Daily Archives: April 15, 2021

The Idaho Legislature may not go home for weeks, but already, the sessions prize for blatant hypocrisy has been claimed.

And this year, that distinction goes to the Idaho Freedom Foundation.

Last week, the IFF successfully called for defeating the Idaho Division of Welfares annual budget. Included within that budget and the source of IFFs ire was federal coronavirus relief for the states struggling child care operators.

The idea behind this aid contained within the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act signed by former President Donald Trump was to maintain the infrastructure of child care providers during the pandemic. Much as it propped up the airline industry and colleges and universities, the federal government decided it would be cheaper and less disruptive to keep these businesses alive than to attempt to rebuild them once the economy recovered.

Not only did the initial response to COVID-19 shutter many child care providers, but the ongoing pandemic ultimately reduced the number of children who were enrolled, further depressing revenues. Costs kept rising, however, while staff continued to turn over.

As a result, child care providers have been running out of reserves. Since September, approximately 200 Idaho child care facilities have closed their doors. Working Idahoans already face child care shortages, a situation that can only get worse as the economy recovers and the job market improves.

So the Trump administration package authorized $58 million in relief for Idaho child care. Lawmakers approved spending $24 million of that in the fiscal year that expires on June 30.

The Division of Welfare budget was authorized to distribute the remaining $33.7 million for the fiscal year that begins on July 1.

But Idaho House members had other ideas.

By a 42-to-27 vote, they killed the budget. Joining them were five of north central Idahos six House members Priscilla Giddings of White Bird, Mike Kingsley and Aaron von Ehlinger, both of Lewiston, Brandon Mitchell of Moscow and Charlie Shepherd of Pollock.

Rep. Caroline Nilsson Troy, R-Genesee, not only voted for it, but was the unlucky floor sponsor.

What could account for such a turn of events?

As Clark Corbin of Idahocapitalsun.com noted, the Freedom Foundation gave the bill a thumbs down which meant anyone supporting it would get dinged on its Idaho Freedom Index.

The overall increase for this budget is 20.2 percent over prior years, with a 28.8 percent increase in federal funds, IFF Vice President Fred Birnbaum wrote. Put simply, we are passing on debt to our children and tomorrows children to pay for child care today. This is not sound public policy, and no way to ensure a bright future for our children.

When the House vote concluded, IFF tweeted: Great news.

Missing from all this angst about passing on debt to our children and tomorrows children was the IFFs enthusiasm for its own slice of federal coronavirus bailouts.

A year ago, IFF collected $129,883 from the federal governments Paycheck Protection Program.

That was more than a little out of character for this bastion of libertarianism, but IFF President Wayne Hoffman said he had no choice; the socialists made him do it.

The government shut down Idahos economy, Idaho businesses, and therefore the donors who we depend on to generously support our work. Meanwhile, we also knew that pro-socialist groups would have no problem whatsoever accepting all the money they could from the government. We decided it only made sense to do the same. Thats not our preference, of course, but the actions of the government left us little choice, Hoffman said.

When he got called on it, Hoffman railed at this page and other media outlets and then added: Government compensation for economic loss is consistent with the principles of liberty. We believe in limited government. And we also are well aware that there are times that the government deprives people of their freedom, and for that they must be compensated.

Hoffman insists PPP was a loan and perhaps IFF will be among the small handful of bailout recipients who repay that loan. But until that day, the source of IFFs coronavirus aid was every bit as borrowed from our children and tomorrows children as the assistance for child care operators.

The only question is what is more essential to ordinary Idahoans the availability of care outside the home for their children? Or the survival of another Boise-based political think tank? M.T.

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And the 2021 hypocrisy award goes to ... | Opinion | lmtribune.com - Lewiston Morning Tribune

LONDON, April 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As vaccination program rollouts gather momentum in certain countries, the resumption of regular international travel is no longer an abstract hope. The latest results from the Henley Passport Index the original ranking of all the world's passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa provide exclusive insight into what post-pandemic travel freedom might look like as countries around the world selectively begin to open their borders to international visitors.

Without taking temporary and constantly evolving Covid-19 travel restrictions into account, Japan firmly holds onto the number one spot on the index which is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association(IATA) with Japanese passport holders theoretically able to access a record 193 destinations around the world visa-free. Singapore remains in 2nd place, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 192, while Germany and South Korea again share joint-3rd place, each with access to 191 destinations.

