Make Money Easy For You

Did Notorious Prison Gangs Sway Puerto Rican Elections?

In a hotly contested 2004 general election that was reminiscent of the 2000 Presidential race, the Puerto Rico Elections Commission (CEE) declared Popular Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate Anibal Acevedo Vila the winner. Yet, information has come to light that points to the possibility that the governor may have been elected due to the power of a prison gang.

Unlike the U.S. Penal Code, which prohibits convicted felons from voting in U.S. elections, Puerto Rico’s laws allow prisoners to vote. According to confidential sources, in the 2004 gubernatorial election, Puerto Rican prison gangs pressured the commonwealth’s 14,000 inmates to vote for Acevedo Vila, afraid that his rival Pedro Rossello would upset the balance of drug trafficking and corruption among correctional officers and police that had become the status quo.

With incumbent Vila defeating New Progressive Party candidate Pedro Rossello by slightly over 3,000 votes, the Puerto Rico Herald noted that State Elections Commission President Aurelio Gracia “ordered that the 3,036 disputed prisoner votes be counted. PDP Elections Commissioner Gerardo Cruz estimates that 60% of those votes are for Acevedo Vila. The PDP attributes the votes to the prisoners’ reaction to Rossello’s campaign comments implying that he might deny the vote to them if elected.”

In fact, the notorious Neta prison gang not only allegedly swayed the election, but the gang’s leader was also subject to a federal grand jury investigation into an alleged contract between he and Puerto Rico’s Department of Corrections. According to government sources, the contract was one that guaranteed that prison officials would overlook heroin trafficking in exchange for the prisoner vote.

Despite a 2003 Federal Bureau of Investigation indictment against 18 people – including Neta gang members – alleged to have “conspired to purchase multi-kilogram quantities of heroin, cocaine and detectable amounts of marijuana to be smuggled and then distributed into prison institutions within Puerto Rico,” prison gangs continued to peddle drugs and to have unprecedented influence within the Puerto Rican prison system.

Despite sting operations that uncovered active drug trafficking participation by scores of police and correctional officers, prison gang members continued to use prisoner drug addiction and rioting as their primary tools in controlling the prison population and negotiating with authorities. And, according to government sources, that’s precisely why the gangs and many prison officials had a significant stake in shutting down and keeping out prison rehabilitation programs.

The Second Chance Program (www.secondchanceprogram.net) was one such rehabilitation effort that was shut out of the Puerto Rican prison system, despite its resounding success. Designed to rehabilitate criminals and prevent them from re-entering the penal system, the program worked within the Puerto Rican prison system for a year and a half, with approximately 250 inmates enrolled in the program. When the inmates were drug tested after participating in the program, 87 percent were found to be drug-free. According to an inmate, an August 2004 bust of $1 million worth of heroin was attributable to the Second Chance Program’s pressure to reduce the use of the drug in the prison. That same source reported that the Bayamon Prison hospital is the central distribution center for heroin in that region’s prisons. “The heroin was smuggled in and then distributed by the inmates who came to the hospital from all over the region,” he said.

Another inmate source confirmed the report, and added that the Neta gang put pressure on the Secretary of Corrections not to renew the contract with Second Chance as a final payment for the inmate vote. “It went down just like that,” he said. “Second Chance was out of there, and the PDP won the election.”

About the Author

Kris Nickerson is the Editor-in-Chief of Press Direct International (www.pressdirectinternational.org), a global information website that provides reliable information tailored to professionals in financial, media, and corporate markets. His thorough knowledge of industries ranging from health care and travel to real estate and financial investing enables him to quickly grasp the nuances of emerging markets and technologies.

Read more: Did Notorious Prison Gangs Sway Puerto Rican Elections?

How Disabled Veterans Can Win Government Contracts

The Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) is a program that allows small businesses to self-certify as service-disabled veteran-owned businesses providing them increased opportunities to win government contracts. Significantly and permanently impaired veterans may be assisted in the daily business operations by a spouse or permanent caregiver.

Should a competitor challenge a small business’ standing as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business the case must be referred to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for resolution.

Even though having your firm certified as an SDVOSB business can help increase your competitiveness in winning government contracts, there are exclusions from SDVOSB set-aside rules, including: Federal Prison Industries; Javits-Wagner-O’Day organizations; existing IDIQ contracts; federal supply schedule sources; requirements currently in the 8(a) program; and commissary sales.

