Euthanasia survey hints at support from doctors, nurses and division – Cootamundra Herald

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25 Jun 2017, 3 p.m.

NSW: Fewer than 30 per cent of doctors oppose the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill, according to a survey.

Most NSW doctors and nurses support a controversial medical euthanasia bill headed for Parliament, according to research that could prompt new debateabout the medical fraternity's willingness to accept changes to assisted suicide laws.

A bill, to allow patients to apply for medically assisted euthanasia in specific circumstances when older than 25 (an age when informed consent is deemed reached), will be introduced to the NSW upper house in August for a conscience vote.

Dr Anne Jaumees, an anaesthetist based in western Sydney. A poll of doctors and nurses into what they think about euthanasia has just been conducted. Photo: Dominic Lorrimer

About 60 per cent of doctors support the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill and fewer than 30 per cent oppose it, according to a surveyby market research company Ekas emailed to a database of 4000 NSW doctors it deemed "opinion leaders" and returned by about 500.

A smaller sample of about 100 nurses had support running at 80 per cent in favour of the law reform and opposition at fewer than 10 per cent.

A crowd-funding campaign forAnnie Gabrielides,a motor neurone disease suffererwho has progressively lost her ability to speak and is a euthanasia advocate, paid for the research.

"I'mconsistently hearing from doctors and medical expertsexpressing their sincere support of my campaign, but they're reluctant to speak out," she said.

The results suggest the medical profession and its famously powerful unions, not just Parliament, will be divided when debate on the bill kicks off.

The Australian Medical Association, which opposes changes to euthanasia law, warnedthe research could overstate doctors' support.

"It is likely that doctors with more strongly held opinions are responding to these surveys so caution must be used," AMA NSW president Brad Frankum said.

A national AMA poll of 4000 doctors last year found 50 per cent of doctors believed medical professionals should not be involved in assisted suicide, a spokesman emphasised.

But only slightly less than four in ten said they should, according to a news report.Combined with 12 per cent who neither agreed nor disagreed that left physicians close to evenly splitin some respects.

And anAustralian Doctorpoll of about 370 medicoslast year found about 65 per cent of doctors supported a change to the law on physician-assisted suicide ifstrict conditions, such as patients nearing the end of their lives and suffering "intolerable pain", some of which are mirrored in the NSW proposal, were met. About half told the journal they would be willing to help perform aprocedure.

NSW Nurses and Midwives Association general secretary Brett Holmes said: "The vast majority of nurses support change that enables medically assisted dying. Nurses know patients often choose more drastic means [to medically ending their life] in fear they cannot choose later."

A parliamentary report cited polls from the '90s that found nurses' support for euthanasia reform reached as high as about 75 per cent.

A dozen polls in the past decade hadfound between 75 to 80 per cent of Australians backed medically assisted euthanasia.

Western Sydney anaesthetistAnneJaumeesdoes too after working in palliative care for 15 years: "All their lives they want dignity and patients want that up until the end, too."

The bill is the product of cross-party collaboration and will only allow for applications frompatients expected to die within the coming year and experiencing extreme pain, suffering or incapacitation.

Safeguards proposed included allowing relatives to challenge applications in the Supreme Court,assessmentsby independent doctors and being subject to a 48-hour cooling-off period.

But Maria Cigolionisaid, while proponents arguedthe bill came laden with safeguards, it required no review of what palliative care patients had first sought before applying to end their lives or for alternatives to be suggested.

Overseas safeguards had been loosened so euthanasia could be applied forby people also suffering from psychosocial problems, Dr Cigolioni said.

"Instead of spending money on euthanasia reforms, we should be investing in psychosocial support programs to address suffering."

"People [will hasten the solution of death] when so many other things need to be looked at as the potential cause of that suffering," she said. "Once you change a criminal law [to allow] people to be killed, then [its conditions] can be extended beyond just being terminally ill, [and expand to include] the disabled and the aged and children, as it has in the Netherlands and Belgium."

The state budget last week announced a $100 million increase in funding for palliative care, something experts said would bring levels of NSW services into line with other states.

AMA policy recognises a divergence in doctors' views on euthanasia but it states doctors should not be involved in dispensing treatment that shortens a patient's life.

The Sydney Morning Herald

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Euthanasia survey hints at support from doctors, nurses and division - Cootamundra Herald

The time has come for euthanasia | Stuff.co.nz – Waikato Times

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PETER DORNAUF

Last updated05:00, June 26 2017

Mario Anzuoni

The documentary Autopsy focuses on the sudden and tragic end to Robin Williams' life.

OPINION: Recently I watched a television documentary called Autopsy, about the actor/comedianRobin Williams. It focused on the suddenand tragic end to his life, probing the events of his last days to unpick the reasons behind the man's shocking suicide.

It was revealed that Williams was suffering from Parkinson's disease, but that debilitating illness wasn't the thing which had brought him to the brink and pushed him over. There was something much darker going on deep in his mind which the autopsy finally exposed. He was suffering from early onset Alzheimer's, a humiliating and cruel death sentence for a man whose sharp mind was his identity as well as his bread and butter.

Williams was obviously aware that something was seriously amiss and intuited what it was early in the piece. In someone still with years ahead of him, it must have come as a devastating blow.

But what was most distressing for the viewerwas the re-enactment of what transpired as Robin Williams, the man who had brought so much wit, insight and laughter to the world, attempted to bring his life to a close, alone, without goodbyes, clumsily, painfully, violently.

Afterward, I thought how things could have been so much different in a more civilised society where assisted suicide was legal.

Currently, Parliament is to debate and vote on the issue of euthanasia. We've had to fight tooth and nail just to get some relaxation of the use of medical marijuana for suffering and terminally ill patients, so I can just imagine, in a society of roughneckswhere "suck it up"is the prevailing attitude among some, how difficult any move toward liberalisation is going to be.

Someone made the comment recently that the trouble lies with the fact that many of our rule-makers are religious, our prime minister leading the pack. It was expressed crudely and bluntly by Catholic adherentJohn Collier, who responded to the issue by saying, "Thou shalt not kill, and that's the end of it."

Such closed-mindedness demonstrates both a supreme lack of empathy for suffersas well as a denial of the right to choose for others. But more significantly it is a classic oversimplification of the matter. Reducing complex ethical questions to parroting some rote and formulaic code is lazy moral thinking. It is something the philosopher Jean Paul Sartre would have called"bad faith", a kind of moral sloth that attempts to escape from the burden of ethical responsibility on hard questions.

It also conveniently overlooks the fact that the god who is touted with issuing such a commandordered the wholesale slaughter of communities involving men, women and children. Obviously there is some wiggle room here.

Here in Hamilton, my own family is no stranger to the terrible suffering surrounding dementia and suicide. I cannot bear to think what must have been going through my grandmother's tortured mind as she took herself down to the edge of the Waikato River one morning and threw herself in.

It happened when I was 10 and all of it was rightly kept from us children to be discovered later in life. But how shockingly monstrous for my father, who never spoke of it once - about a mother, forced by the law of the land, to take such desperate measures at the end of her life.

Imagine an alternative in another time and place where she would have been able to tell her children she had had enough of life and they'd all been able to gather in a room and spend the last days together, hugged, kissed, said lovely things and said goodbye, and then quietly, with dignity, she, a doctor in attendance, could have gone to sleep.

But not here. You have to suffer to the bitter end here, albeit drugged to the eyeballs, or alternatively, hang, drown or shoot yourself, alone, forlorn and forsaken.

Some may want to cling on to the last remaining days or painful stupefying minutes of life. That is happily their choice. But others may not. At the moment, these people have other civilised options blocked off to them.

We have many rights, but the most profound one is legally denied us and so people, suffering, tired of life, have to resort to terrible means, by themselves, to terminate it. It seems quite barbarous.

What is legal already in eightcountries around the world should be made so here, surrounded with all the important and necessary safeguards.

A little boy of 10 would not have been able to handle those tragic events so many years ago. But my arms go out to you now, Grandma, wishing for a better place where I could have walked back with you, up and away from that river, holding your hand.

-Stuff

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The time has come for euthanasia | Stuff.co.nz - Waikato Times

Letters, published June 25, 2017 – Daily Inter Lake

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Hospital exec reflects on deck collapse, thanks all for work to assist patients

On the afternoon of June 17, local hospital staff responded to a mass casualty event that occurred south of Lakeside. More than 50 people were injured and transported to nearby hospitals. Of those patients, 37 were treated at Flathead County hospitals nine at North Valley Hospital and 28 at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

This was the largest mass casualty event in memory for many staff, yet our teams were prepared and operated like clockwork. Within 20 minutes after the first notification, there were three operating rooms prepared to accept surgical patients. The ALERT air ambulance team flew multiple trips transporting the injured. The flight medic stayed on the scene to assist in transporting others by ground. Surgeons evaluated every patient, and radiologists stayed close by to read images. Operating room staff worked well into the night and Sunday morning. Special areas were established for patients families to gather, and staff brought in food and drinks for them. Many employees, including those from nursing, clinical areas, nutrition services, housekeeping, spiritual care, social work, patient registration, lab, security, the communications center and more dropped what they were doing to help or came in on their days off to lend a hand.

As a member of this community, Im very thankful for the amazing level of medical care available here. As an administrator at Kalispell Regional Healthcare, Im immensely proud to be associated with such a remarkable team of employees and medical staff. There are too many names to list individually, but we are thankful for each one of the first responders, the clinical staff who cared for the injured and all the hospital personnel and volunteers who provided support in a variety of ways. But most of all, we are grateful that all the patients affected by this tragedy are on the road to recovery. Curtis Lund, Kalispell, Kalispell Regional Healthcare Interim CEO

I once thought that Nancy Pelosi was the dumbest person in Washington when she said we must pass Obamacare to read whats in it.

