Most of the time climate deniers like to think their economy is under fire by those seeking to maintain Earth's troposphere in a livable capacity. I think Bulgaria is a prime example of a country struggling with other issues, yet maintaining their commitment to protecting and reversing the deadly trend of the climate crisis.
Every one of the countries we have examined so far have considerable carbon sinks. Australia is trying to understand if there is anything that can be done to return The Great Barrier Reef. Austria's land is 50 percent forest and in my opinion is actually a carbon sink in the global picture. Belgium is growing more forest every year to increase it's land ability to absorb CO2 and then there is Bulgaria trying to understand the mass exodus of their young people, being successful in energy production and maintaining close monitoring of greenhouse gases.
They are all countires to admire. They have their own problems, but, never take their eye off the ball of the climate crisis.
One thing Americans never stop to realize is the pride other countries have in their climate programs. When events occur, like the loss of coral reefs globally, the people trying their darnest to end this danger really are hurt by the failure to do so. The USA has lost that aspect to their national identity.
The climate crisis is real. The USA is plagued by not just major tornadoes, but, tornado outbreaks. Tornado outbreaks are the norm and a generation of young Americans do not know any different now. To them that is the baseline to tornadoes when in fact their grandparents have a very differnt orientation. The same is true of hurricanes. There are more incredibly powerful storms across the USA today than ever before in history. I am not just talking about an incredibly powerful storm once in a decade or once in a century, there are storms of this nature all the time now.
A generation of Americans have no real reference point to a safe climate. There are either tornadoes, hurricanes or severe snow events in their lives. There are few days where the air is calm without rain or wind or severe temperatures. That is not good. It is not good for the USA or the global community.
If Australia, Austria, Belgium and Bulgaria can do their part with pride and serious concern; then the USA can as well if it returns to dedication to the natural world and it's importance to living on and with Earth.
Sunday, February 11, 2018
It is among the most extensive examination of a country to find compliance to reduce greenhouse gases I have seen. The dedication of the Bulgarian people to contibute to a calm climate is impressive. I wish them continued success and sincerely hope their economy performs better for all their people to bring the young people back.
Bulgaria is a beautiful country and has a proud heritage and national esteem as a global power. The young people have every reason to love their country. I wish them all well.
Bulgaria has control of 59% of it's energy needs. That means their forests can be managed to mitigate greenhouse gases.
The national energy company became BEH in 2008 and spawned two subsidiaries in January 2014; Independent Bulgarian Energy Exchange and Energy Investment Company. February of that same year, 2014, they obtained Elektroenergien as well.
There is hydroelectric power plants, but, few alternative energy projects such as wind and solar.
BHE is doing exceptionally well in supplying energy to the people of Bulgaria, but, it should be making at least small investments in experimental wind and solar projects to find where they can be applied to the energy grid.
Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH) (click here) is the holding company for a group of companies which are principally engaged in electricity generation, supply and transmission, natural gas transmission, supply and storage and coal mining. BEH Group holds a leading position in the electricity and gas market in Bulgaria and, through electricity exports, in the Balkans. BEH is wholly owned by the Bulgarian state and is the largest state-owned company in terms of total assets in the country. The rights of ownership of the state are exercised by the Minister of Energy.
The Group owns the main electricity generation facilities in the country as well as the electricity transmission grid and the gas transmission and transit networks. The Group is also the public supplier of both electricity and gas in Bulgaria and it is therefore a strategically important state company. The Group's market share of Bulgaria's electricity generation was 59% in 2015 when it had an installed electricity generation capacity of 6.3 GW and generated 29.24 TWh of electricity.
BEH or its subsidiaries are participating in five international gas pipeline projects, namely the South Stream pipeline and four interconnection pipeline projects between Bulgaria and Greece, Romania, Serbia and Turkey, respectively, which are at different stages of development.
Young Bulgarians have universities to attend to obtain and advance a career.
The building reminds me of Harvard's ivy covered buildings. But, the fact there are universities for young people shows the country dearly loves them. I have to wonder what the diversity is in the university in maintaining a high number of Bulgarians. The university is accredited with European organizations that monitor educational facilities.
Bulgaria is situated in the central part of the Balkan peninsula with a total area of 11073350 ha, of which over 33 percent is covered by forests. Most of the forests are situated on mountain slopes and non-arable lands. The highest mountain peak rises to 2925 m. The timber-line reaches 2200 m above sea-level.
