Friday, November 11, 2011

No meat? No problem - November 10


If you think giving up meat to become either vegan or vegetarian will destroy your chances of eating out — think again. This monthly column explores the vegetarian and vegan opportunities in Eagle River and Anchorage area restaurants. It will also look at other healthy options available in area restaurants like whole grains and low fat.

Lunch at Eagle River Piccolino’s/Greek/Italian Cuisine on the Old Glenn; next to NAPA.

Immediately when you enter this restaurant, you are impressed by the Mediterranean décor and atmosphere that it is a fine restaurant. As I look at the menu, though, my heart sinks — not only is there no vegetarian list but the options for vegetarians are pretty much limited to appetizers and salads! Well, there are more, but they include cheese or olive oil — guaranteed to be high in fat.

Our friendly waiter, Jon, assures me that all the salads and sandwiches are made fresh for the customer. OK, that makes me feel better—I can order what I want. He also suggests eggplant parmesan (not on the lunch menu), or pizza. The marinara sauce here is flavored with anchovies, he tells me, if that would be a problem, so I ask about the pizza sauce. Hmmm, he’ll ask.

Jon is back quickly, “No the pizza sauce contains no meat or anchovies so vegetarian pizza would be a good choice for vegetarians. I decide on a vegetarian calzone, my husband goes for the eggplant parmesan. The servings are huge. He gets two very large slices of eggplant with a serving of spaghetti with tomato sauce. and my calzone is easily big enough for the two of us. A few minutes into the meal, Jon returns with the suggestion that the calzone usually comes with marinara sauce on the side and would I like something else? I request pizza sauce. Everything is delicious, though I regret not sticking to vegan and requesting no cheese in the calzone—it has a lot of mozzarella. The vegetables are hot but still crunchy—the crust is white. Is it the best? Well, no, to be frank it isn’t, but it is good.

Would I go to Piccolino’s again? Definitely. The vegetarian/vegan options aren’t great, but because of the helpfulness of the waiter and flexibility of the cooks, with effort it is doable. The results are worth it.

Jon brings me a carry out menu. It includes both lunch and dinner menus and a kid’s menu (also for seniors). I see the following appetizers: Dolmas, Bread sticks, Mozzarella sticks (deep fried, high fat guaranteed), Tzatziki, Grecian Bruschetta, Eggplant Croistini, Spanikopita. Probably some of these could be served without the cheese to make them vegan. The subs and sandwiches, which are made to order, have endless possibilities, but no whole grain bread, as do the pizzas and calzones.

Burgers — nothing vegetarian or vegan; but the pasta menu has Fettuccini Alfredo — well, vegetarian, but not low fat, Greek Spaghetti—same, Spaghetti Putanesca –maybe. Don’t hesitate to ask for no oil or cheese or to substitute marinara sauce with pizza sauce..

Italian specialties? Well, I think you could ask for pizza sauce instead of the listed sauces and the list goes on. Happy dining!

Want to boost your health with healthy diet? Try this website for more information and ideas: http://www.chiphealth.com/index.php

A vegetarian since 1964, Ruth deGraaff lives in Eagle River after a career in teaching in Pa., Alaska and in international schools in various countries. Her grown two children, raised on a vegetarian diet, still follow the diet themselves. She is retired and does volunteer work for Adventist Community Services (ACS) and is a member of the Eagle River Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Adventist Church promotes vegetarianism as part of its health program.

Religion 101: Confusion over word 'cult' can be blamed on 'wordnapping'

Saturday, Nov. 05, 2011


By Clark McCall

When Robert Jeffress, a Dallas evangelical megastar, introduced Rick Perry at a gathering in Washington, D.C., he told reporters afterward that Mitt Romney belonged to a "cult" and a Christian "should always prefer a competent Christian to a competent non-Christian like Mitt Romney."

The firestorm Jeffress ignited makes me think that some of the modern definitions for "cult" might be examples of what I would term "wordnapping." I suggest this because an obsolete word, "napper," meaning "thief," is the term from which the well-known "kidnapper" has been derived. A wordnapper would be someone who takes the original meaning of a word and turns it into something that conveys another intent.

When I turn to my Britannica-Webster Dictionary, I find "cult" is defined as "formal religious veneration." It also tells me it represents "a system of religious beliefs and ritual of those who practice it." A wordnapper would be someone who takes the original meaning for "cult" and turns it into a term conveying a different and negative intent.