Now we even have someone who is dumber than a box of rocks Trumps Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who said that Hitler didnt even sink to using chemical weapons during World War II. What did he use on the Jews?

Bashar al-Assad and Sean Spicer should both be taken out of office. One for using chemical weapons and one for using his mouth without engaging his brain both deadly weapons. Phillip Gregoire, Whitefish

I am running for Whitefish Municipal Court judge for one reason: to make the court and our community the best it can be.

My initial goal is to reduce your taxes. I will make the judge position part-time, with a corresponding reduction in salary, to save your tax bill. I want to increase efficiency.

I will use video arraignments to free county deputies for patrol rather than transporting prisoners. This will also make scarce jail space available for more serious offenders.

I will improve case resolution by implementing simple business practices, such as telephone conferences, so citizens will not miss work to resolve a parking ticket and visitors will not have to make multiple return visits for a traffic violation.

I will punish domestic violence. On average, a woman is beaten 25 times before she makes a police report. Women are killed by abusers at twice the rate of our troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. Of those deaths 50-75 percent of them are when she leaves her abuser. I will issue restraining orders when a victim makes the courageous decision to seek help, and will strongly punish domestic abusers.

I will protect our community from drunk drivers and those without insurance or licenses. These are not victimless crimes. I will impose maximum penalties, including treatment and interlock devices, to protect each of your families and our community.

I will do more with less of your tax dollars. You are being taxed for a new high school and the Haskill Basin conservation easement. Soon you will be asked to pay for a new middle school and a new county jail. As I said, I will reduce the courts budget, beginning with the judges salary.

I will bring experience to the job. I am the only candidate who has served as Brad Johnsons sub-judge. As Brads sub-judge, I handled all cases when he was absent, had a conflict of interest or did not want to handle the case.

I am the only candidate who has committed to Montanas Commission of Political Practices Code of Fair Campaign Practices agreeing to adhere to the basic principles of decency, honesty and fair play.

I have long been a public servant. I have lived and practiced law in Whitefish for 26 years. I have been Planning Board chairman, Flathead Countys Employer of Choice and the Whitefish Chambers Citizen of the Year.

For more information on my background, experience and goals, go to my website at http://www.tornowforwhitefish.com or call me at 862-7450.

With all these things in mind, I respectfully ask for your vote in November so that together, we can make the court and our community the best it can be. Tom Tornow, Whitefish

I find it quite interesting that liberal Democrats have their knickers in a twist over possible Russian interference in the last presidential election, but are fighting to the death to prevent an investigation into voter fraud. The Russian so-called interference in the election, for the most part, involved the release of emails proving how the DNC and various members of the party used dirty tactics to disadvantage Sen. Bernie Sanders and favor the campaign of Hillary Clinton information that the public deserved to know if this were an honest world.

Our government has done much more to influence foreign elections ... just look at Obamas election team trying to unseat Prime Minister Netanyahu in his last election in Israel in revenge over his opposition to the pathetically flawed Iran nuclear giveaway.

On the other hand, there are many prosecutions of voter fraud in states where the attorney generals actually care about the integrity of our elections. Illegal aliens and dead people are known to populate voting roles. I doubt the presidents claim that 3 million aliens voted in the last election, but I firmly believe that the number is certainly higher than zero. Why dont the liberal Democrats care about the impact of voter fraud on our elections?

The simple answer is that they are intimately involved in this fraud, especially since illegal aliens are part of their constituency. Instead of protecting the legitimacy of our elections, liberals continually degrade the process by fighting voter ID laws and those seeking to clean up outdated and inaccurate voter registration roles, all of which promote such shenanigans. Add a dash of a Democrat Attorney General Eric Holder failing to investigate or prosecute voter intimidation by Black Panther thugs at polling places in 2008, and we have a system rife with domestically generated fraud ... we dont need to worry that much about the Russians.

The Democrats have found a way to protect the swamp and prevent real reform in D.C. As long as they and their accomplices in the media keep screaming the Russians are coming, the Russians are coming, and ignore how tough the current administration has been on Russian transgressions, they hope to derail any real changes in Washington. Hopefully, elitist liberals have miscalculated the intelligence of We the People. Hopefully Jonathan Gruber, a proud liberal MIT professor involved in the passage of Obamacare was dead wrong when he proudly declared that the passage of Obamacare depended on the stupidity of the American voter to forward their agenda. One can only hope. P. David Myerowitz, Columbia Falls

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Letters, published June 25, 2017 - Daily Inter Lake

BOB BARR: Goodbye reason, Hello violence – MDJOnline.com

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When Richard Spencer, a controversial figure of the Alt-Right, was punched in the face during a television interview earlier this year, the left cheered the assault, and turned video of the attack into gleeful memes. The only good thing that happened (at Donald Trumps Inauguration) was when suit-owner and neo-Nazi Richard Spencer was socked in the head by the new masked hero of Gotham, wrote Jordan Sargent at Billboard Musics Spin.com. For a movement populated by pacifists and peaceniks, the lefts justification of the violence against Spencer came surprisingly easy.

Then, last Friday, when two protesters disrupted a disturbing production in Central Park of Shakespeares Julius Caesar in which a Trump look-alike is assassinated, the Right rushed to defend the hecklers actions. Opponents of the play also threatened other producers of Shakespeare summer plays (which were unrelated to the New York production), wishing them the worst possible life, hoped they all get sick and die and that they should be sent to ISIS to be killed with real knives. Apparently, it made no difference to conservative protesters that the offending play, disgusting as it might be, represents speech protected by the Constitution, or that only weeks before those same conservatives were criticizing U.C. Berkeley for shutting down offensive speakers.

Between two sides growing increasingly less rational in responding to all manner of political and social issues, last weeks shooting spree by a single, hate-filled individual against Republican congressmen and staff personnel came not so much as a shock as a sad commentary on the state of politics in America.

Following the attack on Republican members of Congress, pundits and politicians quickly rushed to blame hate and vitriol for the toxic environment in which an individual would be motivated to use violence for political purposes. This was the very same analysis offered to explain the attempted assassination of Democratic Congresswoman Gabby Giffords in 2011.

While there certainly is far too much incivility in todays political discourse, pinning political violence on inflammatory speech misses the forest for the trees. The root problem is not hate, or even emotion, but the abandonment of logic and reason as underpinnings of American society, which leaves only violence to fill the vacuum.

But it goes far deeper than politics. Everywhere you look today, from flying on planes, to ordering coffee, violence has supplanted rational behavior in our interpersonal dealings. A major factor underlying this phenomenon is social media, which inflates the self-importance of its users, and provides them convenient cover from having to actually explain their views on any particular issue. This process is made worse as social media encourages the use of over-the-top rhetoric, with people virtue signaling to others about how much they care, rather than using logical arguments that may be less passionate but more substantive.

Combine this phenomenon with the waning respect for constitutional rule of law, and we are left with groups on both sides of the ideological spectrum who believe their views are correct, their actions are justifiable if not moral, and that nothing else not logic, reason, or even the rule of law should stand in their way of achieving their perception of the public good. It is why leftist Antifa thugs use fascist tactics to shut down enemies they call fascist. It is why conservatives who decry speech suppression on college campuses defend shutting down public theater performances with which they disagree. And, it is why a man would think a killing spree of congressmen is a reasonable act when letters to the editor failed to elicit the response he desired.

Philosopher and renowned writer Ayn Rand, who witnessed first-hand the brutality of Communism, understood well this terrifying balance between reason and violence. There are only two means by which men can deal with one another, wrote Rand. Guns or logic. Force or persuasion. Those who know that they cannot win by means of logic, have always resorted to guns. We saw her prescient warning come true on a practice ball field in Alexandria just one week ago. There will be more.

Either we seize this moment of recognition, and consciously do all we can to return reason to center stage in Americas culture; or we enter what promises to be a very long, dark night the darkness of which Ronald Reagan spoke in 1964, and at which time he launched the twentieth centurys fight for the last best hope of man on earth. Thankfully back then we had Reagan to identify the problem and lead us out of the darkness, at least for a period of time; where might todays Ronald Reagan be found is not at all clear.

Bob Barr is a former federal prosecutor and a former Congressman. He represented Georgias 7th congressional district as a Republican from 1995 to 2003.

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Richard Kyte: Institutions can bring people together – La Crosse Tribune

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A fundamental insight to be gleaned from studying aid to developing countries is that healthy institutions lead to healthy economies; countries with undeveloped or corrupt institutions invariably have struggling economies.

Even countries with prodigious supplies of natural resources do not benefit if they do not have strong institutions. Wealth is extracted, it flows to a few individuals, and then to other nations. Most citizens remain impoverished.

What sets flourishing nations apart is the mediation of wealth creation and distribution by healthy institutions. Schools, universities, government, laws, courts, banks, churches, media, families, libraries, service clubs, hospitals and neighborhoods all serve, when functioning properly, to bring people together in a common cause, protect people from exploitation, and provide opportunities for developing and exercising gifts and talents.

IIn the 1970s and 80s, institution was a bad word, especially among liberals. The movement to reform society, to make it more just, less racist and sexist, was pursued through rejection of the establishment. Traditional ways of doing things were suspect simply because they were traditional.

The modern conservative movement rose in response to the liberal reforms of those years. People like William F. Buckley and George Will advocated incremental change when needed, but not wholesale rejection of traditional forms of society. Conservatives tended to be pro-business, pro-religion, pro-family and pro-education. They supported traditional moral values: honesty, courage, faith, humility, hard work, duty and self-sacrifice.

