kscarbel2

http://townhall.com/columnists/jackkerwick/ http://townhall.com/columnists/jackkerwick/2016/11/21/an-open-letter-to-presidentelect-trump-n2248527

Trump's tax plan: massive cuts for the 1% will usher 'era of dynastic wealth' The Guardian / November 23, 2016 More than eight million low-income and single-parent families will face sharp tax increases under Donald Trump exacerbating income inequality President Donald Trump is set to give America’s richest 1% an average annual tax cut of $214,000 when he takes office, while more than eight million families with children are expected to suffer financially under his proposed tax plan. On the eve of the election, Trump promised to “massively cut taxes for the middle class, the forgotten people, the forgotten men and women of this country, who built our country”. But independent expert analyses of Trump’s tax plan show that America’s millionaire and billionaire class will win big at the expense of struggling low- and middle-income people, who turned out in large numbers to help the real estate billionaire win the election. Experts warn that Trump’s tax plan will exacerbate America’s already chronic income inequality and herald in a “new era of dynastic wealth”. “The Trump tax plan is heavily, heavily, skewed to the most wealthy, who will receive huge savings,” said Lily Batchelder, a law professor and tax expert at New York University. “At the same time, millions of low-income families – particularly single-parent households – will face an increase.” Batchelder, who wrote an academic paper on Trump’s tax plan published by the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, said that the president-elect’s plan “significantly raises taxes” for at least 8.5 million families, with “especially large tax increases for working single parents”. More than 26 million individuals live in those families. Minority families are set to suffer disproportionately from the tax increases, according to Batchelder. With 32% of African American families facing a tax increase compared with 19% of whites, this is mostly due to African American families being more likely to share the burden of childcare within the family and hence not benefit as much from Trump childcare credits. Batchelder said the effective tax increase for many millions of families would run into the thousands. While the poor will face tax increases, the Tax Policy Center research said the rich would received big tax cuts that get even bigger as you work up the income scale. The top 20% of earners would receive an average annual tax cut of $16,660 compared with an overall average cut of $2,940. The richest 1% will collect 47% of all the tax cuts – an average saving of $214,000. The 0.1% – the 117,000 households with incomes of more than $3.7 million – would receive an average 2017 tax cut of $1.3 million, a nearly 19% drop in tax they were due to pay in 2016. The tax savings of the super-rich will increase further in future, with the 0.1%’s estimated 2025 tax bill to fall by $1.5 million. It is a stark contrast to Hillary Clinton’s tax plan, which would have seen taxes rises for the super-wealthy. Under her plan, the top 1% would pay an extra $163,000 a year more on average, and would have made up 93% of all new tax revenue by 2025. “Listening to Trump’s rhetoric, most Americans probably don’t realise at all the impact of Trump’s tax plan,” Matt Gardner, a senior fellow at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) said. “Any way you slice it, the very best-off Americans will be the biggest beneficiaries. “If it looks bad now for middle-income families, those who turned out to vote for him, it’s only likely to get worse [with Trump as president]. It is very likely that they will end up poorer still. The most likely victims are middle- and low-income families.” Gardner said that under Trump, America will become even more divided between the rich and poor. “America is already very unequal, and his proposals would make income inequality a lot worse,” Gardner said. “This is obviously quite worrisome. If he rode to victory on a middle-income wave of support, those middle Americans will be very disappointed.” The inequality problem will be exacerbated by Trump’s plan to scrap inheritance tax – which he refers to as “the death tax”. The 40% inheritance tax is currently only charged on personal estate worth more than $5.45 million and joint estates of $10.9 million – sums so large that it only affects less than two in 1,000 Americans. Trump has proposed repealing the tax entirely. While Clinton, pushed by Bernie Sanders’ strong stance on the issue, had suggested lowering the threshold to $3.5 million and increasing the rate to 65% for the super-wealthy. “It’s hard to think of a tax change that will have a more detrimental effect on inequality,” Garnder said. “There is no question that this will lead to a perpetual income elite – hardly the thing that Trump voters would have wanted. This will lead to a new era of dynastic wealth.”

