AFP and the Tax Reform Act of 2014

AFP Call to Action: The Tax Reform Act of 2014 - What You Need to Know, What You Need to Do

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is trying to reach out to all of the AFP members for help.  There is a fear that the Tax Reform Act would limit charitable efforts.  There is a two percent adjusted gross income floor: the tax reform plan's increased gross income (AGI) floor could alienate taxpayers who give smaller charitable gifts, it could also hinder future givers due to a lack of financial funds.  The limiting of the value of deductions for property worries the AFP because real estate incentive may dissipate.

There is a positive listed by the AFP, but I wanted to focus on the conflict and action taken by this group.  This is also not a conventional article, but this is what I liked about it.  Public Policy is a difficult topic because of all the different measures taken to achieve it in Congress and by the Executive Branch.  The AFP is a Non-Government Organization (NGO) and they have seen Public Policy (Tax Reform Act) that this not favored.  The AFP is telling members to write to his or her Congressman and state factors against this Tax Reform Act.  The response by this group, or any NGO for that matter, is interesting to see an actual live and real example of the Iron Triangle at work.  It would be interesting to see if Lobbying wi
ll come up from the AFP if the results by writing to Congress does not prove sufficient.                    

Supreme Court Declined Cases

Here’s What the Supreme Court Is Declining To Argue About Today

In the work schedule of the Supreme Court, time is a limited privilege.  Three very controversial cases have been declined the examination by the Supreme Court.  These cases consist of: Elane Photography v. Willock, Klayman v. Obama, and Iowa Right to Life Committee v. Tooker.

Elane Photography v. Willock
This case deals with a photographer in New Mexico declining to provide services to a same-sex couple's wedding.  The refusal caused the small business to run into the state's anti-discrimination laws.  The photographer did not support gay marriage and argued that forcing her to accept the couple as clients violated her inherent First Amendment rights.  SCOTUS decision to not hear the case lets the New Mexican Supreme Court decision stand; finding that Elane Photography had violated the anti-discrimination laws for refusing to accommodate the couple.
Klayman v. Obama
Larry Klayman's challenge against the National Security Agency's (NSA) gathering of domestic data.  The Supreme Court has decided to wait to view this case.
Iowa Right to Life Committee v. Tooker
Iowa Right to Life challenged the stat'es ban on campaign donations directly to candidates from corporations.  Due to not hearing the case, SCOTUS left the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in tact.  This decision upheld the ban in June of 2013.  The anti-abortion group argued that the ban violated free speech and equal protection of the law in the U.S. Constitution.

I found this interesting because of the importance of some of these cases, such as Klayman v. Obama.  Then again, the Supreme Court has heard and has to hear many of these cases.  The decision of the Court to not hear these cases at this time; however, in the future is understandable.  The anticipation of how the Court would rule, if they do decide to hear the cases, is quite intriguing.

The Bureaucracy of Poverty

The Bureaucracy of Poverty

The city of Philadelphia has a poverty issue; more than one in for residents are in poverty.  Mayor Micheal Nutter is attempting to bring reform to the city's antipoverty agency.  The Mayor's Office of Community Services (MOCS) has been an agency of patronage for years, and to say the least that their budget has been robbed by other departments.  This department has been renamed the Mayor's Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO).  A respected new Director, Eva Gladstein, has been appointed and gave the agency a new focus: Produce a report on what city government can do to fight poverty, and coordinate the process.  The new plan has been titled "Shared Prosperity Philadelphia."
The MOCS has long had a reputation of having patronage hires.  Nutter has sponsored MOCS hires, as well as political influences.  Nutter's spokesman; however, states that he does not sponsor and hire based on patronage "because of politics or favor."
The Mayor knows them, knows their work, their skills and then hired them," he said.
Gladstein has stated that so far, her personnel decisions have not been influenced by political pressures.  She has said that she is shifting people elsewhere so that CEO "can focus on the implementation of the plan."

I find this to be a good example of a more local form of Bureaucracy.  This article also represents and shows the patronage that can and will go into the different agencies.  It is human nature to surround oneself with people who share similar mindsets.  I agree with Nutter, whereas many appoint people based on political bias or favor, Nutter appointed these members because he "knew of their work and skills."  It seems like a loophole; however, it is a credible point.  In the beginning of the article, it was stated that different agencies would go and cut into the MOCS budget to fight poverty.  Bureaucratic pathologies, such as Conflict and reverse duplication where affecting the poverty in the city.

This flow chart is a good example of the causes and effects of Conflict. Conflict is the root of the organization or agency's performance. Depending on the consensus and/or decision quality with ultimately affect the performance of the organization.  

     

US Budget Cuts leading to Isolation?

Will US budget cuts lead to splendid isolation?