That all changed during the past decade with the rise of the Tea Party. The Tea Party rejected traditional conservativism and replaced it with profound distrust of institutions of all forms.

The intellectual and historical underpinnings of the Tea Party movement can be found in the writings of Ayn Rand, in books like Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead and The Virtue of Selfishness. Rand criticized institutions, especially government institutions, because they restrict personal freedom. She believed society is best served by allowing individuals to pursue their own paths and not requiring them to put their own interests aside for the sake of the common good.

Rands influence on contemporary American politics is far-reaching. Prominent politicians like Rand Paul (who is named after her) and Paul Ryan shaped their early careers in light of her philosophy, and others such as Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and business leaders John Mackey and Mark Cuban have acknowledged her inspiration as a factor in their success.

But Rands influence is not to be measured by the number of disciples, rather it can be seen in the profound changes in attitude we are witnessing in society today.

It can be seen in the growing antipathy toward government in all its forms, in the disrespect shown toward professionals in education, journalism and health care, in the rise of conspiracy theories, in the decline in church membership and service organizations, in the antipathy toward science, in the glorification of the violent hero, in the prominence of the cynic.

But there is another, albeit smaller, movement in America today, a movement started by a contemporary of Ayn Rand named Robert Greenleaf.

In 1972, Greenleaf wrote an essay entitled The Servant as Leader in which he expressed an attitude diametrically opposed to Rands Objectivist philosophy. That essay gave rise to the Servant Leadership movement, a movement encouraging the development of individual talents not for self-interest but to serve the common good. He believed this was best done by working diligently to ensure that core institutions are healthy and ethical.

In The Institution as Servant he wrote:

This is my thesis: caring for persons, the more able and the less able serving each other, is the rock upon which a good society is built. Whereas, until recently, caring was largely person to person, now most of it is mediated through institutions often large, complex, powerful, impersonal; not always competent; sometimes corrupt. If a better society is to be built, one that is more just and more loving, one that provides greater creative opportunity for its people, then the most open course is to raise both the capacity to serve and the very performance as servant of existing major institutions by new regenerative forces operating within them.

Greenleaf understood that when core institutions are weakened, it creates a void filled by the cult of the personality. Instead of society working slowly and consistently to fix its problems with long-term solutions, it tends to chase after a succession of quick fixes proposed by whoever happens to be most persuasive to the masses at the time.

That is precisely the situation in which most third world countries find themselves mired; it is the situation toward which America seems to be heading.

It is unfortunate that there are no strong conservative voices in American politics today. As a result, we have no political party that seeks, first and foremost, to protect and sustain core institutions as the foundation of democracy.

But there is hope. As long as we have a critical mass of people who believe in the common good, who are willing to sacrifice some of their own interests for the sake of others, who are willing to teach others children as if they were their own, and who are willing to share their vision for positive future, there is hope for a healthy, flourishing, ethical society.

Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University. He also is a member of the Tribunes editorial board.

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Richard Kyte: Institutions can bring people together - La Crosse Tribune

Kids Learning Golden Rule Applies to Treatment of Animals … – Noozhawk

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Posted on June 25, 2017 | 1:44 p.m.

As of June 1, C.A.R.E.4Paws has graduated 150 young animal ambassadors in Santa Barbara County through Paws Up for Pets, a new educational initiative that promotes accountability and compassion for animals and empathy in the community as a whole.

Launched in October,Paws Up for Pets is a collaboration between C.A.R.E.4Paws, United Boys & Girls Clubs, Daveys Voice and, as of June, the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise.

The program focuses on children in grades K-8, who are enrolled in afterschool programs.

The 150 students who have graduated with Badge 1 are from United Boys & Girls Clubs Carpinteria and Lompoc units, the Chumash Reservation, and a Girl Scout troop in Goleta.

C.A.R.E.4Paws also works with Santa Marias Arellanes Junior High and just expanded its program to include the Lompoc YMCA, United Boys & Girls Clubs' Goleta and Westside units, and a Santa Maria Girl Scout troop.

Graduates who received the Animal Ambassador badge worked weekly with C.A.R.E.4Paws for several months, learning about responsible pet care, pet overpopulation, shelter animals, and the importance of showing kindness to all living beings.

"Paws Up for Pets is unique in that it engages children over a period of time, which allows us to get to know the kids and talk a lot about how to be a great pet-care taker, that animals have feelings, just like us, and what to do when a pet is lost, sick or abused, said Carlos Abitia, director of C.A.R.E.4Paws Community Outreach and Youth Program.

After receiving the Animal Ambassador award, children can earn other badges such as the Animal Advocate badge, which involves a tour of a local shelter followed by a creative project.

Students can choose to virtually adopt and write about a shelter pet. Or they can focus on the topic of how all pets are individuals and that each shelter animal has its own story.

At United Boys & Girls Club Carpinteria Unit, students are working on their shelter projects after visiting Animal Shelter Assistance Program, Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter and County Animal Services dog shelter in Santa Barbara.

The Goleta Girl Scout troop also visited these three shelters. Afterward, they made high-quality leashes and toys for shelter pets out of recycled materials (such as Girl Scout cookie boxes).

Troop members also fund-raised to buy blankets, pet treats and other supplies for the shelter as well as C.A.R.E.4Paws.

As a Girl Scout leader, animal lover and pet owner, I have nothing but praise for Paws Up for Pets, said Amy Findlay, troop leader.

My troop learned about all aspects of pet ownership, from compassion to neglect and everything in between, and I guarantee they will be better pet owners as a result," she said.

"They also learned that, even as 10- or 11-year-olds, they can still make a difference in a pets life by educating others, volunteering, setting a good example and, essentially, being ambassadors for animals, Findlay said.

Paws Up for Pets was created in response to several incidents of severe animal cruelty in Santa Barbara County and a general concern that few cruelty cases are reported, despite the strong connection between animal abuse and family violence.

Years of research links animal abuse to violent behavior toward humans and shows that children who mistreat animals are more likely to act violently later in life.

And, according to data collected from WestEd surveys and the California Department of Education, Santa Barbara County has a high rate of bullying. One third of public-school students in Santa Barbara have reported being bullied.

When you show children how to be respectful and kind to animals, the ripple effects are endless, Abitia said. Children feel empowered, and are less likely to harm a pet, hurt a friend or bully a classmate. And they bring these values into adulthood.

Poverty affects the welfare of our youth and our pets, too.

In high-poverty areas, such as Lompoc and Santa Maria, more than 30 percent of adults and 40 percent of children live at or below the poverty line. And as many as 65 percent of these households own pets, reports a 2015-16 National Pet Owners Survey.

The good news? Paws Up for Pets connects pet-owning families to free and low-cost services that improve quality of life for them and their animals, such as spays/neuters, vaccines, vet care and pet food through C.A.R.E.4Paws.

In addition to C.A.R.E.4Paws original Paws Up collaborators, United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County and Daveys Voice, Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise has joined as a partner with a $1,500 grant to support:

Paws Up workbooks, badges, certificates and Stay Pawsitive t-shirts for at least 50 children participating in the program.

The Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise, made up of local business, professional and civic leaders, has a history of supporting impactful community service programs that make a positive difference in the lives of youth," said Chris Baxter, Rotary Club president.

Sunrise Rotary is thrilled to support C.A.R.E.4Paws new, innovative Paws Up for Pets program, which teaches compassion for animals and anti-bullying," he said.

To support Paws Up for Pets or for more information about the program and its sponsors, visit care4paws.org/youthprograms, call 968-2273 or email [emailprotected]

Isabelle Gullo for C.A.R.E.4Paws.

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Kids Learning Golden Rule Applies to Treatment of Animals ... - Noozhawk

Liberal Berlin mosque to stay open despite fatwa from Egypt – The Guardian

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Seyran Ate (right) introduces Friday prayers during the opening of the Ibn-Rushd-Goethe mosque Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

The founder of a new liberal mosque in Berlin that allows men and women to pray side by side has vowed to press on with her project even though the institution has been issued with a fatwa from Egypt and attacked by religious authorities in Turkey within a week of its opening.

The pushback I am getting makes me feel that I am doing the right thing, said Seyran Ate, a Turkish-born lawyer and womens rights campaigner, who does not wear a hijab. God is loving and merciful otherwise he wouldnt have turned me into the person I am.

The Ibn Rushd-Goethe mosque, named after a Muslim philosopher who defended Greek philosophy and a German writer fascinated by the poetry of the Middle East, opened its doors in Berlins Moabit district a week ago on Friday.

Housed in the side-building of a Protestant church, the mosque is open to Sunni, Shia, Alevi, Sufi and other interpretations of Islam but rejects visitors wearing the burqa or the niqab, which founder Ate has describes as a political statement. On its opening day, a male and a female imam jointly led Friday prayers to a crowded room.

A week later, the white-walled prayer room was noticeably emptier, with the seven-strong congregation almost matched by the number of security staff who guarded the exits and entrances with blue plastic covers over their boots.

Ate, 54, said many of the previous weeks worshippers had decided to stay away because they feared incrimination against themselves or their families. Her own relatives in Turkey had asked her to drop the project because they worried about arrests.

The lawyer, who is currently training to become an imam, said she had received 300 emails per day encouraging me to carry on, including from as far away as Australia and Algeria, but also 3,000 emails a day full of hate, some of them including death threats.