When you spoke with Watt's Mack (1-888-304-6225) about the price and availability of rectangular B-model fuel tanks, what did he say? 40 gallon - 2MB4359RP1 50 gallon - 2MB4359RP2

But they actually don't. Not everyone is adaptable to overseas assignments. A U.S. assignment for Europeans is a dream come true in their eyes.......they hate leaving at the end of their tenure. But other countries, in this case China, require a very special kind of individual that most global companies have few of.

As we mentioned in this week’s newsletter, the market is getting dangerously ahead of itself. Navistar (NAV) reached a high of $31.29 on Wednesday, closing at $31.07. Oshkosh (OSK) virtually reached the $70 level, with a high today of $69.97, closing at $69.93. Paccar (PCAR) reached a high of $62.22, closing at $61.98. We account the market’s significant and rapid advance to a combination of irrational exuberance AND unknown market forces that should be feared. We fully expect insiders to take profits from this market advance, and fear a future drop, as there is little rational underlying support for the S & P’s current record high level. Closing at record highs for three consecutive days, the S & P closed at 2,204.72 on Wednesday. Note: BMT Investors COO Barry Holden announced this week that we have again secured the BlackRock property within the Ocean Reef Club on Key Largo from our investment partner for our winter retreat. BMT Investor members will receive further details over the coming weeks.

New API Diesel Engine Oil Categories Arrive Dec. 1 Heavy Duty Trucking / November 22, 2016 The American Petroleum Institute's new diesel engine oil-service categories, API CK-4 and FA-4, will begin appearing in the marketplace on December 1. New API Donuts denoting the categories will appear on licensed products and marketing materials allowing consumers to identify oils meeting CK-4 or FA-4, which are expected to be recommended in new owner’s manuals and by engine manufacturers. The new specifications were designed to address the varying needs of engine technologies in aging, new, and in-use on- and off-highway applications to help diesel engine manufacturers meet stringent emissions and fule-mileage requirements. “December 1 is an industry milestone as it marks the first day new API CK-4 and FA-4 engine oils can be marketed and sold on retail shelves or in bulk,” said Kevin Ferrick, senior manager of API’s Engine Oil Licensing and Certification System. “The time between approval of the categories last winter and the first licensing on December 1 gave large, medium, and small oil marketers the ability to test their new formulations and ready them for market. This signals the culmination of almost nine years of cross-industry collaboration in the development of the new standards.” API CK-4 oils will replace current API CJ-4 engine oils and will be backwards-compatible for most applications for which engine manufacturers currently recommend CJ-4. The new CK-4 oils will provide a number of improvements over CJ-4, including improved shear stability, oxidation resistance, and aeration control. API FA-4 oils will provide similar improvements over CJ-4 oils, but it is important to note that FA-4 oils are only intended for use in newer on-highway diesel engines. FA-4 oils will have limited or no backwards compatibility with on- and off-highway diesel engines for which engine manufacturers have recommended CJ-4. While not specifically backwards-compatible, FA-4 oils are expected to play an important role in some current and new diesel engines by protecting those engines and at the same time helping them meet more stringent emissions anf fuel-mileage requirements. CK-4 and FA-4 oils are designed for different applications. This means technicians and consumers will need to check their owner’s manuals or with engine manufacturers to determine which oil is right for their vehicle. API developed two visually different API Service Symbol Donuts so that consumers can easily distinguish between the two categories. The new API FA-4 Donut features a shaded section to differentiate API FA-4 oils from CK-4 oils. The API CK-4 Donut will look the same as the current CJ-4 Donut. To find out if you are supposed to use CK-4 or FA-4 oil, check with your owner’s manual and your engine manufacturer. You can also visit the API website www.DieselOilMatters.com for more information about the new API CK-4 and FA-4 service categories and their use in on- and off-highway diesel vehicles and equipment. .

