US immigration system approved thousands of child marriages in past decade

In one case, a 71-year-old requested entry for a 17-year-old spouse, and in another, a 68-year-old petitioned for a 16-year-old to come into the country, according to the Senate report. Both requests were approved. Other approvals include a person age 55 petitioning for a 13-year-old and several people well into their 40s requesting spouses as young as 14 or 15.

When Fraidy Reiss took on stopping child marriages in the United States, she thought the issue would be disturbing enough for lawmakers to legislate an immediate fix.

She started her organization, Unchained at Last, in 2011 to push for an end child and forced marriages after defying and then escaping her insular religious community, which she says forced her to wed a violent man at age 19. Heart-wrenching tales from women and girls from around the country poured in about their forced or arranged child marriages, leaving Reiss overwhelmed but determined.

But Reiss said her concerns fell on deaf ears when she took the issue to lawmakers.

“I thought legislators were going to give me a hug me and give me a high five and we were all going to go home happy,” Reiss told NBC News.

Since then, however, loopholes in federal immigration law and lack of action at the state level have allowed the practice to continue, she said.

Now, lawmakers have revealed the extent to which the U.S. immigration system unintentionally encourages child marriages. A Senate Homeland Security Committee report released last week says the federal government approved thousands of requests by men to bring child brides or fiancées into the U.S. over the past decade.

Reiss and other activists seeking to end the practice told NBC News that they hope the report could serve as a catalyst for Congress to address the issue once and for all. But they also say they worry lawmakers could continue to slow-walk efforts to pass legislation.

“Everywhere we go, legislators, staffers, domestic violence professionals are surprised we allow child marriages in almost every U.S. state,” Amanda Parker, senior director at the AHA Foundation, which advocates against forced marriages, told NBC News. “We think of this as a problem that happens somewhere else, and I think that’s where we get the disconnect.”

“The bigger question is: Why is this happening for something that seems like such a simple fix?” Parker added. “How is it that our United States government is essentially facilitating child marriages?”

The issue starts with federal law. The Immigration and Nationality Act does not set minimum age requirements for a minor to request a visa for an adult spouse or fiancée, or vice versa. Petitions are first considered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security.

If the petition is approved, the State Department then decides whether to issue a visa. Since USCIS considers only whether the age at marriage “violates the laws of the place of celebration or the public policy of the U.S. state in which the couple plans to reside,” according to the Senate report, advocates say this is where the disconnect occurs.

New Jersey and Delaware are the only states that prohibit marriages to those under the age of 18. Both states passed the bans in 2018. Most states have laws that allow citizens under 18 to marry, but often with judicial or parental consent.

Between 2007 and 2017, USCIS approved more than 5,500 petitions by adults to bring minor spouses or fiancées to the U.S. and nearly 3,000 approvals for minors trying to bring in older spouses or fiancés, according to the Senate report. Girls were the minors in 95 percent of the cases, according to the data.

In one case, a 71-year-old requested entry for a 17-year-old spouse, and in another, a 68-year-old petitioned for a 16-year-old to come into the country, according to the Senate report. Both requests were approved. Other approvals include a person age 55 petitioning for a 13-year-old and several people well into their 40s requesting spouses as young as 14 or 15.

“The United States condemns child marriages overseas, but we are not taking the steps to condemn it within our own borders,” Parker said. “It’s an awareness problem first.”

The Senate report cited date entry errors and faulty processes at USCIS, particularly its reliance on a paper-based immigration benefits system, as the reason applications are not more thoroughly reviewed. It also noted that the State Department rarely rejects petitions approved by USCIS.

Brett Bruen, a former official in President Barack Obama’s White House and foreign service officer, told NBC News in an interview that lapses also happen at the embassies and consulates where many of the requests are reviewed.

“What ends up happening is a lot of these embassies are told to just approve it and move on,” Bruen said. “Your bosses expect you to push these things through. They don’t want to deal with letters from Congress or calls from family members.”

Michael Bars, a spokesman for USCIS, said the agency “has taken steps to improve data integrity and has implemented a range of solutions that require the verification of a birthdate whenever a minor spouse or fiancé is detected.”

“Ultimately, it is up to Congress to bring more certainty and legal clarity to this process for both petitioners and USCIS officers,” Bars added.

In a statement to NBC News, a State Department spokesperson said the department “takes this issue very seriously.”

“We are committed to protecting the rights of children and combatting forced marriage,” the spokesperson said. “We will not issue a visa until an applicant has proven that he or she is legally eligible to receive one. If an applicant needs additional screening or review for whatever reason, we will not issue the visa until that screening or review is complete.”

Reiss says she thinks “simple, plain old sexism” is one reason that the issue isn’t taken as seriously as it should be, adding, “these are mostly male legislators we are going to.”

Parker also highlighted some of the pushback advocates get from lawmakers.

“You would be surprised at political responses when we have meetings with them,” she said. “It seems like everyone had a great grandpa and grandma who were married at 13 and they were married for many years, and they say, ‘I don’t think that my constituents will support raising the marriage age to 18.”