Forests in Bulgaria are public property, with 97.3 percent belonging to the state and the rest being owned by agro-industrial complexes and forestry schools for temporary management and use. The concentration of forests is quite uneven, ranging from almost 70 percent of land in the most wooded district to only about 8 percent in the least wooded one.
The variety of species, which depends largely on the altitude, is great. Coniferous forests cover 33.1 percent of the total wooded land; deciduous forests, 66.9 percent. Oak forests cover the zone up to 1200 m altitude; beech forests rise up to 1600 m; and the coniferous zone stretches to the upper forest limits.
Only a few tree species are of economic significance. Important among the coniferous are the white pine (Pinus sylvestris), the black pine (Pinus nigra), the spruce (Picea excelsa), the fir tree (Abies alba) and the Balkan pine (Pinus peuce), while among the deciduous are the beech (Fagus sylvatica), the oak (Quercus spp.), the poplar (Populus spp.) and the ash-tree (Fraxinus spp.). About 86.4 percent of the total forested area is destined for wood-production cover; the remainder has protective or recreational functions....
According to the World Bank foreign investment reached it's maximum in 2010 with $1.843 billion. It has dropped off from then to $1.179 billion. It doesn't seem to correlate with population deterioration which has been occuring steadily since the 1990s.
Population: 7.128 million (2016) World Bank
Life expectancy: 74.47 years (2015) World Bank
Fertility rate: 1.53 births per woman (2015) World Bank
Unemployment rate: 6.2% (Aug 2017) Eurostat
GNI per capita (click here) : 19,020 PPP dollars (click here) (2016) World Bank
Population growth rate: -0.7% annual change (2016) World Bank
Official language: Bulgarian
This is a little over 8 years ago, so hopefully, things have improved. But, the climate in Bulgaria is important.
Bulgaria, (click here) Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece are the countries that would be worst affected by global warming, according to a European Union report.
The EC Joint Research Commission (JRC) report, released on Wednesday, takes into account four significantly sensitive factors: agriculture, river flooding, coastal systems and tourism.
The JRC analysis is based on applying the effects of the climate expected in the 2080s, and applying them to the current situation across Europe.
The most badly affected areas, according to this analysis, are Southern and Eastern Europe. Northern Europe would be the sole region to benefit, in economic terms and for the aspects studied in climate terms.
There will be a negative impact provoked by climate change in all four sectors. Drought will reduce agricultural production by 25%, while tourist revenues might drop to EUR 5 B annually. A temperature rise of 5,4ºC is predicted as likely in Eastern and Southern Europe.
Overall, the EU would face yearly GDP losses of between EUR 20 B and EUR 65 B, depending on the precise temperature increase.
The economic well-being, or welfare, of Europeans, historically rising at about 2% annually, would improve less. In Bulgaria, it would fall by 1,3%, and the country would be among those worst affected in the tourism sector....
Bulgaria is not crime central. When people are poor and left to their own devices, there will be more "opportunistic" crime such as theft, etc.
To page through the pictures and comments, this is a very comfortable resort area where families bring their children. Culture is the backbone to family tourism, especially with children of school age. Bulgaria needs to foster it's cultural heritage and add-on tourism to these folks. They don't even think about the incredible history of Bulgaria when they are visiting. Culture makes it an interesting vacation.
Crime (click here)
Crime levels are low and violent crime is rare. However, you should take care of yourself and your belongings in the same way as you would do in the UK. Take sensible precautions to protect yourself from street crime, particularly in larger cities. Watch out for pickpockets in tourist areas and major public transport hubs, including airports. Be vigilant at all times, particularly late at night. Report all incidents of crime to the local police and make sure you get a crime report.
Tourists are targeted by thieves and pickpockets in Sunny Beach and other resorts. Don’t take valuables to the beach and be wary of poorly lit roads around the resort at night. There has been an increase in burglaries from hotel rooms in Sunny Beach. Make sure you lock your room (including windows and balcony doors) and keep your valuables locked in a safe. Don’t change money on the streets in Sunny Beach, only at licensed exchange points, banks or hotels.
Prostitution is not illegal in Bulgaria. However, we have received numerous reports of pickpocketing, muggings and assaults of British nationals by prostitutes and their minders. Avoid areas where prostitutes operate especially late at night, including car parks, the beach, badly lit areas and areas with bushes and trees. Stick to main routes and avoid alleys and short cuts in Sunny Beach....
The unique lands of Bulgaria have yet to be experienced by tourism.