Betsy DeVos Post: Secretary of Education Previous experience in education: NONE Age: 59 in January 2017 Schooling: DeVos attended Holland Christian High School and graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a bachelor's degree in business administration and political science. A Trump critic: This past March, DeVos said "I don't think he [Trump] represents the Republican party. I think he is an interloper." Background: A billionaire republican donor from Michigan and former Michigan republican party chairwoman. Her husband, who unsuccessfully ran for Michigan governor in 2006, is heir to the Amway fortune. DeVos is described as an American politician, businesswoman, philanthropist, and “education activist”. DeVos is an advocate of Republican-favored charter schools, which are publicly funded and set up - outside the state school system - by teachers, parents, or community groups. Devos has also previously supported the Common Core education standards that Trump has vowed to eliminate, a federal maths and reading syllabus set up in most states. Trump calls the Common Core program a "disaster".

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley Post: US ambassador to the United Nations Previous Experience in foreign affairs: NONE Age: 45 in January 2017 Schooling: Nikki attended Orangeburg Preparatory Schools. She graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor's degree in accounting. Background: Born Nimrata "Nikki" Randhawa to Indian parents, Nikki Haley was raised in a Sikh household. She is currently governor of South Carolina. During the presidential campaign, Haley supported Florida Senator Marco Rubio and then Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Haley criticizes Trump: Haley strongly attacked Trump's proposal to ban Muslim immigrants, describing it as "un-American". Trump criticizes Haley: "She’s weak on illegal immigration, and she certainly has no trouble asking me for campaign contributions because over the years she’s asked me for a hell of a lot of money in campaign contributions. So, it’s sort of interesting to hear her. Perhaps if I weren’t running, she would be in my office asking me for money," Trump said.

Deutz Press Release / November 23, 2016 At Bauma China 2016, Asia’s biggest trade fair for construction equipment, Deutz has unveiled their new TCD 9.0 four-cylinder diesel engine. The 9.0-liter engine is the first in a new generation of engines that DEUTZ is planning as part of an alliance with the Liebherr Group. As well as the TCD 9.0, the new engine family will also include six-cylinder diesel engines. Production of TCD 9.0 will begin initially at Deutz’s plant in Dalian, China. The larger engine models produced by Liebherr within this cooperation will be sold by DEUTZ under its own brand. The TCD 9.0 is rated at 300 kW (402 hp) and 1,700 N·m (1,254 lb-ft) of torque. It features a highly compact design for easy installation in a wide range of applications including excavators and wheel loaders. The new engine series is being developed for the EU Stage V, US Tier 4, China IV and EU Stage IIIA emissions standards and will be ready to go into series production in 2019. “By adding new engines from the alliance with Liebherr, we are enhancing our product portfolio and can now cover further power output ranges and applications. Furthermore, having the TCD 9.0 made in Dalian will give us the proximity to our Chinese partners that we need. We continue to see a great deal of growth potential in this market when it comes to advanced technology,” said Deutz board of management Michael Wellenzohn. .

