Winning Hearts & Minds

Italian Business Taxpayers Feel ‘Persecuted’

"A nationwide poll of 2,500 businesses by Confedercontribuenti, an association of Italian taxpayers, has found that they are being harassed in their dealings with the country’s complex tax system, which is viewed as extremely complex and persecutory. On average, each company receives about 29 annual alerts regarding its obligations tothe system’s various tax authorities and collectors. Above all, it is calculated that it takes each business an average of about 250 hours per year to resolve the issues raised by the total of 13 different institutions responsible for the Italian tax and social security system." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingItalian Business Taxpayers Feel ‘Persecuted’

ECB bailout plan in jeopardy as Italy’s voters reject conditions

"'The result touches us all,' said Spain’s foreign minister, Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo. 'It is a jump into the void that bodes well for nobody, neither for Italy, nor for the rest of Europe.' Almost 57pc of the Italian vote went to parties that have vowed to tear up the EU austerity script. Together they control a majority of senate seats. The Five Star movement of comedian Beppe Grillo, which won 25pc of the vote, has called for a euro referendum and has a return to the lira as one of its manifesto pledges, while ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi has threatened to pull Italy out of the currency bloc unless the EU switches to a reflation strategy." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingECB bailout plan in jeopardy as Italy’s voters reject conditions

Aaron Swartz is Dead, Now White House Adjusts Rules

"In what has to be one of the more cynical moves in recent US political history, the White House has announced (see above) that more information freely distributed is better than less information available on via subscription. This turn of events come about six weeks after the death information activist Aaron Swartz, who supposedly killed himself when faced with severe prosecution over the intent to distribute 'non-legal' publicly-funded information to the public. Swartz faced over 30 years of jail time for his 'crime,' and apparently committed suicide over his prosecution, we learn, after all, that such 'laws' are fungible and can be changed." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAaron Swartz is Dead, Now White House Adjusts Rules

Weed Country: Welcome to the Garden

"In a remote wilderness tucked deep inside the border of California and Oregon – known as the Emerald Triangle – marijuana flourishes. Farmers in this area can earn millions in a single summer, but with that kind of reward comes huge risk. Growing marijuana here is a cutthroat business -- where only the best survive. WEED COUNTRY, a new six part series on Discovery Channel premiering Wednesday, February 20, 10|9c, shows the battle between cops, dealers and the growers looking to engineer some of the most powerful marijuana on earth." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWeed Country: Welcome to the Garden

FL cops raid home of wheelchair-bound Rx-marijuana activist who’s to have legislation named for her

"Cathy Jordan’s celebrity in the area of medical cannabis, including her conviction that the herb has helped her battle her Lou Gehrig’s disease, does not insulate her from existing marijuana laws. Jordan’s husband, Robert, told the Herald that his Parrish home in Beck Estates on 98th Avenue in Parrish was raided shortly after 2 p.m. Monday by deputies and detectives with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office drug intervention unit who wore ski masks. No arrests were made Monday but a total of 23 marijuana plants, including two waist-high nearly mature plants that Cathy Jordan uses for her treatment plan, and a crop of seedlings, were confiscated by authorities." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFL cops raid home of wheelchair-bound Rx-marijuana activist who’s to have legislation named for her

Lobbyist: Use Drones to ‘Zap’ Americans on U.S. Soil

"Testifying against a bill that would put limits on the use of unmanned drones in Washington state, industry lobbyist Paul Applewhite shocked a House Committee hearing when he said that drones had been used for 'indiscriminate killings,' while arguing that the technology should be approved for 'lethal force' within the United States." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLobbyist: Use Drones to ‘Zap’ Americans on U.S. Soil

Avoiding the Snowbirds’ IRS trap

"Their 'border binder' contains a detailed snapshot of their lives, tangible proof of who they are, where they live for most of the year, who they bank with, even their credit card statements. Like the other 70,000 members of the Canadian Snowbird Association, the Slacks would never leave home without it. Overkill? Not if you don’t want to be treated like a U.S. taxpayer. Snowbirds tagged as a 'substantial presence' can still dodge the bullet on U.S. taxes. But they will need to file 'Form 8840 Closer Connection Exception Statement for Aliens' with the IRS. Failure to file this form could result in hefty fines, even if no taxes were owed." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAvoiding the Snowbirds’ IRS trap

Should Americans Emigrate Or Defect?

"America still allows emigration; the door has not yet slammed. But America punishes the act and it is proposing legislation to punish it more. For example, a bill called the Ex-PATRIOT Act would ban anyone who expatriates from ever setting foot again on American soil. As the law stands today, the 'exit tax' for those who emigrate without renouncing citizenship is to be saddled with a US tax liability in perpetuity; in short, double taxation. The 'exit tax' for those who renounce citizenship is the complexity of the process and a confiscation of wealth from those who have it. This is a fiscal Berlin Wall." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingShould Americans Emigrate Or Defect?

Work in U.S. and Spain losing its appeal for Latin Americans

"For Latin Americans seeking work abroad, traditional magnets like the United States and Spain are losing their appeal because of weak economies, said a report released Thursday. Instead, more and more are looking to countries such as Canada, Japan, South Korea and Australia, according to the study by the Organization of American States. In the US, the number of legal immigrants slipped by four percent over the same stretch, and the decrease was even more pronounced among those who lack proper residency papers, the study said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWork in U.S. and Spain losing its appeal for Latin Americans

Georgia rushes to complete executions before lethal drug supply runs out

"Georgia’s difficulties procuring execution drugs is a reflection of the gradual stranglehold that is being put on the US death penalty by authorities and companies around the world refusing to act as accomplices in the death sentence. The European Commission, following unilateral action by the UK, has imposed restrictions on the export of medicines to all US corrections departments. One of the leading manufacturers of pentobarbital, the Danish firm Lundbeck, has introduced tough restrictions on the distribution of the drug to prevent it falling into the hands of US executioners." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGeorgia rushes to complete executions before lethal drug supply runs out