She added, “There will be a little more scrutiny on each of the cases just because of the report coming out, but it doesn’t go far enough. We are incredibly hopeful Congress will take action to make this simple fix so that adults can only sponsor visas.”

Last year, Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Illinois, introduced legislation to end child marriages in the United States, but the bill never made it out of committee.

Rush said in a statement to NBC News that he will continue to work with his colleagues to take on the issue during this session of Congress.

“Like so many others, I was shocked to learn the extent of this issue and how our immigration system is complicit in perpetrating this atrocity,” he said. “I am committed to working with my colleagues to end this objectionable practice.”

Reiss said that as long as lawmakers fall behind in addressing the issue, she will continue to press them.

“I’m going to continue pushing and insisting that every state do what New Jersey and Delaware did, and that the federal government take basic steps to address the problem and to stop being complicit and actually encouraging child marriage,” she said.

“I’m going to keep screaming until the federal government is not complicit in child marriages anymore,” she continued. “It’s 2019 for crying out loud. Child marriage is an ancient relic from our sexist past, and it doesn’t have any place in our society.”

Nigeria’s search for an effective Leader – The obnoxious truth about the forthcoming presidential race

Two major presidential candidates are on the forefront- from the two largest parties. The incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari of All Progressives Congress (APC), and a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar representing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Nigeria’s search for an effective Leader – The obnoxious truth about the forthcoming presidential race

ANTHONY OBI OGBO

It has indeed come down to this – a race Between Rightwing Dictator and an Established Thief

 

For over 58 years, Nigeria has been in search of leaders with the right motive and intelligence to truly move the country to a self-sustaining level. For a country blessed with natural resources, only an insignificant number live above the poverty line. Every four years, the country’s political atmosphere is charged as different personalities vie for the most exalted office of President of the Federal Republic Nigeria. Yet the country remains unlucky in electing effective leaders who will institutionalize ethical leadership, and steer the country to an enviable status from the current global embarrassment.

 

It is not news then that Nigeria’s General Elections will be held on 16 February 2019. The campaign by political parties have intensified at various constituencies, and in most cases rough, as loyalist engage each other at rallies and on social media. But two major presidential candidates are on the forefront- from the two largest parties. The incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari of All Progressives Congress (APC), and a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar representing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

 

These two candidates are not new in Nigeria’s political arena. Buhari who has been in office since 2015  was a Major General in the Nigerian Army and previously served as the Head of State from 1983 to 1985, after taking power in a military coup d’état that dethroned the Democratic Government at the time. Atiku was the Governor-elect of Adamawa State when he was selected by the then Presidential Candidate, Olusegun Obasanjo as his running mate. He served as the Vice President from 1999 to 2007.

 

Undeniably, he is not medically fit; during his first two years, he shuttled to-and-from unknown medical facilities abroad to attend to his constantly failing health. Atiku, on the other hand, has spent his time making lavish trips abroad while he courted local chiefs and political godfathers to explore his political options and chances.  Nonetheless, Atiku has visible investments in local and multinational corporations operating in Nigeria.

 

The purpose of this article is not to highlight the political history of these individuals. While the majority of voters are divided between the two major platforms, the APC and PDP, the choice of Presidency remains a tough call in a Nation currently dwindling through economic and sociopolitical turmoil. Currently, little or no progress has been made by the incumbent in addressing major issues bedeviling the country. From the economy through internal security, Buhari has fumbled without a blueprint and made flimsy excuses each time. Undeniably, he is not medically fit; during his first two years, he shuttled to-and-from unknown medical facilities abroad to attend to his constantly failing health. For a public servant who seeks to lead a country of over 200 million people, Buhari has continued to put on lid on his medical fitness. Atiku, on the other hand, has spent his time making lavish trips abroad while he courted local chiefs and political godfathers to explore his political options and chances.  Nonetheless, Atiku has visible investments in local and multinational corporations operating in Nigeria.

 

Unfortunately, Buhari’s first term has not yielded the projected fruits because he does not appear to have the answers to institutionalized corruption and economic challenges that Nigeria currently faces. Yet, voters are skeptical about Atiku due to his horribly scandalous transgressions as a public servant.

 

Unfortunately, Buhari’s first term has not yielded the projected fruits because he does not appear to have the answers to institutionalized corruption and economic challenges that Nigeria currently faces. Yet, voters are skeptical about Atiku due to his horribly scandalous transgressions as a public servant.

 

Personally, I have spent the last five years criticizing Buhari; his dictatorial demeanor, ignorance in matters of contemporary leadership, and blindness to political governance. In fact, in my book, Governance – The Buhari’s Way, I described him as the most dangerous bee that lands on a scrotum. “Punch it, you smash your manhood; leave it, and you are stung to death.” Yes, he is that killer-bee that perches on the balls, wheezing for a destructive sting. He was involved—one way or the other—in every Nigerian military rule since the 1966-1969 civil war; participated in coups; and, as a retired junta member, ran three presidential races without a scrap of success, until a coalition of parties determined to change the witless government of the day, gave him the platform that aided his electoral victory in the 2015 General Elections.