Associated Press / November 23, 2016 Wal-Mart intentionally failed to pay hundreds of truck drivers in California the minimum wage, a federal jury decided Wednesday, awarding the drivers more than $54 million in damages and opening up the retail giant to additional penalties. The seven jurors returned the verdict in a lawsuit accusing the company of not properly paying drivers in accordance with California law for activities that included inspecting and washing their trucks and for layovers. The company argued that the drivers are paid for activities that include those tasks and that they are not working during layovers. Scott Edelman, an attorney for Wal-Mart, said he was pleased to win seven of 11 claims. "The findings on the other claims were dictated, we believe, by juror instructions that the court gave that were wrong and will be the subject of post-trial motions and, if necessary, an appeal," he said. A spokesman said Arkansas-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is likely to appeal. Randy Hargrove said in a statement that the company's drivers are among the highest-paid in the industry, earning from about $80,000 to over $100,000 per year. Wal-Mart believes "that our truck drivers are paid in compliance with California law and often in excess of what California law requires," Hargrove said. More than 800 drivers who worked for Wal-Mart between October 2005 and October 2015 sought $72 million in damages, the bulk of it for layovers when they say they are required to stay with their trucks. Their attorneys said at trial that additional damages and penalties could push the total Wal-Mart owed to more than $150 million. A judge will determine civil penalties. "The facts in the law clearly show that these drivers were not paid for all the duties they did, like the pre-and post-trip inspections, and they were not paid for their rest breaks," said Butch Wagner, attorney for the drivers. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. — the nation's largest private employer — has faced other criticism over its pay and treatment of U.S. employees. The company announced last year that it was giving a raise to about a half-million U.S. workers. The raises were part of a $1 billion investment that the retailer said also was intended to give workers more opportunities to advance and more consistent schedules. Wal-Mart drivers are not paid by the hour. Wages are based on mileage and specified activities. The drivers' attorneys pointed to a ruling in their favor from U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, who said last year that Wal-Mart would be in violation of California law if it enforced its driver pay manuals because they say no pay is earned for certain tasks. The company argued that it paid drivers for activities that included other, smaller tasks and could not have a separate payment designation for everything they did, some of which took just minutes. At trial, Edelman likened what the plaintiffs were asking for to a baker who charges a flat fee for a cake, not the individual tasks of buying the eggs, putting the cake in the oven or cleaning the dishes after. "When you pay a baker $20 to bake a cake, what are you paying that baker to do?" Edelman said during his closing argument. "Is it just to put the cake in the oven for however long? Because that's essentially what the plaintiffs are arguing." Wal-Mart pays drivers $42 for 10-hour overnight layovers as an extra benefit, but it does not control their time during that period, Edelman said. Drivers are free to go to the movies, exercise or do other activities, he said.

From what I heard, an inconsiderate and uncultured local was either blocking the entrance to his driveway or was in it. Tact doesn't really work, in the sense that another local will be doing the same thing there tomorrow or the next.

Reuters / November 22, 2016 Daimler has apologized and reassigned a senior executive from his job after he made disparaging comments in a row over a parking space in China. Rainer Gaertner, Daimler's trucks and buses president in the country, also used pepper spray on bystanders who intervened. The incident took place in a Beijing car park on Sunday. Daimler said it was "a purely private issue, which has now been resolved in an amicable manner". The argument, involving strong language, began when Gaertner drove his car into a parking space in the Beijing suburb of Shunyi ahead of a local driver. A quarrel ensued during which the Daimler executive said: "I have been in China one year already; the first thing I learned here is: All you Chinese are bastards." Gaertner’s dispute was with a Chinese driver at a residential community in Beijing's northeastern Shunyi District. Passersby were drawn to the quarrel and tried to defend the Chinese driver. In a statement, Daimler said: "Such an incident reflects in no way the values of Daimler and we sincerely apologize for the concerns raised by this matter. "The nature of the dispute and in particular the manner in which it was conducted, irrespective of any comments alleged to have been made, is adjudged to be not only of concern to the public but viewed by us as detrimental to the standing of our company, unbecoming of a manager of our brand and prejudicial to our good name," Daimler said. Daimler added that Chinese authorities have closed their investigation into the incident. Despite the fallout, Daimler said Gaertner remains an employee of Daimler and will be moved to a new role. .

