Category Archives: Freedom

By Freeman Klopott and Brian Chappatta - 2012-06-27T04:01:00Z

Nassau, New Yorks wealthiest county, can take lessons from Buffalo, its poorest city, on how to win back financial independence from a state oversight board.

Eighteen months after Nassaus fiscal affairs were taken over, County Executive Edward Mangano failed last week to get permission from lawmakers to sidestep the state panel and borrow $40 million to pay tax refunds. Instead, the Long Island suburb of 1.3 million, which has seen its relative borrowing costs climb in the past month, will tap reserves.

Buffalo, in contrast, is set to end nine years of New York oversight July 1, when its control board will shift to an advisory role. The city of 261,000 on the Canadian border achieved the goal by cooperating with the authority to balance its budget for three straight years while shrinking its debt by more than 25 percent.

A control board takes away some political authority, but permits unpleasant decisions, said Howard Cure, head of research at New York-based Evercore Wealth Management LLC, which manages $3.5 billion. To get out from under its yoke, you need to maintain a structural balance. Nassau has a way to go to get there. Buffalo cooperated with its board to achieve one.

Nassau has joined nearby counties Suffolk, home of the Hamptons beach towns, and Rockland in facing fiscal strains caused in part by flagging sales-tax revenue. The Nassau County Interim Finance Authority took control in January 2011 after ruling the countys budget had a gap of more than 1 percent of projected spending.

NIFA wants Nassau to bolster reserves, end the use of one- shot revenue, reduce labor costs and avoid borrowing to cover property-tax refunds, the authority said when it took control.

Nassau, whose $93,613 median household income is triple Buffalos, must get the authoritys approval to borrow and on contracts it negotiates with unions. About 30 percent of Buffalo residents live under the poverty level, and its median household income is the lowest of the states cities.

The two municipalities have the same credit rating, at A1 from Moodys Investors Service, fifth highest. Buffalos has risen from Baa3, one step above speculative, when the control board took over in 2003. Its now the best in the citys history, according to Mayor Byron Brown. Nassaus rating was cut one step by Moodys in November 2010.

As Nassau attempted this month to persuade state lawmakers to agree to a bill allowing it to issue bonds without NIFAs approval, demand for some of its debt weakened. The yield on an 18-year bond issued by Nassau County in April rose to 1.18 percentage points above top-rated debt on June 15, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Thats the widest since it was issued and up from 0.97 percentage point a month earlier.

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Nassau Freedom Revealed in Buffalo Losing Oversight: Muni Credit

Protesters stand outside the Sandra Day O'Connor Federal Courthouse Friday, March 23, 2012 in Phoenix. during the Stand Up For Religious Freedom Rally. The rally is part of a nationwide Rally for Religious Freedom which is a reaction against the Obama Administrations HHS mandate that will obligate Catholic organizations to provide contraceptive services to their employees.

Matt York, Associated Press

Enlarge photo

On June 1, the film "For Greater Glory," starring Andy Garcia, made its debut in U.S. theaters. The movie tells the story of the Cristero War in Mexico in the late 1920s. The popular rebellion rose up against the Mexican government's efforts to throttle religious freedom in order to curb the exercise of religious faith and secularize Mexican society. In the savage clash that followed, Catholic priests and nuns were executed, some even tortured and hanged from telephone poles.

Religious freedom remains at risk today. In Iran, Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani languishes in prison, sentenced to death for allegedly converting from Islam to Christianity. In China, the Shouwang church a thousand-member unregistered "house church" that refuses Communist government oversight of its affairs has met outdoors since Easter 2011 when officials seized its meeting space and placed the pastor under house arrest.

Thankfully, religious believers in America can stand far more confidently on our constitutional foundation of religious liberty. Americans enjoy the freedom not only to worship according to the dictates of conscience but also to express and to live according to those beliefs as we engage in public life.

Such a blessing is extraordinarily rare in the course of human history, and each new generation of Americans has the responsibility to guard it. Just as a homeowner should be concerned about the security of his home's foundation before a river spills over its banks, so we should beware the danger of erosion in the foundation of American freedom as government oversteps its constitutional limits.

In the two weeks leading up to Independence Day, many Americans are calling attention to religious liberty by participating in the "Fortnight for Freedom," a celebration of religious freedom and call to preserve it against erosion.

For months, religious leaders have expressed concerns about recent actions that they claim would undermine religious liberty. In one instance, the administration argued at the Supreme Court that the government can interfere with a church school's freedom to determine who would qualify as a minister to teach the faith. In another, the Department of Health and Human Services refused to renew a Catholic service organization's grant to help human trafficking victims because it refused to refer women for abortions, despite the group's track record of success and high rankings in the application process.