Egypts Dar al-Ifta al-Masriyyah, a state-run Islamic institution assigned to issue religious edicts, issued a statement on Monday declaring that the Ibn Rushd-Goethe mosques practice of men and women praying side by side was incompatible with Islam, while the legal department of Egypts al-Azhar university reacted to news from Berlin with a fatwa on the foundation of liberal mosques per se.

Turkeys main Muslim authority, Diyanet, said the new mosques practices do not align with Islams fundamental resources, principles of worship, methodology or experience of more than 14 centuries, and are experiments aimed at nothing more than depraving and ruining religion.

A social media post circulated among Germanys Turkish diaspora community showed a photograph of a foot hovering over three copies of the Quran scattered across the floor at the mosque, claiming that they had been placed there by Ate and her accomplices. One visitor at the inaugural event told the Guardian that she saw the books being placed on the floor by a man purporting to be a journalist.

Some Turkish media have even accused the project of ties to the movement of Fethullah Glen, subject to a crackdown in the country after the attempted coup of 16 July 2016.

In my darkest dreams I wouldnt have expected that Turkey would try to portray us as Glenists, claiming that I had praised Glen in my speech, said Ate. I have nothing to do with their movement. On the contrary: they represent an interpretation of Islam that is too conservative for us.

She started Fridays prayer session with an appeal for those critical of the mosques mission statement to say so in the open, saying: I hope that this time people are brave enough to show their true face. Allah knows their true face anyway. And it is Allah to whom they are accountable, not us.

Ate, who moved to Germany as a child and came of age during Berlins counterculture scene of the 1980s, narrowly survived a shooting at an advice centre for Turkish women in the citys Kreuzberg district when she was 21.

Describing the founding principles of Ibn Rushd-Goethe, she said: Our idea of liberal Islam is that unlike orthodox and conservative practitioners, we do not believe that the written records of the Quran should be transferred word-for-word to the 21st century. We ask ourselves what the intentions were at the time and which parts can translated and explained in the 21st century.

We want to work together with conservatives to do something against Islamist terror, to show that Islam is also a very peaceful, mystical and spiritual religion. Many people adhere to the Muslim faith not because of Isis or the Taliban or whatever, but also because it is a beautiful religion.

One of the worshippers at Fridays prayer was a British Sufi called Umar, who is usually based in south-west England but was visiting Berlin for the weekend and decided to visit the mosque after reading an interview with Ate.

The 30-year-old said he did not have a problem with men and women praying side by side: Its dangerous to say there are definitive rulings, he said. We do not have the prophet anymore. These are confusing times for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Anything we can do to improve accessibility is a good thing.

Original post:

Liberal Berlin mosque to stay open despite fatwa from Egypt - The Guardian

Israel abandons deal on prayer at Western Wall, angering liberal Jews – Los Angeles Times

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Israels government on Sunday scrapped a compromise to allow pluralist prayer at the Western Wall holy site in Jerusalem, bowing to pressure from ultra-religious parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus coalition and angering liberal Jewish denominations with large followings in North America.

The agreement, approved by Israels Cabinet in January 2016, would have established a new area for worship at the ancient Old City shrine part of the retaining wall of the ancient Temple and a leading Jewish pilgrimage site.

The deal was backed by Judaisms Reform and Conservative movements, as well as the feminist Jewish group Women of the Wall, which has become a cause celebre in recent years among liberal Jews for practicing egalitarian prayer at the holy site in defiance of Israels religious and police authorities.

But the compromise was never put into effect, frozen by opposition from Israels ultra-Orthodox religious establishment for deviating from the Orthodox rituals that have prevailed at the Western Wall plaza for years. Following the decision on Sunday, Israels government will seek to reach a new compromise on prayer at the Western Wall.

Moshe Gafni, the leader of Israels ultra-religious United Torah Judaism party, hailed the decision. We are happy about this, and thank the holy one, blessed is he, on this great success, he told reporters after the decision.

Ariel Schalit / Associated Press

Jewish men pray at the Western Wall during Jerusalem Day celebrations on May 24.

Jewish men pray at the Western Wall during Jerusalem Day celebrations on May 24. (Ariel Schalit / Associated Press)

Critics of the about-face by Netanyahu warned that abandoning the compromise risks alienating large swaths of North American Jewry that Israel has long relied upon for political and financial backing.

This is a shameful move by the Israeli government, said Rabbi Gilad Kariv, the director of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism, in an interview. If the state of Israel decides that Reform and Conservative Jews are second-class Jews, those Jews will know how to react.

Natan Sharansky, a former government minister and Soviet refusenik who helped broker the original compromise as the chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, called the decision a deep disappointment.

The original agreement would have established a dignified space for egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall, Sharansky said in a statement. Todays decision signifies a retreat from that agreement and will make our work to bring Israel and the Jewish world closer together increasingly more difficult.

Anat Hoffman, chairwoman of Women of the Wall, accused Netanyahu of folding and going back on a historic agreement with liberal Jewish denominations. Women of the Wall members hold monthly prayer services at the Western Wall plaza in which participants lead prayer and read from Torah scrolls, despite an official ban on such practices by women.

This is a bad day for women in Israel, Hoffman wrote on Facebook. The Women of the Wall will continue to worship at the womens section of the Western Wall with the Torah scroll, prayer shawls and phylacteries until equality for women arrives at the Wall as well.

A spokesman from the prime ministers office declined to comment.

Netanyahu relies on the support of two ultra-Orthodox parties to shore up his majority in the parliament, the Knesset. After watching front-runner candidates underperform in recent votes elsewhere specifically, Theresa May in Britain he is loath to imperil his coalitions stability, said Jonathan Rynhold, a political science professor at Bar-Ilan University.

Its all about the coalition, he said. He is worried that the ultra-Orthodox will cause him to lose a majority and lose a confidence vote. And he looks at the elections around the world and says, I dont want to take the risk.

ALSO

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Mitnick is a special correspondent.

@joshmitnick

Originally posted here:

Israel abandons deal on prayer at Western Wall, angering liberal Jews - Los Angeles Times

The Next Liberal Lamentation – Power Line (blog)

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Whats the most hated Supreme Court decision on the left of the last few years? Why, Citizens United, of course, which leftists blame for just about every bad imaginable. Aggrieved leftists often compare it to the Dred Scott decisionseriously, they do.

So if Justice Anthony Kennedy announces his retirement from the Court tomorrow, can we expect to see liberal headlines saying, Left Celebrates as Author of Modern Dred Scott Decision Retires? Because it was in fact Kennedy who wrote the Citizens United opinion. And lets not forget that he was also in the four-justice conservative minority that wanted to strike down Obamacare in toto in 2012 (it was Roberts that let us down on that one, as youll remember). I suspect Kennedy may also share the growing reservations among jurists about the Chevron doctrine of judicial deference to the administrative state.

The point is, Kennedy has been unreliable and inconsistent from every point of viewhe totally botched property rights again (youd have thought hed learned a lesson from the 2005 Kelo case) with his opinion this last week in Murr v. Wisconsinbut there is a lot for the left to dislike about Kennedy, too. I actually doubt hell retire; I think he rather likes being the de facto Chief Justice once again, which he wouldnt be if Merrick Garland had been confirmed last year and the Court had tilted decisively left. But with the arrival of Gorsuch, hes back to being in the catbird seat on every important case.

But if he does retire tomorrow, watch for liberals to lose completely whatever little sanity they have left. Just take in the Washington Posts Ruth Marcus (who hates Citizens United, but omits any mention of Kennedys provenance of the decision in her plea for Kennedy to stay on):

The terrifying and terrible prospect of Justice Kennedy retiring

The end of the Supreme Court term looms, and with it the prospect the terrifying prospect of a retirement. . .[H]is departure would be terrible for the court and terrible for the country. It could not come at a worse time. . .

Justice Kennedy, perhaps it is unfair to pile all this onto your shoulders, but is it really wise to subject an already divided country to even more turbulence?And to another nomination by this president, with his evident ignorance of the role of the judiciary and disdain for judicial independence?

Your career has been characterized by insistence on civility, respect for the dignity of all individuals and commitment to the rule of law qualities absent in our president. Just read Trumps tweets and ask yourself: Do I really want my successor named by this man?

This isnt an argument. Its a primal scream from someone who still cant accept the outcome of an election. (Also missing: a note about Harry Reid going first in nuking the filibuster for judicial appointments, which will allow Trump more latitude in making a Court appointment. Thank you once again Harry!)

Let the terror begin. And if Senate Republicans are smart, theyll add in hefty funding for mental health services for liberals in their Obamacare repeal/replace bill.

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The Next Liberal Lamentation - Power Line (blog)

How Hollywood Celebs Like Johnny Depp Are Hurting the Liberal Cause – Daily Beast

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On Friday morning, President Trump partook in one of his favorite rituals this side of hitting the links or avoiding Tiffany: a bill signing. The commander-in-chief, surrounded by ornamental backers, inked the Veterans Affairs Reform Acta measure that will make it easier to terminate VA employeesbefore soaking up camera flashes and cabinet applause. Among the admiring spectators was Al Baldasaro, a military veteran and New Hampshire state representative. The presence of Baldasaro, who introduced candidate Trump at a number of campaign stops and served as his adviser on veterans issues, would be unremarkable were it not for the fact that he once called for Hillary Clinton to be killed.

This whole thing disgusts me. Hillary Clinton should be put in the firing line and shot for treason, said Baldasaro. He was discussing Benghazi, a tragedy wherein the Republican House found no evidence of wrongdoing on Clintons behalf, during a July 2016 radio interview. The incendiary remarks triggered a secret service probe, but Baldasaro never received any significant repercussions. And Baldasaros cameo at Trumps recent bill signing received precious little coverage on cable news. You see, they were too busy upbraiding Johnny Depp.