    In the 1950s, Walter Martin, a prominent evangelical scholar and author, started a modern usage of "cult" when he wrote a series of books, "The Kingdom of the Cults." He suggested that some groups who considered themselves Christian were really only cults. They may have some beliefs in common with evangelically oriented churches, but were divergent enough in their doctrines to not qualify as true Christian organizations, from Martin's perspective.

    The word "cult" continued to evolve until it developed into an evil connotation for fanatical groups, such as Jim Jones and his People's Temple followers. On Nov. 18, 1978, more than 900 people died in a murder-suicide tragedy at a remote South American compound in Jonestown, Guyana.

    The word "cult" continued to solidify into something sinister when David Koresh and 75 Branch Davidians perished in flames at their Waco, Texas, compound on April 19, 1993, after a lengthy standoff with federal authorities.

    Consequently the word "cult" has changed from "a system of religious beliefs" to something deemed heinous by many Americans today.

    We don't know what version of the word "cult" Jeffress meant when he said Romney's faith disqualified him as a presidential candidate. We also don't know the essence of what Romney believed he was asking Perry to "repudiate" in Jeffress' remarks. Nor do we know what Perry was thinking he disagreed with when he simply said he did not "agree" with Jeffress' remarks.

    This whole unfortunate incident may have come from a history of wordnapping surrounding the word "cult."

    What is most sad is the whole matter should have been a nonissue. It involved shooting down a straw man because when the founders of our Constitution put Article 6 in place, it was designed to prevent a religious test for anyone pursuing political office.

    The author is pastor at Olive East Seventh-day Adventist Church, 2222 E. Olive Ave.


    Source: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2011/11/05/2109506/religion-101-confusion-over-word.html#ixzz1dTFpLjT4

    Attorney argues for pastor's release

    11/1/2011
    By ERIN MATHEWS Salina Journal



    A Salina pastor accused of sexually abusing a child is not a danger to the community or a flight risk and his bond should be reduced, his attorney argued Monday.

    But prosecutor Christina Trocheck, an assistant county attorney, asked Saline County District Court Judge Jerome Hellmer to postpone his decision about lowering the bond until he has heard from the alleged victim at Birger Draget's preliminary hearing.

    Hellmer agreed that he will leave the bond set at $500,000 until 9 a.m. Nov. 15, when the preliminary hearing is scheduled. If for some reason the preliminary is rescheduled, Hellmer said he will still consider Draget's bond at that time.

    Wichita attorney Roger Falk, who represents Draget, said Draget served as pastor of Seventh Day Adventist Church congregations in Salina, Junction City, Enterprise and Manhattan until he was placed on administrative leave after his Oct. 6 arrest.

    Draget, 54, is accused of 21 counts including rape, aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated indecent liberties with a child. Several of those counts would carry a life prison sentence if he is convicted.

    Authorities allege that Draget committed offenses between October 2006 and September. Salina police launched an investigation after a teenage girl reported that she had suffered years of sexual abuse.

    A citizen of Norway

    Draget, who is a citizen of Norway, has made Salina his home and would be willing to surrender his passport if the court was concerned he might leave the country, Falk said.

    He urged Hellmer to consider the strength of the evidence against Draget when considering the amount of his bond. He said an Arkansas police report is three paragraphs long, and a Salina Police Department affidavit is a page long, and those are the documents upon which the case is based.

    "This whole case boils down to a he-said, she-said sort of situation," Falk said. "The evidence in support of those 21 counts appears to be relatively weak based on what the state has produced."

    However, Trocheck said it is not uncommon for there to be no other witnesses in cases where child sexual abuse is alleged.

    "Child sexual abuse is a very secretive crime," she said. "The victim has no motivation to make these allegations."

    She had a head injury

    Falk said the alleged victim's sister, who shared a bedroom with her, wrote a letter of support for Draget saying nothing like the things alleged in the 21 counts against him took place.

    He said last winter the young woman was thrown from a horse and suffered a head injury that may be contributing toward producing confused, false memories. He said she had been cared for recently by a person who often speaks of her own experiences of being sexually abused as a child, and girl's damaged brain could have adopted those memories as her own.

    "We don't know if her experience being around this person contributed to that," he said.

    Trocheck asked the judge to hear from the young woman before making a decision about bond.

