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Europe is facing a challenge from Russia to its very existence. Neither the European leaders nor their citizens are fully aware of this challenge or know how best to deal with it. I attribute this mainly to the fact that the European Union in general and the eurozone in particular lost their way after the financial crisis of 2008.
The fiscal rules that currently prevail in Europe have aroused a lot of popular resentment. Anti-Europe parties captured nearly 30 percent of the seats in the latest elections for the European Parliament but they had no realistic alternative to the EU to point to until recently. Now Russia is presenting an alternative that poses a fundamental challenge to the values and principles on which the European Union was originally founded. It is based on the use of force that manifests itself in repression at home and aggression abroad, as opposed to the rule of law. What is shocking is that Vladimir Putin's Russia has proved to be in some ways superior to the European Union—more flexible and constantly springing surprises. That has given it a tactical advantage, at least in the near term.
Europe and the United States—each for its own reasons—are determined to avoid any direct military confrontation with Russia. Russia is taking advantage of their reluctance. Violating its treaty obligations, Russia has annexed Crimea and established separatist enclaves in eastern Ukraine. In August, when the recently installed government in Kiev threatened to win the low-level war in eastern Ukraine against separatist forces backed by Russia, President Putin invaded Ukraine with regular armed forces in violation of the Russian law that exempts conscripts from foreign service without their consent.
In seventy-two hours these forces destroyed several hundred of Ukraine's armored vehicles, a substantial portion of its fighting force. According to General Wesley Clark, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, the Russians used multiple launch rocket systems armed with cluster munitions and thermobaric warheads (an even more inhumane weapon that ought to be outlawed) with devastating effect.* The local militia from the Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk suffered the brunt of the losses because they were communicating by cell phones and could thus easily be located and targeted by the Russians. President Putin has, so far, abided by a cease-fire agreement he concluded with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on September 5, but Putin retains the choice to continue the cease-fire as long as he finds it advantageous or to resume a full-scale assault.
In September, President Poroshenko visited Washington where he received an enthusiastic welcome from a joint session of Congress. He asked for "both lethal and nonlethal" defensive weapons in his speech. However, President Obama refused his request for Javelin hand-held missiles that could be used against advancing tanks. Poroshenko was given radar, but what use is it without missiles? European countries are equally reluctant to provide military assistance to Ukraine, fearing Russian retaliation. The Washington visit gave President Poroshenko a façade of support with little substance behind it.
Equally disturbing has been the determination of official international leaders to withhold new financial commitments to Ukraine until after the October 26 election there (which will take place just after this issue goes to press). This has led to an avoidable pressure on Ukrainian currency reserves and raised the specter of a full-blown financial crisis in the country.
There is now pressure from donors, whether in Europe or the US, to "bail in" the bondholders of Ukrainian sovereign debt, i.e., for bondholders to take losses on their investments as a precondition for further official assistance to Ukraine that would put more taxpayers' money at risk. That would be an egregious error. The Ukrainian government strenuously opposes the proposal because it would put Ukraine into a technical default that would make it practically impossible for the private sector to refinance its debt. Bailing in private creditors would save very little money and it would make Ukraine entirely dependent on the official donors.
To complicate matters, Russia is simultaneously dangling carrots and wielding sticks. It is offering—but failing to sign—a deal for gas supplies that would take care of Ukraine's needs for the winter. At the same time Russia is trying to prevent the delivery of gas that Ukraine secured from the European market through Slovakia. Similarly, Russia is negotiating for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to monitor the borders while continuing to attack the Donetsk airport and the port city of Mariupol.
It is easy to foresee what lies ahead. Putin will await the results of the elections on October 26 and then offer Poroshenko the gas and other benefits he has been dangling on condition that he appoint a prime minister acceptable to Putin. That would exclude anybody associated with the victory of the forces that brought down the Viktor Yanukovych government by resisting it for months on the Maidan—Independence Square. I consider it highly unlikely that Poroshenko would accept such an offer. If he did, he would be disowned by the defenders of the Maidan; the resistance forces would then be revived.
Putin may then revert to the smaller victory that would still be within his reach: he could open by force a land route from Russia to Crimea and Transnistria before winter. Alternatively, he could simply sit back and await the economic and financial collapse of Ukraine. I suspect that he may be holding out the prospect of a grand bargain in which Russia would help the United States against ISIS—for instance by not supplying to Syria the S300 missiles it has promised, thus in effect preserving US air domination—and Russia would be allowed to have its way in the "near abroad," as many of the nations adjoining Russia are called. What is worse, President Obama may accept such a deal.
That would be a tragic mistake, with far-reaching geopolitical consequences. Without underestimating the threat from ISIS, I would argue that preserving the independence of Ukraine should take precedence; without it, even the alliance against ISIS would fall apart. The collapse of Ukraine would be a tremendous loss for NATO, the European Union, and the United States. A victorious Russia would become much more influential within the EU and pose a potent threat to the Baltic states with their large ethnic Russian populations. Instead of supporting Ukraine, NATO would have to defend itself on its own soil. This would expose both the EU and the US to the danger they have been so eager to avoid: a direct military confrontation with Russia. The European Union would become even more divided and ungovernable. Why should the US and other NATO nations allow this to happen?
The argument that has prevailed in both Europe and the United States is that Putin is no Hitler; by giving him everything he can reasonably ask for, he can be prevented from resorting to further use of force. In the meantime, the sanctions against Russia—which include, for example, restrictions on business transactions, finance, and trade—will have their effect and in the long run Russia will have to retreat in order to earn some relief from them.
These are false hopes derived from a false argument with no factual evidence to support it. Putin has repeatedly resorted to force and he is liable to do so again unless he faces strong resistance. Even if it is possible that the hypothesis could turn out to be valid, it is extremely irresponsible not to prepare a Plan B.
There are two counterarguments that are less obvious but even more important. First, Western authorities have ignored the importance of what I call the "new Ukraine" that was born in the successful resistance on the Maidan. Many officials with a history of dealing with Ukraine have difficulty adjusting to the revolutionary change that has taken place there. The recently signed Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine was originally negotiated with the Yanukovych government. This detailed road map now needs adjustment to a totally different situation. For instance, the road map calls for the gradual replacement and retraining of the judiciary over five years whereas the public is clamoring for immediate and radical renewal. As the new mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, put it, "If you put fresh cucumbers into a barrel of pickles, they will soon turn into pickles."
Contrary to some widely circulated accounts, the resistance on the Maidan was led by the cream of civil society: young people, many of whom had studied abroad and refused to join either government or business on their return because they found both of them repugnant. (Nationalists and anti-Semitic extremists made up only a minority of the anti-Yanukovych protesters.) They are the leaders of the new Ukraine and they are adamantly opposed to a return of the "old Ukraine," with its endemic corruption and ineffective government.
