Showing posts with label Capital. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Capital. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 03, 2026

Giving Ventures Ep. 100 - Arabella: The Left's Dark Money with Scott Walter

Giving Ventures Ep. 100 - Arabella: The Left's Dark Money with Scott Walter

DonorsTrust

 Jan 13, 2026  Giving Ventures Podcast

For the past decade, one entity has become predominant in secretive giving on the left of the political spectrum: Arabella Advisors. It goes by a lot of different names, like the New Venture Fund, the Windward Fund, 1630 Fund. This panoply of organizations represents hundreds of nonprofit entities ranging from full-fledged 501(c)3s and 501(c)4s to astroturf groups that only exist as websites. Billions of dollars have flowed into and out of these Arabella entities, all working to counter free markets and conservative ideas and to advance progressive ideology.

Despite its major influence, Arabella is still pretty secretive. But one individual thoroughly understands the reach of Arabella and its tentacles: Scott Walter, the president of Capital Research Center, which focuses on the sources and influence of philanthropic dollars on the left.


Thursday, July 30, 2015

Washington DC is sinking into the sea through a process of “forebulge collapse”



JUL 30, 2015 6 Kevin Sanders



Geologists say Washington DC is gradually sinking into the sea through a process known as “forebulge collapse.” This means the government of the United States is sitting on a waterbed that is heaving and could gradually collapse over the next century unless active preparations are put in place.


Geologists say this has nothing to do with unchecked climate change or excessive underwater flows, but it has all to do with forebulge collapse which refers to the geological ups and downs that have been occurring unnoticed since the last ice age. Scientists further noted that before the last 20,000 years, a mile-high ice sheet stretched very far south and extended up to Long Island, and its sheer weight remains under the ground of Washington DC today.

“It’s a bit like sitting on one side of a water bed filled with very thick honey,” Ben DeJong, the lead author on the new study, said. “The other side goes up. But when you stand, the bulge comes down again.”

This study was conducted by geologists from the University of Vermont, the US Geological Survey, and other research organizations; and their findings were published in GSA Today – a journal of the Geological Society of America.


DeJong and his colleagues drilled holes in the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, close to Washington, and then analyzed the layers of sediments – comparing these with computer models and satellite scans of the region. They project that Washington will drop by six or more inches over a century to this time, and this will not only threaten sea level rise, but it will also compromise national monuments and military installations in the state.

“Right now is the time to start making preparations,” DeJong said. “Six extra inches of water really matters in this part of the world.”

The Intergovenmental Panel on Climate Change had already predicted that global sea levels would rise by at least a foot by 2100, and even added that this has even occurred by 1.8 millimeters per year worldwide within the last century.

“It’s ironic that the nation’s capital–the place least responsive to the dangers of climate change–is sitting in one of the worst spots it could be in terms of this land subsidence,” Paul Bierman, a UVM geologist told Science Daily. “Will the Congress just sit there with their feet getting ever wetter? What’s next, forebulge denial?


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Sunday, July 07, 2013

35,000 march in Dublin against Irish abortion bill






Shawn Pogatchnik
Anti-abortion protesters holding placards walk through Ireland's capital, Dublin, in an anti-abortion protest Saturday, July 6, 2013. More than 35,000 activists marched to the parliament building to oppose Irish government plans to enact a bill legalizing terminations for women in life-threatening pregnancies. The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill is expected to be passed into law next week. (AP Photo/Shawn Pogatchnik)



3 hours ago • Associated Press


Bearing rosary beads and placards declaring "Kill the bill! Not the child," more than 35,000 anti-abortion activists marched Saturday through Dublin to demand that the Irish government scrap plans to legalize terminations for women in life-threatening pregnancies.

Demonstrators from across Ireland, a predominantly Catholic island of 6.5 million, marched for two hours through the capital to Leinster House, the parliament building, where lawmakers next week are expected pass the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill. Speakers demanded that the government put its bill to a national referendum. "Let us vote!" the crowd chanted.