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Commentary: Let religious freedom ring

Mon. June 25, 2012 |

Freedom pitcher Jose Rodriguez has committed to Waubonsee (Ill.) Community College, former Patriots coach A.J. Leppla said Monday. With Rodriguez's commitment, Freedom has three college commits in the same class for the first time in school history.

Rodriguez (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) made two appearances for the Patriots (15-10) last season and earned a save in a 5-2 win over East Bay.

"He only threw a handful of innings or so for us, but was an outstanding young man to have in our program," Leppla said in a text message. "I've very proud of his hard work and dedication to his teammates and coaches, and I know he's going to do well up there."

Leppla, who resigned June 14 after three years, led Freedom to its first winning season in the program's nine-year history and advanced to the Class 7A region quarterfinals.

Kyle and Eric Schindler, twin brothers, both committed to St. Petersburg College in May.

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Baseball: Freedom P Jose Rodriguez commits to Waubonsee CC

The stream of public-school students getting off the bus at the private Providence Day School last week illustrates a summer trend: Freedom Schools are popping up across Charlotte.

The schools, created by the national Childrens Defense Fund in 1992, are six-week summer programs designed to boost reading skills and self-confidence among disadvantaged children in elementary and middle school.

Staff, parents and students at Providence Day this summer joined the growing number of churches, universities and other groups hosting the schools. With 25 sites up from 15 last summer Charlottes program is the biggest in the country.

Energized by the surge of interest, Freedom School Partners aims to boost enrollment from 1,600 kids this year to 5,000 in 2016.

If we can solve summer learning loss and get kids excited about reading, we can change the world, says Executive Director Mary Nell McPherson.

With the economy still rocky, why are people stepping up to a challenge that requires an investment $60,000 for a 50-student site? The cost is $200 a week per child; families pay only a one-time signup fee of $35.

McPherson likes to talk about magic. Theres the buoyant energy of the morning Harambee ceremony, where college students lead younger children in songs and chants to psych themselves up. Theres the joy of adult volunteers reading to crowds of rapt children, who go home with arms full of books.

For the more practical-minded, theres a measurable chance to help struggling schools and students. Teachers spend nine months working to get kids up to grade level, only to watch gains slip away when summers are spent in front of TVs or video games. National research indicates that summer slippage is one of the biggest contributors to the gap in academic performance between children of poverty and their classmates from middle- and upper-income families.

Schools help Freedom Schools identify children who need some academic help and arent likely to get good summer enrichment activities otherwise. The scholars, as participants are called, spend their mornings reading, in groups and on their own, with lots of access to stories about people who have achieved success despite obstacles. Afternoons are for summer fun and educational field trips, much like other camps.

UNC Charlotte researchers have tested Charlottes Freedom School students on reading skills for the last three summers, and found that at least 90 percent held steady or saw gains.

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Charlotte’s roster of Freedom Schools is booming

ALBUQUERQUE, NM--(Marketwire -06/25/12)- Lighting up the majestic New Mexico sky, the finale fireworks of the annual Freedom Fourth celebration in Albuquerque are sure to be spectacular and with special deals at prominent hotels in Albuquerque, travelers can easily enjoy all the festivities along with the comforts of gracious accommodations.

Encompassing the entire 360-acre Balloon Fiesta Park, this year's Freedom Fourth will boast an abundance of live music, family entertainment, food and fireworks as Albuquerque celebrates the Fourth of July. Musical entertainment is slated to begin at 4 p.m. featuring a variety of bands and a special Presentation of Colors by the Falcon Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol is set for 7:50. The legendary country band Diamond Rio will take to the main stage at 8 p.m. and the much anticipated fireworks display will conclude the event beginning at 9:15.

Conveniently located next to the festivities, the Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North hotel has created a special package in honor of the celebration, making it easy for travelers and locals to share in the excitement as music fills the air and fireworks light up the already brilliant New Mexico sky. Available only for a limited time, this Albuquerque Marriott's "Freedom Fourth" package includes complimentary breakfast for two, a welcome amenity and deluxe accommodations at a rate of just $124.99*. An upgraded package is also available that includes a room with view of the fireworks for just $149.99*.

These distinctive accommodations in Albuquerque are an ideal choice for those planning a Fourth of July stay in New Mexico's largest city and can easily be booked online by using promotional code FOO at http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/abqmc-albuquerque-marriott-pyramid-north/ or by calling 1-800-262-2043.