Depp attracted the ire of the news media for disgusting comments he made about the President at Englands Glastonbury Festival Thursday evening. Can we bring Trump here? Depp asked the crowd. When was the last time an actor assassinated a president? The Pirates of the Caribbean star was, of course, referencing John Wilkes Booths assassination of President Lincoln. He added, I want to clarify: Im not an actor. I lie for a living. However, its been a while. And maybe its time.

The actors incredibly poorreprehensible, reallyattempt at humor received swift condemnation from the White House, which responded with the following statement: President Trump has condemned violence in all forms and its sad that others like Johnny Depp have not followed his lead. I hope that some of Mr. Depps colleagues will speak out against this type of rhetoric as strongly as they would if his comments were directed to a Democrat elected official. The Depp imbroglio also, as expected, sent right-wing media into a tizzy, with everyone from Fox News and Breitbart to Rush Limbaugh tying Depp to a Shakespeare in the Park production of Julius Caesar featuring a Trump-like protagonist; a photo of Kathy Griffin posing with a severed mannequin head of Trump; Madonnas idiotic womens march crack about how shes thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House; and lastly, the shooting of Republican Congressman Steve Scalise by an unhinged Bernie Sanders supporter.

There is causality, some on the right are arguing, between the antics of Depp, the Caesar play, Griffin, and Madonna and acts of violence perpetrated against those on the right, such as the recent shooting of Rep. Scalisea baseless claim, given that there is no evidence the shooter was influenced by any of these factors. There is also the idea that these celebrity outliers represent not only the views of Hollywood as a whole, but the base of the Democratic Party.

Now, lets give credit where its due: the right are very good at this. Every time a lefty celeb like, say, Lena Dunham opens their mouth and says something stupid, they will throw TV tantrums and sling fiery op-eds for an entire week, milking the outrage teat to the very last drop. Of course, those on the right, especially in the right-wing media, dont really care what Lena Dunham thinks. Their rationale behind this is simple: Hollywood celebrities are out of touch, therefore all of Hollywood is out of touch; and, since most of Hollywood is comprised of coastal liberal elites, then this one rogue celebritys views represent the whole. Its part of the ongoing culture war fomented by the right, pitting these coastal liberal elites against Middle Americas working classan opera that Trump, with his faux-disdain for Hollywood and faux-championing of blue-collar folks, is all too willing to conduct.

Forget the fact that Trump, who has spent his entire career exploiting the working class and cozying up to celebrities, is an outrageous hypocrite. His supporters dont care. Heck, they cheered when he trotted out a former Goldman Sachs executive at a rally this past week in Cedar Rapids. So, given the elements at play here, Hollywood celebrities like Depp, Griffin, and Madonna must stop feeding chum to the right-wing ragemonster. Theyve proven themselves to be far better than the left at exploiting this so-called cultural divide. For evidence, look no further than the race for Georgias sixth congressional district, where the opposition issued attack ads that tied Democrat Jon Ossoff to the Kathy Griffin stunt (because she had endorsed him two months earlier on Twitter). You wont see nearly the same kind of vitriol from the left over the Baldasaro appearance, or that time Trump invited rocker Ted Nugent, whos called for the deaths of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, over for an Oval Office visit. That unfortunate episode was treated as nothing more than a late-night punchline.

Lets talk Hollywood for a second. The notion that Johnny Depp, Kathy Griffin or Madonnaor really any celebrity with significant name recognitionsomehow speaks for the entire industry is absurd. According to the 2016 Otis Report on the Creative Economy of California, the entertainment industry there employs some 166,300 people. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Labor Statistic reported that, as of May 2016, there are 48,620 actors employed nationwideincluding 14,840 in California. The vast majority of these actors are struggling, working multiple jobs to pay the bills. And a great many of them were not born in California to wealth, but migrated there from different parts of the country. Johnny Depp, for example, grew up poor in Owensboro, Kentucky. The average crew size for a Hollywood film production, meanwhile, comes out to around 600 people (Marvels The Avengers had 2,718), and most of these crew members have jobs like key grip, security, catering, low-level assistant, etc. Not exactly the elite.

All of this does not excuse what Depp, Griffin, and Madonna said or did. Those actions deserve widespread condemnation (Depp deserves far greater scorn for other reasons, although thats a different story). If these Hollywood liberals want to truly make a differencethat is, make any sort of dent in 2018then they need to realize theyre easy targets, knock off the outrageous antics, and stick to the issues. And if liberals in general want to start winning elections again, then they must start holding things like Trumps Baldasaro and Nugent visits to account. Otherwise the Democrats have about as much chance of succeeding as Johnny Depps next movie.

Originally posted here:

How Hollywood Celebs Like Johnny Depp Are Hurting the Liberal Cause - Daily Beast

BC Liberals prepare fundraising bill ahead of no-confidence vote – The Globe and Mail

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The BC Liberal government is poised to introduce legislation this week on campaign finance reform, a step toward shedding British Columbias wild west reputation for no-holds-barred political fundraising that would finally bring it in line with other jurisdictions.

The legislation would ban union and corporate donations, impose donation limits comparable to other Canadian jurisdictions, and ban donations from foreigners or from other political parties outside of British Columbia.

But the legislation is unlikely to pass. Rather, it is a tactical measure introduced as the government prepares to face a vote of confidence it is expected to lose.

Gary Mason: B.C. campaign finance reform will fundamentally change the provinces politics

The Liberals hope to win the support of Green MLAs on a bill to demonstrate that they can offer a stable government, despite having lost their majority in the legislature after the May 9 provincial election.

A final decision on bringing in the bill was still in play over the weekend, but government House leader Mike de Jong said in an interview the plan was triggered by comments from the Greens who have vowed to vote the Liberals down on a confidence motion indicating theyd be willing to vote in favour of such a bill.

If the government introduces a campaign finance reform bill, it could delay a vote of confidence which otherwise could happen as early as Thursday. The election left the governing Liberals with 43 seats in the legislature, while the NDP and Greens have agreed to use their combined 44 seats to force the government to fall.

The Liberals plans to overhaul campaign finance law were outlined last week in the Throne Speech. After rejecting NDP and Green proposals to reform campaign finance in British Columbia prior to the spring election, the Liberals are now advocating wide-reaching amendments designed to entice the three Green MLAs to vote with the government.

The proposed changes would also apply the new rules to local governments.

Duff Conacher, co-founder of Democracy Watch, said British Columbia could shift from being a laggard on campaign finance to catch up with other Canadian jurisdictions. But, he said, only Quebec has set limits on individual donations that actually prohibit the influence of big money on politics.

British Columbia would move up in the standards and limits in most other provinces, but if the donation limit for individuals is more than a couple of hundred dollars, the new system will obscure, not stop, the influence of big money.

Quebec has capped individual donations to political parties at $100. British Columbia has no limits, while Nova Scotia has the highest limit at $10,000.

He added that campaign finance reform will take place in British Columbia no matter which party forms government, because all three parties have agreed to tighten the rules.

I expect that if the government falls, the NDP and Greens will match all this but the key will still be what the individual limit will be, Mr. Conacher said, noting that none of the parties has stated what the donation limit should be.

Green Lader Andrew Weaver said in an interview he supports the Liberal proposals. They have got some really good ideas that they want to bring forward, ideas I would eventually like to see turned into legislation.

But eventually doesnt mean this week. Mr. Weaver has said repeatedly that his caucus rejected a deal to support the Liberals because it concluded the government needs a time out. Under the accord the Greens signed with the NDP in May, the Green MLAs will help topple the Liberals and then support an NDP minority government on budget measures and other votes of confidence.

Mr. Weaver said he wants to get on with that transition.

The Premier has been clear that she wants to test the confidence of the House, and that should be the first priority when the House reconvenes.

Mr. de Jong said there may be legislation and that would delay debate on the Throne Speech, but it is not his intent to avoid a vote of confidence. The Throne Speech will be debated in the coming days, and Mr. de Jong is expected to provide a fiscal update to demonstrate that the ambitious and costly new agenda can be paid for without deficits or tax hikes.

He said the Liberals were unable to offer these new spending commitments including welfare rate increases and child-care subsidies before the May election because they did not believe they were affordable then.

We became aware after the election the economy was growing at a much stronger rate than we anticipated, he said. Its an ironic position for a government, and maybe one in its last days, to be criticized because the provincial economy is performing way better than you told us.

Follow Justine Hunter on Twitter: @justine_hunter

Originally posted here:

BC Liberals prepare fundraising bill ahead of no-confidence vote - The Globe and Mail

Republicans face first debt ceiling showdown in Trump era – Washington Examiner

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The Trump administration has asked Congress to raise the federal debt ceiling before lawmakers leave for their August break. But that deadline could be difficult for Republicans who are under pressure to deliver results on healthcare and tax reform, and who are divided among themselves over whether they need to cut spending as a condition for raising the ceiling.

The latest chapter of the debt ceiling saga will be the first in years to be steered by Republicans in Congress and the White House. But while November's election victory for Republicans led to expectations of a new way of addressing the issue, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin started the process by asking something that President Obama had routinely requested in the past: a "clean" increase in the ceiling with no strings attached, to ensure the government could keep on borrowing.

On March 16, Washington reached the end of an 18-month period in which it had suspended the debt ceiling, meaning it could borrow whatever it needed without worrying about limits. Once that ended, the total amount of government debt, $19.486 trillion, became the new ceiling.

The Treasury Department immediately took steps to reduce borrowing to keep the government from breaking through the ceiling. But Treasury can juggle the books for only so long, and is expected to require a higher ceiling by the fall.