The two-year-old coalition government of Prime Minister Enda Kenny drafted the bill following last year's death of a miscarrying woman in an Irish hospital. Three investigations since have determined that Savita Halappanavar, a 31-year-old Indian dentist, died from blood poisoning one week after admission for a miscarriage. Doctors denied her pleas for an abortion, even though her uterus had ruptured, because the 17-week-old fetus still had a heartbeat. By the time it stopped, investigations concluded, Halappanavar already had contracted a lethal dose of septicemia.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter said Saturday that, had the bill been law last year, Halappanavar might have received a prompt abortion and survived. He appealed to anti-abortion rebels in the main government Fine Gael party to accept the bill or abstain from the final vote expected Wednesday night. The bill received overwhelming backing in an initial vote this week.

Ireland outlaws abortion, a position underscored by a 1986 referendum amending the constitution to declare that the unborn have a right to life. But the Supreme Court in 1992 ruled that the constitution equally defends the pregnant woman's right to live, therefore life-saving abortions were legal.

Crucially, Ireland's highest court said this meant a woman should receive an abortion even if the only threat to her life was caused by her own suicide threats. Six governments since have refused to pass legislation backing that 1992 judgment, leaving obstetricians divided and confused over whether certain life-saving abortions can be performed legally.

In 2011, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Ireland's failure to legislate meant pregnant women in dangerous medical conditions were forced to travel overseas, chiefly to neighboring England, for abortions. It said travel and bureaucratic delays meant some women's medical conditions worsened unnecessarily.

The government bill would permit an abortion for a suicidal woman if a panel of three doctors _ one obstetrician and two psychiatrists _ unanimously agree that the woman's threats are real. Abortion rights advocates say this rule means women in such circumstances still will travel to England, where abortion was legalized in 1967.

But those marching Saturday warned that women would conspire with sympathetic doctors to fake suicide threats, putting Ireland on a slippery slope to wider abortion access. Ireland is just one of two European Union members, alongside Malta, that outlaws the practice.

Before the march, Catholic Archbishop Diarmuid Martin led a central Dublin church in prayers for Ireland to keep abortion illegal. But in a nuanced sermon Martin told the crowd, among them families sitting on the floor beside packed pews, that pro-life campaigners must be careful not to come across as heartless to those on the other side of the debate.

Martin said those seeking to keep abortion out of Ireland must make their case "not through slogans but through the witness of life that we give." If not, he said, "what we say will appear, to quote Pope Francis, as being cold, impersonal and oppressive for people's day-to-day lives."


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Thursday, January 24, 2013

While you were focused on the trivia...

Bread and Circus



People making noise over Beyonce lip-sync

Albany Times Union - ‎1 hour ago‎
No one is certain whether Beyonce Knowles lip-synced "The Star-Spangled Banner" at President Barack Obama's Inauguration on Monday. But everyone seems to have an opinion about it. A spokeswoman for the United States Marine Band said Tuesday ...

Katie Couric's Manti Te'o interview: instant reaction and analysis

Yahoo! Sports (blog)-by Jay Busbee-41 minutes ago
Earlier this week, Katie Couric scored the first on-camera sit-down interview with Notre Dame'sManti Te'o. The interview will air on Thursday on ...

Michelle Kwan's Wedding: The Skating Champ says 'I Do'

People Magazine-30 minutes ago
... Michelle Kwan mastered the art of keeping her emotions in check. ... "I thought I would at least make it to the vows," a laughing Kwan, 32, told ...

Michelle Obama has bangs: Let the analyzing begin

The Grio-3 hours ago
First lady Michelle Obama acknowledges the crowd as President Obama speaks to supporters and donors at an inaugural reception for the ...

Michelle Obama's eye roll: What was she thinking?

CNN-Jan 22, 2013
Washington (CNN) -- If President Barack Obama's relationship with House Speaker John Boehner was contentious in the past, he certainly ...

Michelle Obama's Jason Wu Dress for the 2013 Inaugural Ball—See ...

E! Online-Jan 22, 2013
Showing major brand loyalty, Michelle Obama stunned in yet another breathtaking Jason Wudress Monday night at the 2013 Inaugural Ball.




...............,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,...................