 

Atiku, on the other hand, is no good. He is one of those politician elites who prospered through public-fund looting.  Bombastically rich, Atiku shuttles rich cities in the Middle East and would swagger money, extravagant gifts, and young women.  Atiku’s fraud case with William Jefferson – a former Louisiana politician who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for nine terms from 1991 to 2009 made global history.

 

Jefferson, infamous for having $90,000 in bribe money hidden in his freezer, is serving a 13-year prison sentence after being convicted on a slew of federal corruption charges.  One of the most puzzling and intriguing facets of the case is that Jefferson’s partner-in-crime Atiku, the Vice President of Nigeria at the time divided his time between his Vice President position and Potomac, MD., where he and one of his four wives maintain a $2.2 million mansion.  While Jefferson resides in a rent-free jail, Abubakar not only remains free but also, he is a Presidential candidate in a country where thieves are glorified. Unfortunately, it is leadership culture in Africa that most thieves do not go to jail, but occupy public offices. So, Atiku is no exception.

 

Buhari’s 2015 promise of fighting corruption is paralyzed by his inaction of reported sleaze around his protégés and trusted officials. This has become a major ethical burden to the Nigerian President.  Atiku, in this campaign moment, has paraded written pieces of literature about solving Nigeria’s moral issues. However, it would take a moral person to fight an immoral society. Atiku’s moral standing is still questionable.

 

The Presidential race beyond parties is clear; the voters would be left with two candidates that have no proven capacity to move the country forward. Burahi’s path for a moral society is a good proposal, but in both his years as a dictator and first term as an elected leader, he has shown a total lack of intellectual capacity to address matters of ethical governance. His 2015 promise of fighting corruption is paralyzed by his inaction of reported sleaze around his protégés and trusted officials. This has become a major ethical burden to the Nigerian President.  Atiku, in this campaign moment, has paraded written pieces of literature about solving Nigeria’s moral issues. However, it would take a moral person to fight an immoral society. Atiku’s moral standing is still questionable.

 

Notwithstanding the lapses these two candidates exhibit, today, they are barring fangs to tear each other apart in a Presidential race a week away. Voters should be worried, that Buhari even as a failed incumbent, has a challenger that may not be trusted with the country. One of the core doctrines of change in the political contest is not just a handover of the leadership baton. The challenger must be morally and intellectually upright; must tender convincing proposal for change; and must show knowledge of conversion of strategies into governance actions. So far, Atiku’s camp has been parading basic campaign posters of unsubstantiated policy proposals irrelevant to major issues of the moment.  

 

To be clear, this article is not an endorsement of any candidate but a synopsis of the uncertainties that befog Nigeria’s chances to attract a good leader in the forthcoming elections. The next best solution could have been a radical change initiated by a frustrated population. This might entail a disregard of the two major candidates for entirely somebody new for a holistic political detour. But the current political terrain would not support that option in a society where traditional and tribal connectivity still dominates social and political actions.

 

Without a doubt, this race might boil down to a choice between Buhari, a timid, nepotic but stingy rightist who would sit down on the national wealth without a clue about how to invest, and a lavish and irresponsible spender called Atiku, who could share the national treasury with the wolves that currently surround his candidacy.

 

So, voters might be faced with a choice between two candidates, one is a dictator, and the other an established thief. Without a doubt, this race might boil down to a choice between Buhari, a timid, nepotic but stingy rightist who would sit down on the national wealth without a clue about how to invest, and a lavish and irresponsible spender called Atiku, who could share the national treasury with the wolves that currently surround his candidacy.

 

Buhari’s battle with his health might yet not be over. So he might make more trips to fix himself. But Atiku has equally spent more time beyond the shores. He would lie to the nation that he was at a strategy meeting in Dubai, whereas he was busy meeting with unscrupulous money mongers that invest in his campaign. So, the choice is clear, between a weak, clueless, ailing incumbent who might still make many more trips abroad to heal a retiring soul, and a challenger whose fiscal recklessness, corrupt personality, and affiliation with dishonest political vandals might further sink Nigeria’s economy irreparably.

Either way, Nigeria continues the search for an effective leadership – it might take time.

_____________

♦ Anthony Ogbo, PhD is the author of the Influence of Leadership (2015)  and the Maxims of Political Leadership (2019). Contact: anthony@guardiannews.us

Trump’s ‘doomsday’ scenario: Here’s what happens if the shutdown drags on

The country would face an economic hellscape if the government shutdown lasts “months or even years,” as the president has suggested it might, experts tell NBC News.

The doomsday scenario might be unlikely — the longest the federal government has ever shut down is 21 days, a record that will fall if the current closure lasts until Saturday — but it is chilling.

“We’ll be in no man’s land,” Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, told NBC News.