A perfect opportunity for creating a summer getaway, guests of this stylish lodging in Albuquerque find themselves not only near Balloon Fiesta Park, but located on I-25 in the Journal Center Business Complex with easy access to popular Albuquerque attractions including Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway, Historic Old Town and award-winning golf courses.

For added enjoyment, this Albuquerque hotel with indoor pool features the Sandia Grille for full menu breakfast, lunch and dinner options; the High Desert Lounge located inside the hotel's spacious atrium which features a relaxing two-story waterfall; a well-equipped fitness facility and full-service business center.

*Rates are per room per night and valid only 7/1/12 through 7/9/12 based on availability at the time of reservation. Offer is not valid for groups of 10 or more rooms and may not be combined with any other discount or promotion.

About the Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid NorthThe Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North welcomes guests with warm and vibrant accommodations set against the picturesque Sandia Mountains, attentive service and luxurious amenities. While the hotel offers an array of spacious guest rooms and well-appointed suites, this sophisticated Marriott hotel property also houses 27,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor event space, ideal for business meetings, corporate conferences and elegant social gatherings.

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Freedom Fourth Celebration Lights the Sky Near Lodging in Albuquerque

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Fuel Freedom Foundation Co-Founder Yossie Hollander told the first TEDx audience at Chapman University on June 21st that American consumers could have $2-a-gallon transportation fuel tomorrow if alternative fuels like natural gas, methanol, ethanol and electricity were allowed to compete at the pump with gasoline.

More than 750 people attended the TEDxChapmanU conference, an independently organized event licensed by TED. An additional 11,000 people registered online to watch the event and Hollanders address, Ending Our Oil Addiction, streaming from the campus in Orange, CA. Hollander was among a group of speakers, including automotive innovator Henrick Fisker and Freedom Writers founder Erin Gruwell, who spoke at the event, titled: Icons, Geniuses and Mavericks.

Your car right now could be converted for $100 or less to run on liquid replacement fuels that cost $2-a-gallon, said Hollander. But it is not legal. Fuels exist today that are cheaper and cleaner than gasoline, are available and will generate American jobs. What we need is competition, like we have in every other market. I can buy whatever television I want, whatever cell phone I want. Americans should be able to buy whatever fuel they want to power their cars.

Standing in the way, Hollander said, are a closed fuel distribution system and outdated regulations. He noted, for example, that the electric carmaker Tesla Motors had to pay a $275,000 fine to the EPA because it didnt have an emissions certificate. Apparently, you need to test emissions for an electric car as well, Hollander said to widespread laughter. Electric vehicles, of course, produce no exhaust.

Hollander pointed out that the breakneck pace of urbanization in China, India and other developing nations will keep global oil prices high despite dramatic increases in domestic U.S. drilling and efforts to conserve oil use and make gasoline engines more efficient. The only way to lower gasoline prices significantly and permanently is to open the markets to competition from replacement fuels, he said.

About Fuel Freedom

The Fuel Freedom Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking the U.S. economys oil addiction through the development of cheaper, cleaner, American-made fuels. Americans could easily convert their cars to run on replacement fuels for gasoline, but outdated regulations and entrenched commercial interests stand in the way. The Fuel Freedom campaign aims to remove barriers to competition so that natural gas, methanol, ethanol and electricity can compete on equal footing with gasoline at the pump and at the dealership. Achieving Fuel Freedom will lower fuel prices, create jobs, spur economic growth, reduce pollution, and improve national and global security. For more information go to the Foundations website at: http://www.fuelfreedom.org; Facebook: FuelFreedomFoundation (https://www.facebook.com/FuelFreedomFoundation); and Twitter: @FuelFreedomNow.

About TEDx

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

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Fuel Freedom’s Yossie Hollander Tells Chapman University TEDx Conference How to “End Our Oil Addiction”

Winnie Chong

Monday, June 25, 2012

Press freedom in Hong Kong has worsened since Donald Tsang Yam-kuen became chief executive in 2005.

That is the belief of four in every five journalists, according to a survey by the Hong Kong Journalists Association.

It found that 86.9percent of the 663 reporters, photographers, editors and management polled in April believe the situation has worsened.

That is 28.5 percentage points more than those who thought the same at the last survey in 2007.

Nearly two in five (35.9 percent) admit they or their supervisors practice self-censorship - six percentage points more than in 2007.

Nearly everyone - 92.7percent - said media coverage is being hindered because government officials exert tighter control over the flow of information.

About seven in 10 (71 percent) said self-censorship exists in the industry, as management plays down negative news of big corporations that wield strong influence over advertising (40.3 percent), information unfavorable to the central government (37percent), and news reports which tend to favor individual chief executive candidates (33.6 percent).