JUST ONE SHORT DAY AFTER Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton appeared before the Senate and Congress defending her handling of Benghazi attack... after Hillary Clinton was put through the ringer.... WHAT A SHAM? she went out huffing and pounding...


There is another hearing on Capitol Hill: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds confirmation hearings on Obama's nominee for secretary of state John Kerry. 


Watch More News Videos at ABC | Technology News | Celebrity News

John Kerry Tears Up During Smooth Confirmation Hearing



And to round out THE POLITICALLY CORRECT -- SOCIAL JUSTICE WEEK:


Panetta Opens Combat Roles to Women




Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has announced his decision to open more than 230,000 battlefront posts to women. (Jan. 24)


.....................................



Now women can celebrate because they can die in combat in any country of their choice; there are no more obstacles for them if they chose to fight... freedom at last ...  

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1. 

Religious beliefs


Congressional portrait with U.S. flag in the background
Roman Catholic, Kerry was said to carry a rosary, a prayer book, and a St. Christopher medal (the patron saint of travelers) when he campaigned. However, while Kerry is personally against abortion, he supports a woman's legal right to have one, which puts him at odds with the Catholic Church. Discussing his faith, Kerry said, "I thought of being a priest. I was very religious while at school in Switzerland. I was an altar boy and prayed all the time. I was very centered around the Mass and the church." He also said that the Letters of Paul moved him the most, stating that they taught him to "not feel sorry for myself."[22]


2. Leon Panetta (1963)[27] – current Secretary of Defense; former Director of the Central Intelligence AgencyWhite House Chief of Staff under Bill Clinton
The Santa Clara University School of Law (Santa Clara Law) is the law school of Santa Clara University, a Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California, in the Silicon Valley region.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Clara_University_School_of_Law#Notable_Alumni

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Saturday, January 19, 2013

Thousands join pro-gun rallies in state capitals


STATES ON GUNS

Where the states stand on guns and violence as legislatures meet this year in the aftermath of mass killings. The District of Columbia, which already has strict gun laws, has no plans to further tighten them.



Considering gun restrictions
Considering loosening gun restrictions
Considering measures on school-safety
Considering measures on mental-health


Source: USA TODAY research
By Jerry Mosemak, USA TODAY



Mike Gottschamer, USA TODAY6:48p.m. EST January 19, 2013

The recurring message from state capitals: Responsible gun owners should be left alone.


(Photo: Jim Cole, AP)


STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Protesters said they were opposed to stricter gun-control measures
1,000 people turned out for the rally in Hartford, 50 miles from Newtown
Gatherings took place just days after President Obama announced his gun proposals



Thousands of gun rights supporters gathered at state capitols around the country Saturday to rally against new laws to regulate on firearms proposed by President Obama in the wake of last month's school shooting in Connecticut.

The crowds included people of all ages, some waving flags and holding signs saying "Don't Tread on Me" and "Stand behind the Second Amendment."

A recurring message was that responsible gun owners should be left alone.

"The current administration wants to control every aspect of our lives," Alabama Agriculture Commissioner John McMillan said to the crowd at the state capitol in Montgomery. "We need to use our state motto — 'Dare to defend our rights.' "

The rallies were part of a grass-roots effort, called Guns Across America, initiated by Texas resident Eric Reed. The group's Facebook page listed plans for protests in 46 states.

Police in Connecticut said about 1,000 people showed up on the capitol grounds in Hartford, about 50 miles from the site of last month's mass shooting at Newtown's Sandy Hook Elementary School. Demonstrators there urged state and federal authorities not to introduce new restrictions on gun ownership as task forces created by the Legislature and Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy consider changes to state gun laws.

In Albany, N.Y., several thousand people aimed their protests at Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who this week signed legislation that puts a tighter ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Protesters chanted "Freedom," "U.S.A." and "Cuomo's Gotta Go." Some gun owners said they are being unfairly targeted by the new law.



James Wilson carries a "Come and take it" flag Saturday during a gun rights demonstration on the lawn of the Capitol in Montgomery, Ala. Dave Martin, AP











Next Slide


"I don't feel like I'm a criminal. In order to keep order, we need good guys with guns," said Heather Johnson of Kirkville, N.Y.