As has been the case for most of the index's 16-year history, the majority of the remaining top 10 spots are held by EU countries. The UK and the US, both of which continue to face steadily eroding passport strength since they held the top spot in 2014, currently share joint-7th place, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 187.

The latest results indicate that the gap in travel freedom is now at its largest since the index began in 2006, with Japanese passport holders able to access 167 more destinations than citizens of Afghanistan, who can visit only 26 destinations worldwide without acquiring a visa in advance.

Although there has been very little movement in the Henley Passport Indexfor the past five quarters since the outbreak of Covid-19, taking a step back reveals some interesting dynamics over the past decade. Q2 2021 saw China entering the biggest climbers in the past decade for the first time. China has risen by 22 places in the ranking since 2011, from 90th position with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of just 40 to 68th position with a score of 77. The most remarkable turnaround story on the index by far, however, is the UAE, which continues its stellar ascendance. In 2011, the UAE was ranked 65th with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 67, while today, thanks to the Emirates' ongoing efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties with countries across the globe, it is ranked 15th with a score of 174.

Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partnersand the inventor of the passport index concept, says the past year has demonstrated that no government is infallible even the world's superpowers and wealthiest nations floundered and many failed their citizens. "While nobody expects a return to pre-pandemic mobility levels anytime soon, the outlook now is certainly more hopeful than it was even a few months ago. The latest ranking is a reminder that economic recovery and development are dependent on global mobility, including personal travel freedom, and that passport power should never be taken for granted."

Looking ahead to what the rest of 2021 holds, experts commenting in the Global Mobility Report 2021 Q2 released by Henley & Partnerstoday, suggest that adaptability and responsiveness will be critical to future survival and success. Dr. Parag Khanna,Founder and Managing Partner of FutureMap, says the second half of the year may well see millions of people scattering again. "The shifting patterns of migration in the post-Covid world (when it comes) will be non-linear and perhaps unpredictable. They will mimic the reality of a world in which there are many unfolding crises, from pandemics to climate change to political polarization. Countries facing fiscal pressures as well as skilled labor and investment shortages will seek to attract and recruit everyone from start-up entrepreneurs who can stimulate innovation to doctors and nurses who can boost public health services. The global war for talent is now well underway."

Read the full Global Mobility Report 2021 Q2 and the full Press Release.

Media Contact:Sarah NicklinGroup Head of Public Relations[emailprotected]

SOURCE Henley & Partners

https://www.henleyglobal.com

See the rest here:

Japan Has the Most Powerful Passport but Only in a Post-Pandemic World - PRNewswire

On April 6, 2021, Governor Lamont issued Executive Order 10E, which pertains to 1) absentee voting, and 2) municipal and regional school district budget adoption timelines.

ABSENTEE BALLOTS: Executive Order 10E largely extends the provisions addressing expanded absentee ballot eligibility contained in Executive Order 10, which applied to special elections and municipal primaries and were set to expire on April 20, 2021; however, Executive Order 10E makes these expanded absentee ballot provisions applicability to any election, primary or referendum held before May 20, 2021.

These extended absentee ballot provisions allow for any eligible elector to vote by absentee ballot in any such election, primary or referendum held before May 20, 2021 if the elector is unable to appear at his or her polling place during the hours of voting because of the sickness of COVID-19. What does that mean? As noted by the Governor in his press release, this essentially entitles ALL voters to use absentee ballots (not just those who happen to be sick with COVID-19), similar to the elections held during 2020.

In light of this expansion of absentee voting, Executive Order 10E allows municipal clerks to mail absentee ballots within 48 hours of receiving applications for absentee voting (instead of the usual 24 hours). Executive Order 10E allows for absentee ballots to be deposited into secure drop boxes designated by the municipal clerk, beginning on the 20th day before the election at issue and each weekday up until the close of the polls. Executive Order 10E provides that beginning with the 14th day before the vote, the municipal clerk may begin to sort such absentee ballots.