More than 67percent of respondents believe the central government liaison office is exerting political interference over press freedom.

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Freedom of press on wane, say journos

Cash-strapped businesses should look to incentivise staff by giving them a degree of autonomy.

How do you incentivise your staff without paying them more money?

It is a question that is keeping a growing number of owners of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) awake at night as they grapple with poor growth prospects and the impact of a double-dip recession.

According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, less than a third of SME employers are expecting to give pay rises to their employees in 2012.

For companies that have traditionally used the carrot approach of dangling the prospect of pay rises, promotions and bonuses in front of employees to spur them on, the realisation that the cupboard is bare is especially daunting.

One possible solution to the problem is to give a delayed monetary incentive in the form of share options, but that will only work if you give them to all employees, otherwise resentments will fester.

Realistically it will also only be an option for certain types of business. And if the current growth prospects for the business really are negligible, then it is debatable just how much of an incentive a tiny sliver of a future theoretical pot of gold will really be.

The good news for cash-strapped SME owners is there are many non-monetary ways to incentivise and motivate staff. The even better news is that these may well turn out to be even more effective than a pay rise would have been.

Indeed, using money as a way of motivating employees is actually not nearly as effective as people generally think.

Non-monetary factors, such as being given some autonomy over how tasks are carried out, the freedom to make decisions about issues that affect them and having achievements praised and acknowledged, have been repeatedly shown to be far more effective in motivating people. Flexible working arrangements and being given time off are equally valued.

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Think tank: freedom, not pay, is best motivation

Copyright 2010. The Associated Press. Produced by NewsOK.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

A religious gathering punctuated by fiery speeches and standing ovations brought Catholics and Protestants together Saturday, united against a common enemy.

Frank Cargill, Superintendent of the Oklahoma District Council of the Assemblies of God, speaks during an ecumenical rally for religious freedom at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, OK, Saturday, June 23, 2012, By Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman

Rally for Religious Freedom speakers, including a Roman Catholic archbishop, a Pentecostal leader and a Southern Baptist pastor, said threats to religious liberty should trouble all people of faith.

The rally at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City was hosted by a group of Catholic laity called St. Peter's Fellowship, and it drew about 3,200 people. Organizers said it was held in conjunction with the Fortnight For Freedom, a faith initiative born out of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' outrage over a U.S. Health and Human Services mandate that effectively requires faith-affiliated organizations to pay for contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs.

In his speech that kicked off the rally, the Most Rev. Paul S. Coakley, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, said the broader and most troubling concern about the federal mandate is what the U.S. bishops see as the federal government's infringement on religious liberty.

The government has picked this fight, and we cannot afford to back away from it. There is simply too much at stake for us all, Coakley said.

He reminded those in attendance that the Fortnight For Freedom is a rallying cry for the faithful to pray against threats to religious freedom, to help educate others about the issues at hand and to stand with American bishops in their battle against the mandate.

The government has no business defining religion or religious entities, Coakley said, adding that the religious freedom issue is not a partisan issue.

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Catholics, Protestants rally in Oklahoma City for religious freedom

The official brochure presented by The Austin Area Chamber of Commerce says June 30, but for many listeners of KAUS Radio the magic moment comes at 7:35 a.m. Monday when the first clue in the Golden Duck Treasure Hunt is announced.

Although he doesnt know what the clue will be, KAUS Radios John Wright assumes it wont provide much to go on. The clue is important, however, because it will likely have a bearing on the next clue and the one after that, he explains. Its more fun when the game lasts.

Clues are provided by the 'Clue Crew,' he said, and we dont even know who they are.

What is certain is that the Golden Duck has become a solid fixture of the Freedom Fest program.

Its been going on longer than Ive been here, Wright said. I know it goes back to Cedar River Days. They dont even ask us if were going to do it anymore.

Hes also sure of the rules: The duck must be hidden on public land and inside the city limits; he or she cant be under water; cant be buried; and cant be more than five feet off the ground.

The rules are there to make sure that the hunt is safe, Wright said.

While there are 22 events listed in the Chamber program for Freedom Fest 2012, two will be new to most people.

The Raptor Center of the University of Minnesota has promised Festival Director Jeff Baldus that it will bring an American Bald Eagle to Family Day in the Park at Bandshell Community Park on July 3. The Centers 45-minute shows are set for 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Kids Game Area.

And the Austin Fire Department has challenged fire departments from the surrounding area to a battle of the barrel from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on July 4 at Ninth Place S.W. The contest decides who can best handle a fire hose to move a barrel down a cable. After the battle, kids will have an opportunity to give it a try.

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Freedom Fest celebration begins with an elusive duck