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Saturday, December 28, 2019

The New State Tax Revenues - 866 Words

1.29 in new state tax revenues (Grow 2013). The ODL and northern Virginia (NOVA) community college want to become a base model for all institutions offering DL programs in the Commonwealth to emulate while surpassing other outside educational DL competitors. The partners are committed to producing quality educational opportunities to all Virginians, but believe it is a viable investment to concentrate on the northern region. This northern region will allow the partners to target a population that values degree attainment and possess a vast workforce within a concentrated area. The Associate Vice President of the ODL proclaims that â€Å"Northern Virginia is where the people and the jobs are† (A. Casiello, Personal Communication, July 11, 2012). Additionally, the focus of the DL partnership is to surface as the DL choice for citizens from among a pool of DL providers. Now all types of institutions - public and private, two year and four year, non-profit and for-profit-are vying for the same pool of students, public funding, research grants, and prestige. In the process they are creating a fierce competition that is slowly chipping away at higher education’s commitment to servicing public needs. (Couturier, 2005, p. 87) Ultimately, the institutional partners desire to enhance their relationship with other colleges and universities in the state, so that a unified statewide DL option can be offered to all Virginians. According to the Grow by Degrees presentation, for a campaignShow MoreRelatedWhy Do State Revenue Help Fund Important Services?1420 Words   |  6 PagesTo begin with, revenue is the money governments bring in, mainly from taxes. Why do we have state revenues? We have state revenue to help fund important services. Three areas of spending make up over half of state spending, on average. These three areas are K-12 education, higher education, and health care. Where do state revenues come from? More than half of state and local governments in 2008 came from six primary taxes. These came from sales taxes, including excise taxes, property taxes,Read MoreAmerica s Fiscal 2017 Budget1719 Words   |  7 Pagesabout 7 percent of Louisiana s revenue, its budget structure is more complex than other oil-producing states -- and probably most similar to Kansas in its budget woes, according to Leachman. Edwards s fiscal 2017 budget proposal includes dramatic cuts to virtually every part of state government: higher education, healthcare, the attorney general s office, and youth services. Some budget experts trace the start of Louisiana s revenue problems to the repeal of income tax increases under what has beenRead MoreGasoline Prices1309 Words   |  6 PagesGasoline Prices and State Sales Tax. According to Singers(Aug 24,2017), ITEP’S (July 2017), (July 2017), (Aug 2011), and(December 2011), higher sales and gas tax in Connecticut have consequences and a solution proposed to reduce tax burden on low income family. Based on the readings and my understanding of this topic, I conclude that increasing sales and gas taxes in Connecticut to fix a budget crisis will be financially harmful to low income families and needs to be addressed with the new policy. Singer(AugRead MoreEssay about Fair Tax: Avoidance of Taxes1696 Words   |  7 PagesPA 8720 - â€Å"Fair Tax† Policy Analysis John Maynard Keynes stated that â€Å"the avoidance of taxes is the only intellectual pursuit that carries any reward,† (Waters, 2011). In Missouri, while seeking to avoid an income tax, advocates for the â€Å"Fair Tax† have seemingly presented a proposal that is the antithesis of the pursuit Keynes deems worthy. They are proposing a constitutional amendment that would impose a sales tax that no Missourian could avoid. The â€Å"Fair Tax† would cost everyone, no matter theirRead MoreThe Explosive Growth Of E Commerce1732 Words   |  7 Pagesaffects the revenue of sales taxes and has made whether to levy taxes on Internet sales a hot debate. From the consumers’, online retailers’, and technology companies’ position, imposing sales tax on Internet sales will somehow limit the growth of both E-commerce and the Internet usage. From the side of brick-and-mortar retailers and the government body, tax advantage of E-commerce provides a market adv antage to web-based competitors, creates unfair competitions and sales tax revenue erosion. RecentlyRead MoreThe Effects Of Tax Reform1582 Words   |  7 Pagescorporate tax rates, we used two evaluative factors to measure effectiveness of our proposed policy alternatives. The most important evaluation mechanism for gauging the effectiveness of tax reform is the change in revenue attributed to the change in policy. Changes in state gross domestic product are also important to consider when proposing changes to corporate taxes, because a correlation can be made between tax rates and corporate economic output. Because Iowa has not reformed its corporate tax rateRead MoreEssay On Gas Tax1301 Words   |  6 Pages2011), higher sales and gas tax in Connecticut have consequences and a solution proposed to reduce tax burden on low income family. Based on the readings and my