BUDGET ADOPTION TIMELINES: Unlike last year, when the usual budget adoption processes were suspended in their entirety (and municipalities and districts were empowered to adopt budgets without a vote by eligible electors), Executive Order 10E is simply focused on extending the timelines for adopting a budget for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Executive Order 10E provides that notwithstanding any contrary state statutes, municipal charters, ordinances, regulations or policies, a municipality or regional board of education, upon a majority vote of its legislative body (or in a municipality where the legislative body is a town meeting, the board of selectmen) or of the regional board of education, as applicable, may alter its budget adoption dates, provided 1) such vote to alter budget adoption dates is taken before May 20, 2021, and 2) the final budget is approved before June 30, 2021 or at a minimum the first town meeting, district budget meeting, or referendum to approve such budget is conducted before June 30, 2021. The fact that Executive Order 10E only requires that the first such meeting or referendum to approve a budget take place before June 30, 2021 is a recognition that it is not uncommon for budgets to be initially rejected by the voters. Indeed, with the return in 2021 of the pre-pandemic ability of eligible electors to approve budgets comes the ability of such electors to reject budgets.

Executive Order 10E provides that such budget adoption dates subject to the Order may include, but need not be limited to, applicable dates relating to an executive presentation of a proposed budget, public hearings, fiscal authority action, publications, referenda or final budget adoption. Any vote by the legislative body or of a regional board of education pursuant to Executive Order 10E must include a specific reference to the Executive Order. PLEASE NOTE: For the purposes of Executive Order 10E, municipality is defined as any town, city or borough, whether consolidated or unconsolidated, and any school district, regional school district, district, as defined in [Connecticut General Statute] section 7-324, metropolitan district, and each municipal corporation, organization or authority and taxing district.

SO HOW CAN ONE GET ABSENTEE BALLOTS? Unlike the usual rules, absentee ballots for a referendum held before May 20, 2021 merely must be available not less than four business days prior to the referendum; applications and absentee ballots may be mailed by the municipal clerk provided that the clerk determines that the application or ballot will reach the voter no later than the day before the referendum. In addition, a municipal clerk or regional board of education may make available on municipal or regional board of education websites digital versions of absentee ballot applications for download and completion by any person eligible to vote in an election, primary, or referendum subject to Executive Order 10E.

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS (I.E., WHAT ABOUT TOWN MEETINGS?) It is important to remember that the Executive Order provisions addressing absentee ballots apply to elections, primaries, and referenda. These absentee ballot provisions do not apply to town or district meetings and the votes that may take place at these meetings. The conduct of such town and district meetings are currently governed by Executive Order 9H, which permits remote and hybrid meetings, and allows for persons to participate (and even vote) remotely. In light of recent action by the Connecticut General Assembly and the Governor via Special Act 21-2, Executive Order 9H has been extended until May 20, 2021. However, there are at least two bills pending before the General Assembly that would revise the Freedom of Information Act and extend the Executive Order/pandemic era remote meetings provisions into the future as part of a new status quo.

[View source.]

See the article here:

Executive Order 10E and the Municipal Budget Process in 2021: Similar (But Not Quite Back) to Normal - JD Supra

The Back the Blue bill deprives Iowans of basic rights and subjects Iowans to serious harm.

Tate Hildyard

Citizens march through downtown Iowa City as part of the the Back the Blue protest on Friday, September 25th, 2020. Citizens marched through downtown Iowa City to show solidarity with the local police force and as a counter protest the Black Lives Matter activity that took place over the past few months.

In response to racial justice protests last summer, Republicans in the Iowa Legislature have introduced bills that ramp up penalties on protest activity and limit local government discretion in dealing with protests and public safety issues.

Iowa House Republicans have bundled into House File 1345, multiple bills previously passed by the Iowa Senate (SF 476). The new Back the Blue bill is broad, affecting everything from sick leave for public safety officers to punishments for riots and eluding police. Although some parts of this wide-ranging bill are fine, others are dangerous and disturbing. It will likely chill the First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and assembly, punish harmless activity, and escalate and immunize violence. In short, this bill will make us less free and less safe.

While the bill is targeted at protests in Iowa City and Des Moines following the murder of George Floyd last summer, it is not unique. Across the country, some 91 similar bills have been introduced into state legislatures, according to the International Center for Not-For-Profit Law. This is part of a concerted, nationwide effort to crack down on protests and to strip law enforcement and local government of any discretion to respond to them.