Bulgaria (click here) is projected to have the fastest-shrinking population in the world. It's already lost a fifth of its population since the 1990s. But what does this mean for those who remain?
Deep in the Bulgarian countryside, in the western province of Pernik, I make a rare discovery.
It's not Stoyan Evtimov's traditional embroidered woollen tunic that makes him unusual.
It's the fact he's a thirty-something living in a village. "All my friends that I grew up with here left long ago," he says.
Like many young Bulgarians, they moved to towns and cities in search of work.
Stoyan considers himself lucky to have employment in the mountain village of Peshtera, leading its folk-singing group and organising an annual music festival in an attempt to revive traditional marriage music, and the village.Even so, he is finding village life unsustainable....
Stoyan Evtimov, the gentleman in the picture, did a magnificent thing. He loved his culture and harnessed music to grow his personal economy. That is important, what Mr. Evtimov lacks is a growing audience.
...This exodus contributes to another factor in Bulgaria's dwindling population numbers - in part because a lot of young adults have left the country, the birth rate is low.
The last time a baby was born in the village, recalls shopkeeper Stefka - whose own two sons have moved away to the city - was a decade ago. The little girl and her mother now live in Cyprus, she adds.
The vast majority of the people Stefka serves are over the age of 60. The shelves are sparsely stocked, she says, because there aren't many customers, and she worries the shop will have to close.
Higher up the mountain, the village shops have already shut, along with schools and bus services....
Bulgaria needs investiment in tourism. It has incredible variations in climate and it's land are beautiful. It's people are beautiful in their love for their country, Mr. Evtimov is a fine example of it.
When populations drop in such a percipitous way, the national income will suffer. Then that suffers the tourism areas will deteriorate, or in the case of Bulgaria, won't be harnessed for sustainable development in the first place. This is a prime example of the RUT countries are in when producing an income and PURPOSE for their people. The leadership wants to see factories and all kinds of manufacturing when in fact the most attractive aspect of Bulgaria is it's unique climate and it's lands. Where are the commercial fisherman that want the experience of fishing in these rivers and streams?
To the left is the "Rhodopean Spined Loach." It seems similar to a cat fish. I am sure locals can atest to it's taste and sportsman appeal. Now call me crazy, but, aren't land snails used in escargot? There has to be at least one or two in these 57 different species that make good escargot. Yes?
...Among the 57 land snails known only from Bulgaria (Univ. Plovdiv pdf file) are Alinda vratzatica (conchology.be), Micridyla pinteri (AnimalBase), Helicigona pelia(AnimalBase), Laciniaria macilenta (AnimalBase), and Macedonica martae(AnimalBase). Endemic freshwater snails include Belgrandiella angelovi (ARKive),Bythinella hansboetersi (malaco.de pdf file), Radomaniola rhodopensis (ARKive),Grossuana angeltsekovi (p. 12 of malaco.de pdf file), and Devetakia pandurskii (p. 4 of malaco.de pdf file).
I think most Americans can read "Encyclopedia Britannica," right?
I think Bulgaria has enjoyed such a long history as a sovereign country is because of it's trade routes. The economy was always very viable.
Bulgaria, (click here) officially Republic of Bulgaria, Bulgarian Republika Bŭlgariya, country occupying the eastern portion of the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe. Founded in the 7th century, Bulgaria is one of the oldest states on the European continent. It is intersected by historically important routes from northern and eastern Europe to the Mediterranean basin and from western and central Europe to the Middle East. Even before the creation of the Bulgarian state, the empires of ancient Rome, Greece, and Byzantium were strong presences, and people and goods traveled the land with frequency....
...Nearly rectangular in outline, Bulgaria is bounded by Romania to the north, with most of the border marked by the lower Danube River. The Black Sea lies to the east, Turkey and Greece to the south, Macedonia to the southwest, and Serbia to the west. The capital city, Sofia, lies in a mountainous basin in the west....
Mississippi is one of the poorest states in the country. Most states have fairly healthy conservation movements and tourism.
February 2, 2018
By Rick Holmes
Gauthier, Miss. — This used to be the heart of a great American savanna. (click here) Now it’s about all that’s left....
...For centuries the savannas (click here) went largely undisturbed, even after Europeans settled the Gulf Coast, in part because people couldn’t figure out how to squeeze profits out of it. But after World War II, timber companies figured out a way. They bought up the savannas and got government to buy it as state and national forests for their use. They cut ditches to drain the swamps and turned them into pine plantations: acres and acres of scratch pine trees, planted in neat rows. The ones I saw barely grow big enough for a two-by-four before they are harvested and chipped up for composite products.