Volkswagen CEO sees no diesel in future of U.S. business Reuters. /. November 23, 2016 Volkswagen will no longer offer diesel vehicles in the U.S., its global brand chief said on Tuesday, ending speculation the company might return to the technology after its emissions scandal fades from memory. The comments by Volkswagen brand CEO Herbert Diess, first reported by European business daily Handelsblatt and confirmed to Reuters by a VW spokesman, were the strongest yet to deny the possibility that diesel -- once a quarter of the brand's U.S. sales -- could be a part of Volkswagen's future U.S. lineup. Volkswagen reached a $14.7 billion settlement with 475,000 U.S. owners of diesel vehicles and federal and California regulators in October after admitting to installing secret software in its diesel cars to cheat emissions tests. In September, Diess told Reuters at the Paris Auto Show the company was not yet ready to abandon diesel technology, and could continue to offer diesel models for the U.S. market. Just last week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, Hinrich Woebcken, told reporters he did not believe diesel would ever "come back in the same magnitude as we've seen it up to now" in the U.S. market. "Emissions standards in following years are getting tougher and tougher," Woebcken said. "Why don't you put the money and investments ... to comply with these standards, why don't you put the money on the spot where the future is?" he asked, speaking of VW's new focus on electric vehicles. Luxury car brand Audi, a subsidiary of Volkswagen, still sees a diesel vehicle as possible, its Americas president said last week. "Once we hopefully get past everything, I see an opportunity for potentially, probably to offer it on one model, and that model would probably be the Q7 SUV," Audi of America President Scott Keogh told Reuters.

The day one itinerary appears to have been reduced from 21 items to 6. No mention of a wall, and he will not prosecute Hillary Clinton (21 item list at beginning of thread) .

I had my heart set on a US market Everest (diesel). But based on this article, we're not getting the global market Everest. The Bronco, in concept, is as signature a Ford product as the Mustang. However, I wanted an Everest.

Trailer/Body Builders / November 18, 2016 The Detroit DT12 automated manual transmission (AMT) is now available with a power take-off (PTO) option for its automated manual transmission. Both the Direct Drive and Over Drive DT12 transmissions are available for order with a proprietary rear mounted PTO on original Freightliner Cascadia models with or without the Evolution aerodynamic package, and Western Star 5700XE models. This option is scheduled to be available for the new Freightliner Cascadia on January 1, 2018. The Detroit DT12 AMT has gained rapid customer acceptance with customers since it was launched with approximately 65% of customers ordering the DT12 in the Cascadia and approximately 85% of customers ordering the DT12 in the 5700XE for 2016. “The introduction of this PTO will allow us to offer customers in the Bulk Haul tractor trailer segment a Detroit DT12 automated manual transmission with a PTO option in certain applications,” said Kelly Gedert, Manager of Detroit Powertrain and Component Marketing. “The majority of these customers are more weight sensitive, which helps make the Detroit DT12 more attractive than other competitor automated manual transmissions.” The DT12 PTO is for use in the bulk haul tractor trailer market specifically and tailored for stationary operation on 100% pavement only. Targeted applications include liquid trailers, dry goods, wet goods and moving floors.

First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. There is no part of the first amendment that allows for any form of desecration of the United States flag. It's against the law, under 18 U.S. Code § 700, i.e. Desecration of the flag of the United States; penalties: "Whoever knowingly mutilates, defaces, physically defiles, burns, maintains on the floor or ground, or tramples upon any flag of the United States shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both." (reference - https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/700) The Necessary and Proper Clause within Article One of the U.S. Constitution that you "adamantly" defend clearly states" The Congress shall have Power ... To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof. One law made my congress prohibits desecration of the United States flag. You can peaceably protest all you want (the right of the people to peaceably assemble), voicing your thoughts (freedom of speech) while doing somersaults if you like, but you can't burn the flag. If you come to Macungie next June and illegally burn a flag in front of everyone, I don't think you'll make a lot of new friends.