The House bill subjects protesters, and perhaps others perceived as protesters, to severe harm and penalties:

In addition to imposing severe punishments for a wide range of conduct, the House bill strips away local discretion by preventing law enforcement or local government from deciding, based on circumstances, not to enforce a provision of state, local, or municipal law. A local government found in violation would be denied state funds for the following fiscal year. In other words, the bill effectively defunds both law enforcement and municipal operations for exercising discretion they have always had.

It is impossible to enforce every single law all the time. Given limited budget and personnel resources, local discretion to determine enforcement priorities is critical to keeping the public and law enforcement officers safe. Tying the hands of law enforcement giving them no choice but to enforce is a recipe for increased tensions and conflict.

Many parts of the Back the Blue bill are extreme and unnecessary. Existing state laws are more than adequate to deal with protests. By ramping up penalties for vaguely defined crimes, this bill is likely to chill First Amendment rights of free speech and assembly. It also subjects young people and others to serious harm, and it prevents law enforcement from exercising critical discretion on how best to respond to fluid, quickly moving, and potentially dangerous situations. A bill supposedly about law and order will ultimately deprive us of our rights under law and make our communities less safe.

Christina Bohannan, State Rep. House District 85 and University of Iowa Law professor

Janice Weiner, Iowa City City Councilor

Link:

Guest Opinion | 'Back the Blue' bill will harm rather than help Iowa - UI The Daily Iowan

The Bishops of Scotland call on Catholics to put human life and dignity at the centre in next elections.

By Lisa Zengarini

Ahead of the next Scottish Parliament Election, due on May 6, Bishops of Scotland are calling on Catholics to put human life and the inviolable dignity of the human person at the centre, in the context of the Covid-19 crisis.

In aPastoral Letterissued on April 11, they also call the attention on five other key areas needing particular consideration by Catholic voters and candidates. These include: Family and Work; Poverty, Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery; Environment; Free speech, free expression, and freedom of thought, conscience and religion; Catholic schools.

Referring to life issues, the Scottish bishops remind that it is a the duty of parliamentarians to uphold the most basic and fundamental human right to life from the moment of conception to natural death. In this regard, they ask the faithful to be mindful of a further attempt to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland, likely to happen in this Parliament. It is incumbent upon our parliamentarians to show compassion for the sick and dying, bishops stress. This is not achieved by assisted suicide or euthanasia but by ensuring support is provided through caring and attentive politics, including investment in palliative care.

The letter also highlights the need to protect and promote the family with policies creating economic and fiscal advantages for families with children and to ensure job opportunities with just wages to provide a dignified livelihood for workers and their families, especially in times of crisis like the present one.

Noting that poverty now affects 24% of children in the country, the letter stresses that Scotland needs elected representatives who respect a preferential option for the poor. According to the bishops, the Scottish government must also work with the international community to adopt an even more effective strategy against human trafficking and modern slavery.

Reminding that in November Glasgow will host the COP26 international climate change Summit, they say that Scotland should listen to Pope Francis call to hear the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor by lifting up the voices of the global south and coming together to rebuild our Common Home in a way that leaves no-one behind. According to the bishops, it can also demonstrate global leadership by strengthening its commitment to becoming a carbon neutral country.

The letter also calls on the next group of MSPs to uphold freedom of speech, free expression and freedom of thought, conscience and religion, while protecting citizens from hate speech. This must include, among others, the freedom to express belief in the biological reality of sex and gender, bishops say.

Finally, the letter calls on parliamentarians to continue to support an open and diverse state education system which includes Catholic schools, so to guarantee the right of parents to choose a school for their children which corresponds to their own convictions is fundamental.

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Scottish Bishops: 'Put life at centre in upcoming elections' - Vatican News

Treasure Coast Newspapers Published 4:00 a.m. ET April 14, 2021

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Thank you, Laurence Reisman, for yourApril 11column, "Businesses lose liberty by order of DeSantis. Reisman was addressing the bizarre order of Gov. Ron DeSantis forbidding Florida businesses from requiring proof of vaccinations for COVID-19.