"My strong preference is for the House and the Senate to address this as soon as possible," Mnuchin told a Senate Budget Committee hearing, "and my preference is for you to do this before you leave for the August recess."

But while Republicans in the Senate are weighing a debt ceiling vote in July, the issue has not reached the top of the House GOP agenda.

Related: House Freedom Caucus sees an opportunity as the debt ceiling approaches

Senate Republicans are desperate to pass a healthcare reform bill in time to send it to the House before their summer vacations. They also are hoping to repeal and replace Obamacare and get that huge issue off their plate so there is time to tackle comprehensive tax reform, which ties with healthcare as a top GOP priority. Senate Republicans may vote on a bill this week, but it would then also need to be agreed by the House GOP in the coming weeks.

It complicates matters further that House GOP lawmakers are also pondering a summer vote on appropriations for the next fiscal year. President Trump has requested spending in fiscal 2018 that is far higher than caps imposed by the Budget Control Act of 2011. The request for defense spending, for example, is $603 billion, $54 billion more than the caps allow.

Appropriators want to spend even more than that, which will need another budget deal akin to previous two-year deals. That can't be done unless Republicans and Democrats work together. Democrats, however, demand a dollar of extra non-defense spending for every extra dollar that goes to the Pentagon.

So, talks about the debt ceiling have excluded discussion about appropriations at the same time, lawmakers said.

"Some people said we've got to throw the debt limit in somehow," Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, a leading appropriator, told the Washington Examiner. "But it really wasn't part of the overall discussion."

Once Republicans find time for the issue, they're likely to disagree with each other about how to proceed. They've always been split on how to tackle the rapidly growing federal debt, and now that the GOP has full control of Washington, conservatives expect more than the business-as-usual move of raising the ceiling.

Conservatives are demanding long-promised spending cuts to restore Washington's long-term fiscal stability which was nothing more than a pipedream during the big-spending Obama administration.

Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Mark Meadows (AP Photos)

"The U.S. federal government is drowning in debt, yet continues to spend into oblivion on the backs of future taxpayers," members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus said in a statement. "We have an obligation to the American people to tackle Washington's out-of-control spending and put in place measures to get our country on the right fiscal course."

Last time around, in 2015, most Republicans balked at raising the debt ceiling and boosting spending. The debt ceiling was suspended in October 2015, which effectively allowed an open-ended increase. It was part of a deal passed mostly with Democrats that allowed spending in fiscal 2017 to exceed statutory caps for both military and non-military activities.

Only 79 of the GOP's 246 lawmakers voted for it, which raises the question of whether Republicans in the House can pass anything along the lines of Mnuchin's request.

Some Democrats and Republicans are calling for another bipartisan deal, perhaps one that wraps in an agreement on 2018 budget caps, which would set federal spending levels for the next fiscal year. That agreement could give lawmakers assurances about total spending levels when they're being asked to agree to a debt ceiling hike.

"We ought to enter into a bipartisan budget agreement and tie the debt ceiling to that before the end of July," Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., told Mnuchin at a House Appropriations Committee hearing. "I think that would be extremely important to provide not only stability for the markets, but budgetary stability of for all of us. I suspect it would get a lot of bipartisan support for many members on both sides of the aisle on this committee. I'm not saying everybody, but a lot."

Both parties have grown weary of end-of-year fiscal chaos forcing them to stuff many individual spending bills into one large appropriations measure, which both chambers rush to pass as the federal government verges on a partial shutdown. Agreement on an overall spending number would greatly reduce the chances of a showdown.

"For once, let's get ahead of the game, do the budget agreement now that will let us do our work and avoid that kind of destabilizing scramble at the end of the fiscal year," said Rep. David Price, D-N.C.

Sen. John Cornyn

Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, endorsed an "earlier" vote on the debt ceiling that includes a deal on the budget.

"I'm hoping there will be a negotiation on spending caps," Cornyn said. "Maybe it will be part of that."

But the question remains: What would the budget deal look like, and can it be fiscally hawkish enought to persuade Republicans to raise the debt ceiling?

The Trump administration also seems split. Trump has signaled he would defer to Mnuchin on the debt ceiling, and Mnuchin does not want to mix the issue with budget matters, fearing it will entangle the need for a ceiling hike in a protracted political fight.

But Mick Mulvaney, Trump's budget director, a long-time deficit hawk, wants to link any debt ceiling increase to a budget deal that includes spending cuts. His position could open the door to the Trump administration taking something more than just a clean increase.

The 2015 deal that raised the $18.1 trillion debt limit included cost-reducing reforms of the Social Security Disability Insurance program. Mulvaney and many conservatives will likely seek similar reforms this time around.

Mulvaney told the Washington Examiner he would "like to see things attached to it that drive certain spending reforms and debt reforms in the future."

Some lawmakers are already sure that some kind of language beyond a clean increase will be needed. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., laughed at Mnuchin's proposal to raise the debt ceiling unconditionally.

"Normally, we try to get something in return," Wicker said. "It should be used in a way that helps us address the debt issue long term."

Meanwhile, Democrats have indicated they will want to rope in other issues, such as tax reform, as they consider the debt ceiling, complicating the issue even further.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., did not rule out a broader deal, but he put Democratic cooperation on the debt limit in doubt last week, threatening to withhold support if Republicans try to cut taxes on high earners as part of their tax overhaul plan.

"If they're going to put on a massive tax cut for the very wealthy that increases the deficit by trillions, it's harder to get Democrats to increase the debt ceiling," Schumer said.

There are some technical questions that Republicans need to decide, such as whether to raise the debt ceiling, or suspend it again.

The idea of suspending it evolved under Obama, and it allowed Republicans to get around the problem by pushing it further into the future. That allowed the government to spend whatever it needed without forcing Republicans into an embarrassing vote to increase the national debt.

That's how the government got its current level, $19.846 trillion.

But if Republicans are in the mood to be stingy, they could decide to set a specific limit above which the government could not borrow more. The GOP has not given any indication which way it will go.

Republicans plan to take on tax reform in earnest when they return to Capitol Hill after the August recess, but this could clash with a debate over the debt limit if that too is left unsettled until September.

Republican leaders haven't signaled how - or when - they plan to deal with the national debt, even though Mnuchin warned lawmakers that an unexpected reduction in tax receipts will mean the Treasury could run dry sooner.

The GOP's lack of urgency stems from the Treasury's tradition of reducing borrowing and taking other steps to prevent the government from hitting the limit. After asking for action by August, Mnuchin later clarified that he can use these so-called "extraordinary measures" to give Congress more time.

"We do have plans," Mnuchin told a Senate Budget Committee hearing. "If you don't do it beforehand we can fund the government through September, when you get back."

But Mnuchin advised lawmakers that waiting until the last minute could have economic consequences and would threaten instability in capital markets.

"I urge, given the importance of this, that we send a message to the rest of the world and to the markets that we take our credit very seriously," Mnuchin said.

Originally posted here:

Republicans face first debt ceiling showdown in Trump era - Washington Examiner

You can achieve financial independence easily by using buckets … – Motley Fool UK

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Rupert Hargreaves | Saturday, 24th June, 2017

Achieving financial independence is everyone?s goal. The dream of quitting the rat race and being able to live off your savings may seem like an unattainable goal to many but in reality, to achieve this, all you need is a little planning. The key to building wealth is a regular savings plan. If you?re putting away a little every month, over time this savings pot will build up. The best way to ensure that your savings stay untouched, and grow steadily over time is to use a bucket approach. Using buckets Using financial buckets to segregate your wealth is easy way of

Achieving financial independence is everyones goal. The dream of quitting the rat race and being able to live off your savings may seem like an unattainable goal to many but in reality, to achieve this, all you need is a little planning.

The key to building wealth is a regular savings plan. If youre putting away a little every month, over time this savings pot will build up. The best way to ensure that your savings stay untouched, and grow steadily over time is to use a bucket approach.

Using financial buckets to segregate your wealth is easy way of making sure that your money works as hard as possible. It doesnt require much effort and youll soon reap the rewards.

How you plan your buckets will obviously depend on your current financial situation, savings goals and position in life. But no matter how you divide your wealth, you should be better off for it.

A simple bucket approach would be to divide your wealth between current and long-term savings. Depending on your current financial situation you may believe it is prudent to put aside enough cash to meet three months of spending obligations as protection against unforeseen occurrences.

With this cash cushion in place, you can devote the rest of your wealth to savings products with a longer horizon, with the intention of locking these funds away. Inside this bucket you may then choose to have two more buckets, one of which carries more risk but a higher potential long-term return such as equities. The other would be low risk but offer a steady return bonds might be appropriate.

The great thing about the bucket approach is that, as well as encouraging saving and making sure that you dont dip into your savings to meet near-term costs, it provides a psychological benefit.

Equities have generated a historic return of around 10% per annum, much more thanoffered by fixed interest. Nonetheless, this higher return comes with increased volatility, which may scare off some savers. But by using buckets theres no need to fret about volatility.

Research has shown that investors tend to panic when the market falls and sell at any cost, a destructive strategy. However, if you have your near-term cash requirements satisfied in the lower-risk savings buckets described above, the chances of you deciding to sell at the market bottom are greatly reduced as you can afford to wait for equities to recover.

Shares in companies such as Royal Dutch Shell and GlaxoSmithKline may fall significantly during periods of market turbulence but these companies have a long history of producing returns for investors and due to their size, they are unlikely to go out of business any time soon. Whats more, these two companies both support dividend yields that are several percentage points above the income offered by most savings accounts.