Ford Australia leads Bronco development Motoring Australia / November 9, 2016 Ford’s most anticipated SUV, the reincarnated Bronco, is being developed right here in Australia alongside the next-generation Ranger on which it will be based. Much has been written about the new-generation Bronco, an iconic off-road SUV not produced for 20 years, since a US union official let slip last month (see below) that it will be built alongside the Ranger ute in Detroit. Now, motoring.com.au sources have confirmed that Ford’s Victorian-based Asia-Pacific Product Development Centre is deep into the development of the reborn Bronco, which will be a direct rival for next year’s new-generation Jeep Wrangler. Apart from developing a series of key regional models like the Figo, Escort and next Taurus, Ford’s Aussie-based design and engineering operation is the ‘homeroom’ for the T6 ladder platform that underpins the Blue Oval’s global Ranger. As such, it is responsible for engineering all T6-based products including the Ranger ute (aka. pickup, bakkie), which is built in Thailand, South Africa, Brazil and, from 2018, North America — but won’t be shared with other manufacturers, including Mazda, in its next generation. The T6 platform also underpins the Everest SUV. Indeed, Ford has made no secret other vehicles will be born of the program and a number of heavily camouflaged Ranger and Everest vehicles are already being tested at the company’s You Yang proving ground at Lara near Geelong (Victoria). These vehicles are largely early engineering prototype versions of the next-generation Ranger. But some are also early mules for the all-new Bronco, which will follow Ranger into production in the USA around 2020. Both models will be based on a reworked version of the current Ranger/Everest T6 platform. At this stage, it’s unclear whether the new-age Bronco, a model that was produced over five generations in the US between 1966-96, will be produced in right-hand drive for markets outside North America. However, given the world’s penchant for SUVs and the fact both the T6 Ranger and Everest are sold worldwide, the sixth-generation Bronco is almost certain to be a global model. It could also be produced alongside our Ranger in Thailand, which has a free-trade agreement with Australia. This would aid Ford’s intention to position the 2020 Bronco as an affordable 4×4 wagon positioned between Ford’s belated Territory replacement, the 2018 Edge, and the $55,000-plus Everest. In the spirit of its predecessor, which was originally based on a shortened F-Series ladder frame, the 21st Century Bronco is expected to be based on a short-wheelbase version of the revised T6 ladder frame and will likely share all of the Ranger’s mechanicals. That should mean four- and five-cylinder diesel engines (and potentially a petrol V6 for the US market) matched to manual and automatic transmissions comprising a low-range transfer case, which would make it an instant hit with off-road enthusiasts. Ford is yet to officially confirm the existence of a new Bronco. Letting the cat of the bag, however, United Automobile Workers union boss Bill Johnson did it for the Blue Oval when he defended the moving of Focus production from Michigan to Mexico. “We hate to see the products go to Mexico, but with the Ranger and the Bronco coming to Michigan Assembly, that absolutely secures the future for our people a lot more than the Focus does,” he told the Detroit Free Press. All five generations of the Bronco were built at Ford’s Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne outside Detroit – the same plant where Ford will produce the Aussie-developed Ranger from 2018 and the born-again Bronco from 2020. The new Bronco’s final exterior design, which will be different to the Everest, is likely to be signed off at Ford’s Dearborn HQ in the US. Ford has purchased Rubicon versions of Jeep’s existing Wrangler two-door and Wrangler Unlimited four-door for benchmarking purposes. This suggests the new Bronco will not only be available in both two-door and four-door body styles, but that Ford is targeting class-leading off-road capabilities for its all-new off-road SUV. Previous Broncos (which were produced in Australia between 1981 and 1987, and powered by locally-made 4.0-litre six-cylinder and 5.8-litre V8 engines) were available in half-cab, roadster and wagon forms.

. . . .