If the worst were to happen, experts say the devastating impact would be widespread:

  • 38 million low-income Americans lose food stamps
  • 6 million face an uncertain timetable for collecting tax refunds
  • 2 million without rental assistance and facing possible eviction
  • 800,000 paycheck-less federal employees plunged into dire financial straits
  • Shuttered parks and museums while overstressed airports cause tourism to tank
  • Federal court system slows to a crawl
  • Disaster relief money doesn’t get to storm-ravaged areas
  • Lapsed FDA and EPA inspections lead to dangerous outbreaks
  • Private companies looking to go public are stuck in limbo
  • Stock market plummets

The end isn’t near — yet. But if the standoff persists — talks blew up at the White House on Wednesday — and Congress and President Donald Trump can’t reach a deal on raising the debt ceiling in a few months, “it’s game over — you’ll have a pretty severe recession,” Zandi said, adding that given the trade war with China, and Brexit looming, “you could start seeing some pretty dark scenarios” worldwide.

WITHOUT FOOD, HOMES

By the end of February, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, run by the Department of Agriculture, would be out of funding — meaning almost 40 million low-income Americans could find themselves struggling to pay for food, said Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist for the accounting firm RSM US.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development, meanwhile, has already seen 1,150 contracts with private landlords housing low-income tenants lapse. Another 500 will expire by the end of this month, and another 550 by the end of February, the agency says.

Funding for rental assistance for millions of tenants could be at risk as soon as next month.

“The near-term impact is people getting evicted, having their heat turned off and not having enough food,” Brusuelas said.

Drawn out over time, that could amount to a sizable hit on the GDP. Loss of the SNAP benefits could mean $60 billion less in direct spending in a year, and indirect spending of another $48 billion, which could shave a full percentage point off the country’s economic growth, he explained.

Others might find themselves with less money in their pockets.

The IRS has said it won’t be able to pay tax refunds during the shutdown, although the Office of Management and Budget said on Monday that it would. Less than 10,000 workers — about 12 percent of IRS staff — are working during the shutdown.

Here, U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a televised address to the nation from his desk in the Oval Office, about immigration and the southern U.S. border on the 18th day of a partial government shutdown, at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 8, 2019.
But after the brief speech, in which he repeated his more than $5 billion request for a border wall, the political dynamics around the shutdown fight remained largely unchanged.

The agency is coming up with a plan to call back more employees, but they’ll face an avalanche of backed-up work — by Feb. 2 of last year, the agency had already received over 18 million returns and processed 6.1 million refunds.

“The people who are waiting on those refunds could face some real consequences,” said Michael Pearce, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics.

Then there are the 800,000 government employees who aren’t getting paid during the shutdown — even though about half of them still have to work.

“Workers are going to to start walking out and find better paying jobs,” Brusuelas said. If they don’t, some will be in danger of not being able to pay their rents or mortgages and losing their homes — creating a drag on the economy.

TOURISM DEVASTATED

No-shows by airport workers — including TSA agents and air traffic controllers — would mean delays and canceled flights, hurting business dealings and tourism.

a group of people looking at a cell phone: Image: A TSA agent checks identification at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Jan. 7
© Erik S. Lesser Image: A TSA agent checks identification at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Jan. 7

Tourism would also continue to fall at national parks, a third of which were closed when the shutdown went into effect. Others were kept open — but, without staffing, human waste has piled up in bathrooms and along popular trails.

Some parks are planning to stay open by tapping into collection fees that were meant to be used for future park projects. Raiding those funds is unsustainable and will hamper future development plans, said Emily Douce, director of budget and appropriations for the National Parks Conservation Association.

In the meantime, parks are losing the $400,000 in daily fees they typically collect — and neighboring communities aren’t benefiting from the average $20 million a day that visitors spend there.

a sign on the side of a building: Image: The entrance gate to a campground is locked at Joshua Tree National Park
© Mario Tama Image: The entrance gate to a campground is locked at Joshua Tree National Park

PUBLIC IN DANGER

The Food and Drug Administration has already stopped most food inspections, raising the risk of salmonella, E. coli and listeria outbreaks.

“That puts our food supply at risk,” said Sarah Sorscher, deputy director of regulatory affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group.

The Environmental Protection Agency, where only 700 of 13,000 employees are working during the shutdown, has scaled back inspections, with senior officials focusing only on properties where “the threat to human life or property is imminent.”

Areas that have already been affected by hurricanes and storms are facing additional problems because of the shutdown, with emergency recovery funds reportedly tied up in bureaucratic red tape.

It seems unimaginable, but if the impasse continues into October, more vital federal agencies would be forced to shut down, and new dangers would loom. Among the agencies that would turn their lights off is the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A more immediate worry: The federal court system will run out of money by Jan. 18, and will have to cut back operations.

STOCK SHOCK

The longer the shutdown goes on, the more likely it is to affect the stock market, experts said.

Analysts had been looking forward to a string of valuable multibillion companies that were expected to go public early this year. But now, as many as 40 initial public offerings are backlogged because the Securities and Exchange Commission doesn’t have the staff to review them.

“The market was waiting for this huge avalanche of IPOs,” said John Coffee Jr., director of the Center on Corporate Governance at Columbia Law School. “All of this stuff is on hold. The market is fluctuating wildly, and this is going to remove a stimulus.”