The new Ukraine has to contend with Russian aggression, bureaucratic resistance both at home and abroad, and confusion in the general population. Surprisingly, it has the support of many oligarchs, President Poroshenko foremost among them, and the population at large. There are of course profound differences in history, language, and outlook between the eastern and western parts of the country, but Ukraine is more united and more European-minded than ever before. That unity, however, is extremely fragile.
The new Ukraine has remained largely unrecognized because it took time before it could make its influence felt. It had practically no security forces at its disposal when it was born. The security forces of the old Ukraine were actively engaged in suppressing the Maidan rebellion and they were disoriented this summer when they had to take orders from a government formed by the supporters of the rebellion. No wonder that the new government was at first unable to put up an effective resistance to the establishment of the separatist enclaves in eastern Ukraine. It is all the more remarkable that President Poroshenko was able, within a few months of his election, to mount an attack that threatened to reclaim those enclaves.
To appreciate the merits of the new Ukraine you need to have had some personal experience with it. I can speak from personal experience although I must also confess to a bias in its favor. I established a foundation in Ukraine in 1990 even before the country became independent. Its board and staff are composed entirely of Ukrainians and it has deep roots in civil society. I visited the country often, especially in the early years, but not between 2004 and early 2014, when I returned to witness the birth of the new Ukraine.
I was immediately impressed by the tremendous improvement in maturity and expertise during that time both in my foundation and in civil society at large. Currently, civic and political engagement is probably higher than anywhere else in Europe. People have proven their willingness to sacrifice their lives for their country. These are the hidden strengths of the new Ukraine that have been overlooked by the West.
The other deficiency of the current European attitude toward Ukraine is that it fails to recognize that the Russian attack on Ukraine is indirectly an attack on the European Union and its principles of governance. It ought to be evident that it is inappropriate for a country, or association of countries, at war to pursue a policy of fiscal austerity as the European Union continues to do. All available resources ought to be put to work in the war effort even if that involves running up budget deficits. The fragility of the new Ukraine makes the ambivalence of the West all the more perilous. Not only the survival of the new Ukraine but the future of NATO and the European Union itself is at risk. In the absence of unified resistance it is unrealistic to expect that Putin will stop pushing beyond Ukraine when the division of Europe and its domination by Russia is in sight.
Having identified some of the shortcomings of the current approach, I will try to spell out the course that Europe ought to follow. Sanctions against Russia are necessary but they are a necessary evil. They have a depressive effect not only on Russia but also on the European economies, including Germany. This aggravates the recessionary and deflationary forces that are already at work. By contrast, assisting Ukraine in defending itself against Russian aggression would have a stimulative effect not only on Ukraine but also on Europe. That is the principle that ought to guide European assistance to Ukraine.
Germany, as the main advocate of fiscal austerity, needs to understand the internal contradiction involved. Chancellor Angela Merkel has behaved as a true European with regard to the threat posed by Russia. She has been the foremost advocate of sanctions on Russia, and she has been more willing to defy German public opinion and business interests on this than on any other issue. Only after the Malaysian civilian airliner was shot down in July did German public opinion catch up with her. Yet on fiscal austerity she has recently reaffirmed her allegiance to the orthodoxy of the Bundesbank—probably in response to the electoral inroads made by the Alternative for Germany, the anti-euro party. She does not seem to realize how inconsistent that is. She ought to be even more committed to helping Ukraine than to imposing sanctions on Russia.
The new Ukraine has the political will both to defend Europe against Russian aggression and to engage in radical structural reforms. To preserve and reinforce that will, Ukraine needs to receive adequate assistance from its supporters. Without it, the results will be disappointing and hope will turn into despair. Disenchantment already started to set in after Ukraine suffered a military defeat and did not receive the weapons it needs to defend itself.
It is high time for the members of the European Union to wake up and behave as countries indirectly at war. They are better off helping Ukraine to defend itself than having to fight for themselves. One way or another, the internal contradiction between being at war and remaining committed to fiscal austerity has to be eliminated. Where there is a will, there is a way.
Let me be specific. In its last progress report, issued in early September, the IMF estimated that in a worst-case scenario Ukraine would need additional support of $19 billion. Conditions have deteriorated further since then. After the Ukrainian elections the IMF will need to reassess its baseline forecast in consultation with the Ukrainian government. It should provide an immediate cash injection of at least $20 billion, with a promise of more when needed. Ukraine's partners should provide additional financing conditional on implementation of the IMF-supported program, at their own risk, in line with standard practice.
The spending of borrowed funds is controlled by the agreement between the IMF and the Ukrainian government. Four billion dollars would go to make up the shortfall in Ukrainian payments to date; $2 billion would be assigned to repairing the coal mines in eastern Ukraine that remain under the control of the central government; and $2 billion would be earmarked for the purchase of additional gas for the winter. The rest would replenish the currency reserves of the central bank.
The new assistance package would include a debt exchange that would transform Ukraine's hard currency Eurobond debt (which totals almost $18 billion) into long-term, less risky bonds. This would lighten Ukraine's debt burden and bring down its risk premium. By participating in the exchange, bondholders would agree to accept a lower interest rate and wait longer to get their money back. The exchange would be voluntary and market-based so that it could not be mischaracterized as a default. Bondholders would participate willingly because the new long-term bonds would be guaranteed—but only partially—by the US or Europe, much as the US helped Latin America emerge from its debt crisis in the 1980s with so-called Brady bonds (named for US Treasury Secretary Nicholas Brady).
Such an exchange would have a few important benefits. One is that, over the next two or three critical years, the government could use considerably less of its scarce hard currency reserves to pay off bondholders. The money could be used for other urgent needs.
By trimming Ukraine debt payments in the next few years, the exchange would also reduce the chance of a sovereign default, discouraging capital flight and arresting the incipient run on the banks. This would make it easier to persuade owners of Ukraine's banks (many of them foreign) to inject urgently needed new capital into them. The banks desperately need bigger capital cushions if Ukraine is to avoid a full-blown banking crisis, but shareholders know that a debt crisis could cause a banking crisis that wipes out their equity.
Finally, Ukraine would keep bondholders engaged rather than watch them cash out at 100 cents on the dollar as existing debt comes due in the next few years. This would make it easier for Ukraine to reenter the international bond markets once the crisis has passed. Under the current conditions it would be more practical and cost-efficient for the US and Europe not to use their own credit directly to guarantee part of Ukraine's debt, but to employ intermediaries such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development or the World Bank and its subsidiaries.
