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The Aldrich Alert
A Publication of the Patrick Henry Center for Individual Liberty
by Gary Aldrich - Volume 2, Issue 53
This article appeared at Townhall.com on December 11, 2002
We recently learned that United Airlines has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection, but the collapse of major airline carriers is not news if you consider the long line of defunct airlines in the industries history.
I happen to know a bit about airlines and why they go belly up. Both my parents worked for airlines for decades. My mother was personnel director for the "old" National Airlines which used to be Florida's top carrier and a major source of jobs for those who lived in South Florida. National Airlines grew and grew and grew, until it failed. Was it a poor economy that did National in? Nope, it was good old-fashioned bureaucracy, aided and abetted by the firm grip of organized labor.
Mom would come home from work frustrated with the layer upon layer of management that made her job increasingly difficult. Airlines didn't pay very high wages - except to the captains and co-captains who flew those wonderful planes, and that was understandable because of their expertise and level of responsibility. But the rest of the employees were expected to enjoy the unlimited free passes that came with longevity - and the promise of travel after retirement - instead of higher wages. Both my parents took full advantage of the travel opportunities, as did I. My mother was happy enough with her job, and she certainly had an interest in the financial health of National Airlines - she was a dedicated, loyal employee.
But the lower wages enabled unions to make a case that the airline could afford to pay the rank and file more and more. Strikes were common in those days, and each strike drove management further apart, while weakening the overall financial health of the corporation. Finally, National Airlines could no longer pay its bills, and it went out of business.
South Florida's tourist industry was shaken for a little while, and there was some sadness and unemployment for a time, but good workers can always find new jobs, and so they did. The shiny airplanes were sold to other carriers, repainted, and many are still flying today.
My Dad had a similar experience at Eastern Airlines, another major carrier which also went out of business. He once called me into his office, "Gary, the unions are going to kill Eastern Airlines one day. Mark my words."
Dad, who managed an airplane maintenance program, gave me several good examples of how unions got in the way of production. He simply wanted to change his office around one day and asked workers who were standing nearby doing nothing, to help him move a filing cabinet. They complied, but later filed a "grievance" with their union steward, complaining that there were "special" workers at Eastern for "moving furniture."
Dad was in big trouble as senior management explained that job descriptions ruled, not because it was the best, most efficient way to run an airline, but because unions could monkey-wrench operations if they didn't get their rules enforced.
In the end, unions also complained that Eastern Airlines was lying about the profits they had made so that they would not have to properly pay rank and file employees. As it turned out, this claim was totally bogus, but the unions created the perception of "evil" management, and no amount of examination by teams of CPA's could convince workers otherwise.
Unions and management engaged in a death struggle for years about this claim of phony books until the money ran out. Eastern failed, just as my Dad predicted it would.
Of course, my Dad also talked about the cumbersome bureaucracy that made it impossible to get anything done quickly. Just like National Airlines, Eastern had become so big it could no longer be managed well - there were too many layers of management.
And so, a major airline carrier failing is nothing new, and except for the frustrated stock holders who hung on to the bloody end, change came and people adjusted.
Next year, United Airlines may emerge from bankruptcy and flourish, or it may not - there's a chance the planes will be repainted and the pilots will be wearing new uniforms.
In other words, the system works. Perhaps bankruptcy, while never welcomed, is in many ways, actually healthy in the long run.
I think there are interesting parallels with these huge corporations and our federal government. While the federal government may not be totally union controlled, it is special interest controlled and management-laden just like the airlines.
The difference is that whenever the federal government gets to the point that it cannot pay its bills due to its own failure to "just say no!" or properly manage itself, it either deficit spends or it raises taxes.
The federal government gets bigger and bigger, and moves more and more slowly - but it will never go bankrupt - at least there doesn't seem to be much chance of that. There is no "safety-valve" to contain the excesses and failures of federal government management.
There is only good leadership to fix what ails these massive federal bureaucracies. So let's hope we can get more good leadership - and soon.