understanding of this topic, I conclude that increasing sales and gas taxes in Connecticut to fix a budget crisis will be financially harmful to low income families and needs to be address with the new poli cy. Singer(Aug 24,2017), pointed out that, Connecticut legislators are deciding to increase the sales tax from its current level to 6Read MoreRole of Tax Authority1218 Words   |  5 PagesTax Taxation The term tax has been derived from the French word taxe and etymologically, the Latin word taxare is related to the term tax, which means to charge. Tax is an obligatory payment in the part of the citizen without the expectation of any direct benefit. Taxation is the obligation of non-penal, yet compulsory transfer of resources from the private to the public sector levied on a basis of predetermined criteria and without reference to specific benefit received. It is one of theRead MoreAnalysis Of Morristown1044 Words   |  5 PagesBudget Analysis of Morristown, TN Like a majority of state and local governments, the City of Morristown raises revenue through taxation, fees, grants, and issuing bonds for capital projects (City of Morristown, 2017; Hyman, 2014). Like a vast majority of the United States, the Great Recession impacted the budget of Morristown, primarily through a loss in the citys manufacturing base (City of Morristown, 2017). Thankfully, since the end of the Great Recession Morristown finds its economic situationRead MoreThe Mission Of The Division Of Taxation951 Words   |  4 PagesDescription The mission of the Division of Taxation is to administer the State’s tax laws uniformly, equitably, and efficiently to maximize State revenues to support public services; and, to ensure that voluntary compliance within the taxing statutes is achieved without being an impediment to economic growth. The Division does the following to achieve this mission: †¢ Recognize, in all that we do, that our voluntary tax system requires that all of our clients be treated equally, consistently, and uniformly

Thursday, December 19, 2019

The Aftermath of Munich, West Germany Olympic Games Essay

During the 1972 Olympics games in Munich, West Germany, the German officials wanted to set a different tone to the previous game where Hitler was in power, so West Germany came to the decision to limit the officers to make the image of Germany peaceful. Of course this would have lethal consequences because although Germany may have been peaceful at the time the world specifically Palestine was anything, but peaceful. A terrorist group Black September took 11 Israeli Olympic athletes hostages and in 24 all of the hostages were dead. This was a shock to the whole world and anger fleered in Israel, which the prime minster herself set up an agency, Mossad, to target those who where directly and indirectly involved. The documentary Munich:†¦show more content†¦The viewer is able to tell that the agents are at fear with their lives because not only was their whole body covered, but also their voices where as well changed. The main reason for this is because the film Munich hit a negative cord to them, â€Å"It is highly unusual for Mossad personnel to break cover, and it is an indication of their strong objections to the film that so many have chosen to go on the record†(MacAskill). In the documentary the audience is able to see a new side of the operations because of this and is able to conclude a new conclusion that may have otherwise been different if not for the new interviews. Having multiple points of views also meant having opposite opinions of Operation Wrath of God, which was the name of the operation, in one of the operation, a son of a leader of Black September talked about how his father had nothing to do with the Munich Massacre and how the targeting members was not solving the bigger problem and said â€Å"To kill people to solve a problem is just silly† (Munich: Mossad’s Revenge). Of course that was one of the biggest criticism about Steven Spielberg Film Munich, which depicted the operation about revenge, but in the documentary the agents point out it was about â€Å"Prevention and not revenge† (OBrien). And by having different views not just agents the viewer is able to depict their own point of view, but there is still anShow MoreRelated1972 Munich Olympics Essay1578 Words   |  7 Pagesinvest time and work into their reports, or do they release reports teeming with bias and unproven facts solely for money and satisfact ory ratings? The massacre at the 1972 Munich Olympics shocked the world and its citizens, and newspapers responded by producing a variety of biased reports of coverage from the attack and its aftermath. After evaluating news releases from the left-leaning New York Times, the centrist Trenton Evening Times, and the right-leaning Dallas Morning News, the Trenton EveningRead MoreMunich Massacre6185 Words   |  25 Pages Date: 10/5/09 Topic: 1972 Munich Olympic Massacre Area of Investigation: Outline the main historical debates, perspectives or interpretations you will be discussing Discuss the role that West-German authorities played during the 1972 Munich Olympic crisis, specifically addressing their preparation prior to Black September’s terrorist, as well as their consequent actions and decisions made during the crisis. 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Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Trade and Sanctions