The Ukrainian state-owned company Naftogaz is a black hole in the budget and a major source of corruption. Naftogaz currently sells gas to households for $47 per thousand cubic meters (TCM), for which it pays $380 per TCM. At present people cannot control the temperature in their apartments. A radical restructuring of Naftogaz's entire system could reduce household consumption at least by half and totally eliminate Ukraine's dependence on Russia for gas. That would involve charging households the market price for gas. The first step would be to install meters in apartments and the second to distribute a cash subsidy to needy households.
The will to make these reforms is strong both in the new management and in the incoming government but the task is extremely complicated (how do you define who is needy?) and the expertise is inadequate. The World Bank and its subsidiaries could sponsor a project development team that would bring together international and domestic experts to convert the existing political will into bankable projects. The initial cost would exceed $10 billion but it could be financed by project bonds issued by the European Investment Bank and it would produce very high returns.
It is also high time for the European Union to take a critical look at itself. There must be something wrong with the EU if Putin's Russia can be so successful even in the short term. The bureaucracy of the EU no longer has a monopoly of power and it has little to be proud of. It should learn to be more united, flexible, and efficient. And Europeans themselves need to take a close look at the new Ukraine. That could help them recapture the original spirit that led to the creation of the European Union. The European Union would save itself by saving Ukraine.
—October 23, 2014
This Issue
November 20, 2014
Wonder Woman: The Weird, True Story
Why Innocent People Plead Guilty
I am deeply disturbed by a report in The New York Times quoting Human Rights Watch that subsequently—on October 2 and 5—Ukrainians also used cluster bombs, which I condemn. NATO should clarify both alleged Ukrainian and Russian use of such munitions. ↩


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Nick (Owen Wilson) and Billy (Vince Vaughn) battle it out with the techies in "The Internship" as two old-school salesmen in their 40s who use old fashioned charm and brilliant sales technique to sell watches. On the night that they try to close a big sale with a client, to their shock, they find that their company has been shut down because kids don't wear watches anymore. Suddenly, they find themselves unemployed as two dinosaurs in the digital world.
After an exhaustive job search online, Billy chanced upon an opportunity for them to reinvent themselves – an internship program with Google.
20th Century Fox now brings the latest trailer of "The Internship" tracking the misadventures of Wilson and Vaughn as they try to pass an internship interview at Google. As seen on the trailer, the interview is conducted via Google Hangout and the two being first-time online interviewees get too close to the camera and shout loudly into the microphone. As luck would have it, the two passes the internship interview through common sense, imagination and charm.
At Google, where it's worlds away from anything they have experienced before, they find themselves in a sea of tech-savvy 20-year-olds who they need to compete against to win a full-time employment at Google.
They eventually team up with a sexually curious nerd, a mobile phone obsessed geek and Yoyo (Raphael) a genius Asian kid who lacks social and common life skills and Lyle who is an underdog who wants to fit in. Going through training and competing with kids half their age, they are hell-bent to prove that it's never too late to reinvent yourself. The movie also stars Rose Byrne, John Goodman, Dylan O'Brien and Josh Gad.
"The Internship" opens June 7 in cinemas (Philippines) from 20th Century Fox.
Check out "The Internship's" latest trailer here at 20th Century Fox's YouTube channel :
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Eventually the money runs out. Much of America was shocked when the city of Detroit defaulted on a $39.7 million debt payment and announced that it was suspending payments on $2.5 billion of unsecured debt, but those who visit my site on a regular basis were probably not too surprised. Anyone with half a brain and a calculator could see this coming from a mile away. But people kept foolishly lending money to the city of Detroit, and now many of them are going to get hit really hard. Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr has submitted a proposal that would pay unsecured creditors about 10 cents on the dollar. Similar haircuts would be made to underfunded pension and health benefits for retirees. Orr is hoping that the creditors and the unions that he will be negotiating with will accept this package, but he concedes that there is still a "50-50 chance" that the city of Detroit will be forced to formally file for bankruptcy. But what Detroit is facing is not really that unique. In fact, Detroit is a perfect example of what the future of America is going to look like. We live in a nation that is rotting, decaying, drowning in debt and racing toward insolvency. Already there are dozens of other cities across the nation that are poverty-ridden, crime-infested hellholes just like Detroit is, and hundreds of other communities are rapidly heading in that direction. So don't look down on Detroit. They just got there before the rest of us.
The following are some facts about Detroit that are absolutely mind-blowing…
1 – Detroit was once the fourth-largest city in the United States, and in 1960 Detroit had the highest per-capita income in the entire nation.
2 – Over the past 60 years, the population of Detroit has fallen by 63 percent.
3 – At this point, approximately 40 percent of all the streetlights in the city don't work.
4 – Some ambulances in the city of Detroit have been used for so long that they have more than 250,000 miles on them.
5 – 210 of the 317 public parks in the city of Detroit have been permanently closed down.
6 – According to the New York Times, there are now approximately 70,000 abandoned buildings in Detroit.
7 – Approximately one-third of Detroit's 140 square miles is either vacant or derelict.
8 – Less than half of the residents of Detroit over the age of 16 are working at this point.
9 – If you can believe it, 60 percent of all children in the city of Detroit are living in poverty.
10 – According to one very shocking report, 47 percent of the residents of Detroit are functionally illiterate.
11 – Today, police solve less than 10 percent of the crimes that are committed in Detroit.
12 – Ten years ago, there were approximately 5,000 police officers in the city of Detroit. Today, there are only about 2,500 and another 100 are scheduled to be eliminated from the force soon.
13 – Due to budget cutbacks, most police stations in Detroit are now closed to the public for 16 hours a day.
14 – The murder rate in Detroit is 11 times higher than it is in New York City.
15 – Crime has gotten so bad in Detroit that even the police are telling people to "enter Detroit at your own risk".
16 – Right now, the city of Detroit is facing $20 billion in debt and unfunded liabilities. That breaks down to more than $25,000 per resident.
As Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr noted last week, it took a very long time for Detroit to get into this condition…
"What the average Detroiter needs to understand is that where we are right now is a culmination of years and years and years of kicking the can down the road," said Orr, adding that his proposal should not be seen as a "hostile act" but as a step in the right direction.
Does that sound familiar?
It should.
U.S. politicians have also been kicking the can down the road for "years and years and years".
But eventually you can't kick the can down the road anymore.
Sometimes it is helpful to step back and look at what we have done to ourselves over the past several decades.
For example, back in 1980 the U.S. national debt was less than one trillion dollars. Today, it is rapidly approaching 17 trillion dollars.
And our debt binge has greatly accelerated under Barack Obama.
During Barack Obama's first term, the federal government accumulated more debt than it did under the first 42 U.S presidents combined.
Isn't that insane?
In fact, if you started paying off just the new debt that the U.S. has accumulated during the Obama administration at the rate of one dollar per second, it would take more than 184,000 years to pay it off.