People also started putting out the wildfires that sustain the savanna habitat. And with the advent of air conditioning, the population grew, turning savannas into parking lots and subdivisions in the process.
By the mid-1970s, the wet savanna habitat had shrunk to less than 5 percent of its previous size and the Mississippi sandhill crane was on the brink of extinction. Naturalists counted 30 to 35 still in the wild, with just five breeding pairs. The Interstate Highway System threatened to finish the job, with I-10 slated to slice through the middle of what was left of the cranes’ domain....
Ecotourism is about the "OOohhs and Ahhhs" when bird watchers and tourists come to view the incredible vistas of wildlife. When species become so endangered they have to be protected from any and all tourists, that doesn't really bring in big tourist dollars.
Please note: (click here) Most of the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge is off limit to the public due to the endangerment status of the birds and the wet pine savanna environment. However, there are a number of wildlife-oriented recreational activities to do including hiking, photography, education, and the visitor center. No Camping or picnicking allowed on the refuge.
I am skeptical about the protections, for the cranes (click here) especially because wild hogs are a problem in the south as are the hunters that have no clue about the wildlife so much as their dogs and pigs they hunt. The population isn't increasing by much and there have to be reasons.
By Rick Holmes
Gauthier, Miss. — This used to be the heart of a great American savanna. (click here) Now it’s about all that’s left....
...For centuries the savannas (click here) went largely undisturbed, even after Europeans settled the Gulf Coast, in part because people couldn’t figure out how to squeeze profits out of it. But after World War II, timber companies figured out a way. They bought up the savannas and got government to buy it as state and national forests for their use. They cut ditches to drain the swamps and turned them into pine plantations: acres and acres of scratch pine trees, planted in neat rows. The ones I saw barely grow big enough for a two-by-four before they are harvested and chipped up for composite products.
People also started putting out the wildfires that sustain the savanna habitat. And with the advent of air conditioning, the population grew, turning savannas into parking lots and subdivisions in the process.
By the mid-1970s, the wet savanna habitat had shrunk to less than 5 percent of its previous size and the Mississippi sandhill crane was on the brink of extinction. Naturalists counted 30 to 35 still in the wild, with just five breeding pairs. The Interstate Highway System threatened to finish the job, with I-10 slated to slice through the middle of what was left of the cranes’ domain....
Ecotourism is about the "OOohhs and Ahhhs" when bird watchers and tourists come to view the incredible vistas of wildlife. When species become so endangered they have to be protected from any and all tourists, that doesn't really bring in big tourist dollars.
Please note: (click here) Most of the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge is off limit to the public due to the endangerment status of the birds and the wet pine savanna environment. However, there are a number of wildlife-oriented recreational activities to do including hiking, photography, education, and the visitor center. No Camping or picnicking allowed on the refuge.
I am skeptical about the protections, for the cranes (click here) especially because wild hogs are a problem in the south as are the hunters that have no clue about the wildlife so much as their dogs and pigs they hunt. The population isn't increasing by much and there have to be reasons.
GDP per capita: 2016 - $7,580 US
Now, it isn't really fair to have a country with a GDP $7,580 carry the same burden as a major first world country, yet, the morality of the Bulgarians were exactly that. They signed and ratified Kyoto Protocol and never withdrew as the George W. Bush administration did in 2002.
Most folks don't read "Nature." They rather read "Esquire" and "Cosmo." Or they'd try to "Keep Up with the Kardashians."
I have been reading "Nature" for a long time. It is a journal that brings significant articles from every scientific discipline to peers like myself.
Nature, Vol. 416
28 March 2002
The Earth's climate (click here) has warmed by approximately 0.6 8C over the past 100 years with two main periods of warming, between 1910 and 1945 and from 1976 onwards. The rate of warming during the latter period has been approximately double that of the ®rst and, thus, greater than at any other time during the last 1,000 years1 . Organisms, populations and ecological communities do not, however, respond to approximated global averages. Rather, regional changes, which are highly spatially heterogeneous (Fig. 1), are more relevant in the context of ecological response to climatic change. In many regions there is an asymmetry in the warming that undoubtedly will contribute to heterogeneity in ecological dynamics across systems. Diurnal temperature ranges have decreased because minimum temperatures are increasing at about twice the rate of maximum temperatures. As a consequence, the freeze-free periods in most mid- and high-latitude regions are lengthening and satellite data reveal a 10% decrease in snow cover and ice extent since the late 1960s. Changes in the precipitation regime have also been neither spatially nor temporally uniform (Fig. 1). In the mid- and high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere a decadal increase of 0.5±1% mostly occurs in autumn and winter whereas, in the sub-tropics, precipitation generally decreases by about 0.3% per decade....