    "If these allegations are true, your honor, it means a child has been sexually abused for years," she said.



    Obama: "Soul-searching" from Penn State scandal

    November 11, 2011 9:27 PM


    President Barack Obama watches the first half of the Carrier Classic NCAA college basketball game between Michigan State and North Carolina with Medal of Honor recipient John Baca aboard the USS Carl Vinson, Nov. 11, 2011, in Coronado, Calif. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

    (AP)

    CORONADO, Calif. - President Barack Obama says the Penn State sex-abuse scandal should lead to "soul-searching" by all Americans, not just Penn State.

    "Obviously what happened was heartbreaking, especially for the victims, the young people who got affected by these alleged assaults," he told Westwood One Radio in an interview Friday night, in his first public comments on the scandal.

    "And I think it's a good time for the entire country to do some soul-searching — not just Penn State. People care about sports, it's important to us, but our No. 1 priority has to be protecting our kids. And every institution has to examine how they operate, and every individual has to take responsibility for making sure that our kids are protected."

    The Penn State scandal has cost several university officials their jobs, most notably longtime football coach Joe Paterno and President Graham Spanier. They were fired because trustees felt they did not do enough to alert law enforcement authorities after an alleged assault in March 2002 by Jerry Sandusky, Paterno's former assistant and onetime heir apparent, who has been charged with molesting eight boys over 15 years.

    Penn St. trustees seek way forward amid scandal
    Penn State's McQueary put on administrative leave

    Obama said that the scandal shows that "you can't just rely on bureaucracy and systems in these kinds of situations. People have to step forward, they have to be tapping into just their core decency." When kids are mistreated — or anyone, for that matter — "all of us have to step up, we don't leave it to somebody else to take responsibility."

    Obama spoke at halftime of a college basketball game — the Carrier Classic — between No. 1 North Carolina and Michigan State, held on the deck of an aircraft carrier.

    The president, a huge basketball fan, also discussed the NBA lockout.

    "It's killing me!" he said. But he said he had no plans to intercede.

    "My attitude is that, in a contest between billionaires and millionaires, they should be able to figure out how to divvy up their profits in a way that serves their fans who are allowing them to be making all this money," Obama said. He made a similar comment about the NFL lockout a few months ago.

    The president was also asked about a new policy approved by the NCAA allowing conferences to add up to $2,000 annually to athletic scholarships to help cover the full cost of attendance. While saying he wasn't familiar with the specific proposal, Obama said he supported the general idea that student athletes stay amateur but also have all of their expenses covered.

    "They're bringing in billions of dollars into all the institutions that they support," he said. "I hope that we're able to preserve that sense of amateur athletics that makes college sports so terrific."

    Obama said that even though he plays golf, basketball remains his favorites sport.

    "I play golf for two reasons. One, it's my only excuse to get outside, and two, I'm getting too old to play basketball," the 50-year-old chief executive said. "But when it comes to true love, basketball will always be first in my heart."


    Source

    Why we're mad about Sundays

    Published: Friday, Nov. 11, 2011 5:00 a.m. MST

    By Linda & Richard Eyre, For the Deseret News




    Mormon Parenting





    You can read the title of this column in two ways:


    1. Why we are angry about how the Sabbath day is observed (or not observed) these days.
    2. Why we are crazy about the Sabbath and love it so much.



    The title actually means both. Let us elaborate one at a time.


    It is one of our greatest annoyances that Sunday is no longer observed as a day of rest and worship in this country — or in this world.


    It used to be better. Stores were closed and shopping center parking lots were empty; churches were open and their parking lots filled. It was even better in England where we lived for three years — where everything was closed except churches and where there were no sporting events or commercial endeavors of any kind happening on Sunday. By then, America had caved in to Sunday commercialism and public recreation, and all the best sports events, including the NFL and the finals of all golf and tennis tournaments, happened on the Sabbath. But in England, it was still pure. The British Open Golf final was on Saturday, and so was the Wimbledon final.

    But they couldn't hold out. All the best sports in England are now on Sunday, just like everywhere else. It has become a day of secular recreation and shopping throughout the whole world.


    Think about it. It is one of the Ten Commandments, yet it is routinely broken every week in every place. Not just broken individually, but broken collectively and societally.