Two types of SDVOSB justification includes sole source and set aside, which are reviewed below.

The SDVOSB Sole source justification may be used if the Contracting Officer (CO) determines that: a SDVOSB concern is a responsible contractor with respect to performance; there is not a reasonable expectation that 2 or more small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans will submit offers for the contracting opportunity; the anticipated award price of the contract (including options) will not exceed $5 million in the case of a contract opportunity assigned in NAICS codes for manufacturing; or $3 million in the case of any other contract opportunity; and the contract award can be made at a fair and reasonable price.

To use the SDVOSB sole source, business owners should conduct market research, document findings, and, of course, negotiate as customary. Noncompetitive SDVOSB procedures may be used below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold.

The SDVOSB Set-Aside justification may be used if the CO determines that there is a reasonable expectation that not less than 2 small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans will submit offers and that the award can be made at a fair market price.

To use the SDVOSB set aside business owners should conduct market research, publish requirement as customary, and make note of their Service-disabled Veteran-owned Set-Aside status. The contract will be awarded on the basis of competition restricted to small business concerns owned and controlled by service disabled veterans. If only one offer is received, the CO may award if price is reasonable. If no offers are received, CO must cancel and compete as a small business set-aside.

About the Author

Brian Cook is a freelance writer whose articles on government contracting have appeared on many websites. You can find more of these at www.contractsecrets.com

Read more: How Disabled Veterans Can Win Government Contracts

JFK Conspiracy And Other Historical Secrets

The prophecies of Nostradamus, today popularly believed to be the work of a charlatan, are given new life in Morten St. George\’s Incantation of the Law Against Inept Critics: A Guide to Cryptic Thinking. St. George discovered that some of the famous stanzas masked their message by means of a unique type of cryptography involving the deployment of a wide array of deception devices. Nonetheless, a rigorous and systematic unraveling of these devices does not always wind up with the prophecies confirming recorded history. Unperturbed, St. George allows his decoding techniques to take the prophecies to where they lead:

* Napoleon Bonaparte was murdered on his island of captivity by poison in the wine, instigated by a woman enraged over the defeat of his army in 1813.

* President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by a group of conspirators led by his vice-president, Lyndon Baines Johnson. Officially accused by the Warren Commission, Lee Harvey Oswald was completely innocent since the bullets that killed Kennedy were fired from a rooftop, not from an open window.

* The JFK conspirators were also behind the assassination of Kennedy\’s brother, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, several years later.

* Martin Luther King was assassinated because of his opposition to the Vietnam War, not because of racism.

* Egyptian president Anwar Sadat was assassinated because of his support for the anti-Islamic Shah of Iran, not because of his efforts to make peace with Israel.

* The Russians paid the Bulgarians with a suitcase containing gold and more than a hundred thousand rubles to attempt the assassination of Pope Juan Paul II.

* American satellites over the Falkland Islands guided a British submarine to an Argentine cruiser, which was torpedoed resulting in the death of hundreds of Argentine sailors.

St. George claims that this information, as well as a clear allusion to all the major events of world history from Hiroshima to September 11, are conveyed by a mere forty-two stanzas that interconnect in intricate ways to supply the needed details. According to St. George, these forty-stanzas were originally part of a group of one hundred stanzas written in the sixth century, a thousand years before the time of Nostradamus. St. George, however, does not view this as a strategic problem for the prophecies: \”If the prophecies foresaw historical secrets, it is safe to assume that they also foresaw their translation into French; consequently, what we see in Nostradamus\’ book are the intended prophecies. Even the destruction of the remaining fifty-eight prophecies can be deemed as foreseen and thus intended.\” As for the other nine hundred stanzas (Nostradamus published a total of 942 stanzas), St. George says they are largely re-writes, re-combinations, or thematic derivatives of elements of the original one hundred stanzas, with lots of new place names thrown in for good measure. Indeed, meticulous analysis of the 942 stanzas reveals a large number of repeating terms and concepts. Consequently, according to St. George, the other nine hundred stanzas have no prophetic merit at all; their purpose was only to mask or conceal the forty-two stanzas of the sixth century, and they were very successful at doing just that.