At the Iowa capitol in Des Moines, state Rep. Tom Shaw told the crowd that serving overseas in the Navy had taught him the importance of allowing average citizens to defend themselves against dictators.

"I saw the eyes of the oppressed ... screaming for freedom," Shaw said. "I'm going to make sure that never happens in America and never happens in Iowa."

Chris Chaney, 23, of Davenport, Iowa, said he's disgusted by what he sees as the use of children's deaths in the Connecticut school shooting to win political support for gun-control legislation.

"If we give up liberty in the name of security, we will have neither," Chaney said. "Everybody has a right to defend themselves against evil people and tyranny."

Nearly 100 gun advocates drove from across South Dakota to attend a rally under the state's capitol dome in Pierre, where speakers praised gun rights as the only defense against tyranny and crime.

"When you try to take away our right to bear guns, you're trying to tear our country down," said Jeff Monroe, a state senator who addressed the crowd.

There were no actual firearms visible at the rally, which was held inside the Capitol where only law enforcement officers are allowed to be armed.

But a rally in Frankfort, Ky., drew hundreds of participants, several shouldering firearms and wearing holsters, and Tea Party leader David Adams told the crowd, "Our government is out of control."

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., received a large round of applause for announcing this week that he wants to introduce legislation to overturn Obama's recent executive orders on firearms and for saying teachers should be armed at schools.

Authorities reported no problems at an rallies, which remained peaceful Saturday afternoon.

Contributing: Matt Okarmus of the Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser, Joseph Spector of the Gannett Albany (N.Y.) Bureau, Jens Manuel Krogsatad of The Des Moines Register, David Montgomery of the (Sioux Falls, S.D.) Argus Leader, Tom Loftus or The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal, Terricha Bradley of the (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger; The Associated Press


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Sunday, September 30, 2012

The 60th Annual Red Mass & Brunch


1010_RedMass_0014Web.jpg

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2012


Time: 10:00AM-1:00PM
St. Matthew's Cathedral & The Capital Hilton
Sunday, September 30, 2012


60th Annual Red Mass & Brunch Sunday, September 30, 2012 Time: 10:00AM-1:00PM The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle & The Capital Hilton Sunday, September 30, 2012 The Red Mass is celebrated annually at the Cathedral, traditionally on the Sunday before the first Monday in October, which marks the opening of the Supreme Court’s annual term. Its purpose is to invoke God’s blessings on those responsible for the administration of justice as well as on all public officials. His Eminence, Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, Principal Celebrant Most Reverend, Timothy P. Broglio, Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, Homilist Brunch and Pro Bono Legal Awards presentation to follow at the Capital Hilton, 1001 16th Street, NW. The Mass is free and open to the public. You must register in advance for the brunch.

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Sunday, July 29, 2012

Will Rome be the new world capital for religious freedom?

Apr. 24, 2012 Silver Spring, Maryland, United States

John Graz

Rome recently launched an “Observatory on Religious Freedom,” an initiative aimed at making Rome the “reference point for the defense of religious freedom in the world.”

This initiative is supported by the mayor of Rome, the Roman Catholic pontiff, Vatican officials and several international diplomats. According to news reports, the observatory is a conference “dedicated to the status and protection of Christian minorities in the world.”

I had mixed feelings as I considered this report. Four years ago, I shared a similar dream with my colleagues as we met together for an International Religious Liberty Association Meeting of Experts. I asked, “Where could we organize a World Forum on Religious Freedom in a city that has long associations with the cause of religious liberty?” We considered possibilities – perhaps Richmond, Virginia, home of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, America’s well-known “fathers of freedom”; La Rochelle, in France, in memory of the persecuted Huguenots; Geneva, Switzerland; or Toronto, Canada.

But we never considered Rome. We knew that throughout its long history, Rome has been more commonly associated with religious repression than with religious freedom.

For more than three centuries, the emperors of Rome pursued brutal campaigns against Christian believers and against the church. Even after the Christianization of the Roman Empire, religious persecution didn’t go away; only the identity of the victims changed. For the next millennium, non-Christians, dissidents and heretics became the targets of Rome’s repression.