Why Are State Sponsors of Terrorism Receiving U.S. Taxpayer Dollars? The National Interest / November 19, 2016 How a President Trump will approach relations with Russia — and especially what that means for U.S. policy in the Syrian civil war — has become one of the most discussed issues during a tumultuous transition. But we should be paying at least as much attention to what America’s putative partners — including those groups currently receiving U.S. taxpayer funding — are doing to prolong a brutal conflict that has claimed nearly 500 thousand lives, and driven more than ten million from their homes. During the campaign, Trump even tangled with his running mate Mike Pence over Syria. When Pence suggested during the vice presidential debate that the United States institute a no-fly zone over Syria, Trump promptly swatted the idea away. “He and I haven’t spoken, and I disagree.” Late last week, Trump admitted that he “had an opposite view of many people regarding Syria,” and suggested that he would withdraw support for anti-Assad rebels, and focus on fighting ISIS. Members of the GOP foreign policy establishment, however, are doubling down on the status quo. On Tuesday, in one of the first post-election warning shots fired across Team Trump’s bow, Senator John McCain warned the president-elect not to trust “a former KGB agent who has plunged his country into tyranny, murdered his political opponents, invaded his neighbors, threatened America’s allies and attempted to undermine America’s elections.” “At the very least, the price of another ‘reset’ would be complicity in Putin and Assad’s butchery of the Syrian people. “That is an unacceptable price for a great nation. When America has been at its greatest, it is when we have stood on the side [of] those fighting tyranny,” McCain added. “That is where we must stand again.” Alas, finding those who are “fighting tyranny” but not secretly committed to imposing it once they prevail is the tricky part. The abundant evidence from Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya — not to mention the Cold War — shows that legitimate freedom fighters are often indistinguishable from charlatans and thugs. Despite this unhappy track record, McCain retains his childlike optimism in the United States’ ability to find the “good guys” and help them to reshape fractured foreign polities. Few Americans are so inclined. President Obama was caught between wanting to see Bashar al-Assad’s regime overthrown, but not wanting to see violent extremists take its place, for example, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (Conquest of Syria Front), the one-time Al Qaeda affiliate formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra. Unsurprisingly, the president’s efforts to arm the few factions that cleared the vetting process were an abject failure, in part because the tools available to protect the U.S.-approved anti-Assad factions are deeply problematic. A no-fly zone, for example, may forestall the complete annihilation of certain groups, but only at the risk of widening the war. Since Assad’s Russian ally is also operating from time-to-time in Syrian airspace, a no-fly zone would necessarily threaten Russian planes and pilots. And U.S. planes and pilots would also be at risk. At a meeting of the Council on Foreign Relations last month, National Intelligence Director James Clapper told CBS's Charlie Rose, “I wouldn't put it past them to shoot down an American aircraft.” Some in Congress have pushed back against the executive branch’s occasional zeal for intervention in Syria. In the late summer and fall of 2013, members of Congress were flooded with phone calls urging them to block U.S. military action there. Obama got the message too, and backed away from his ill-advised red line that would have entailed direct U.S. military action in the civil war. But the Obama administration continued to funnel money to some anti-Assad rebels. Since then, a few in Congress have tried to cut off funds for the so-called “Syrian Train and Equip” program. An amendment to the Defense Appropriations Bill sponsored by Reps. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) and Austin Scott (R-GA) garnered 135 votes from both Republicans and Democrats, despite opposition from party leaders and the White House. It is reasonable to believe that a similar effort would fare even better in the post-election environment. For now, U.S. law bars the federal government from providing support to terrorist organizations, but the United States’ putative allies and de facto clients operate under a very different set of rules. They have been fueling the civil war by plowing money and material support to a host of organizations that couldn’t survive the U.S. government’s vetting processes. In other words, other countries, some of whom are recipients of U.S. foreign assistance, are funding terrorist organizations, including ISIS. We might even call them state sponsors of terrorism. And, in any other context, that fact alone would and should disqualify them from receiving U.S. taxpayer dollars.