Questions: 1) What are trade sanctions? How do they fit into broad economic sanctions? 2) Discussion of the theoretical welfare effects on the world, that is, on the countries on which the sanctions are imposed and the sanction-imposing countries 3) Discussion of different arguments, in the literature, on the effectiveness of sanctions in achieving their stated objectives 4) Analysis of two specific trade sanctions by discussing the specific contents of the sanctions, their stated objectives, and their effects on all parties involved, whether the stated objectives were achieved. Answers: Introduction: The competitors in the international trade market have to follow proper rules and regulations stated by the World Trade Organizations. Through some appropriate rules and regulations, countries related to the world trade market end their trade operations. There are several things which are very important to understand before assessing them. Tariff, Quota, Trade sanctions are some significant export duties to be kept in mind before participating in the market (Arnold). This assignment deals with the discussions and issues related to the trade sanctions. The trade sanctions are basically identified as the penalty. It is a kind of penalty that is always imposed by only one country to any one country or too many countries. When one country (or more) is penalized by another country in different reasons, then this penalty is known as Trade sanctions. Trade sanctions are basically imposed to decrease the level of export. Trade sanctions: As introduced before, the trade sanction is a penalty that is imposed by one or more countries on one or more other nations as opined by Doyle (2014). The trade sanctions are of two types which are known as unilateral trade sanctions and multilateral trade sanctions. The unilateral trade sanctions are that penalty which is imposed by only one nation on one or more another nations. The multilateral trade sanctions are identified as the penalties that are imposed by one or more nations on the one or more other nations (Higgins). The relations behind imposing these penalties may or may not related to the trade operations. 1. Trade Sanctions and broad economic sanctions: Shojal Root claim that economic sanctions or broad economic sanctions are those policies which genuinely try to warn the factors which harm or violate the international trade terms (Shojal and Root). As per the viewpoint of the critiques, the sanctions are not sufficient in reaching the goals for what it was made. Stated or non-stated actions in trade world may or may not be controlled with the aid of the economic sanctions. There is some effectiveness which helps in sorting the issues in relation to violent behaviour to some extent. More precisely, the economic sanctions can be explained as the removal or withdrawal financial associations along with the customary trade for some foreign policies and security reasons. It is noticed that over the years, there are many nations who just impose trade sanctions for some very unjustified reasons. For instance, when the import of international goods in industry increases then simultaneously it harms the domestic markets. In such a situation, a country tries to impose excessive tariffs or trade sanction on the import of those goods but it may or may not effects the situation properly (Krugman and Wells). The main loophole of this policy is their over effectiveness. In order to save the domestic market, this policy affects the international trade in a negative way. Economic sanctions are broadly distinguished from the trade sanctions (Bapat and Morgan). However, these things are imposed not only for the welfare purpose in a nation but also for the welfare of the whole world. 2. Welfare effects of Trade sanctions on both parties: Obviously, there are some positive aspects of trade sanctions or barriers with some negative effects to. First of all, it shall be stated that the trade barriers supports a nation hugely to decrease the level of imports. The trade helps and harms both the countries who impose it and whom it being imposed (Higgins). Imposing the trade sanctions harms the country itself. Importing excessive goods is much costlier than producing it or buying it in the domestic markets. Still, some nations import products for several purposes like quality, quantity, availability etc. If it is noticed minutely, then it can be assessed that excessive imports ultimately harms the domestic markets and imbalances the trade of the economy (Hubbard and O'Brien). Tariffs or Quota are some trade barriers which help the domestic markets to be flourished. The effects of imposing various protectionisms such as tariff, quota and embargo etc. basically increase the level of domestic production and hence economic growth comes following this factor. Moreover, the price of the goods in the domestic market will increase because people now do not have enough options (Jha). For instance, foreign companies like the US outsource their job opportunities to the underdeveloped or