There’s no doubt that the situation has changed dramatically. Since the Second Vatican Council of the early 1960s, the Roman Catholic Church has become more open to the right of individuals to choose their religion. Several Pontifical statements in recent decades have affirmed this ideal.

But as an institution, the Catholic Church’s conversion to the cause of religious freedom came late in the game – many years after the groundbreaking work of religious groups, including the Mennonites, Baptists and Seventh-day Adventists. The Catholic Church began to embrace religious freedom some 70 years after the IRLA was chartered by Adventist leaders, and more than 15 years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was voted in Paris on December 10, 1948.

So are latecomers to religious freedom now preparing to lead the way? And if so, is this is a positive development?

It depends. Religious liberty around the world today needs as many defenders as it can muster, regardless of their historical track record. If a church or organization expresses its unqualified support for the right of individuals to believe and worship freely, this can only be a positive development.

But questions still remain if Rome, through this new initiative, will truly defend the rights of everyone, no matter what their faith tradition. It must demonstrate that will be a passionate voice for people such as persecuted evangelicals and Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide, as well as for the rights of “mainstream,” traditional churches.

Last year, we saw the Russian Orthodox Church – not historically known for its zeal in defending religious freedom for all – organize a symposium in Moscow focusing on the persecution of Christian minorities around the world. The IRLA chapter in Russia, which has held successful meetings and symposiums in Moscow every year since the collapse of the communist regime, welcomed this new initiative by country’s dominant religion.

Times may be changing. Voices that have historically been muted when it comes to the rights of religious minorities may indeed be preparing to become active religious freedom advocates.

Only time will tell if the Observatory on Religious Freedom will push Rome forward as an international "religious freedom capital." And only time will tell if Rome intends to champion a broad notion of religious freedom, which reflects the ideal articulated in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

—John Graz is Secretary General of the International Religious Liberty Association, a non-sectarian organization, which was established in 1893.


Source

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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Lincoln's "Greenbacks" (And Why That Killed Him)


Lincoln's "Greenbacks"
(And Why That Killed Him)

Conspiracy Nation -- Vol. 11 Num. 34


Writes Dr. R.E. Search in Lincoln: Money Martyred (Omni Publications, PO Box 900566, Palmdale, CA 93590), "The struggle that was to rid the country of human slavery of the black race, however, was also to fasten upon the whole nation an economic or money slavery, which has endured to the present time..."

Abraham Lincoln and his Treasury Secretary, Salmon P. Chase (Chase Bank later named after him) went to the New York bankers "and applied for loans to the Government to carry on the [Civil] war; the bankers replying, 'Well, war is a hazardous business, but we can let you have it [the loans] at from 24 percent to 36 percent.'" (Dr. R.E. Search)

Appleton Cyclopedia (1861), page 296, states: "The money kings wanted 24 percent to 36 percent interest for loans to our government to conduct the Civil War." (qtd. in Search's book)

President Lincoln and Secretary Chase were outraged at the usurious interest, and refused the offer.

Lincoln wrote to an old friend, Colonel Dick Taylor in Chicago, and asked for advice. His friend told him to "get Congress to pass a bill authorizing the printing of full legal tender treasury notes or greenbacks." (qtd. in Search's book)

60 million dollars of full legal tender greenbacks were issued. "All were taken at par and never appreciably fell below par at any time..." (Dr. R.E. Search)

Lincoln referred to these greenbacks as "the greatest blessing the people of this Republic [have] ever had." (qtd. in Search's book)

But as soon as Lincoln began issuing the greenbacks, "the bankers and money changers saw that unless they could stop that sort of thing they were 'sunk' as far as ever being able to issue money again themselves." (Dr. R.E. Search)

The banksters "had been able to fool and hoodwink England, and keep her in bondage for 168 years, and they wanted very much to continue, and to add the balance of the world to their conquest; making the people everywhere economic serfs, working for them." (ibid.)