Nature, Vol. 416
28 March 2002
The Earth's climate (click here) has warmed by approximately 0.6 8C over the past 100 years with two main periods of warming, between 1910 and 1945 and from 1976 onwards. The rate of warming during the latter period has been approximately double that of the ®rst and, thus, greater than at any other time during the last 1,000 years1 . Organisms, populations and ecological communities do not, however, respond to approximated global averages. Rather, regional changes, which are highly spatially heterogeneous (Fig. 1), are more relevant in the context of ecological response to climatic change. In many regions there is an asymmetry in the warming that undoubtedly will contribute to heterogeneity in ecological dynamics across systems. Diurnal temperature ranges have decreased because minimum temperatures are increasing at about twice the rate of maximum temperatures. As a consequence, the freeze-free periods in most mid- and high-latitude regions are lengthening and satellite data reveal a 10% decrease in snow cover and ice extent since the late 1960s. Changes in the precipitation regime have also been neither spatially nor temporally uniform (Fig. 1). In the mid- and high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere a decadal increase of 0.5±1% mostly occurs in autumn and winter whereas, in the sub-tropics, precipitation generally decreases by about 0.3% per decade....
...Air temperature changes until now (click here)
Generally, there is no significant overall trend of mean annual air temperature in Bulgaria for the 20th century (6). Warming is observed, however, from the middle of 1980s. In fact, since 1997 all annual temperature anomalies are positive. 2007 was the warmest year recorded during the period of measurements in Bulgaria: temperature was 1.6⁰C above the average over the period 1961-1990. The years 1994, 2000, 2002 and 2009 were among the warmest years on record in Bulgaria (2).
In the eastern Mediterranean, the intensity, length and number of heat waves have increased by a factor of six to eight since the 1960s (9).
Precipitation changes until now
Annual precipitation varied considerably from year to year in the 20th century (6). Climate in Bulgaria became drier at the end of the 20th century. During the last decade however, precipitation totals have increased. Heavy rains caused severe floods damaging various socioeconomic sectors (2)....
It's Sunday Night
—Gillian Anderson
For those in the USA that are confused about nudity and a woman's right to be free of violence. There are eons of difference between beauty, the right to nudity, the right to a couple's intimacy and sexual assault.
Being sexy and what it looks like is never going away.
To the right:
Bulgarian (click here) model Rali Ivanova is the Bulgarian representative in the Sexiest Woman Alive 2010 list by US men's magazine Esquire.
"Rumored to be inspiration for the word "bodacious," the magazine's definition of Ivanova said.
The Bulgarian is not very popular in her homeland because she has been living and working as a model in the United States for years....
Unfortuantely, Ms. Ivanova had a drinking problem, but, it wasn't in the USA.
February 19, 2015
The Bulgarian is not very popular in her homeland because she has been living and working as a model in the United States for years....
Unfortuantely, Ms. Ivanova had a drinking problem, but, it wasn't in the USA.
February 19, 2015
By Geoff Fox
Land O' Lakes — A professional model (click here) living in St. Petersburg was arrested early Wednesday and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said.
Billed as “the sexiest Bulgarian alive” by Esquire.com, Ralitsa “Rali” Ivanova, 29, told the sheriff’s deputy who pulled her over in north Land O’ Lakes that she thought she was driving in Tampa, a sheriff’s report said.
A curvaceous blonde swimsuit model who has credited her money-making looks on Bulgarian, Italian and Russian ancestry, Ivanova told the deputy she was trying to drive home to St. Petersburg from Tampa and lost her way because she was texting while driving, the sheriff’s report said.
Ivanova showed the deputy her phone, which included texts from someone advising her not to perform field sobriety tests or take a breath test, the report said.
The deputy wrote that Ivanova’s breath smelled strongly of alcohol and that she had difficulty maintaining her balance when she got out of her vehicle, a black BMW....
Land O' Lakes — A professional model (click here) living in St. Petersburg was arrested early Wednesday and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said.