developing the country by establishing their subsidiaries in those markets. It basically harms the domestic job market because they pay package is much fairer than the domestic companies. So naturally people like to work for them instead of working in the domestic markets. Implementing protectionism solves this problem too (Drenzer). However, there is the darker side of the factors to which affects the trade market intensively. As a result of a decrease in imports, the country suffers from the insufficient stock of goods. Geographical aspects assess that every nation has some competitive advantage in several industries like agricultures, manufacturing or on minerals (Drenzer). If a country cannot min sufficient gold from itself then it has to import raw gold to meet the demand of the country. Now imposing trade sanctions barriers to this factor and hence the gold price in the domestic market increases. It is very harmful to the food industry because food materials are segregated as necessities. Increasing prices of food materials can cause starvation, poverty and malnutrition (Jordi). Hence it degrades not only economic growth of the nation who imposes tariff but also degrades the standard of living. It is very general that imposing a tax on the country who is exporting, harm the business or industry of that country. Along with that, it increases the stockpile of the goods in the country who is exporting. With some certain assumptions in the viewpoint of the demand and supply theory, it can be stated that this factor increases the price of those goods (Welch and Welch). It is surveyed that the United States has imposed sanctions for 60 times in previous three years for at least 35 different countries in the world. It is affecting the 42% of the world economy. The world export has been facing severe loss of 20 billion dollars up to the present era. As stated U.S became successful in saving the domestic market to some extent but affecting the world market which indirectly negatively impacted the U.S. itself (Krugman and Wells). 3. Effectiveness of sanctions to achieve their goals: The literature claims that the sanctions are harmful and helpful for the both the parties. Sanctions were made to save unjustified behaviours of the nation towards other countries. It was become effective initially but history proves that it becomes intolerable day by day. The sanctions that the US had implemented for 60 times in different nations became effective initially but in the long run, the country starts facing the problem of serious starvation and poverty (Leijonhufvud). The case of US tax imposition on the Iran from 1991, Soviet Union was get banned by U.S through embargo in 1980 and many more cases concludes four key results. First one says that Sanctions do not work frequently, it is very rare when sanction works. Secondly, the unilateral sanctions are not sufficient in affecting their country or in reaching their goals. The worse effect was received by America was on their trade sector. Moreover, U.S. has faced severe damage on their reputation as a supplier. The U.S. before was identified as one of the reliable material suppliers in the trade market but after all these incidents its reputation was harmed (Wetzstein). However, as per the opinion of Drenzer, all of this critical points have some flaws too. It is observed that the Sanctions work more prominently on allies instead of working on adversaries. It has been surveyed that the there is a major reason exist behind the sanctions failure. One of them is the way that a country imposes it, i.e. half-heartedly (Poon). It is always not that the sanctions do not work. Comprehensive research claims that during 1914 to 1990, more than 116 sanctions were imposed. The result states those sanctions were successful for the third time, were partially achievable at the third time and again for the third time it became ineffective (Terra). This study on the America clearly depicts that the motive for which the sanctions were developed got almost unfulfilled. It was seen that failure rate of that sanctions is more than its success rate. This is probably because the way it works or the way it is imposed. If the pattern of imposing sanctions or barriers can be changed then it might work much effectively. In general, the trade sanctions become a burden for some country. Some scholars have stated that the comprehensive types of sanctions are more often prove that they are ineffective and bring failure. Oskaran (2012), has argued that the success of sanctions depends on upon its goal. It happens that the sanctions were made for some purpose and the purpose has been changed in due courses. Obviously, the sanctions got failed which had happened in the case or Iran, Iraq and Libya (Oskarsson). Parker (2000), supports him by stating that generalizing one or more cases and concluding based on the case study result are always not fruitful. An in-depth analysis is always needed to check things properly before analysing them (Parker). 