    So what? So we lose, both individually and as a society, the benefits of the Sabbath, that's what.
    God said, "The Sabbath is made for man and not man for the Sabbath." What he meant, we think, is simply that there are tremendous benefits of resting, of worshipping, of changing our pace one day in every seven.

    The concept of Sabbath used to be accepted on many levels. Farmers would leave their land dormant and fallow every seventh year. Professors would take one sabbatical year to re-create and re-invent themselves once every seven years. Communities would shut down at the end (or the first) of each week to give everyone the time and space to rest.


    It's all gone now, for society at least, but it doesn't have to be gone for us in our individual families.

    We love Sundays. It has always been our family day. Yes, there is a certain amount of time committed to church and to our callings there, but the rest of the day — all of it — is family time.



    Not family recreational time, but family communication and planning and rest time. And oh, how we need it. If we take the time to plan, to think, to discuss, to coordinate as well as to worship on Sunday, the rest of the week always goes better.

    We started decades ago having individual "Sunday Sessions" where each person (kids as well as parents) would spend a little time alone, reviewing and fine-tuning their goals and planning the week ahead. Then the two of us would have an "Executive Sunday Session" where we would think through our own relationship and review the progress and situation of each of the kids. Then we would have the "Full Family Sunday Session" where we would go through the calendar, coordinate schedules, and each explain what we learned in church that day. On First Sundays, we would have a family testimony meeting.

    For us, it was never about what not to do on Sundays. We had the whole day filled up with what we felt were the activities of proper observance, so there was never time for anything else.
    It's impossible to be perfect at everything — or even to be good at everything. But if you have to pick one thing to really strive for as a family, pick the Sabbath day, because it will influence and improve and enhance everything else you do.



    Richard and Linda are the founders of Joyschools.com and New York Times No. 1 best-selling authors who lecture throughout the world on family-related topics. Visit the Eyres anytime at www.TheEyres.com or at www.valuesparenting.com. Their three latest books are "The Entitlement Trap," "5 Spiritual Solutions" and "The Three Deceivers."


    Source

    Prayer For The Persecuted Church 2011: Christians to Pray For The Persecuted Sunday

    By Matthew Cortina Christian Post Contributor

    Activist organization Open Doors USA is asking Christians to pray for persecuted Christians around the globe and to spread the story of their plights.

    Open Doors USA serves persecuted Christians worldwide. Their “One With Them” campaign is intended to raise awareness about the dangerous situations in which many Christians find themselves daily.

    “IDOP presents a tremendous opportunity for millions of people to make a difference in the lives of those faithful Christians who are literally under the gun in countries such as North Korea, Iran, Nigeria and Afghanistan,” said Open Doors USA President and CEO Dr. Carl Moeller.

    More than 100 million Christians are persecuted globally and the group says the situation is only getting worse.

    “Compass Direct News reported suspected Islamic extremists threw a grenade into the home of the guard of an East Africa Pentecostal Church congregation on Saturday, killing an 8-year-old girl and a member of the church. Three others were seriously injured,” Moeller said.

    “Please pray for their families. They and many more are crying out for our prayers,” he added.
    Christians worldwide face unique challenges depending on the nations in which they live. There are no churches or Christian schools in Afghanistan. Islamic fundamentalists have attacked Christian communities in Nigeria and Somalia. Christians in the Middle East and parts of Asia are a severe minority, and face constant pressure because of their beliefs.

    The most powerful way Christians can show their support for the persecuted is through prayer, says the organization. Millions will be gathering in churches and meetings this Sunday to pray for the endangered members of the Christian community.

    IDOP began in 1996 and has grown to be one of the largest prayer events in the world. Many are wearing wristbands made available by Open Doors USA to spread awareness about the campaign.

    To get more information about persecuted Christians, visit www.onewiththem.com.


    Source
    .

    Thursday, November 10, 2011

    The Penn State Pedophile Scandal and Bible Prophecy

    Rioting at Penn State 11/09/11.
    These are tomorrow's captains of industry, the scientists, the teachers, doctors and lawyers...
    It is a gloomy future, indeed!