From the London Times:

If this mischievous financial policy [greenbacks]... should become endurated down to a fixture, then that government will furnish its own money without cost. It will pay off its debts and be without debts. It will have all the money necessary to carry on its commerce. It will become prosperous beyond precedent in the history of the world. The brains and wealth of all countries will go to North America. That government must be destroyed or it will destroy every monarchy on the globe. [qtd. in Search's book]

The Bank of England/Rothschilds (do not be deceived by name, "Bank of England"; Bank of England was/is a private bank) issued, and distributed to American banksters, the following document, quoted in part below:

The Hazard Circular

Slavery is likely to be abolished by the war power, and chattel slavery abolished. This, I and my European friends are in favor of, for slavery is but the owning of labor, and carries with it the care of labor, while the European plan, led on by England, is that capital shall control labor by controlling wages.

The great debt that capitalists will see to it is made out of the [Civil] war must be used to control the value of money. To accomplish this, the Government bonds must be used as a banking basis.

We are now waiting for the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States to make this recommendation. It will not do to allow greenbacks, as they are called, to circulate as money any length of time, as we cannot control that, but we can control the bonds and through them the bank issues. [qtd. in Dr. Search's book]

Slavery is but the owning of labor, and carries with it the care of labor.

A "new, improved system" of slavery was being born. Gustavus Myers (a "leftist") corroborates this in his book, History of the Great American Fortunes: "...chattel slavery could not compete in efficiency with white labor... more money could be made from the white laborer, for whom no responsibility of shelter, clothing, food and attendance had to be assumed than from the Negro slave, whose sickness, disability or death entailed direct financial loss."

"The perfect slave thinks he's free." That was the "new, improved system" for exploiting labor. (Currently, a further refinement is the use of temporary labor.)

Abraham Lincoln was "the man who first proved that government could issue its own paper money, legally, honorably, and rightfully, and make it full legal tender for all debts, both public and private..." Was Lincoln "a dangerous man from the [bankers] point of view? Could they have continued their knavery, trickery, bribery, and destructive work... if Lincoln had lived?" (Dr. R.E. Search)


Source


Wednesday, October 26, 2011

European leaders reach deal on bank recapitalisation

WORLD WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2011


By KARL STAGNO-NAVARRA

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi arriving for tonights meeting in Brussels

Scheme requires big banks to have 9% of capital by June as a one-off stabilisation measure.


European Union leaders have reached agreement on a plan to recapitalise Europe's biggest banks, in a bid to contain the effects of any further shocks in the eurozone.


The plan entails that big European banks will be required to have “9% of the highest quality capital” by June 2012, measured against assets, EU President Herman Von Rompuy said, adding that the banks should raise capital from the private-sector where possible.


However, where that proves impossible, member states will be obliged to provide capital in exchange for equity.


The eurozone's rescue fund, now known to be the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), could be used as a last resort.


In a statement issued by EU leaders at the end of their meeting, it was said that guarantees were needed for banks' liabilities to ensure that they could obtain medium-term funding.


They have asked the European Commission to work with the European Banking Authority, the European Investment Bank and the European Central Bank to explore options for a co-ordinated EU approach.


Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who currently heads the EU’s rotating presidency, said that the plan was adopted “after a short, heated debate” among the 27 leaders, before the eurozone leaders began their own meeting.


“An emotional element during the debate was the fact that this is not a permanent element,” Tusk said, referring to the “exceptional circumstances” that had made such a move necessary. “This will not be a permanent solution for the future.”


Although neither Tusk nor Van Rompuy gave a figure for therecapitalisation needs of EU banks, the total is expected to be around €109 billion.


Regarding the prospects for a comprehensive crisis response beingfinalised by eurozone leaders tonight, Tusk said: “I think we are very close to a full political agreement. However, there are some important details that might require some more debate. We need to be patient.”


But Tusk also stressed that the bank recapitalisation plan was part of the overall crisis response. “The recapitalisation of banks will work only when the euro area approves other elements that are currently being debated,” he said. “The bank recapitalisation without the remaining elements, without the firewall, wouldn't have any chance of success.”


Tusk said that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi , had submitted a letter to the group to inform them of his government's austerity measures. Tusk said that the letter included a “detailed work plan” from the government and was “very well received”.