4. Two Specific sanctions: There are numerous numbers of sanctions are present among which two have been stated here in an informative way. 1. United States Embargos: United States embargos are pretty famous in the world of trade sanctions. This embargo was imposed by the United States government to one or more country on one or more goods for different reasons. The United States Embargo includes several rules and regulations or tax imposition on different goods. According to this embargos, the United States has imposed import barrier on arm related goods, financial restrictions, on the economic assistance during the civil war. Also, this sanction resists the dual use exports (Walker). During the Civil War, United Sates banned the export of farm related goods in order to stronger their own power of weapons. They wanted to make them stronger. It was needed huge financial funds and economic support. If U.S. provides financial supports or economic assistance to other than it will make them weaker. So they stop providing financial assistance to their enemy countries. The main objective for which the whole thing was designed to get the victory. All was designed to get the supreme power. Exporting goods from Iran, Sudan, Myanmar, Sudan, and Syria had been banned by the America. The objective was not fully met but yes, it had affected those countries hugely. Iran was initially started to suffer from losses but after it stronger its nuclear power, the sanctions become meaningless. Sanctions against North Korea were justified and it became successful in prohibiting the abuse of human rights by the country. Myanmar being a poor country was stopped receiving financial help from other countries. The embargo was imposed on Syria because it was identified as the terrorist zone. The mechanism of the embargo has improved the standard of living in the country (Oskarsson). 2. Cuba Sanctions: U.S. and Cuba hold very diplomatic associations between themselves. The U.S. maintains a strict economic embargo against Cuba regarding the trade between them. It was implemented in against of certain actions help by the Cuban government. The Certain regulation was implemented which are remain in place even in today. All were implemented to save Cuban Assets also and with the help of the U.S. government, it became successful. The other objective behind this Cuba Sanction was to keep trade peace between this two countries which was very important (Terra). Conclusion: The above discussion clearly states that the sanctions are effective but not for all time. It also can be analysed that there are fewer situations where sanctions became effectively handle the situations. Trade restrictions or sanctions are always helpful to save the domestic market but sometimes it hurts the world economy to the next level. Some evidence has been analysed here and an ingesting fact is revealed. The way people judge whether a sanction is successful or not can be all wrong. If the reasons for what sanctions were made, become changed then sanctions can never be successful. So, research or analysis should be done in an appropriate way too. References: Arnold, R. Macroeconomics. London: Cengage Learning, (2008). Bapat, Navin A. and Morgan, T. "Multilateral versus unilateral sanctions reconsidered: A test using new data." International Studies Quarterly (2009): 1075-1094. 53.4. Doyle, J. "How Prospects for Global Economic Growth influence Indian Foreign Policy." Strategy Leadership (2014): 42.2. Drenzer, D. "The hidden hand of economic coercion." International Organization, (2003): 643-659. 57.03. Higgins, K. Economic Growth, and Sustainability: Systems Thinking for a Complex World. Academic Press: Cambridge, (2014). Hubbard, R. and O'Brien, A. Macroeconomics. Boston: Pearson. Boston: Pearson (2013). Jha, R. Contemporary Macroeconomic Theory and Policy. Kolkata: New Age International, (2008). Jordi, G. Monetary Policy, Inflation, and the Business Cycle: An Introduction to the New Keynesian Framework and Its Applications. Princeton: Princeton University Press, (2015). Krugman, P. and Wells, R. Macroeconomics. New York, NY: Worth Publishers, (2013). Leijonhufvud, A. Macroeconomic Instability, and Coordination: Selected Essays of Axel Leijonhufvud. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, (2000). Oskarsson, K. "Economic sanctions on authoritarian states: Lessons learned." Middle East Policy, (2012): 88-102. 19.4. Parker, W. "The problem with scorecards: How (and how not) to measure the cost-effectiveness." Michigan Journal of International Law, (2000): 235-294. 21. Poon, D. Economic and Trade Information on Hong Kong. (2016). 09 06 2016. https://hong-kong-economy-research.hktdc.com/business-news/article/Market-Environment/Economic-and-Trade-Information-on-Hong-Kong/etihk/en/1/1X000000/1X09OVUL.htm. Shojal, S. and P. Root. "Effectiveness Of Economic Sanctions:Empirical Research Revisited." International Business Economics Research Journal, (2013): 1479-1490. 12.11. Terra, C. Principles of International Finance and Open Economy Macroeconomics: Theories, Applications, and Policies. Cambridge: Academic Press, 2015. Walker, A. "The UK and the EU: Trade and economy." 31 05 2016. 31 05 2016. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35757324. Welch, P. and G. Welch. Economics: Theory and Practice. Hoboken: John Wiley Sons, (2009). Wetzstein, M. Microeconomic Theory: Concepts and Connections. Abington: Routledge, (2013).