The following are a lot more facts about our exploding national debt from one of my previous articles entitled "55 Facts About The Debt And U.S. Government Finances That Every American Voter Should Know"…
#1 While Barack Obama has been president, the U.S. government has spent about 11 dollars for every 7 dollars of revenue that it has actually brought in.
#2 During the fiscal year that just ended, the U.S. government took in 2.449 trillion dollars but it spent 3.538 trillion dollars.
#3 During fiscal year 2011, over a trillion dollars of government money was spent on 83 different welfare programs, and those numbers do not even include Social Security or Medicare.
#4 Over the past four years, welfare spending has increased by 32 percent. In inflation-adjusted dollars, spending on those programs has risen by 378 percent over the past 30 years. At this point, more than 100 million Americans are enrolled in at least one welfare program run by the federal government. Once again, these figures do not even include Social Security or Medicare.
#5 Over the past year, the number of Americans getting a free cell phone from the federal government has grown by 43 percent. Now more than 16 million Americans are enjoying what has come to be known as an "Obamaphone".
#6 When Barack Obama first entered the White House, about 32 million Americans were on food stamps. Now, 47 million Americans are on food stamps. And this has happened during what Obama refers to as "an economic recovery".
#7 The U.S. government recently spent 27 million dollars on pottery classes in Morocco.
#8 The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently spent $300,000 to encourage Americans to eat caviar at a time when more families than ever are having a really hard time just trying to put any food on the table at all.
#9 During 2012, the National Science Foundation spent $516,000 to support the creation of a video game called "Prom Week", which apparently simulates "all the social interactions of the event."
#10 The U.S. Department of Agriculture gave the largest snack food maker in the world (PepsiCo Inc.) a total of 1.3 million dollars in corporate welfare that was used to help build "a Greek yogurt factory in New York."
#11 The National Science Foundation recently gave researchers at Purdue University $350,000. They used part of that money to help fund a study that discovered that if golfers imagine that a hole is bigger it will help them with their putting.
#12 If you can believe it, $10,000 from the federal government was actually used to purchase talking urinal cakes up in Michigan.
#13 The National Science Foundation recently gave a whopping $697,177 to a New York City-based theater company to produce a musical about climate change.
#14 The National Institutes of Health recently gave $666,905 to a group of researchers that is studying the benefits of watching reruns on television.
#15 The National Science Foundation has given 1.2 million dollars to a team of "scientists" that is spending part of that money on a study that is seeking to determine whether elderly Americans would benefit from playing World of Warcraft or not.
#16 The National Institutes of Health recently gave $548,731 to a team of researchers that concluded that those that drink heavily in their thirties also tend to feel more immature.
#17 The National Science Foundation recently spent $30,000 on a study to determine if "gaydar" actually exists. This is the conclusion that the researchers reached at the end of the study…
"Gaydar is indeed real and… its accuracy is driven by sensitivity to individual facial features"
#18 Back in 2011, the National Institutes of Health spent $592,527 on a study that sought to figure out once and for all why chimpanzees throw poop.
#19 The U.S. government spends more on the military than China, Russia, Japan, India, and the rest of NATO combined. In fact, the United States accounts for 41.0% of all military spending on the planet. China is next with only 8.2%.
#20 In a previous article, I noted that close to 500,000 federal employees now make at least $100,000 a year.
#21 In 2006, only 12 percent of all federal workers made $100,000 or more per year. Now, approximately 22 percent of all federal workers do.
#22 If you can believe it, there are 77,000 federal workers that make more than the governors of their own states do.
#23 During 2010, the average federal employee in the Washington D.C. area received total compensation worth more than $126,000.
#24 The U.S. Department of Defense had just nine civilians earning $170,000 or more back in 2005. When Barack Obama became president, the U.S. Department of Defense had 214 civilians earning $170,000 or more. By June 2010, the U.S. Department of Defense had 994 civilians earning $170,000 or more.
#25 During 2010, compensation for federal employees came to a grand total of approximately 447 billion dollars.
#26 If you can believe it, close to 15,000 retired federal employees are currently collecting federal pensions for life worth at least $100,000 annually. That list includes such names as Newt Gingrich, Bob Dole, Trent Lott, Dick Gephardt and Dick Cheney.
#27 During 2010, the federal government spent $33,387 on the hair care needs of U.S. Senators.
#28 During 2010, U.S. Senators pulled $72,370 out of the "Senate Restaurant Fund".
#29 During 2010, an average of $4,005,900 of U.S. taxpayer money was spent on "personal" and "office" expenses per Senator.
#30 In 2013, 3.7 million dollars will be spent to support the lavish lifestyles of former presidents such as George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
#31 During 2011, the federal government spent a total of 1.4 BILLION dollars just on the Obamas.
#32 When you combine all federal government spending, all state government spending and all local government spending, it comes to approximately 41 percent of U.S. GDP. But don't worry, all of our politicians insist that this is not socialism.
#33 As I have written about previously, less than 30 percent of all Americans lived in a home where at least one person received financial assistance from the federal government back in 1983. Today, that number is sitting at an all-time high of 49 percent.
#34 Back in 1990, the federal government accounted for just 32 percent of all health care spending in America. This year, it is being projected that the federal government will account for more than 50 percent of all health care spending in the United States.
#35 The number of Americans on Medicaid soared from 34 million in 2000 to 54 million in 2011, and it is being projected that Obamacare will add 16 million more Americans to the Medicaid rolls.
#36 In one of my previous articles, I discussed how it is being projected that the number of Americans on Medicare will grow from 50.7 million in 2012 to 73.2 million in 2025.
#37 If you can believe it, Medicare is facing unfunded liabilities of more than 38 trillion dollars over the next 75 years. That comes to approximately $328,404 for each and every household in the United States.
#38 In the United States today, more than 61 million Americans receive some form of Social Security benefits. By 2035, that number is projected to soar to a whopping 91 million.
#39 Overall, the Social Security system is facing a 134 trillion dollar shortfall over the next 75 years.
#40 When Barack Obama first took office, the U.S. national debt was about 10.6 trillion dollars. Now it is about 16.7 trillion dollars. That is an increase of 6.1 trillion dollars in a little more than 4 years.
#41 The federal government has now run a budget deficit of more than a trillion dollars for four years in a row.
#42 If right this moment you went out and started spending one dollar every single second, it would take you more than 31,000 years to spend one trillion dollars.
#43 If you were alive when Jesus Christ was born and you spent one million dollars every single day since that point, you still would not have spent one trillion dollars by now.
#44 Some suggest that "taxing the rich" is the answer. Well, if Bill Gates gave every single penny of his entire fortune to the U.S. government, it would only cover the U.S. budget deficit for 15 days.
#45 If the federal government used GAAP accounting standards like publicly traded corporations do, the real federal budget deficit for 2011 would have been 5 trillion dollars instead of 1.3 trillion dollars.
