt be eligible for compensation.

Given the tremendous pressures that innocent people sometimes face to plead guilty, Feldman said, Kansans who can prove their innocence by the high standard of clear and convincing evidence should be eligible for compensation.

She also urged the committee to expand the timeline for filing a wrongful conviction compensation claim from two years after an inmates release to two years after charges are dismissed. If that change is made and SB 125 is signed into law, three Kansas exonerees will be eligible for compensation, according to Feldman.

Were talking about a very, very small number of people, she said.

A state budget crunch that makes any bill with a price tag suspect is an elephant in the room. Bill supporters, acknowledging Kansas budget reality, were cautiously optimistic about SB 125s chances Tuesday. The committee took no action on the bill.

View post:

Floyd Bledsoe urges Kansas to compensate the wrongfully convicted: 'I lost my freedom' - The Garden City Telegram

President Trump's choice for budget director, Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., headlined a half a dozen nominees. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., filed to end debate on Monday night.

Depending on the Democrats' plans to resist the nominees, Mulvaney could receive his first full Senate vote on Wednesday and a final vote as early as Thursday.

What once looked like it could become an internal Republican battle between budget hawks and defense hawks never picked up much momentum after some harsh questioning from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

No other Republican Mulvaney skeptics emerged.

Subscribe today to get intelligence and analysis on defense and national security issues in your Inbox each weekday morning from veteran journalists Jamie McIntyre and Jacqueline Klimas.

Sorry, there was a problem processing your email signup. Please try again later.

Processing...

Thank you for signing up for the Daily on Defense newsletter. You should receive your first issue soon!

Mulvaney's surprise nomination to run the Office of Management and Budget was cheered by fiscal conservatives who viewed the Freedom Caucus member as an uncompromising spending-cutter. The Cato Institute's Chris Edwards hailed him as "the most fiscally conservative budget director in decades."

But Mulvaney's fiscal conservatism caused him to vote for defense budget cuts other Republicans find unpalatable and to occasionally align himself with more libertarian-leaning GOP lawmakers on foreign policy.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich, two leaders of this contingent, both endorsed Mulvaney for budget director.

None of this endeared Mulvaney to McCain, however. The longtime senator grilled Mulvaney at his confirmation hearings, alleging the South Carolinian spent his "entire congressional career pitting debt against the military and every time for you the military has been less important."

"I would remember if I voted to cut our defenses the way you did, congressman," McCain told him. "Maybe you don't take it with the seriousness that it deserves."

Also from the Washington Examiner

The senator argued that Flynn's resignation is a sign of how chaotic the National Security Council has become.

02/14/17 10:48 AM

McCain also challenged Mulvaney on a vote to swiftly withdraw all troops from Afghanistan. "What were you thinking, honestly?" he asked.

When Mulvaney replied by citing the pain a constituent felt about his son's multiple deployments, an unimpressed McCain retorted, "So the answer is withdraw all troops from Afghanistan? That is crazy."

The dust-up with McCain wasn't the only snag Mulvaney's nomination hit. He disclosed that he had failed to pay taxes on a nanny he had employed, something that had scuttled past nominees.

But with the Senate split 52-48 in the Republicans' favor and a 60-vote threshold no longer required to invoke cloture, GOP defections are required to stop Trump nominees.

Once the majority seemed inclined to forgive Mulvaney after he overpaid the back payroll taxes to take the issue off the table, McCain persuading a handful of Republicans that a GOP budget director should favor more defense spending was the last remaining obstacle.

Also from the Washington Examiner

Flynn's ouster was presented as his decision to resign, but Ryan indicated he thinks Trump fired him.

02/14/17 10:40 AM

FreedomWorks, arguably the most libertarian on foreign policy of all the major Tea Party groups, mobilized against McCain and for Mulvaney.

"Sen. McCain's opposition to President Trump's pick is another action that shows he stands against responsible federal spending levels," FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon said in a statement. "He seems perfectly happy to continue spending money we don't have and continue raising the debt ceiling. He continues his career betraying conservatives."

Last year, McCain defeated a Republican primary challenger who campaigned in part on the idea that the high price tag of the 2008 GOP presidential nominee's foreign policy contradicted his claims to be a fiscal conservative.

"Foreign policy is actually John McCain's Achilles heel, not his greatest strength," said Kelli Ward, who lost to McCain by 12.5 percentage points.

Nevertheless, McCain voted to advance Mulvaney's nomination in committee and was seen as softening his opposition in general, causing some of the nominee's outside supporters to take an early victory lap.

"FreedomWorks activists have made more than 60,000 contacts with Sen. John McCain's office since his hostile questioning and 'Morning Joe' interview in which he said he was leaning toward a 'no' on Mulvaney," said the group's press secretary Jon Meadows. "We're glad he might be coming around to support President Trump's fiscally conservative nominee."

McCain's usual Senate allies never joined with him in criticizing Mulvaney. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is with McCain on these policy issues but shares a home state with Mulvaney.

Graham and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., have consistently supported Mulvaney's nomination. Mulvaney has been more sympathetic to Graham's immigration position than many conservative House Republicans.

Graham has also consistently avoided primary challenges from Republican members of the South Carolina House delegation, despite outside conservative groups' appetite for such a candidacy.

"We're coming to understand that we can't be either military hawks or deficit hawks," Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., told McClatchy. "One of the greatest threats to American security that we face today is the national debt. We have to be hawkish on both matters if we want a secure future. For that, Mulvaney has the right experience and the right heart for OMB."

McCain, Graham and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., were all critical of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during his confirmation hearings. The disagreements over Russia between congressional Republicans and the Trump administration provided them an opportunity to make a statement by blocking him.

All three senators wound up voting to confirm Tillerson. Barring a major change, Mulvaney is likely to join him in the Cabinet soon.

In addition to Mulvaney, McConnell filed cloture on Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt's nomination to head the Environmental Protection Agency, Wilbur Ross' nomination for commerce secretary, Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., for interior secretary, Ben Carson for secretary of housing and urban development, and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry for energy secretary.

Top Story

Flynn resigned after admitting he hadn't been truthful to Vice President Mike Pence.

02/14/17 9:46 AM

See the article here:

GOP defense hawks barely squawked on Mulvaney nomination - Washington Examiner