When asked if the forty-two prophecies were the product of extraordinary psychic powers, St. George asserted: \”The future cannot be foreseen by means of psychic powers, nor by means of astrological calculations, tarot cards, black magic, crystal balls, or any other such thing.\” Then pressured to explain the prophecies, St. George replied: \”Super-civilization technology. Very simple, really. You gain access to the time stream by orbiting our planet at the speed of light.\” The final question was: What was the motive for writing one hundred prophecies in the sixth century? To this, St. George responded: \”The gloom of the Dark Ages was already upon the scene, and ignorance became perpetually self-generating. It\’s a common misconception that technological progress is an inherent characteristic of humankind. Without intervention, western civilization today would be exactly like it was back then, embroiled in an endless cycle of famine, plague, and petty warfare. It took the prophecies fourteen hundred years to achieve their objective, which seems like a long time by the standard of a human lifetime, but might not be such a long time by other standards.\”

# # # Article by Gersiane De Brito, with special thanks to Morten St. George and the www.crypticthinking.com web site. In an upcoming article, tentatively entitled \”The Mechanics of Deception Cryptography,\” Morten St. George goes into detail on how the prophetic verses technically manage to convey historical secrets and other information.

About the Author

Gersiane De Brito was born and raised in Fortaleza, Brazil. An English language student and aspiring writer, she works part time as an assistant to author Morten St. George and the www.crypticthinking.com web site. Summarizes the historical themes of Incantation of the Law Against Inept Critics, a book by Morten St. George.

Read more: JFK Conspiracy And Other Historical Secrets

Liberals Just Can’t Help Showing Their Bigoted Stripes

The political left doesn’t think too highly of Americans who happen to have a dark complexion unless they tow the party line.  Sure, they claim to love them and be supportive of every plight they themselves dream up which afflicts these American citizens.  But when push comes to shove liberals always tell us what they really think of blacks that wander off the reservation they have set up.

Take the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel who has allowed their liberal members of the editorial page to once again say what they really think of “blacks”.  Speaking on the nomination of Judge Alito to replace retiring Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor the Sentinel writes:

“In losing a woman, the court with Alito would feature seven white men, one white woman and a black man, who deserves an asterisk because he arguably does not represent the views of mainstream black America.” (source)

I’ll repeat that for you in case you missed it. “[Clarence Thomas] deserves an asterisk because he arguably does not represent the views of mainstream black America.”

Wow.  Strike that – make that DOUBLE WOW instead!

Clarence Thomas who is clearly “black” is being derided as not representing the “views of mainstream black America”?  Clarence Thomas, a “black” man who comes from a family that was abandoned by their father, worked hard, become well educated, excelled in his field and rose to the Supreme Court of the United States and writes opinions that defend the foundation of this country and the Constitution doesn’t share the views of “mainstream black America”?

What are we left to believe that the editorial board of the Sentinel believes exactly are the “views of mainstream black America”?  Why they must think that the views of “mainstream black America” are when your father leaves you, become a permanent ward of the Welfare state, continually beg the government for more money to make your lives right, trash the Constitution, and never accomplish anything!  How utterly disgusting!

Is this what the modern liberal left thinks of “black” people in America these days?  You bet it is.

This bigoted attitude that any successful and non-liberal leaning black man or woman doesn’t represent “black America” is down right ignorant like most of the opinions held by the liberal left.  That’s why they are liberals after all.  It irks me to see these ivory tower elitists sit around and talk about a group of people in such a way.  And all this simply because of the color of their skin and their political persuasion.

When I have seen how hard many black Americans are busting their rears each and every day to succeed against the bigotry of liberals who have established barrier after barrier to their success I cringe at the thought that these are the very people trying desperately to hold them back in the first place.  And when I have see each and every day these same liberals trying to tell “blacks” that they need their help to succeed it just continues to grate at my nerves.  And when I see them degrade a successful black man as not representing the “views of mainstream black America” I wonder if there is any hope for those on the political left.

I know the answer to that question.  There is not.  Liberalism is dying under the weight of it’s own dishonesty, intolerance and ignorance.

Liberals don’t care about “blacks” just like they don’t care about women, homosexuals or any other group.  What they care about is only the liberal leaning members of these groups.  And Heaven help you if you aren’t liberal because they’ll just put an “asterisk” next to your name and claim you really aren’t what you really are.