President Obama published his budget plan to reduce spending on the military.  Secretary of State Kerry warned that this new plan would promote America's isolation.  Kerry told DW reporters that this is not the budget the US needs, nor is it what the President wants, it is the best he could do.  The military budget cuts consist of the reduction of spending by $31 billion in 2014, and another $45 billion by 2015.  According to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, the Pentagon plans to reduce the number of US Army soldiers from 520,000 to 440,000.
America's foreign policy has much room for improvement.  I agree with Andrew Bacevich and David Adesnik.  The Expressed Powers of the President are measured by Congress through Checks and Balances.  This Budget Plan, according to Secretary Kerry, "was the best the president could get.  It's not what he wanted."  I take this as the only way President Obama could even think about getting a budget passed through the Republican Congress would be to make adaptations.  The reduction in spending is very significant; however, I believe the budget is negatively affecting the military.  Defense Secretary Hagel stated that the Pentagon will reduce soldiers.  Soldiers are expensive, but they are pocket change compared to the extremely expensive weapon, naval, and fighter jets being produced by the Navy and Air-force.
As Chief Executive, President Obama needs to run the country to his best ability.  The level of partisanship and selfishness is disgusting.  According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center and the Council on Foreign Relations, 52% of Americans believe the United States should "mind its own business internationally and let other countries get along to the best they can on their own."  The current US sanctions and interference with the Crimean and Ukrainian Crisis go completely against the American public.  The President of the United States is not only the Commander in Chief but also our Moral leader.  He must do his best to represent America, and instead of showing the world that we like to meddle in other countries affairs, he should show that we will not tolerate war crimes or other crimes against humanity, yet other countries are free to participate in democracy without the US over-watch.  

Where Have All the Lobbyists Gone?

On paper, the influence-peddling business is drying up. But lobbying money is flooding Washington, DC like never before. What’s going on?

Lee Fang, a reporter for The Nation, went to the Capitol Building on October 4.  His goal was to interview some law makers coming from the House of Representatives during the government shutdown in October.    He reported many people, in business clothing, were out making the city come to life.  Fang encountered former lawmakers and associates.  Amoong them, former Senate majority leader Tome Daschle was there escorting a group of internatnional attorneys into a meeting with other lawmakers.  The men said they were with Alston &Bird, a law firm heavily involved in lobbying.

Lobbying is defined as people seeking to influence a political issue.  These people are employed to persuade legislators to vote for certain legislation, of which the lobbyist's employer is in favor. 

Fang heard former congressman Zach Wamp.  Fang reports that Wamp is now working for Palantir, a controversial intelligence contractor.  When asked about the scandals associated with the firm, Wamp ended the conversation.  Fang found a computer and searched the lobbyist registration database.  Lobbyists are required to register under the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) to give the public an idea about the lobbyists employers.  Wamp, and most of the others Fang saw that day were nowhere to be found.  As a side note, Matt Long, Palatir's corporate counsel,  would not comment on Wamp's job in company.

Tom Daschle is known as a "policy adviser" to many different corporate interests and a close confidant to many top Democrats.  He has become a famous unregistered lobbyist in DC.  Daschle is so well known that the technicality in the LDA law is called the "Daschle Loophole."      

On paper, the lobbyist industry is disappearing; however, it is simply going underground, according to experts.  American University professor James Thurber stated, "Most of what is going on in Washington is not covered [by the lobbyist-registration system]."  He is currently advising the American Bar Association's lobbying-reform task force.  Thurber also states that his research suggests the true number of active lobbyists is closer to 100,000.   

Mike Huckabee "Leading" early 2014 polling for the 2016 GOP Candidate

http://reason.com/blog/2014/02/04/mike-huckabee-leading-in-early-2014-earl

New early 2016 polling by CNN has stated that the Chris Christie scandals in New Jersey have taken him from the lead of the GOP presidential candidate.  Mike Huckabee was found by the CNN polls to be rising above the others by 14%.  The CNN poll called Huckabee a "new name;" however, he had been in the polling for the 2012 candidate spot.  He has also hosted a show on fox news for more than five years now.  Less than a year out from the GOP primaries, Gallup started tracking candidates' name recognition.  The Gallup poll has also found 20% of respondents have never heard of Chris Christie, and 26% have never heard of Rand Paul.  Jeb Bush and Mike Huckabee have been heard of through other means and therefore have a higher name recognition.

Conflicts and Events around Middle East: Syria, Irian, Russia

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/370063/big-chide-matthew-continetti

The conflict in Syria is far from over.  Bashar Assad has retained 95% of his WMD's after the United States made the deal of not bombing.  Al-Qaeda affiliates claim jurisdiction over most of Syria, and the Syrian conflicts are spilling over into neighboring countries such as Iraq and Lebanon.  Russia has been caught violating a decade-old nuclear missile treaty.  In order to keep the peace and future success of treaties, the United States has said nothing to the Russians about the breakage of the old nuclear treaty.   Iranian propaganda is bolstering Iran's "greatness" to the rest of the superpowers, such as Russia and the United States.