    26And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

    27They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

    28Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

    29But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

    30Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

    Luke 17


    There is a developing story of considerable importance at Penn State University. In response to the latest revelations of child sexual abuse by former Assistant Coach Jerry Sandusky, the university has just fired Joe Paterno the institution's Football Team's Coach. Jerry Sandusky was arrested on November 4, 2011 and charged with several counts of child molestation; Which has begun an unraveling process that has blown the lid off an apparent 'ugly little secret' at Penn State. Supposedly, a few people on the athletics staff knew about inappropriate behavior between Sandusky and young boys (from a charity he had founded) on the premises; Today it was revealed that several 'adults' knew about the deviant behavior and did nothing. Also, parents had previously reported the molestations and the authorities involved failed to prosecute the accused pedophile predator. All these obscene allegations remind me of the times surrounding Lot's final days in Sodom and Gomorrah.


    But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.
    -Luke 21:23.

    Folks, it's not safe to raise children anymore! Cases like this make it perfectly clear.

    This is just a peek into the depravity that goes on during the last days of man's existence on earth. I am sure that many more shameful details will surface as this investigation proceeds. But, it was foreseen by the Lord Jesus Christ almost two thousand years ago. Jesus warned us of how degenerate and ruthless men would become; How they would pervert the sexual act, how this would increase in scale, and the world would finally resemble the wickedly decadent cities of Sodom and Gomorrah during Lot's lifetime. This is where we are at this point in history.

    Here's more on this hideous case:

    Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal


    The Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal involved allegations in 2011 against former Pennsylvania State University football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky and allegations of a university cover-up of those incidents.[1] Sandusky, a longtime defensive coordinator under head coach Joe Paterno, retired in 1999 but retained access to Penn State's athletic facilities. A 2011 grand jury investigation reported that Mike McQueary, then a graduate assistant, told Paterno in 2002 that he had seen Sandusky performing a sex act on a 10-year-old boy in Penn State football's shower facilities. Paterno then reported the allegations to Penn State athletic director Tim Curley. In November 2011, Sandusky was arrested on 40 counts of molesting eight young boys over a 15-year period. In addition, Curley and university Senior Vice President Gary Schultz resigned after being charged with failing to report the incident to police and lying to a grand jury regarding what they knew about the incident. Paterno and University President Graham Spanier were not charged, but both received criticism for their handling of the allegations. On November 9, Paterno announced he would retire at the end of the season, but hours later, Paterno and Spanier were formally removed from their positions by the Penn State Board of Trustees.

    --Excerpt from Wikipedia.

    The conclusive findings of this investigation will reveal an intricate web of pederasty and pedophilia that will disgust even the most jaded. It has already been hinted that Sandusky operated a young boy prostitution ring catering to a rich clientele. If we were to know the things that go on behind closed doors in those wealthy mansions?
    I think this is the tip of the iceberg, people. The topic of child molestation and subsequent abductions has been extensively investigated by Journalists such as Greg Szymanski of Arctic Beacon, along with many of his guests; What we see taking place here is more common that we think. Just consider the fact that people knew about Sandusky's perversions as far back as 1999 (and did nothing)? Yet, we only find out about it 12 years later: And all those children suffered in silence...

    There is plenty of blame to go around. Here we have Criminals and accessories to the crimes.


    Arsenio.


    P.S. To add insult to injury, last night there were riots at Penn State when Joe Paterno was fired.
    As shown on picture above.

    Shooting reported at Occupy camp in Vermont

    By DAVE GRAM, Associated Press – 1 hour ago

    BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A 35-year-old man was shot and gravely wounded Thursday in an Occupy Wall Street encampment in Vermont's largest city, police said.

    The public was not believed to be at risk after the afternoon shooting at City Hall Park in Burlington, but the circumstances are still being investigated, said Burlington Police Deputy Chief Andi Higbee.

    The victim has been identified, but his name will not be released until his family has been notified, Higbee said.

    "He was my buddy," Joe Edwards, of Burlington, said of the victim, who had been at the encampment for about a week. Edwards, sitting on a bench in the park about two hours after the shooting, said he did not know the victim's full name.

    The encampment has been in the park since Oct. 28. The city had threatened to evict the protesters because the park is closed from midnight until 6 a.m., but city officials made special accommodation for the protesters.

    Almost two dozen tents have remained in the park, and the number of protesters has varied.

    The first Occupy encampment sprang up in New York in September, and the movement has since spread to cities around the country and world. Protesters object to corporate influence on politics and what they call an unequal distribution of wealth.

    Burlington is a community of just under 40,000 people on the shores of Lake Champlain known for its left-leaning politics.