#46 The United States already has more government debt per capita than Greece, Portugal, Italy, Ireland or Spain does.
#47 At this point, the United States government is responsible for more than a third of all the government debt in the entire world.
#48 The amount of U.S. government debt held by foreigners is about 5 times larger than it was just a decade ago.
#49 Between 2007 and 2010, U.S. GDP grew by only 4.26%, but the U.S. national debt soared by 61% during that same time period.
#50 The U.S. national debt is now more than 37 times larger than it was when Richard Nixon took us off the gold standard.
#51 The U.S. national debt is now more than 5000 times larger than it was when the Federal Reserve was first created.
#52 The U.S. national debt jumped more on the very first day of fiscal year 2013 than it did from 1776 to 1941 combined.
#53 Historically, the interest rate on 10 year U.S. Treasuries has averaged 6.68 percent. If the average interest rate on U.S. government debt rose to that level today, the U.S. government would find itself spending more than a trillion dollars per year just on interest on the national debt.
#54 A recently revised IMF policy paper entitled "An Analysis of U.S. Fiscal and Generational Imbalances: Who Will Pay and How?" projects that U.S. government debt will rise to about 400 percent of GDP by the year 2050.
#55 Boston University economist Laurence Kotlikoff is warning that the U.S. government is facing a gigantic tsunami of unfunded liabilities in the coming years that we are counting on our children and our grandchildren to pay. Kotlikoff speaks of a "fiscal gap" which he defines as "the present value difference between projected future spending and revenue". His calculations have led him to the conclusion that the federal government is facing a fiscal gap of 222 trillion dollars in the years ahead.
Please share this article with as many people as you can. We are in the process of committing national financial suicide and time is rapidly running out to do anything about it.
Just like Detroit, a day is rapidly approaching when America will not be able to kick the can down the road anymore.
Sadly, our politicians don't seem inclined to do anything about it and most of the population seems to think that our exploding national debt is not a significant problem.
By the time it becomes clear how wrong they were, it will be far too late to do anything about it.


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We are delighted to welcome Bob Davenport, a very talented artist of some note, to The Wallington Gallery.
Born in Whalley, Lancashire in 1963 Bob has a BA (Hons) Degree in Fine Art from Sheffield College of Art (Sheffield Polytechnic).
"I walk the Border hills, woods and down by the Tweed – this is the landscape that inspires my work. The people, cattle and architecture are rendered in soft pastel drawings and acrylic paintings. Sometimes the art verges on abstraction, but the Borders is always at the heart".
As with most artists I like to move between different styles, mediums and techniques, from 240cm by 120cm abstracts with paint thrown, splashed and applied with a plasterer's trowel to portraits, landscapes and architecture, requiring delicacy and control.
Making a mark, whether thrown from a bucket ten feet away or a gentle touch of chalk pastel, a mark that says something of the world I am experiencing.
Coincidences – my father's death and viewing a beautiful lochan from above – turned my abstracts black for a while, part landscape, part mood.
I like violent contrasts, snow, sunrise, storm – it is what makes Scotland such a special place to live and work, to make paintings that don't hold any punches.
The other side of my work, the chalk pastel drawings are on the one hand about appealing to another audience, who are maybe frightened off by the abstracts, but on the other hand are about a desire for description, accuracy and control. The landscape drawings are inspired by the different times of the year, weather conditions and mood. The portrait work, drawing out a personality and character, is a very different challenge, and I intend to keep both approaches going simultaneously.
Born in Whalley, Lancashire in 1963 I have a BA (Hons) Degree in Fine Art from Sheffield College of Art (Sheffield Polytechnic).
Between 1989 and 2004 I was based in Brighton and during this time exhibited in the following venues:
Since 2004 I have lived in Melrose in the Scottish Borders and have exhibited in a range of venues including:


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Agreement to improve patient care, blend physical and behavioral health treatments
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Governor Steve Beshear announced today that the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) and University of Kentucky (UK) HealthCare have signed a letter of intent under which UK will operate and manage the newly constructed Eastern State Hospital in Lexington.
The agreement will not only maintain and improve quality patient care, but will also allow UK to leverage its considerable expertise in research and clinical therapies to modernize treatment options while training the next generation of behavioral health providers.
Gov. Beshear was joined at today's announcement by UK President Dr. Eli Capilouto, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs for UK HealthCare Dr. Michael Karpf, and Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Audrey Tayse Haynes.
"This new facility represents the continued improvement in the care and treatment of persons with severe and persistent mental illness and demonstrates our commitment to modernizing our behavioral health treatment capacity," said Gov. Beshear. "An integrated treatment for both behavioral and physical health provides the best outcomes for patients, and the UK Healthcare system is uniquely suited to blend those treatments for the patients at Eastern State Hospital."
Other state governments have forged successful partnerships with academic medical centers to operate psychiatric hospitals, including Arkansas and the University of Arkansas; Connecticut and Yale University; and New York and Columbia University.
"Our vision for health care in Kentucky is that no matter where someone wakes up in our state, they can take solace in knowing that regardless of how serious the illness, they can receive the best possible care at the University of Kentucky," Dr. Capilouto said. "This potential partnership – with Gov. Beshear's leadership -- is yet more evidence that such a compelling vision for health care in Kentucky is becoming a reality."
"For too long, the treatment of those with behavioral health conditions have been served separately from our overall health system and this artificial separation of behavioral health from physical healthcare is no longer acceptable," said CHFS Secretary Haynes. "Through this partnership with UK Healthcare, the state is taking a monumental step in achieving this much-needed integration. The new Eastern State Hospital and this partnership with the UK Healthcare system will truly transform the care Kentucky provides for persons with severe and persistent mental illness."
Agreement Enhances Care, Promotes Research
Patients served by Eastern State Hospital require coordinated, multidisciplinary treatment teams. As administrator of Eastern State Hospital, UK will bring clinical, research and administrative expertise that will allow this new facility to deliver state of the art care, promote research, advance knowledge and train the workforce of the future.
By signing the Letter of Intent, UK has agreed to a set of outcomes and performance measures including:
- improvement of patient treatment while hospitalized
- continuity of care during and post hospitalization; and
- increasing the number of persons leaving the hospital to return to community living.
As administrator of Eastern State Hospital, UK will leverage their internal clinical and research expertise in psychiatry, psychology, pharmacology, social work, marital and family therapy, public health law and other areas that are key to evidence-based treatments. This collaboration will allow UK to train clinicians and researchers in the most advanced paradigms of evidence-based care and prepare them to practice in the world of integrated behavioral and general medical care. Such integrated care is more cost effective and leads to better outcomes for patients.
The collaboration also provides UK great opportunities for research in diagnosis, treatment and prevention strategies of behavioral health issues.