Why does DeSantis think that he has the right to tell Florida businesses that they are not allowed to have policies to protect their customers and employees? In my opinion, he shouldn't have that right.

At the same time, Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line is trying to resume business. In order to do that, they are requiring passengers and crew to show proof of being vaccinated weeks before cruising. Why? The cruise industry remembers ships, passengers, and crew stuck at sea for months because no country would allow them to dock due to active COVID-19 cases aboard the ship.

Ironically, at the same time, DeSantis is suing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to lift its no-sail order for cruise lines before Nov. 1. How does he expect that to work if he does everything in his power to prevent cruise lines from operating safely and in a way to ensure that they can dock in other countries?

The Republican Party appeals to those of us who believe in less governmental intrusion. Perhaps DeSantis should reconsider his dictatorial banana-republic style of governing.

Jim Weix, Palm City

Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an order Friday, April 2, 2021 prohibiting Florida businesses from requiring customers show proof that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel/TNS)(Photo: Amy Beth Bennett, TNS)

The United States lowered its corporate income tax rate to 21%from 35%in 2017. We needed to stop our corporations from moving abroad where taxes were lower. Also, state corporate income taxes range from 2.5%to 11.5%. Assuming an average 5%state tax, that's 26%for the U.S.versus 19%for the U.K., 12.5%for Ireland, 25%for China, 21.4%for Sweden, etc.

Dropping corporate tax rates made us competitive, but not the most competitive. If we were to raise our rate to Biden's target of 28%, we'd be out of the competition rate-wise, particularly when one includes our state taxes.

Governmental stability is also crucial. When making decisions on investments, CEOs can't gamble on uncertainties that endanger their profitability. Frequent changes in tax rates create instability.

Why should we be concerned with competitiveness? Because it attracts capital, which brings economic growth, jobs, new technology and higher wages. This is elementary economics.

The big payoff comes in the form of higher revenues. As a country lowers taxes, the economic pie grows, and the lower tax on the larger pie yields more than higher taxes on a contracting pie. The tax rate cut of 2017 brought economic growth. Corporate tax revenues soared in fiscal year 2019. The same thing happened with JFK's tax cut in the early 1960s. Higher tax rates don't work. They create a vicious cycle higher taxes, more spending, lower growth, more taxes.

Biden's proposal also taxes foreign earnings, which we tried before; companies were reluctant to bring profits home where they would be taxed a second time. This locked up trillions abroad before 2017.

Bottom line: Our corporate tax rates are barely competitive now. Please, Mr, President, don't raise them.

Tom Miller, Vero Beach

Receiving my copy of the April 10newspaper, I scanned the first section looking for an article regarding the death the previous day of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Instead of front page coverage of the release of. rehabilitated pelicans, I would have thought the death of the husband of Queen Elizabeth would have deserved more than a Page 9 write-up.

Prince Philip was an exemplary man, married for 73 years (quite a milestone in today's society, where divorce is so prevalent ), carried out his responsibly to the country, loved by the people of England. Yes, he was not an American! But I think in today's society, and the world in turmoil, he deserved a better place in the newspaper than a Page 9 review of his death.

Joyce Dance, Port St. Lucie

Thompson(Photo: Thompson)

Do we have freedom of speech and expression?

I have been thinking about this question for the last few months and I am coming to the conclusion that freedom of speech and expression is being curtailed not by the governments, federal or state, but by those entities that for profit use the free internet and airways to curtail the freedom of speech and expression that has been so precious since the 1700s. I am talking about the likes of Facebook, YouTube, and others.

For centuries, our citizens, and others, have been able to say the most outrageous statements with impunity because of freedom of speech. They have been allowed to call police officers pigs and even worse. This of course left it up to the reader, viewer or listener to make his or her decision as to the truth or falsehood of the statement.

Slowly but surely this has eroded away in the last couple of years. Remember the warning of our Founding Fathers that one may not always be in the majority and at some point can find your rights disappearing when that happens.

Is it always important that the truth perceived by the majority is always right? If so the we would still think the world is flat, only birds can fly and the earth was made in seven days.

It is incumbent on the federal government and the anti-trust division to open freedom of speech again lest we start burning witches again.

Edward Marasi, Port St. Lucie

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Letters to the Editor: April 14, 2021 - TCPalm