British Prime Minister David Cameron said: “We've made good progress on the bank recapitalisation, it wasn't watered down. But it will only go ahead when the other parts of the full package go ahead and further progress needs to be made tonight.”


Cameron was one of the leaders of non-eurozone countries who had insisted on a full Council meeting before the summit of eurozoneleaders.


Leaders of the 17 eurozone countries – including Maltese Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi - are meanwhile holding a separate meeting tonight to try to agree ways to increase the firepower of the eurozone rescue fund and cut the size of Greece's debt as part of a package of measures to tackle the eurozone crisis.



Source


Tuesday, September 06, 2011

European shares fall as banks hit by debt worries


Tue Sep 6, 2011 8:32am EDT

* FTSEurofirst 300 index down 1 pct

* Euro zone peripheral worries hit banks

* Swiss stocks gain on SNB intervention

By Joanne Frearson

LONDON, Sept 6 (Reuters) - European shares fell on Tuesday in a choppy session, reversing earlier gains, with banks exposed to the euro zone peripheral among the worst performers as political discord around the handling of the regional debt crisis grew.

There were doubts about Italy and Greece's willingness to push through austerity measures as resistance grew in the countries against their implementation, while paymaster Germany started to take a hardening opposition to further aid.

The worries about the euro zone peripheral debt concerns grew after news that the German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble had said Greece may not receive another aid tranche if the delayed "troika" report was not positive.

French bank stocks, which have high exposure to the euro zone peripheral markets were standout losers, with Credit Agricole , BNP Paribas and Societe Generale down 0.9 to 2.6 percent.

Adding to the concerns earlier had been a rise in Italian 10-year yields on worries about the implementation of austerity cuts which are vital to keep European Central Bank support, although they had since fallen back.

"We are negative on banks as they still need to raise more capital," said Colin McLean, managing director of SVM Asset Management. "There is a lot of concerns about the euro zone peripheries and a cloud remains over their balance sheets."

Concerns about European political unity needed to contain the euro zone peripheral debt crisis had been shaken in the previous session after German Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition lost ground in a state election on Sunday.

Compounding the worries about political unity in the region was nervousness about a German court ruling on Wednesday about Berlin's involvement in the region's bailout fund.

"Yesterday did quite a lot of damage and opened up more concerns about whether politicians can resolve the euro zone debt crisis," McLean added.

By 1229 GMT, the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares was down 1 percent at 901.02 points after dropping 6.5 percent in the past two days on recession fears, sparked by Friday's dire U.S. jobs data.

Trade was choppy with the FTSEurofirst 300 having been up as much as 922.08 and down as low as 899.90 points.


SWISS GAINS

The index had earlier been higher, with Swiss stocks flooding the best performers list after the Swiss National Bank said it would set a minimum exchange rate target of 1.20 francs to the euro.

The Swiss index gained 4 percent, in volume 85 that was percent of its 90-day daily average, outperforming the other European indices.

A stronger Swiss franc had posed a risk to the economy and had been hurting exporting stocks.

"Statements from SNB were pretty bold and should ease Swiss franc strength at least for the next weeks," Switzerland-based hedge fund manager Trung-Tin Nguyen at TTN AG said.

"For Swiss stocks good news today on a relative basis ... there are big earnings per share upgrades to come through to consensus if the rate is now 1.20 francs."

Nestle , the world's biggest food group, took the top spot on the , rising 3.5 percent in strong volume at 100 percent its 90-day daily average.

Following closely behind were drug maker Novartis and engineer ABB up 5.6 percent and 6.1 percent respectively also in strong volume nearing their 90-day daily average.

Britain's biggest hotel and coffee-shop operator Whitbread took the top spot on Britain's FTSE 100 index, jumping 6 percent in volume 95 percent of its 90-day daily average after it reported accelerating sales growth. (Reporting by Joanne Frearson; Editing by Hans-Juergen Peters)

Source

Friday, August 26, 2011

Warren Buffett: Tax Hypocrite

Warren Buffett: Tax Hypocrite

President Barack Obama and Warren Buffett in the Oval Office, July 14, 2010. (Photo credit: Pete Souza)

The Obama Administration has turned to billionaire Warren Buffett, chairman and chief executive of financial giant Berkshire Hathaway, to make the case for raising taxes on the rich because, says Buffett, he can afford it. On Aug. 22, the White House reportedly chatted with Wall Street’s most famous investor to get his thoughts about the sputtering economy.