Upon completion of construction, slated for the spring, there will be a 60-90 day transition for staff training, systems testing, licensing and relocation of patients from the current hospital to the new facility. This transition is anticipated to occur this summer.
Bluegrass Regional Mental Health Board has provided significant leadership and expertise in the operations of the current Eastern State Hospital since 1995. The Cabinet and UK intend for Bluegrass to continue to be an integral part of the new hospital and the behavioral health system. The Cabinet and UK leadership will work with the Bluegrass Board and Dr. David Hanna, Interim CEO, to ensure a seamless transition into the new hospital and to create increased behavioral health community alternatives to hospitalization.
"Bluegrass is fully committed to working with the Cabinet and UK to provide the highest quality of services for our clients," said Dr. Hanna.
About Eastern State Hospital
Construction is nearing completion on the new Eastern State Hospital, which is scheduled to open this summer. The 239-bed, approximately 300,000 square foot facility will provide a modern setting for inpatient psychiatric treatment, a new neuro-behavioral unit for specialized services for individuals with acquired brain injuries, a long-term care unit serving individuals with psychiatric disabilities requiring nursing facility level of care, and acute inpatient behavioral health treatment.
In addition to the hospital, the new Eastern State Hospital campus includes three 11,000 square feet personal care homes, each with the capacity to serve 16 people. These personal care homes will offer less restrictive care that promotes each patient's return to a community setting. The $129 million facility will replace the current pre-Civil War era Eastern State Hospital; the second oldest psychiatric hospital in the country.


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Netflix this morning released "Britney Vs Spears," a 90-minute documentary surrounding the conservatorship established for the pop star. The documentary drops one day before a court hearing which may determine the fate of the 13-year-long arrangement, which has largely placed her father in control of her affairs. Here to tell us all about it is NPR TV critic Eric Deggans, who got up early this morning to watch the Netflix documentary as it was released to the public. Eric, there's been a lot of reporting on Britney's situation. What does this Netflix documentary tell us about Britney Spears and the conservatorship she's under?
ERIC DEGGANS, BYLINE: Well, filmmaker Erin Lee Carr teamed up with journalist Jenny Eliscu to create this film, which kind of walks the viewer through how the conservatorship was initially created, how it operates and why so many people have questioned its existence. Now, there's a lot of material here, but if you've been loosely following this case, which involves this long fight by Britney Spears to hire her own attorney and remove her father Jamie Spears as her conservator, then you may know a fair amount that's covered here. But the filmmakers get these interviews with a lot of people close to the case, including former boyfriends, a former assistant, attorneys, an expert on conservatorships and even a geriatric psychologist who may have examined Spears. The film implies that the conservatorship created a severely constricted situation where Spears was isolated. She felt trapped. She didn't have control of her money or movements. But she was functional enough to perform on world tours and earn millions of dollars.
Now, in a key scene, Eliscu admits that she got actively involved in the story, taking legal papers into a bathroom in 2009 so that Spears could covertly sign a request that her court-appointed lawyer be replaced by an attorney of her choosing. We've got a clip of Eliscu talking about it. Let's listen.
JENNY ELISCU: Of course, I was concerned about being a participant in the story I was trying to cover objectively. There was no denying it at that point that I could be more useful as a good Samaritan almost than another journalist trying to cover this story.
DEGGANS: Now, that effort ultimately failed. But it's an unusual step for a journalist covering a story, and it gives you a sense of what their perspective is on this case.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, speaking of journalists, The New York Times documentary "Framing Britney Spears" seems to have ignited public interest in this story, and the producers of that project dropped a new film, "Controlling Britney Spears," on Friday. What's been the effect of all these documentaries?
DEGGANS: You're right. You know, "Framing Britney Spears," it was released in February. It shone a light on these efforts by Spears' fans to call attention to questions about the conservatorship. And after that film debuted, Spears finally gained the right to hire her own lawyer and request an end to the conservatorship. Now, this new film, "Controlling Britney Spears," featured an interview with a former employee of the security firm that guards the pop singer that alleged that listening devices were placed in her bedroom, and her cellphone and her iPad were mirrored, allowing the firm to monitor her activities. All these films have been trying to answer a few important questions. Why was such a conservatorship imposed? Was her father too controlling? Did he and others unfairly profit from it? How did it work? And why have the courts maintained it for so long?
MARTÍNEZ: Any sense of how these films might impact the hearing tomorrow?
DEGGANS: Well, I'm not a lawyer, but these films do create a terrible picture of the conservatorship, and they make a persuasive case that it deserves to be modified or reconsidered. And we'll see tomorrow if that actually happens.
MARTÍNEZ: That's NPR TV critic Eric Deggans. Eric, thanks a lot.
DEGGANS: Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF EL MICHELS AFFAIR'S "SHADOW BOXING") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Pre-Adidas World Cup match ball
FIFA World Cup 1930 Uruguay
About 1930 Uruguay
The 1930 World Cup was the first World Cup organized by FIFA but it was not the first international soccer tournament. The greatest football nations could compete during the Olympic Games even before the first FIFA World Cup. The balls used in the 1930 World Cup therefore originated from the Olympic Games and also from the national football championships. This means that no new balls were introduced for the first World Cup.
Click here to learn more
Most of the balls used in the beginning of the XX. century were made in Britain and exported to many countries where football became more and more popular. These balls were all hand sewn, made of the highest quality leather and always had laces (until the arrival of the "Superball" in the fifties). The panel structures were all different but as the first FIFA World Cup was approaching, only two types remained, becoming the most widely used: the 12 panel balls and the T-model balls.
There is a vintage football equipment catalogue made by the French AA Tunmer & Co. from 1913 where these two new models were already advertised. The 12 panel ball was called "Players", while the other ball was the famous "T-model" that consisted of only 11 panels. Both balls were more spherical than their predecessors and immediately became successful and widely used for many decades during the Olympic Games and national competitions. No wonder that these two models were later adopted for the first FIFA World Cup in Uruguay as the only balls used in the tournament.
There was another famous variation of the regular 12 panel balls: the name of this ball was "Globe" and it was manufactured by another British company called Cliff's. The difference between the "Globe" and the above mentioned "Players" is only the roundness of the edges of the 12 identical panels the balls were made of. (This set of design was so successful and long lasting that even the 1950 World Cup ball had similar, 12 panel structure, however this new ball was already laceless.) The final match of the 1928 Olympic Games between Uruguay and Argentina was also played with this classic 12 panel ball, the "Globe". This is another official record to prove the success of the 12 panel balls even before the first FIFA World Cup in 1930.