Billed as “the sexiest Bulgarian alive” by Esquire.com, Ralitsa “Rali” Ivanova, 29, told the sheriff’s deputy who pulled her over in north Land O’ Lakes that she thought she was driving in Tampa, a sheriff’s report said.
A curvaceous blonde swimsuit model who has credited her money-making looks on Bulgarian, Italian and Russian ancestry, Ivanova told the deputy she was trying to drive home to St. Petersburg from Tampa and lost her way because she was texting while driving, the sheriff’s report said.
Ivanova showed the deputy her phone, which included texts from someone advising her not to perform field sobriety tests or take a breath test, the report said.
The deputy wrote that Ivanova’s breath smelled strongly of alcohol and that she had difficulty maintaining her balance when she got out of her vehicle, a black BMW....
Bulgarian national anthem in Bulgarian and English and the national flag of Bulgaria.
BULGARIAN LYRICS (Latin script)
ENGLISH TRANSLATION,
Gorda Stara Planina,
Pirin looms in purple glow.
Oh, dear native land,
Earthly paradise!
for the beloved our people
Mother, give me man's power
Proudly rise the Balkan peaks
Do nei Dunava sinei,
At their feet Blue Danube flows;
Slantse Tkrakiya ogriava,
Over Thrace the sun is shining,
Nad Pirina plamenei
Pirin looms in purple glow.
CHORUS:
CHORUS:
Milo Rodino,
Oh, dear native land,
Ti si zemen rai,
Earthly paradise!
Tvoita hubost, tvoota prelest,
For your loveliness, your beauty
Ah te niamat krai.
E'er will charm our eyes.
Padnaha boitsi bezchet,
Uncounted fighter died
Za naroda nash liubim
for the beloved our people
Maiko, dai mi muzhka sila,
Mother, give me man's power
Patia im da prodalzhim
Their path to continue.
Women are not going to be silenced anymore, especially, by abusive men like Trump.
While Donald Trump's issues with sexual assault are hidden beneath "Non-Disclosure Agreements," it doesn't mean no one knows they exist. And to think he has the audacity to help cover up domestic violence in his White House staff and allow for breaches in national security only reveals his own agenda for the office of president.
February 10, 2018
By Mark Landler
Washington — President Trump thrust himself (click here) into the national debate over sexual misconduct on Saturday, asserting that “a mere allegation” could destroy the lives of those accused, as his own White House was engulfed by charges of abusive behavior.
Mr. Trump, in an early morning Twitter post, appeared to be defending two of his aides who resigned this past week after facing claims of domestic violence.
“Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation,” he wrote. “Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused — life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?”
The statement echoed Mr. Trump’s dismissive response to allegations of sexual misconduct or abuse made over decades against male friends, colleagues and, above all, himself....
February 10, 2018
By Mark Landler
Washington — President Trump thrust himself (click here) into the national debate over sexual misconduct on Saturday, asserting that “a mere allegation” could destroy the lives of those accused, as his own White House was engulfed by charges of abusive behavior.
Mr. Trump, in an early morning Twitter post, appeared to be defending two of his aides who resigned this past week after facing claims of domestic violence.
“Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation,” he wrote. “Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused — life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?”
The statement echoed Mr. Trump’s dismissive response to allegations of sexual misconduct or abuse made over decades against male friends, colleagues and, above all, himself....
State by State fees for licensed and registered professions.
The place where secret taxes are lodged is in the "fee schedule" be it local, state or federal. As the deductions for state and local taxes disappear there will be other opportunities to pay higher fees and it will add to deductions in a different way.
As states look to help their citizens in every way possible and fee schedules may change as they will be deducted as a business or professional expense, I caution the states or local governments to also provide a "Free Fee" service to lower income folks as they enter the professions or trades. The government should always be looking for ways Americans can enter the Middle Class of the USA. The "Free Fee" qualification should be standard in every fee schedule to provide that extra leg up to those taking an initiative to earn more money.
I think the states need to be innovative and provide tax relief for those that would normally have a local and state deduction on their federal taxes.
Commercial contracting
Residential contracting
Plumbing
Electrical
HVAC
Gas
Asbestos/hazardous waste remediation
Department of Transportation (road work)
Licensed vs. Registered
Some states require licensing while others require registration. The difference between the two is this:
Licensing involves passing exams and meeting certain criteria to prove reasonable competency in a trade.
Registration is a written record of who is performing the work. It doesn’t guarantee expertise or competency.
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