    Information from: The Burlington Free Press, http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com


    Source


    EU Working Time Directive (1993)


    The initial Working Time Directive of 23 November 1993[1] made provision in Article 5 for a minimum weekly rest period, which “shall in principle include Sunday”.

    On 12 November 1996 the European Court of Justice (ECJ) annulled this provision. The Court found “that the Council has failed to explain why Sunday, as a weekly rest day, is more closely connected with the health and safety of workers than any other day of the week.”[2] It follows from the Court’s reasoning, that the protection of Sunday as suchdoes not fall outside the scope of the Directive, but simply that there had not been sufficient reason to explain why Sunday as a weekly rest day contributes more than any other day of the week to the health and safety of workers. An amendment aiming at including Sunday, as a weekly rest day, in the revised Working Time Directive can therefore be successful if it delivers on the ECJ’s tacit invitation to demonstrate that Sunday is more closely connected with the health of workers than any other day of the week.

    [1] Directive 93/104/EC of the Council of 23 November 1993 concerning certain aspects of the organization of working time, OJ L 307, p. 18.
    [2] See ECJ, Case C-84/94, UK v. Council of the EU, Judgment of 12 November 1996, para. 37.


    Rothschild-owned Central Banks in ALL BUT THREE countries in 2011


    Monday, November 07, 2011

    ORIGINAL SOURCE OF THIS STORY


    As of the year 2000, there were seven countries without a Rothschild-owned Central Bank:

    Afghanistan
    Iraq
    Sudan
    Libya
    Cuba
    North Korea
    Iran

    Then along came the convenient terror of 9-11 and soon Iraq and Afghanistan had been added to the list, leaving only five countries without a Central Bank owned by the Rothschild Family:

    Sudan
    Libya
    Cuba
    North Korea
    Iran


    We all know how fast the Central Bank of Benghazi was set up.
    The only countries left in 2011 without a Central Bank owned by the Rothschild Family are:

    Cuba
    North Korea
    Iran

    And these mono-maniacal speculators in the west, via their nuke-weaponed ally Israel, are blatantly gagging to get that "Central Bank of Iran" set up... you 'suspect it' at the very least.

    Day Later Supplemental: and this is mental - like the whole internet was just set up in such a two-tier-reality way so that completely insane methods of thought could be passed around in public and shared with 'those in the know' right under your nose.

    Ready?

    1930: The first Rothschild world bank, the, "Bank for International Settlements (BIS)," is established in Basle, Switzerland. [source I AM THE WITNESS]

    Posted by Mike Philbin at 7:34 PM



    Osborne blocks EU Finance Ministers' progress on Robin Hood Tax

    08 Nov 11


    POSTED BY ROBIN HOOD

    At the G20 last week, a growing group of countries from France to Brazil backed the Robin Hood Tax, and the link between the Robin Hood Tax and fighting poverty and climate change became clearer than ever.

    Following the G20, today George Osborne met with EU Finance Ministers in Brussels, and with France and Germany as big supporters, the Financial Transaction Tax was on the agenda. Osborne has ended up postponing his return to London after a row over proposals for a Financial Transaction Tax.

    According to sources Mr Osborne further frustrated progress by asking what was the point in even having a conversation about the Financial Transaction Tax given that it was going to be rejected. He then asked if it was "the best way to spend our time".

    The Chancellor has also said no bank would end up paying the tax and the final payer would be pensioners.

    George Osborne appears determined to ignore the positives and exaggerate potential negative impacts of Financial Transaction Taxes.The Chancellor's opposition is based on bad economics and a political desire to put the privileged few in the City ahead of the wishes and needs of the rest of us.

    What did Osborne say and why was it wrong?

    A Financial Transaction Tax will cause business to relocate

    George Osborne's position that it needs to be global to work is disingenuous. The best evidence that this is not the case is right here in the UK. Our unilateral FTT on shares raises more than £3billion for the Exchequer each year without a significant loss of business from the UK. Several other countries including South Korea, India, the US, South Africa and Brazil have also unilaterally implemented FTTs.

    These examples provide the basis for a well designed low rate tax that can avoid migration. As outlined at the ECOFIN meeting, it does not matter where the transactions take place, but which parties are involved, making avoidance harder.

    The IMF has said that FTTs “do not automatically drive out financial activity to an unacceptable extent”. Those who cite the Swedish example as evidence that FTTs lead to a loss of business miss the point as that was a uniquely bad example.