After all, if you are a member of one of their protected groups and you succeed then you might give other members of these groups under their thumbs the idea that they might be able to succeed as well without the liberal’s version of “compassion”.

The left has fought against any non-liberal black, woman, Hispanic or other “minority” at every turn when one was nominated by President Bush.  So please, enough with the preaching!

Liberals don’t give one hoot about “diversity”.  They want everyone to be the same – liberal.  And they’ll mask their bigotry against any other idea with “asterisks”.

About the Author

J.J. Jackson is the Editor at Large for American Conservative Politics – The Land of the Free (www.thelandofthefree.net) and also the owner and operator of American Conservative Daily (www.americanconservativedaily.com), The Right Things (www.cafepress.com/rightthings) and American Infidel T-shirts (www.cafepress.com/americaneagle04)

Read more: Liberals Just Can’t Help Showing Their Bigoted Stripes

Replica Handbags funding Terrorism?

In most major cities in the world, there is an active and highly profitable shadow economy in phony consumer goods that generates (in some estimates) upwards of 500 billion dollars a year. If you have ever been down to “Counterfeit Alley” in midtown Manhattan, you have seen one of the biggest counterfeit marketplaces in the world. While many of us spend our waking hours lusting after the latest fashion designs from our favorite designers, there are a lot of people out there who purchase knock-off or phony items without fully appreciating the consequences.

I recently read a book called “Knockoff”, written by a fellow named Tim Phillips. It was an insightful read, with a number of interesting and often disturbing ideas presented. I was particularly interested in the section he devoted to the trade in phony luxury items such as designer handbags. These days, it seems I can’t go anywhere without seeing somebody carrying a fake Prada or Gucci purse. Personally, I have always resisted the urge to purchase a counterfeit purse. I have avoided the temptation mainly because such an action only undermines an industry I have grown to love. When one considers the price of some of the higher-end purses, it should come as no surprise that some people purchase fakes.

What will surprise you is the discovery that their money is supporting future terrorist attacks in America and abroad. This book has confirmed my belief in supporting legitimate companies. Have you ever stopped to consider where the money you spend on fake consumer products ends up? This book will provide you with some frightening insights. The “black market” in counterfeit consumer goods provides incredible resources for criminal organizations, and these organizations certainly do not have the public interest at heart.

One of the most disturbing ideas in the book was the suggestion that terrorist organizations, working with organized crime groups, use the profits gained from these illegal sales to support future attacks. I could not sleep at night if I thought I was supporting terrorist campaigns to maim and kill innocent civilians in America, or anywhere else for that matter. I am a firm believer in being a conscientious shopper, and supporting companies that are trying to make the world a better place. I will gladly pay three times the price of a phony purse, to ensure that my money is not supporting terrorism. Check out “Knockoff” when you have a chance. It is a real eye-opener.

About the Author

Cathy Feldman is a long time friend to the designer handbag world and is the editor for Designer Handbags 101 – an online designer handbag resource, with extensive information on the latest designer handbags, cigar box purses

Read more: Replica Handbags funding Terrorism?

The U.S. Tax Court

Over the past few years, U.S. judges have substantially increased their knowledge of valuation methodology and application. More frequently, Tax Court judges are applying their valuation knowledge to better scrutinize taxpayer testimony for lack of a professionally prepared appraisal, misapplication of valuation theory, lack of a credible expert witness and lack of expert independence.

Upon the death of a taxpayer, taxes may be imposed on the decedent’s taxable estate. The audit determines if the estate tax return undervalues the decedent’s property, which includes ownership of a business and results in an underpayment of taxes due. If the Service determines an underpayment exists and a resolution with the taxpayer cannot be reached, the Commissioner of the IRS issues a “Notice of Deficiency.” If a notice is issued, it means the Commissioner intends to proceed to court and the taxpayer bears the burden of proving the IRS is wrong. In Tax Court, the Commissioner is always the defendant.

The Internal Revenue Code is the primary source of tax law and contains code sections that are created by Congress. Although there are approximately 240 sections within the Code that require a determination of fair market value to assess tax liability, it does not define it. Fair market value is defined within the Treasury Regulations, which have the full force of the law. Regulation section 20.2031-1(b) defines fair market value as:

The price at which the property would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller when the former is not under any compulsion to buy and the latter is not under any compulsion to sell, both parties having reasonable knowledge of relevant facts.