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

The Story Behind the Nazi Gold Essay Thesis Example For Students

The Story Behind the Nazi Gold Essay Thesis Nazi Gold: Hard currency looted from treasuries of countries occupied by the Axis powers during World War II. Ingots consisting of gold melted down from the teeth of murder victims and weddings bands and jewelry. About two thirds of an estimated $660 million ($7. 8 billion in todays dollars) in stolen Nazi gold passed through Switzerland during the war. And like any sharp businessmen with hot goods, the Swiss disposed of much of their gold quickly through Portugal mainly, but also to Sweden, Spain, and other central banks (Hirsh 48). Probably no more that $140 million remains unaccounted for, and a good portion of that was probably sold onward as well. But what remains of the known Nazi hoard (none of which has been returned to the Jewish community) is worth no more than about $65 million according to the Brussels-based Tripartite Gold Commission, set up after World War II to return stolen gold to national treasuries. Recently the Clinton administration created a commission to search for any Nazi funds that might have ended up in U.S. Federal Reserve vaults. We have to be willing not only to focus the spotlight on Switzerland, says Under Secretary of Commerce Stuart Eizenstat. We have to be willing to follow the trail of assets into our own treasury (qtd. in Hirsh 47). This trail though, suggests that there is no huge stash of Nazi gold in Switzerland. The loot has scattered worldwide through numerous transactions and is probably irretrievable. Also, because so many banks were involved, theamount of gold left in Switzerland is probably negligible, contrary to what investigators have until now presumed. At this point the cost or returning the Nazi Gold to its rightful owners is not worth the trouble and inconvenience it would create.Documents released in recent months have made it clear that Swiss banks traded in looted Nazi-gold, and that Swiss businesses made a fortune selling arms to the Nazis. In a historical report published around May 9,1997, it was said that there was no evidence that the Swiss or other neutral countries knew that gold from the central banks had been smelted together with gold fillings, wedding bands, and other jewelry stolen from Holocaust victims (Sanger). But, Eizenstat found incontrovertible evidence that Swiss bankers knew they were trading in gold that Germany had looted from the treasuries of states it occupied, and also a handwritten ledger sheet from the Reichsbank showed a deposit of 29,996 grams of dental gold into a Swiss account (A harsh). This confirms that the Nazis melted down and recirculated gold extracted from the teeth of murdered Jews and other death camp victims. It also proves the involvement and knowledge of dealings with gold extracted from teeth of murdered victims by the Swiss in that there were depositsmadeintotheiraccounts. Germany also sent Switzerland via diplomatic pouch packages of jewelry, looted from Jewish persecutees, to be exchanged for industrial diamonds and foreign currency essential to the German war effort (Sanders). From this evidence we see that the Swiss acted as the Nazis principal bankers and after the war took a legalistic stance to hold onto their ill-gotten gains, returning only $58 million worth of gold (Chesnoff). Some argue that the Swiss should have given up all of the gold, but why should they? It was business after all. Many Swiss argue that what Switzerland did was done for survivals sake, but their critics assert that it was Wieckowski 3 done of opportunism and amorality and should be paid for in both moral and financial terms (Cowell)During WWII, the German threat to Switzerland was real, not imaginary or exaggerated. After the collapse of France in 1940, historically neutral Switzerland was virtually surrounded by axis-dominated territory. 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