Even with no end to the shutdown in sight, Brusuelas predicted that public outrage will lead to one soon enough.

“Workers are going to start walking out,” he said. “People will take to the streets.”

Culled from the NBC

Louisiana police officer who was shot before starting work has died

The Louisiana police officer who was shot Wednesday evening before starting her graveyard shift has died, two sources in city government have said. The officer was shot outside a home in the Caddo Heights neighborhood on the west side of Shreveport.

The officer, who was in uniform, was  on her way to start a graveyard shift when she was shot around 8:20 p.m. local time. The officer suffered serious, life-threatening injuries, Cpl. Marcus Hines said. 

Authorities did not immediately explain the circumstances of the shooting. Authorities also did not disclose the officer’s name, rank, gender or condition.

She was later identified as Chatéri Payne, according to the two sources and to multiple posts to Facebook pages. Payne was a 2014 graduate of Captain Shreve High School, where she ran track. She completed officer training in November, according to her Facebook page.

The officer was taken to Ochsner LSU Health hospital  where police officers and others had assembled for a somber gathering.

Relatives of the slain officer were said to be in the hospital. Among the people there were Police Chief Ben Raymond and Shreveport City Councilman Jerry Bowman Jr.

Police said one person had been detained for questioning.

Old Boys Association of BHS Ozalla endorses Governor Ugwuanyi for a second term

Promises to build extra academic block at Ozalla High School, Ozalla Nkanu

The Governor of Enugu State His Excellency Rt. Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has assured that his administration will construct an extra academic block at Ozalla High School Ozalla, Nkanu West Local Govt Area of Enugu, before the end of the year.

The Governor gave the assurance during the second Annual General Meeting, AGM 2019 of Old Boys Association of Boys’ High School Ozalla, now Ozalla High School Ozalla, Nkanu, held at the school on the 4th of January 2019.

Speaking while performing the foundation laying ceremony of perimeter fencing  project of the entire school land, the Chairman, Post Primary Schools Management Board, PPSMB Enugu, Barr. Nestor Ezeme who represented the Governor said that government of the state which is an education friendly govt, had the pleasure to partner with the Old Boys Association. He promised that government would make Ozalla High School a model secondary school.

Earlier while welcoming the Chairman, the President General, PG of the Old Boys Association, Mazi Obiora Nweke represented by the Deputy President General, DPG, Chief Chidi Ofor Okenwa, said that the Old Boys had embarked on  perimeter survey of the land to determine the actual land area of the school and stave off encroachment on the school property, and that the fencing project was to further secure the school land and restrict trespass. He called on the state government to assist the Old Boys and Ozalla community to modernize and return it to a boarding school.

The Principal of the school, Mrs. Ochinanwata while thanking the Chairman for gracing the occasion, enumerated the unrelenting efforts of the Old Boys Association in improving on the standards of the school.

In his contribution, the Father of the Day at the occasion and also a pioneer student of the school, Chief Chris Arum, poured encomiums on the Governor of Enugu State for peace and even development across the state that are the hallmarks of his administration. He moved for the endorsement of His Excellency, Governor Ugwuanyi for a second term by the over one thousand member association which was unanimously supported. 

Coast Guard families told they can have garage sales to cope with government shutdown

Employees of the U.S. Coast Guard who are facing a long U.S. government shutdown just received a suggestion: To get by without pay, consider holding a garage sale, babysitting, dog-walking or serving as a “mystery shopper.” 

The suggestions were part of a five-page tip sheet published by the Coast Guard Support Program, an employee-assistance arm of the service often known as CG SUPRT. It is designated to offer Coast Guard members help with mental-health issues or other concerns about their lives, including financial wellness.

“Bankruptcy is a last option,” the document said.

The Coast Guard receives funding from the Department of Homeland Security and is subjected to the shuttering of parts of the government along with DHS’s other agencies. That stands in contrast to other military services, which are part of the Defense Department and have funding. 

The tip sheet, titled “Managing your finances during a furlough,” applies to the Coast Guard’s 8,500-person civilian workforce. About 6,400 of them are on indefinite furlough, while 2,100 are working without pay after being identified as essential workers, said Lt. Cmdr. Scott McBride, a service spokesman. They were last paid for the two-week period ended Dec. 22.

“While it may be uncomfortable to deal with the hard facts, it’s best to avoid the ‘hide your head in the sand’ reaction,” the tip sheet said. “Stay in charge of the situation by getting a clear understanding of what’s happening.”

The Coast Guard removed the tip sheet from the support program’s website late Wednesday morning after The Washington Post inquired about it.

The suggestions do not “reflect the Coast Guard’s current efforts to support our workforce during this lapse in appropriations,” McBride said. “As such, this guidance has been removed.”

The situation shows the increasing strain that the service is under as the partial government shutdown continues. About 41,000 active-duty Coast Guardsmen are working without pay. Their next check is due Jan. 15.

Overall, about 420,000 government employees are working under the promise they will be paid retroactively, with nearly another 350,000 on furlough at home.