Overall we can say that both of these balls were the best balls available before the first FIFA World Cup but we could not see two perfectly identical balls if we compare their sphericity. The reason is that these balls were not only hand sewn but also inflated by different people, which had a great impact on the sphericity of each and every ball. The laces kept the bladder under the skin and inflating the balls was not an easy job. Several operations were necessary: loosening the laces and extracting the appendix of the bladder; pumping air into the bladder at the right pressure; bending and tying the appendix with a sharp thread and finally it was absolutely necessary to strongly tie the laces throughout the passages. The balls could namely no longer retain their original weight in the wet.
There were only 18 matches played by the 13 participating teams during the first FIFA World Cup in Uruguay. The balls used in the tournament were not allowed to have any prints or manufacturer's logos on their surface, this formal practice originated from the Olympic Football tournaments before the 1930 World Cup. As for the balls used in the World Cup, we can see the same thing: there were no new balls constructed directly for the first World Cup, they used the 12 panel and the T-model balls as described earlier. The T-model ball was the most frequently used ball during the first FIFA World Cup (13 matches out of the total 18 games played). The T-model ball (also called the "Wembley") was made by the English company John Salter & Son from Aldershot (London) and had been imported by Clericetti & Barrela from Montevideo but as stated earlier none of these balls were branded in the World Cup matches.
During the World Cup the two participating teams of each and every game had to agree which ball to use. Before the final Uruguay always played their matches with the T-model ball whereas Argentina were allowed to use the 12 panel ball which they called "Tiento". This ball was brought from Buenos Aires but imported from Scotland where it was manufactured. These two teams had already faced each other in the final of the 1928 Olympic Football Tournament so the conflict of which ball to use in the final where both these teams reached the most important game of the World Cup was already in the air…
The success of Uruguay and Argentina brought them all the way to the final again. As expected the two nations could not agree which ball to use in the most important game. The Belgian referee (John Langenus) remained neutral and did not want to influence the game with his own decision. Therefore a compromise was born: they played the first half of the match with the 12 panel ball supported by Argentina and the second half with the T-model ball as the host nation requested. As we know from the outcome of the game the role of the used balls became crucial: Argentina won the first half 2:1 with their 12 panel "Tiento" ball but Uruguay came back in the game scoring 3 goals and finally won 4:2 with the T-model ball and became the first World Champions.
It is important to mention that there were two T-model balls used in the second half of the final match. The first ball had become deflated and had to be replaced. One of the T-model balls had 5 rows of laces and it is now kept in the National Football Museum in Manchester. The other T-model ball had 7 passages of laces and it was auctioned for 50,000 EUR in Germany in 2004 and now it is kept in the Spanish Football Museum in Madrid.
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Shingle Roofs in Newport News, Virginia
John's Roofing & Home Improvements has provided durable, high quality shingle roofs in Newport News, VA since 1997. We have built a reputation for providing dependable and detail-oriented services. You can trust that John's Roofing & Home Improvements's shingle roofers are as reliable as they are knowledgeable. Contact John's Roofing & Home Improvements about your shingle roof in Newport News, Virginia. Our roofing crew will be happy to provide you with a competitive quote and stand by the outstanding roofing service that we deliver.
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When it comes to installing a shingle roof, our skilled roofers do the job right the first time! We promise to uphold our commitment to quality and high standards with every Newport News shingle roofing project we complete. We at John's Roofing & Home Improvements have the expertise and dependability that you are looking for in a roofing company. We offer the most professional and affordable residential and commercial shingle roofing installation in Newport News, VA.
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Installing a shingle roof in Newport News? Or, are you looking to repair your shingle roof? Don't hesitate to call us! John's Roofing & Home Improvements knows how to shingle any building, office, or home and exceed expectations. Whether it's a metal shingle roof installation or you need us to repair roofing shakes in Newport News, we are the go-to roofing company!
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Could not be happier. Did what he said, when he said, and cleaned up.
Bravo!"Stewart Brenegar in Newport News, VA
2023-10-11 -
★★★★★ - "Had a leak in my roof that is covered with solar panels, John came out and sealed the area, and after this weekend of heavy rain, it was completely dry. Such good service and he is very knowledgeable about what he does. Thank you, John."
Mary Romano in Hampton, VA
2024-05-31 -
★★★★★ - "John did a great job a few years ago replacing our roof and was willing to help us recently diagnose an issue with a second-floor deck. We appreciate his services!"
2024-05-15 -
★★★★★ - "Great experience! John showed up and repaired my siding and cleaned my gutters the same day I called. He was friendly and professional."
Joyce in Portsmouth, VA
2024-05-09 -
★★★★★ - "I am extremely pleased with John's customer service and his work. John came out and gave me an estimate the same day. He completely explained all that needed to be done in a manner that I could understand. He was able to get me on the calendar immediately. While at work I received constant updates of the work being done."
RENEE GILL in Portsmouth, VA
2024-03-15 -
★★★★★ - "Extremely phenomenal service! John was professional, knowledgeable, and very easy to work with. He took the extra time to listen to exactly what we needed and went above and beyond to make sure we were completely satisfied. John is an honest business man who truly cares about each and every one of his customers."
2023-09-26 -
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2023-09-21 -
★★★★★ - "Professional all the way."
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2023-07-19 -
★★★★★ - "We had a small roof leak (still seemed big to us tho!) and reached out to John's Roofing. Boy, were we glad we did? John got right on it! We were lucky that he was nearby and we received same-day service. He was very prompt, knowledgeable, professional, straightforward, and honest. His pricing was great! He fixed our problem in a jiffy and gave us peace of mind. We will be needing a new roof soon and we'll definitely be calling him back. He is a keeper and we'll certainly be recommending him to our family and friends. He's now our "roofing guy". Thanks, John!!!"
Vernice in Chesapeake, VA
2023-07-12 -
★★★★★ - "Super responsive and came out fast. He evaluated my ceiling/roof issue very thoroughly and determined nothing was needed, but to keep an eye on it. The evaluation was free and was super nice! I will definitely call him next time I have an issue."
Kara in Chesapeake, VA
2023-06-28 -
★★★★★ - "had John Briggs come out to give an estimate on various repairs and got a very fair price quote - sorry we just can't come up with the money to go ahead with it right now, but definitely intend to save up and proceed asap and will call again then."
William in Portsmouth, VA
2023-06-07 -
★★★★★ - "Mr. Briggs came and gave me an estimate and came the next day on schedule and within three to four hours he was done. He and his assistant were very professional. I would recommend them. He even gave me a year's warranty."
James in Chesapeake, VA
2022-09-01 -
★★★★★ - "After seeking several estimates on a new roof, I was reminded I have a friend who is a retired roofer. I asked him for an opinion about the mixed responses I was getting from various contractors. I didn't want to make mistakes like those made 11 years ago when a new roof was put on my house. My friend told me to call John. I did. John was patient with all of my questions and explained his answers in a clear way I could understand. His estimate was competitive and his warranty is good. Yesterday, John and his team arrived on time and did a great job repairing issues and replacing my worn-out roof. I have confidence in the answers John gave to all of my questions. The new roof is beautiful and I will no longer cringe when the weather forecast says rain."