The Treasury issues Revenue Rulings and Revenue Procedures, which are announced positions of the IRS. Revenue Ruling 59-60 is a widely recognized ruling and provides eight “rules” on valuing stock or ownership of a closely-held business. However, rulings do not carry the full force of the law although experienced valuators and related professionals take heed of their application for valuation purposes.

Over the past decade, fair market value determination based on a buy-sell agreement among owners of a closely-held business has become a heavily contested topic of case law.

Consider the Tax Court case of the Estate of H.A. True, Jr. and Jean D. True v. Commissioner, issued July 6, 2001 (T.C. Memo 2001-167). In this case, the IRS determined the estate had almost $76 million in unpaid tax and assessed more than $30 million in undervaluation penalties. The Tax Court’s position regarding True’s buy-sell agreement incorporated several factors. The Court applied the “price control” test.

If a buy-sell agreement meets the four factors of the “price control” test, it is admissible for estate tax purposes:

1. The price is determinable from the agreement;
2. The terms of the agreement are binding throughout life and death;
3. The agreement is legally binding and enforceable; and
4. The agreement was entered into for bona fide business reasons, and is not a testamentary substitute intended to pass on the decedent’s interests for less than full and adequate consideration.

In True, the Tax Court found: 1) the buy-sell agreement did not pass the arm’s-length dealings test, 2) the buy-sell agreement set terms without negotiation, 3) the buy-sell agreement excluded significant assets; and 4) the agreement did not provide for periodic reviews or adjustments. Most importantly, the Tax Court ruled the decedent failed to rely on the advice of a professional business valuator in selecting the business interest price.

In the Estate of Mildred Green v. CIR, T.C. Memo. 2003-348, the Tax Court ruled on a minority interest of a closely-held commercial bank. The decedent’s estate did not have the business interest appraised by a professional business valuator when preparing the estate tax return. Green’s estate valued her 5.09% interest, or 3,276 shares, at $50 per share. The IRS audited the estate tax return and determined Green’s stock was undervalued. The IRS’ valuation was accepted by the Tax Court, and ultimately, after valuation discounts were applied for lack of marketability and minority ownership, the Tax Court concluded Green’s interest had a fair market value of $220.18 per share, to total $721,300. This far exceeds the estate’s value of $163,800. In total, a $1.2 million federal estate tax deficiency was determined.

These cases demonstrate the importance of hiring an experienced, credentialed business appraiser who understands and performs valuations compliant with Treasury Regulations and IRS standards, as well as one who is knowledgeable of relevant case law. Taxpayers involved in transactions that necessitate a business valuation must be appropriately prepared. When challenged by the IRS, the burden of proof is on the taxpayer as the Service is presumed to be correct.

About the Author

Erin Hollis, AVA, is the Business Valuation Manager for Accountancy Associates, LLC, a related company of International Profit Associates, Inc. (IPA-IBA), the largest privately-held business development company for small to medium size businesses in North America, and a leading authority on small business.

Read more: The U.S. Tax Court

Three Automakers Shut Thai Operations Following Coup

Nissan Motor Co, Honda Motor Co, and Mazda Motor Co. have closed their operations in Thailand because of the military coup in said territory. Said closures were reported to be based on the advice given by the Thai government. They were done to shun the probability of damage and ills to the automakers.

Nissan is Japan’s second-largest automaker. The company has 2 factories in Thailand and both were closed. This information was divulged by Mihoko Takeda, Nissan’s spokesperson. According to the spokesperson, the restart of Nissan’s operations is still unknown. Honda, which is Japan’s third-largest automaker, will stop its factory’s dayshift. Mazda, on the other hand, will also suspend its operations because of the coup.

The three Japanese automakers are producing vehicles in Thailand to support the domestic market as well as their export to Southeast Asia. Nissan is spending 29 billion baht or $769 million to increase the production of Nissan parts as well as the construction and assembly of vehicles to more than half of the previous production. The company is aiming to produce 200,000 units by the end of the year 2008. This production will make Thailand the third-largest production base in Asia next to Japan and China, respectively.