    A Financial Transaction tax will negatively impact on growth

    The biggest threat to long term growth is not an FTT, but an out-of-control financial sector. According to the IMF for instance, indirectly, UK economic output fell by 27% or £497bn as a result of the systemic crisis precipitated in 2007.

    Growth means more than protecting the profits of the privileged few in the financial sector. Casino banking may add numbers to GDP but it is of little value to the real economy and ordinary people's lives. An FTT could help rebalance finance in favour of the real economy.

    The European Commission’s impact assessment, cited by Osborne and others, projects a worst-possible case 1.76% hit to long-term growth across the EU. If the FTT were designed in the way the rest of the document suggests, they conclude that a much lower figure is likely - perhaps as little as 0.53%.

    Even this fails to take in to account that FTTs would help stabilise markets by deflating the recent boom in high-frequency trading. By reducing risk and the cost of capital at the same time, FTTs would help bolster positive growth.

    It is fundamentally a political choice by governments about which tax options are chosen. The UK is cynically arguing that an FTT could hit growth but has chosen to implement other taxes such as VAT which impact negatively on growth.

    A Financial Transaction Tax will hit savings, pensions or small businesses

    The FTT's tax rate is set extremely low (an average rate of just 0.05%) precisely to avoid having an impact on pensions and savings that carry out very few transactions. Such a rate would hit high frequency casino trading which is a completely distinct area of banking. 50% of revenue from a Robin Hood Tax would be spent here in the UK helping to save jobs and protect ordinary families hit hard by the financial crisis.

    The IMF has studied who will end up paying transaction taxes and has concluded that FTTs would in all likelihood be ‘highly progressive’. The customers of casino banking are high net worth individuals and financial institutions so it would fall on the richest segments of our economy and society to pay, in a similar way to capital gains tax. This is in complete contrast to VAT, which falls disproportionately on the poorest people.

    The UK government has committed to 0.7% GNI for international development so doesn't need to implement an FTT.

    It is ironic that the UK, a world leader on aid, is blocking a wider agreement that could raise billions to help poor people overseas and closer to home.

    It is no excuse to let the financial sector off the hook because the UK government has already committed to spend 0.7% of GNI on international development. The Government is turning down billions in additional revenue that could help us meet not just our international development commitments, but those on climate change and closer to home much needed revenue could help protect services, ordinary families and jobs in the UK as well.

    Double Speak? The UK's position over the last few weeks

    This is the strongest display of opposition to the Robin Hood tax from the Conservatives. Previous to this, Cameron and Osborne have both said they support the principles of the Financial Transaction Tax and would support it if implemented globally. Yet new information tells a different story; at the G20 we have reports of Cameron not pushing for international agreement, instead trying to block international progress. Contrary to his public statements a leaked letter sent by Osborne to a group of financial sector trade bodies assures them that “the necessary international consensus does not exist” to impose it. But he then goes further than his public stance revealing he has doubts whether a Financial Transaction Tax could work at all.

    The Government's stance continues to protect the interests of the City of London. Last month, reports revealed that financiers and the City are putting significant financial resources into making sure politicians don't introduce further regulation, despite their broken promises on Project Merlin. Some of these resources are focused specifically against the introduction of a Financial Transaction Tax, notably by the British Bankers' Association who wrote an open letter to Osborne claiming that such a tax would damage what they regard as an 'efficient financial system'. This is simply the mafia that run the casino complaining that their gambling activities may be curtailed. This is nothing to do with the real economy, or in fact the real world.

    As pressure grows, internationally and domestically, the UK Government continues to actively block progress on the tax. With countries like America and Russia softening their position, the remaining blocking countries - the UK and Canada - are looking increasingly isolated.

    It could be designed to raise revenue in the UK to be spent by our Treasury on good causes at home and abroad. As Gates outlined, and as we have shown with our own existing Stamp Duty on shares – itself a form of Financial Transactions Tax – it would not have to be global to work. A group of leading nations, including the UK, could show the way.

    As the UK economy continues to fail and people are losing their jobs, homes and public services, it is time for this Government to start putting the people before the City. The Robin Hood Tax remains the best option on the table to raise billions to fight poverty at home and abroad and tackle climate change - this is first step in Plan B.

    We want them to act in the interests of the 99%, not protect the interests of a privileged view in the financial sector.


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