President Trump, with first lady Melania Trump, greets and hands out sandwiches to members of the U.S. Coast Guard, at the Lake Worth Inlet Station, on Thanksgiving 2017 in Riviera Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

© Alex Brandon/AP President Trump, with first lady Melania Trump, greets and hands out sandwiches to members of the U.S. Coast Guard, at the Lake Worth Inlet Station, on Thanksgiving 2017 in Riviera Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The Coast Guard’s status as an unfunded military service increasingly has become a political issue, as family members share their worries about a shutdown with no end in sight amid a political dispute about President Trump’s proposed border wall. Coast Guardsmen rely not only on paychecks, but also now-frozen government allowances for housing in expensive coastal cities where many are assigned.

Late last month, the Coast Guard announced it had found enough money to pay its service members one last time through the end of the year. The Trump administration took credit afterward, releasing a statement that said the president and some of his staff members had worked “round the clock” to address the issue.

The Coast Guard’s situation has stirred up old frustrations that the sea service’s contributions are not as appreciated in Washington as those of the rest of the military.

Among some military families, it also has undermined some good will that Trump established with the Coast Guard by praising their “brand,” spotlighting their efforts in hurricanes and promising funding for icebreaker ships to boost polar security. Funding for those ships is no longer a certainty this year, with the Senate version of an appropriations bill including $750 million to begin construction of a new ships and the House version including no money.

Coast Guard leaders have sought to provide as much information as possible to its people about the shutdown, and offer suggestions for where financial assistance might be possible. It also released a letter for families to provide to creditors while seeking temporary financial relief.

“This lapse in appropriations is beyond our members’ control and is expected to be a temporary situation,” said the Dec. 27 letter, signed by Rear Adm. Matthew W. Shibley. “We appreciate your organization’s understanding and flexibility in working with Coast Guard members who request forbearance on their obligations until this situation is resolved.”

A bipartisan effort to get the Coast Guard paid through the shutdown was launched in Congress last week, but it isn’t clear if or how quickly lawmakers might vote on the proposed “Pay Our Coast Guard Act.”

Coast Guard family members said Wednesday that there are no easy solutions as the political standoff continues, but that they are getting by.

Jacqueline Esparza, whose husband is in the Coast Guard and stationed in Seattle, said not all families affiliated with the service live in houses where having a garage sale is possible. Service members, who are still required to work, also are not easily able to find supplemental income, she said.

“Doing odd jobs and selling items we don’t need anymore is a temporary fix,” she said. “It’s not going to help us pay the rent.”

Natalie Daniels, whose husband is stationed in San Diego, said her family’s situation isn’t “dire just yet,” but missing the coming paycheck would definitely “start the clock” on that. Their family includes four children.

“I am not afraid of this shutdown,” she said. “I am afraid of the current political discourse that may discourage future generations from wanting to serve their country on the basis of being used as political pawns.”

Daniels said both political parties are “playing a game of political chicken with Americans,” and it needs to stop.

“Frankly, I am exhausted, stressed, and emotionally drained by our current political climate, but if you were to ask my husband what I’ve said to him when he’s called every night, he would tell you I’ve said, ‘We are fine,’” she said. “That’s how a military spouse supports her husband, and that is how a military spouse supports their country.”

Culled from the Washington Post

Maxims of Political Leadership – Exploring the complexities of leading and managing

Nellie N. R. Onwuchekwa B.Sc. M.ILD

The science of leadership is not static because of interlacing idiosyncrasies and variables. In fact, every leader comes with individual perspective of style, goals or personal values. These concepts make it difficult to premise ‘ideal leadership’ on any particular philosophical grounds. Dr. Anthony Ogbo’s Maxims of Political Leadership explores varieties in management and leadership dimensions – from coffee retailing business, to newsroom activities, through institutional and national management platforms. He further delves into the micro and macro elements of leadership relevant to a nation, its peoples, and interactions of conflicting principles – all in the quest to effective leading and managing.

From “Managing Nonsense” through “I love my Job”, this book explains how the leader’s best option would be to create and implement a leadership or management model that conforms organizational mission, structure, and imminent challenges. A leader’s high-handedness, like young Dr. Ogbo in The Guardian Newsroom, insensitively focusing only on corporate goals with little or no feelings for employee welfare, quickly signals absolute control – naturally impacting job security and loyalty. Thus, ethical sense of balance is a requirement in creating the path to organizational leadership success.

Traversing through different management and leadership practices, Maxims of Political Leadership is an eye-opener to organizational and political leaders, who are oftentimes mesmerized by appropriate ethical approaches for effective leadership. Ethical Leadership is indeed complex, and dealing with work complication continues to be a major leadership development issue. As work becomes more complex, so does the leader’s ethical dilemma. The leader’s personal values are constantly put to test; as the Author states:

“Beyond the scope of constitutional rules, leaders are judged by rightness or wrongness of their actions; the capacity of their moral idiosyncrasy, and their ability to identify and manage their emotions, in conjunction with the emotions of others”.