Overall, if you want to achieve financial independence, a disciplined approach to saving is required. Andthe best way to ensure that you get the most from your money is to separate your funds into different buckets, with different levels of risk and reward based on your own financial circumstances. Job done.

A long-term approach is essential for building wealth. If financial independence is your goal, the Motley Fool is here to help. Our analysts have recently put together this brand new free report titled The Foolish Guide To Financial Independence, which is packed full of wealth creating tips.

The report is entirely free and available for download todaywith no further obligation.

So if you're interested in exiting the rat race and achieving financial independence, click here to download the report. What have you got to lose?

Rupert Hargreaves owns shares of GlaxoSmithKline and Royal Dutch Shell B. The Motley Fool UK owns shares of and has recommended GlaxoSmithKline. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Royal Dutch Shell B. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

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You can achieve financial independence easily by using buckets ... - Motley Fool UK

The Too Smart City – The Indian Express

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Written by Shalini Nair | Updated: June 26, 2017 12:07 am It is alright to overlay the citys infrastructure with technology but, for starters, adequate infrastructure must be in place at a city-wide level. (Representational. Express photo)

In a phantasmagorical rendering of the future of urban space thats increasingly being made sentient through information technology, the Architectural League of New York held an exhibition in 2009 on the Too Smart City. Through smart public benches that respond to the issue of homelessness by toppling those resting on them for too long and smart bins that can squirt out the wrong kind of trash back at the person, architects and artists showed how the Smart City is just a step away from a dystopian nightmare.

While this might be one of the worst-case scenarios, with the Indian Smart City missions tantalising promise to transform 100 cities, perhaps, now is a good time to consider two issues: Whether the path it has chosen to leapfrog to the level of urbanisation in the developed nations entails creation of uneven geographies. And whether Indian cities, lacking in the most basic infrastructure, are ready to be restructured by technology.

In his book Smart Cities: Big Data, Civic Hackers, and the Quest for a New Utopia, urbanist Anthony Townsend defines Smart Cities as places where information technology is combined with infrastructure, architecture, everyday objects, and our own bodies to address social, economic, and environmental problems. A growing cause of worry among Smart City critics in the West has been how big data is a veritable goldmine for data thieves and a surveillance tool for governments and private firms involved. For urban planners, a greater concern is an urbanisation process that accords primacy to technology a field where the private sector has unchallenged monopoly over the basic needs of the city.

The most defining feature of the Smart City mission in India is this: It not only looks at application of technology but also ensures that physical infrastructure of cities, which owing to considerations of social equity, were until now serviced almost entirely by local governments, are redesigned to create space for domestic and international capital. Already the model has thrown up numbers that show that almost 80 per cent of the funds are being channelised to less than three per cent area of the 59 mission cities. These are mostly well-off enclaves that already have decent infrastructure in place and are more likely to yield a dividend for private investors.

Several Smart Cities of the West have been officially conceptualised as living labs, that is, incubators for developing patentable and exportable devices for private firms. The UK Trade & Investment pegs the market for Smart City products and services at more than 900 billion by 2020. India is, no doubt, poised to be one of the largest market for the products developed by technology vendors in these living labs.

The issue is not only the parachuting of consulting firms and vendors for local IT and infrastructure solutions, but that such private partnerships would necessitate a return on investments unconstrained by concerns of social equity or justice. The abolition of octroi, the once largest source of municipal revenue for many cities, has had a debilitating impact on the fiscal sovereignty of urban local bodies. The Smart City mission further bypasses democratic processes by executing projects through Special Purpose Vehicles wherein private corporations can have up to 40 per cent share-holding.

As a corollary, the Union government has made it clear that increased user charges on essential services is the only way forward. Unlike octroi, this hits every citizen irrespective of their income level.

The catchphrase Smart Cities latched on to the Indian imaginary when barely a fortnight after assuming office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spelled out his ambitious plan of creating 100 such cities where the focus shifts from highways to i-ways. It is alright to overlay the citys infrastructure with technology but, for starters, adequate infrastructure must be in place at a city-wide level. Smart Cities might be an inexorable, and even necessary, step in the process of urbanisation but gentrification doesnt have to be the default route.

Official data shows that merely half of the urban households have water connections, a third have no toilets, the national average for sewage network coverage is a low 12 per cent, and on an average only about 10 per cent of the municipal solid waste is segregated. Public transportation and public schools and hospitals are woefully disproportionate to the population densities within cities.

Unless this urban entropy is addressed first, an overbearing emphasis on application of digital technology or developing smaller areas in an attempt at instant urbanism can have disastrous socio-spatial consequences.

shalini.nair@expressindia.com

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The Too Smart City - The Indian Express

Take a trip to the Caribbean, without leaving New Orleans – WGNO

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Posted: 4:50 p.m., June 25, 2017

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NEW ORLEANS-- For the fourth year in a row, New Orleans is honoring its Caribbean roots with the 4th annual Caribbean fest.Caribbean cuisine, music, dance, and culture while highlighting New Orleans' deeply-rooted cultural connections as the Caribbean's northern-most city! Enjoy a Kids Corner, salsa tent, African drum lessons and "New Orleans first ever Dancehall vs. Bounce dance competition.

Sunday the music travels to the islands of Trinidad and Tobago with the eight-piece Neptune Steel Pan Orchestra. It then heads to the Dominican Republic for the 10-piece Merengue 4. A new experience for some reggae lovers will hearing the socially and politically conscious lyrics typical in the genre sung in Spanish by Puerto Rico native I-Majesty.

Both Saturday and Sunday the Caribbean Festival closes out with a Dancehall Queen competition with the finalists going up against each other and the winner declared on Sunday night. Admission to the festival is $12 on Saturday and $10 on Sunday.

"The purpose of the festival is to show how intertwined our culture is with that of the Caribbean. From architecture, to music, to the culinary world, to crops, we want to show the city of New Orleans that we really are apart of a Caribbean melting pot," said festival organization Joel Hitchcock.

Vendors include: Johnny's Jamaican Grill, Taylor Made Wings, Boswell's, The Pupusa Lady, Fritai, Island Paradise, Karibu Kitchen, Central City BBQ, Trini Queen, Amina Dada's Rasta Burgers, Zippy Fruit, Irie Nyammings.

This is a rain or shine event, with both indoor and outdoor seating and activities for all ages.

General admission tickets are only $10 and VIP tickets are $25.

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Take a trip to the Caribbean, without leaving New Orleans - WGNO

Europe Stands by Caribbean on Climate Funding – Inter Press Service

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Caribbean Climate Wire, Climate Change, Combating Desertification and Drought, Environment, Europe, Featured, Headlines, Latin America & the Caribbean, Projects, Water & Sanitation

Head of the European Union Delegation to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS, and CARICOM-CARIFORUM, Ambassador Daniela Tramacere. Credit: Desmond Brown/IPS

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Jun 26 2017 (IPS) - A senior European Union (EU) official in the Caribbean said Europe is ready to continue the global leadership on the fight against climate change, including helping the poor and vulnerable countries in the region.

Underlining the challenges posed by climate change, Head of the European Union Delegation to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS, and CARICOM/CARIFORUM, Ambassador Daniela Tramacere made it clear that the EU has no plan to abandon the extraordinary Agreement reached in Paris in 2015 by nearly 200 countries.

The challenges identified in the Paris Agreement are of unprecedented breadth and scale." --Ambassador Daniela Tramacere

Climate change is a challenge we can only tackle together and, since the beginning, Europe has been at the forefront of this collective engagement. Today, more than ever, Europe recognises the necessity to lead the way on its implementation, through effective climate policies and strengthened cooperation to build strong partnerships, Tramacere said.

Now we must work as partners on its implementation. There can be no complacency. Too much is at stake for our common good. For Europe, dealing with climate change is a matter of political responsibility and multilateral engagement, as well as of security, prevention of conflicts and even radicalisation. In this, the European Union also intends to support the poorest and most vulnerable.

For all these reasons, the European Union will not renegotiate the Paris Agreement. We have spent 20 years negotiating. Now it is time for action, the worlds priority is implementation, she added.

The 2015 Paris deal, which seeks to keep global temperature rises well below 2 degrees C, entered into force late last year, binding countries that have ratified it to draw up specific climate change plans. The Caribbean countries, the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and the EU played a key role in the successful negotiations.

On June 1 this year, President Donald Trump said he will withdraw the United States from the landmark agreement, spurning pleas from U.S. allies and corporate leaders.

The announcement was met with widespread dismay and fears that the decision would put the entire global agreement in peril. But to date, there has been no sign that any other country is preparing to leave the Paris agreement.

Tramacere noted that together with the global 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, the Paris Agreement has the potential to significantly accelerate the economic and societal transformation needed in order to preserve a common future.

As we address climate change with an eye on the future, we picture the creation of countless opportunities, with the establishment of new and better ways of production and consumption, investment and trade and the protection of lives, for the benefit of the planet, she said.

To accelerate the transition to a climate friendly environment, we have started to strengthen our existing partnerships and to seek and find new alliances, from the worlds largest economies to the most vulnerable island states. From the Arctic to the Sahel, climate change is a reality today, not a remote concept of the future.

However, to deliver the change that is needed and maintain the political momentum, it is vital that the targets pledged by countries and their adaptation priorities are now translated into concrete, actionable policies and measures that involve all sectors of the economy. This is why the EU has decided to channel 40 percent of development funding towards climate-related projects in an effort to accelerate countries commitment to the process, Tramacere said.

The EU has provided substantial funding to support climate action in partner countries and Tramacere said it will also continue to encourage and back initiatives in vulnerable countries that are climate relevant as well as safe, sustainable energy sources.