Fleet Owner / November 18, 2016 A recent infographic making the rounds of the web has some driver advocates worried. It shows that the states with the most work-related fatalities for trucks are also the states that are cutting benefits for those workers. "Is it a coincidence?" asks attorney Dean Dominick, partner at Katherman Briggs & Greenberg, LLP in York, Pennsylvania, who placed the infographic and an analysis on his blog. "I think that if you look at the states that are involved, a lot of them are fairly large states, fairly populous states that have a lot of workers in addition to truck drivers coming through their states. There has been a national movement over the last several years to reduce what's called 'workers' compensation exposure.'" He adds: "In my opinion, one of the biggest problems that we have is that the insurance industry and the pro-business industry have very strong lobbying groups. Employees do not." Dominick notes that some states have been successful in putting caps on the length of time that people can receive benefits. States also try to limit the nature of injuries that are covered especially trying to exclude repetitive trauma injuries as opposed to an actual acute trauma. "An example for a truck driver would be an elbow injury – like a lateral epicondylitis – tennis elbow, which could occur from repetitively turning the steering wheel," he says. Still another technique to reduce benefits is limiting the choice of physician that an injured worker can see. "In Pennsylvania, for example, for the first 90 days, if the employer has a list of designated physicians, the employee [must see that health provider] and if they don’t, worker’s comp doesn’t pay the bills. There’s legislation under foot in Pennsylvania to extend that to 180 days. That would mean for six months the employee has no choice in who they get to see." Still another method for employers to limit their workers' comp exposure is to classify drivers as independent contractors instead of employees. "Instead of having them be in the workers' compensation system, they arrange for what's called an 'occupational accident policy.' It's a group policy, and so then the drivers, who are called independent contractors, but are often misclassified, get certificates of coverage, but it's a policy that doesn't provide the level of benefits you get under workers' comp," says Joshua Haffner, a Los Angeles-based lawyer specializing in personal injury, insurance bad faith, class actions, and other civil and business litigation. "It has a really pernicious provision in that if you try and assert your employee status and make a workers' comp claim, you either forfeit the benefits under the occupational accident policies, or they're suspended… I'm seeing a lot of this kind of thing." Not everyone agrees that the cards are being stacked against workers. Kim Fernandes, a Tallahassee, FL–based attorney for firm Kelley Kronenberg says that in her state, "there are groups out there, interest groups that have been trying to challenge workers compensation laws saying that they don't give injured workers enough benefits." She notes that a recent Florida case, which would ask that all states workers comp laws be compared, was brought before the U.S. Supreme Court but they declined to hear it. This case was supported by unions, employee groups and personal injury groups. She says Florida workers' comp laws can sometimes be unreasonably broad. "Where else in the nation are you going to have your cancer treatment paid for if it's getting in the way of your knee that you injured at work getting treated under workers comp? Because that's how broad Florida benefits can go." All sides agree that the issue of workers' comp is exacerbated for interstate carriers because laws are state-by-state and not uniform. In fact, a Department of Labor report released in October questioned whether the federal government should provide supervision. The report said that one area that deserves exploration is "whether to increase the federal role in oversight of workers’ compensation programs, including the appointment of a new National Commission and the establishment of standards that would trigger increased federal oversight if workers’ compensation programs fail to meet those standards." The Labor Department report maintained that many state systems are leaving workers unprotected. "Some state legislatures continue to attempt to reduce workers’ compensation costs, and proposals for statutory amendments that restrict workers’ benefits or access have become increasingly bold. Notably, there have been legislative efforts to restrict benefits and increase employer control over benefits and claim processing, most dramatically exemplified by the opt-out legislation enacted, and recently struck down by the state supreme court, in Oklahoma and considered in Tennessee and South Carolina, among other states." Increasingly, workers left with large medical bills not covered by workers' comp are seeking payment from other federal programs. "Despite the sizable cost of workers’ compensation, only a small portion of the overall costs of occupational injury and illness is borne by employers," the report stated. "Costs are instead shifted away from employers, often to workers, their families and communities. Other social benefit systems – including Social Security retirement benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Medicare, and, most recently, health care provided under the Affordable Care Act – have expanded our social safety net, while the workers’ compensation safety net has been shrinking. There is growing evidence that costs of workplace-related disability are being transferred to other benefit programs, placing additional strains on these programs at a time when they are already under considerable stress." The cost of uncovered work-related medical care is so high, the report noted, that some workers have become impoverished because of it. "…working people are at great risk of falling into poverty as a result of workplace injuries and the failure of state workers’ compensation systems to provide them with adequate benefits."