This book also brings the innate desire by every leader to be exemplary and successful in leading people to the fore. Every leader yearns to lead responsibly, but still struggles to make ethical decisions in a highly complex operational environment. This issue validates the fact that leaders are more effective when they think at a high degree of complexity. Then they would be able to understand their organization, and seamlessly manage challenges from multiple perspectives when making difficult decisions. As Richard Jacobs[1] noted in his work on organization theory:

“If managers and leaders are to scratch beneath the surface and delve into the substance of their organizations, what is needed is ‘cognitive complexity,’ which can be defined as the intellectual ability of a manager or leader to envision the organization from multiple and competing perspectives so as to develop a depth of organizational understanding that is at least equal to the factors impacting its functioning.”

Again, managing people ethically continually remains a daily struggle for managers and leaders. Maxims of Political Leadership elevates the importance of preparation for leadership.  ‘Preparation’ is not just focusing on academic qualifications and other hands-on training prerequisites, but also denotes the cognitive and emotional readiness to take on the business of managing people towards organizational success. For instance, Nick Petrie[2] in his paper on leadership development, cautioned that the methods that have been used in the past to develop leaders, really, truly, categorically would not be enough for the complexity of challenges which are on their way for organizations (and broader society). 

In explaining the epistemology of leading, this author provides practical solutions to the ‘disparaging afflictions of leading beyond the conjectural boundaries of organizing people, their hope, and aspiration’. The author offered substantial clues on how leaders or managers could harness resources and translate their communal crises into a plantation of economic possibilities. Thus, Leaders and Managers must cultivate the ‘Bones’ to effectively manage the complications that leading requires. Ogbo stated:

“In political leadership, the knowledge of leadership must come with a plan. It must be noted that leaders who delve into various leadership compartments without strategies barely succeed. They would struggle from one illusionary project to the other, under uncomplimentary political environment. In the same vein, they would crash into their own unpreparedness and blame their woeful outcomes on political adversaries. However, strategy is not a talking point, but a structured developmental tool that could steer a leader to establish a viable, effective and sustainable outcome.”

Leading people, joggling ethical balls, and achieving the required balance on the sensitivity ropes of management require constantly refining the ‘Bones’ to be able to make tough decisions. An exceptional leader would aspire to be legendary, the author soliloquizes:

 “If I were a leader, I would characterize core cognitive ability, emotional, and interpersonal competencies. I would articulate accuracy in self-awareness, self-management, and desire for excellence; exhibit the ability to adjust styles in other to meet situational demands.”

Certainly, the author hit the nail by the head in his focus on the intellectual, emotional, and interpersonal capacities relevant in effective management and leadership. Clearly, exceptional leadership stresses the mental faculties – requiring the leader to cognitively reinforce and challenge his soul toward a positive orientation awareness on a daily basis. 

Maxims of Political Leadership intrusively captured very basic points often missed by the Human Resources (HR) as business continue to expand. According to Dr. Ogbo:

 “As the innovation process progresses, it might be necessary for the HR to focus on maximizing employee productivity by creating strategies to protect the company from workforce uncertainties. HR must also be considerate in rules that harmonize with the innovation development structures…”

The impact of technology and innovation on business operations cannot be underrated. No matter the size of any enterprise, technology has both tangible and intangible benefits that could help organizations to stabilize and produce desired results for stakeholders. Dr. Ogbo passionately proposes the need for organizational realignment across all tiers of business structure. Technology and Innovation (Digital Transformation) should be a top-down process. A path could be created toward integrating technology with human resources. Stressing the need for functional alignment, Dr. Ogbo submits that technology and innovation do not run themselves – no matter how digitalized. Leaders must ensure company culture transforms organically, while providing a safe haven for employees who make “honest mistakes” – and, utilizing errors as ‘learnings’ for best practices. Outright sanctions would deprive organizations of internal vulnerabilities that they can learn from in strengthening the organization.

The Author in “Teaching a Man to Fish” exhaustively brought out core lessons on economic empowerment. Dr.  Ogbo observed that:

Teaching a Man to Fish is one thing, but moving them through a competitive terrain of austere economic environment is significantly another factor, because this would release them from any uncomplimentary fiscal bondage, especially those augmented by an unequal social system”. 

As reading progresses, the distinction between ‘Leadership’ and ‘Management’ was clear; Dr. Ogbo exposed the complexities in organizational leadership and individual ethics. ‘Leadership’ will continue to focus on the ability to effectively and responsibly engage with people, processes, and programs, to achieve organizational, team, or individual goals. Management, however, pays deeper attention in ensuring a specific goal outcome – typically tasks completion – in line with approved processes and guidelines. Leading and Managing require codes for organizational effectiveness – some kind of ethical framework, which directs behaviors and actions within the organization. Interestingly, ethical leadership requires that the ‘Leader’ is also subject to supervision!

Maxims of Political Leadership delves further to expose the disconcerting and depressing effects of some ‘Designer Phrases’. Dr. Ogbo warns: “A controlled use of metaphors in organizational environment would prevent a contamination of attitude, loyalty, and approach to duties.”  He cautions organizational leaders to watch their tongues because of the dangers inherent in the use of ‘designer phrases’ that might affect individual and organizational performance.