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2022-08-03 -
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Phillip in Norfolk, VA
2022-07-27 -
★★★★★ - "I'm in the process of selling my home and I needed a licensed roofing company ASAP. John's Roofing saved the day!!! Mr. John was able to come the next day to give me an AFFORDABLE and HONEST estimate. My roof replacement was done that following Monday by Mr. John and his wonderful staff!!!
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2022-07-11 -
★★★★★ - "Came same day that service was needed. Roof vent cap was loose and the wind would have caused it to come off, allowing water into the attic. Vent had been making noise in the past. John fixed the cap and also eliminated the noise.
First-class service on a 94-degree afternoon.
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2022-07-05 -
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Santana, Roof Installation in Portsmouth, VA
2022-06-30 -
★★★★★ - "I ran a roofing business on Norfolk for over 30 yrs. and John was one of my best sub-contractors. His work was first class and we never had any complaints from any customers. He did work for me for approximately 15 yrs. and was always very prompt and completed the work on time or ahead of schedule. He also maintained his own liability insurance which is important in the roofing business. I would highly recommend him for any type of roofing work for a top quality job at a reasonable price."
Clint D., Roofing in Hampton, VA
2022-06-30 -
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2022-06-30 -
★★★★★ - "Johns Roofing & Home Improvements is a great company. John was very honest with me and professional. He came and worked in a timely manner and I look forward to working with him again in the future. Highly recommend!"
Jakayla S., Roofing in Portsmouth, VA
2022-06-30 -
★★★★★ - "John and his fellows did an amazing job on my roof! I highly recommend."
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2022-06-30 -
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Kris M., Roofing in Norfolk, VA
2022-06-30 -
★★★★★ - "JOHN is amazing!!!!!! I've had a funky roof that led to extensive water damage in my master bedroom! He and his team fixed it in a few hours!! He is SO kind and well priced and I will never have anyone else do my roof but him."
Santana, Roof Repair in Norfolk, VA
2022-06-29 -
★★★★★ - "Awesome company to work with I got a great job at a fair price and was in and out in a day I recommend this company for all ur roofing needs"
Shaun R., Roofing in Chesapeake, VA
2022-06-27 -
★★★★★ - "John's Roofing replaced the skylight, broken vent, and some shingles. Friendly, polite, professional, good work, and good communication. Did what he said when he said he would do it. He also did a roof replacement for my son who was very pleased for all the above reasons. Will be calling him for my roof replacement."
Kris Miller in Virginia Beach, VA
2022-06-27 -
★★★★★ - "I enjoyed working with John. He is a hard worker. He is sincere and enjoys his work. His attention to detail is top notch. I would recommend his services!"
William Bass in Portsmouth, VA
2018-07-23 -
★★★★★ - "I enjoyed working with John. He will return your calls and give you a fair price on his work. He will keep you updated on the job. He is a hard worker and takes pride in his work. I highly recommend John Briggs Roofing!"
Bill in Portsmouth, VA
2018-07-02 -
★★★★★ - "I ran a roofing co. in Norfolk for over 30 yrs. and John was one of my best sub-contractors. His work was first class and we never had any complaints from any customers. He did work for me for approx. 15 years and was always very prompt and completed the work on time or ahead of schedule. He also maintained his own liability insurance, which is important in the roofing business.I would highly recommend him for any type of roofing work for a top quality job at a reasonable price."
Clint Dalton in Norfolk, VA
2018-06-14 -
★★★★★ - "Fast estimate and completion. Will definitely use again."
Corey in Williamsburg, VA
2018-06-13 -
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Anonymous in Gatesville, NC
2018-06-12 -
★★★★★ - "John and his guys did an amazing job! Their price was awesome and the work was even better. When they said they would be there, they were and was very pleased overall. Would recommend to anyone."
Zach Cahalan in Carrsville, VA
2018-06-12 -
★★★★★ - "Johns Roofing just put a new roof on my house they did a great job and I'm very happy with there work give them a call"
Roy in Portsmouth, VA
2018-06-11 -
★★★★★ - "They installed a new roof for me on my house excellent work at a fair price, highly recommend."
Anonymous, Roofing


text:
Police place conditions on planned BNP march to Lewisham
A statement issued by the police today reads:
The MPS yesterday (30 May) imposed conditions upon a march and rally being planned by the BNP for Saturday 1 June.
Conditions have been imposed under Section 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act, 1986, that the BNP march and rally must take place between 1300 and 1600, between Old Palace Yard and the Cenotaph in Whitehall on 1 June.
The BNP applied to hold a march and rally on 1 June from Woolwich Barracks to the Lewisham Islamic Centre. The BNP's intention to hold this march and rally resulted in a number of groups indicating they wished to attend to hold counter protests.
The information and intelligence available to the MPS meant that it was necessary to impose the conditions to prevent the demonstration from resulting in serious disorder, serious damage to property, and/or serious disruption to the life of the community.
Commander Simon Letchford, MPS, said:
"The murder of Lee Rigby in Woolwich last week shocked our city. The right to protest is a fundamental part of our society, however, such an evocative mix of views being expressed in communities still hurting from Lee's murder could have resulted in ugly scenes on our streets.
"Those communities have made it clear to us the impact that groups expressing extreme views has upon them. We have listened to those concerns following Lee Rigby's murder, and we will keep working with all our communities.
"We know that when groups with conflicting views come together it can create tension and disorder. What we have had to carefully consider is how to balance the right to protest with the negative impact on our communities and potential violence and disorder that may have resulted from these protests going ahead as they were suggested.
"If you want to protest on Saturday we ask that you do so peacefully, no matter what your view. We will work with you to enable that protest to go ahead. What we will also do is fulfill our duty to prevent crime and keep peace on our streets.
"The support we have received so far from Londoners has been outstanding, I would urge people to continue to show restraint and calm. We must continue to be a city that stands together."
The decision to apply Section 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act was taken based on current community tensions, the current intelligence picture about Saturday and recent marches and protests held by similar groups. As part of the MPS assessment of current community tensions the views of a range of local representatives have been sought. Taking all these factors into consideration the MPS has made an operational policing decision to take this approach, and believe it to be proportionate in these specific circumstances.
Attempts by the MPS to change the location of the protest via negotiation were unsuccessful.
Breach of the conditions is a criminal offence, and anyone breaching them may find themselves open to arrest.
The MPS Counter Terrorism Command is undertaking a complex and fast moving investigation into Lee Rigby's murder. Since the 22 May the MPS has been running an operation to provide extra reassurance patrols, and provide a response to any protests.