What likely got the Administration’s attention was Buffett’s oped in the New York Times. Buffett proposed that “It’s time for our government to get serious about shared sacrifice.” He implied he would like to see the capital gains be treated equally as income.

To wit, he wrote of the so-called “super-rich”, which he apparently defines as households earning $1 million or more a year: “Most wouldn’t mind being told to pay more in taxes as well, particularly when so many of their fellow citizens are truly suffering.” Isn’t that nice of Mr. Buffett?

But if he were truly sincere, perhaps he might simply try paying the taxes the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) says his company owes? According to Berkshire Hathaway’s own annual report — see Note 15 on pp. 54-56 — the company has been in a years-long dispute over its federal tax bills.

According to the report, “We anticipate that we will resolve all adjustments proposed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (‘IRS’) for the 2002 through 2004 tax years at the IRS Appeals Division within the next 12 months. The IRS has completed its examination of our consolidated U.S. federal income tax returns for the 2005 and 2006 tax years and the proposed adjustments are currently being reviewed by the IRS Appeals Division process. The IRS is currently auditing our consolidated U.S. federal income tax returns for the 2007 through 2009 tax years.”

Americans for Limited Government researcher Richard McCarty, who was alerted to the controversy by a federal government lawyer, said, “The company has been short-changing the tax collection agency for much of the past decade. Mr. Buffett’s company has not fully settled its tax bills from 2002-2009. Yet he says he’d happily pay more. Except the IRS has apparently been asking him to pay more going on nine years.”

Apparently, not paying taxes in full is an annual occurrence under Buffett’s watch. Considering the size of the company, the amount of unsettled taxes could total in the tens of millions.

McCarty explained, “The rough translation of the report is that Berkshire Hathaway did not pay all the federal taxes that it was required to for 2002 through 2004. The IRS examination team caught Berkshire Hathaway on at least some issues. Instead of paying up, Berkshire Hathaway is threatening the IRS with protracted litigation and is in the process of cutting a deal with the IRS Appeals office.”

He continued, “For 2005 and 2006, Berkshire Hathaway again did not pay all the federal taxes that it was required to. Again, the IRS examination team caught Berkshire Hathaway on at least some issues. Now, Berkshire Hathaway is threatening the IRS with protracted litigation and is trying to cut a deal with the IRS Appeals office.”

McCarty concluded, “And, finally, the IRS has opened another examination of Berkshire Hathaway’s tax returns for 2007 through 2009, but has not officially sent Berkshire Hathaway the bill yet for taxes that Berkshire Hathaway failed to pay for those years. One would expect they will find yet more issues.”

Now, most Americans, when they receive a tax bill from the government, they pay it. They don’t get an attorney. They don’t appeal the bill. They pay it — on time and in full. But not Buffett’s company, which apparently takes years to settle its liabilities.

Since this appears to be an ongoing pattern at the company, it becomes reasonable to ask: Is this some sort of internal company policy to delay paying taxes on time? If so, could this be construed as a form of tax evasion?

Interesting questions for the man who professes to want to pay more to Uncle Sam, and who sees fit to raise the burden on all job creators — except for perhaps his company — despite the longest period of sustained high unemployment since the Great Depression.

As Mr. Buffett has seen fit to enter the political arena, in the interests of full disclosure, the American people should be alerted to his own taxing hypocrisy. Reporters should ask him, “If you’re so interested in paying more in taxes, why doesn’t your company settle its tax bills from the past decade now?”

Then they might ask him about the pot and the kettle as a follow-up.

Bill Wilson is the President of Americans for Limited Government. Americans for Limited Government is dedicated to putting the principles of limited government into action. They work with local groups across the nation to promote freedom, limited government, and the principles of the U.S. Constitution. Their goal is to harness the power of American citizens and grassroots groups in order to put the people back in charge in states across the country.

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