For the Caribbean region, grant funding for projects worth 80 million euro is available, Tramacere said, noting that the aim is twofold: to improve resilience to impacts of climate change and natural disasters and to promote energy efficiency and development of renewable energy.

This funding will be complemented by substantial financing of bankable climate change investment programmes from the European Investment Bank and other regional development banks active in the region. With the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) instrument, the European Union already works with agencies in the Caribbean such as the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) or the Caribbean Climate Change Community Center (5Cs), Tramacere said.

In November this year, countries will gather in Bonn for the next UN climate conference COP23 to continue to flesh out the work programme for implementing the Paris Agreement.

Next year, the facilitative dialogue to be held as part of the UN climate process will be the first opportunity since Paris to assess what has been done concretely to deliver on the commitments made. These are key steps for turning the political agreement reached in Paris into reality.

The challenges identified in the Paris Agreement are of unprecedented breadth and scale. We need enhanced cooperation and coordination between governments, civil society, the private sector and other key actors, Tramacere said.

Initiatives undertaken not only by countries but also by regions, cities and businesses under the Global Climate Action Agenda have the potential to transform the impact on the ground. Only together will we be able to live up to the level of ambition we have set ourselves and the expectations of future generations. The world can continue to count on Europe for global leadership in the fight against climate change.

Caribbean countries are highly vulnerable and a significant rise in global temperatures could lead to reduced arable land, the loss of low-lying islands and coastal regions, and more extreme weather events in many of these countries. Many urban in the region are situated along coasts, and Caribbean islands are susceptible to rising sea levels that would damage infrastructure and contaminate freshwater wetlands.

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Europe Stands by Caribbean on Climate Funding - Inter Press Service

US Tourist Shot While on Caribbean Vacation – Newser

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Venezuela risks becoming Caribbean ‘North Korea,’ former leaders say – Crux: Covering all things Catholic

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ROME Two former Latin American presidents said the world is running out of time to find a solution to the crisis in Venezuela as President Nicolas Maduro aims to consolidate power over the country.

Despite widespread protests, Maduros push to put a group of his friends in what is called a constituent assembly, would be the end of democracy and the annihilation of the Republic of Venezuela, said Jorge Quiroga, former president of Bolivia.

That election will install a Soviet state in Venezuela, liquidate democracy, end the Congress, cancel elections and turn Venezuela into a sort of Caribbean North Korea,' he said.

Joined by former Colombian President Andres Pastrana, Quiroga spoke to journalists at the Vatican June 23 on the deteriorating situation in Venezuela and attempts to diffuse the crisis following their meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.

Protests began after March 29, when the Venezuelan Supreme Court ruled to dissolve the countrys parliament, in which the opposition had a two-thirds majority following the 2015 elections. The unprecedented ruling transferred legislative powers to the Supreme Court, which is comprised of judges nominated by Maduro.

Quiroga said he was grateful for Parolins call for humanitarian aid, free elections and the release of political prisoners. He also hoped the international community would insist and persist on the Vaticans recommendations.

The Vatican has enormous moral and political weight and its position in the name of Cardinal Parolin and the Holy Father would be a determining factor to reel Venezuela back in toward the path of democracy, he said.

However, Quiroga added, Maduros push for a constituent assembly June 30, comprised mainly of his supporters and aimed at changing the countrys constitution, would finish off Venezuela and destroy the country.

Both men also denounced former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero and Ernesto Samper, former Colombian president and current secretary general of the Union of South American Nations, for their indirect support for Maduro despite their roles as impartial negotiators between the government and the opposition.

At a June 21 meeting on immigration in Cochabamba, Bolivian President Evo Morales flanked by Zapatero, Samper and former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa expressed his support for the Venezuelan governments actions against protestors.

Dale duro, Maduro (Hit them harder, Maduro), Morales said as he, Samper and others raised their fists in solidarity. Correa and Zapatero, however, did not raise their fists.

What meaning does this have when former presidents ask a dictatorship like the one in Venezuela to hit them harder? Do they mean keep killing, continue slaughtering youth who are raising their voices in Venezuela?' Pastrana asked.

The former Colombian president condemned the indirect support of two negotiators following the release of images showing government forces shooting and killing a 22-year-old protester, saying that their support decreases the likelihood of a peaceful solution.

I think dialogue has ended in Venezuela, that word has been stricken from the Venezuelan dictionary. There is no dialogue, there is no possibility for dialogue and less, when Zapatero, Samper and Correa are holding hands with Evo Morales and shouting, Hit them harder, Maduro,' he said.

Quiroga added that he was profoundly saddened by Moraless support for Maduro who continues repressing and killing young people in the streets of Venezuela; Continues detaining and judging civilians in military courts; continues to disband the Congress and muzzle the press.

He also accused Zapatero of acting as a foreign operative of the Maduro government, claiming the former Spanish prime minister tried to act on Maduros behalf to scare opposition members before the parliamentary election that saw them win a two-thirds majority.

We know his position and that hes pretending to be a negotiator, Quiroga said of Zapatero.

Describing the current situation in Venezuela as a surrealist dystopia, Quiroga said that calls made by the Vatican supporting democracy must prevail. However, he said, time is running out.

The risk is that on June 30, Maduro has decided to deliver the final blow of his coup, calling it a vote for a constituent assembly, but in reality, it is a final blow for Venezuelan democracy, he said.

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Venezuela risks becoming Caribbean 'North Korea,' former leaders say - Crux: Covering all things Catholic

Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market Hosts 4th Annual Caribbean Day – CBS Philly

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June 24, 2017 6:03 PM By HadasKuznits

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) It was Caribbean Day at the Reading Terminal Market Saturday.

Miranda Alexander, founder and organizer of the 4th annual event said,This is bringing the Caribbean organizations that are scattered throughout Philadelphia to a central location.

One of the main focuses of Caribbean Day is highlighting the diverse culture through language, tradition and of course the food.

She explains, Culture has to do with food, the way we talk, the way we walk, the we laugh, the way we interact with each other.

Alexander also pointed out there are a lot of famous people with Caribbean heritage.

ALSO READ: Philadelphia Honors Boyz II Men With Renaming City Street

People like Beyonce, her fathers from the Bahamas, she said. LL Cool Js grandfather is from Barbatos.

She says that one of Caribbean Days staples is their cooking demo.

This year we had Coretta Brown Matthews doing a Jamaican-style traditional jerk chicken, rice and peas and cabbage and then we also had cultural performances, she said. This is the first year we are actually selling products at the market.

Alexander says while the Caribbean islands are known for being laid-back, she wants people to know that the Caribbean people are extremely hard-working.

This is Immigrant Heritage Month too, in addition to Caribbean-American heritage month in the month of June, she said. We are the ones that are driving entrepreneurship.

Hadas Kuznits has been as a news writer/reporter for KYW Newsradio since September 2002, and has traveled the city and the world while covering stories for Newsradio. She is also the host of KYW's series "What's Cooking on 1060!" -- covering...

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Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market Hosts 4th Annual Caribbean Day - CBS Philly

It’s Official, Destination Weddings in the Caribbean Are the Most Popular Among US Citizens – Brides.com

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Destination weddings have grown tremendously in popularity over the past 10 years. Before that, only celebrities and the most adventurous brides and grooms would dare to ask all of their wedding guests to travel thousands of miles to celebrate their big day. Now, destination weddings are barely even considered a trend anymore, and many brides and grooms are getting their friends and family together in tropical destinations to say their "I dos." But what's the most popular location for a destination weddings with U.S. couples? Read on to find out.

Technically speaking, any wedding not in your hometown, or where you and your fianc currently live, can be considered a destination wedding. But far and away, the most popular places for U.S. citizens to have destination weddings are in the Caribbean and Hawaii. Any place that requires a passport drops lower on the popularity list since most brides and grooms-to-be consider the fact that not all of their guests might have a passport.

You might think that means that couples on the West Coast would gravitate toward Hawaii, and that brides and grooms on the East Coast would head to the Caribbean. But that's not actually what happens. In fact, the Caribbean has inched out Hawaii to become the most popular destination wedding location with American brides and grooms.

It turns out that it takes the same amount of time to fly to Hawaii as it does to fly to Puerto Rico from Los Angeles. And it costs about the same if you're booking your flights at least a month in advance.

However, it costs twice as much money, and takes three times as long, to get to Hawaii from the East coast. And for many wedding guests, spending a full day traveling on each end of the trip is more vacation time than they can afford to spend to attend a wedding as a guest.

The perks of getting married in Hawaii or the Caribbean are much the same. You'll have mind-blowing backdrops for your photos, beautiful wedding venue options, and countless activities to keep your guests entertained. Both destinations, depending on which island you choose, have fantastic beaches, tropical rainforests, volcanoes, and tons of historic sites to explore.

See More: Do We Have to Pay for Anyones Travel to Our Destination Wedding?

But weddings in Hawaii tend to be more expensive than weddings in the Caribbean overall. Why? Because many things that go into making your destination wedding a success must be shipped to the island for your festivities. You can use local flowers and fruits, but almost everything else that goes into the wedding is imported.

The same can be said for destination weddings in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, except that what's imported doesn't have to come from as far away as it does in Hawaii. The distance makes a difference to your wedding budget .

Sandy Malone is the owner of Sandy Malone Weddings & Events and author of How to Plan Your Own Destination Wedding: Do-It-Yourself Tips from an Experienced Professional. Sandy is the star of TLC's reality show Wedding Island , about her destination wedding planning company, Weddings in Vieques .

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It's Official, Destination Weddings in the Caribbean Are the Most Popular Among US Citizens - Brides.com