Every leader – or aspiring leader – must read, assimilate, practice, and lead by Maxims of Political Leadership.  As Ogbo concludes, “being in the front seat does not make one a leader; It is only a sitting arrangement.” Leadership is coalition and melding of hard and soft skills to yield desired results. The discipline requires hard and smart work.


[1] Cited from the work of Richard Jacobs, “Analyzing organizations through cognitive complexity.” Professor of Public Administration at Villanova University, Dr.  Jacobs is active in research and publication. He has authored books, monographs, and numerous articles. Paper was retrieved from http://www83.homepage.villanova.edu/richard.jacobs/MPA%208002/Powerpoint/cogcomp/index.html

[2] Petrie N. (2014). Future Trends in Leadership Development. Center for Creative Leadership. https://www.ccl.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/futureTrends.pdf

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■ Nellie N. R. Onwuchekwa,  B.Sc. M.ILD, is the author of Influence of Love

Maxims of Political Leadership: Thoughts and Reflections on Issues in Management and Contemporary Leadership

House Dems target Trump tax returns as part of lead-off ethics package

Newly elected Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

House Democrats are targeting President Trump’s tax returns as part of a broad ethics reform package that amounts to their first major piece of legislation since reclaiming the majority this week.

The package as a whole aims to address voting to make registration and polling access easier for citizens, in addition to tightening election security. But specifically, the legislation requires presidents to disclose at least 10 years of their tax returns to the public, in an apparent swipe at Trump.

The topic has been a contentious one for the president since his time on the campaign trail in 2016, and throughout his administration as he refuses to release his financial information. Trump has claimed that his tax returns are complicated, and has maintained that he will not release them while they are under audit by the Internal Revenue Service.

“Requires sitting Presidents and Vice Presidents, as well as candidates for the Presidency and Vice-Presidency to release their tax returns,” the bill’s “Presidential Tax Transparency” section reads.

The reform package, H.R. 1, the “For the People Act,” also aims to “end the dominance of big money” and “reduce the role of money” in politics, by requiring political organizations to disclose their big-money contributors and donors, introduces a multiple-matching system for small political donations to “break special interests’,” and tightens rules of super PACs.

The bill also bans foreign contributions in campaigns and requires PACs and organizations to disclose the identities of their donors who contribute more than $10,000.

“We heard loud and clear the American people feel left out and want us to clean the culture of corruption, and they want it to be easy, not hard, to register to vote in America,” Democracy Reform Task Force Chairman Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md., said at a press conference Friday.

The bill looks to expand access to the polls by creating automatic voter registration, ensuring that individuals who have completed felony sentences have their voting rights restored, expanding early voting and simplifying absentee voting. The bill also would require each state to make voter registration, correction, cancellation and designation of party affiliation available online.

With regard to “automatic voter registration,” the bill would require state election officials to automatically register eligible unregistered citizens to vote.

The bill would also restore protections included in the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and protect against efforts by state election officials to purge voting rolls. The bill also called for states to establish independent redistricting commissions to draw boundaries for future congressional districts, in an effort to minimize partisan gerrymandering.

“We made a promise to the American people, the new members that came made a promise, H.R.1 is delivering that promise.”

He added: “In return for you giving us the gavel, we’re going to do everything we can, every day, to give you democracy back.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Ocasio-Cortez suggests individual tax rates as high as 70%

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is drawing attention Friday for suggesting that the wealthiest Americans ought to pay a tax rate of as high as 70% in order to fund a “Green New Deal.”

The new Democratic congresswoman from New York noted there is historical precedent for a high tax rate for the super wealthy, as she said the following:

“You look at our tax rates back in the 60s, and when you have a progressive tax rate system, your tax rate, let’s say, from $0 to $75,000 may be 10% or 15%, etc. But once you get to the tippy tops, on your 10-millionth dollar, sometimes you see tax rates as high as 60% or 70%.” — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York Democrat

Her remarks came in an interview with Anderson Cooper for the CBS show “60 Minutes.” Excerpts for her appearance have been released, ahead of a full broadcast on Sunday.

“That doesn’t mean all $10 million are taxed at an extremely high rate, but it means that as you climb up this ladder, you should be contributing more,” said the lawmaker, who also got attention this week thanks to a dance video from her college years that went viral.

After Cooper said Ocasio-Cortez’s agenda is “radical” compared to how politics is done now, the congresswoman embraced that word.

“It only has ever been radicals that have changed this country,” she said. “Abraham Lincoln made the radical decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. Franklin Delano Roosevelt made the radical decision to embark on establishing programs like Social Security.”

“If that’s what radical means, call me a radical,” Ocasio-Cortez added.

Read more: Ocasio-Cortez slams budget rule pushed by Democratic leaders

The term “Green New Deal” refers to a stimulus program backed by many progressives that intends to address both climate change and economic inequality.

House Democrats on Thursday created a new select committee on climate change, but it has been denounced by environmental activists who want a bolder approach.


Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez leaves a photo opp with the female Democratic members of the 116th Congress on Friday.

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