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Customized TV Listings are available here: www.latimes.com/tvtimes
Click here to download TV listings for the week of June 29 - July 5, 2014 in PDF format
SERIESSo You Think You Can Dance Top 20 dancers in their first performance show. 8 p.m. Fox
American Grilled The premiere of this new traveling-cooking show features dishes made with unusual ingredients. 9 p.m. Travel
Duck Dynasty Willie and his brothers spend the day training with the local fire department, and Phil becomes unsettled when Miss Kay begins looking at burial plots for them in this new episode. 10 p.m. A&E
Taxi Brooklyn Cat's (Chyler Leigh) mission to find the son of a well-known designer has a tragic outcome in this new episode. Jacky Ido, Ally Walker, Jennifer Esposito and Jose Zuniga also star. 10 p.m. NBC
Hot in Cleveland In this new episode, the ladies are stuck in the house with some unwanted guests during a scary storm, and Elka (Betty White) believes the ghost of a murdered woman has returned to seek revenge. 10:30 p.m. TV Land
Jaws It's the week of the Fourth of July, which means a return to Amityville with Chief Brody, Matt Hooper and Quint (Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfus, Robert Shaw), and a large predator that supposedly injured some bathers. 10 a.m. and 7:45 p.m. AMC. The sequel, "Jaws 2," follows at 1 and 10:45 p.m.
Warm Bodies One couple, a zombie and a human (Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer), could be the key to saving the world from a rampage of the undead in this 2013 satire of a genre. John Malkovich and Rob Corddry also star. 9:15 p.m. Cinemax
CBS This Morning Melissa McCarthy and her husband, Ben Falcone; United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta. (N) 7 a.m. KCBS
Today Nick Cannon; Martha Stewart; Famke Janssen. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC
Good Morning America Robin Thicke; Natasha Case and Freya Estreller; Ginger Zee rides the Zumanjaro. (N) 7 a.m. KABC
Good Day L.A. Tom Bergeron and Kermit the frog ("A Capitol Fourth"); Kym Whitley ("Young & Hungry"). (N) 7 a.m. KTTV
Live With Kelly and Michael Liv Tyler ("The Leftovers"); Maia Mitchell ("The Fosters"). (N) 9 a.m. KABC
The View Abby Huntsman; Chris O'Donnell; Robin Thicke; Dr. Doris Day. (N) 10 a.m. KABC
The Doctors Weight loss. 11 a.m. KCAL
The Wendy Williams Show Amber Rose ("School Dance"); designer David Meister. (N) 11 a.m. KTTV
The Talk Ian Somerhalder; Kevin Frazier. 1 p.m. KCBS
The Queen Latifah Show Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs ("2 Broke Girls"). 2 p.m. KCBS; 7 p.m. KCAL
The Dr. Oz Show A dangerous new prescription painkiller. 2 p.m. KABC
Dr. Phil 3 p.m. KCBS
Katie Pornography; Doc Shaw discusses weight loss and bullying. (N) 3 p.m. KABC
The Ellen DeGeneres Show Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson. 4 p.m. KNBC
SoCal Connected Update on Angie Peacock and her experience at a Long Beach therapy program for female veterans; women in prison cooking for themselves; a North Hollywood apartment complex that requires tenants to have pets. (N) 8 p.m. KCET
Between the Lines With Barry Kibrick Author Alvin Toffler. 9 p.m. KLCS
Tavis Smiley Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner; Jennifer Holliday. (N) 11 p.m. KOCE
Charlie Rose (N) 11 p.m. KVCR; 11:30 p.m. KOCE
The Daily Show: Jon Stewart Daniel Schulman. 11 p.m. Comedy Central
Chelsea Lately Melissa McCarthy. (N) 11 p.m. E!
Conan Ricky Gervais. 11 p.m. TBS
The Arsenio Hall Show Kelly Rowland. 11:30 p.m. KTLA
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Tom Cruise. 11:34 p.m. KNBC
Late Show With David Letterman Sarah Silverman. 11:35 p.m. KCBS
Jimmy Kimmel Live Susan Sarandon; Ramon Rodriguez; Robin Thicke performs. (N) 11:35 p.m. KABC
Late Night Wanda Sykes. 12:36 a.m. KNBC
The Late Late Show: Craig Ferguson Scarlett Johansson. 12:37 a.m. KCBS

subset: commoncrawl


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Pop Montreal 2012, Day 2: Dirty Three at the Ukrainian Federation; Sept. 20, 2012
Photo of Warren Ellis at the Ukrainian Federation courtesy of Pop Montreal
How cerebral is the music of Dirty Three? It seemed as if anyone without glasses or decent-to-serious facial growth – preferably both – was in serious danger of being turned away at the door when the trio performed Thursday night at the Ukrainian Federation.
But don't mistake cerebral for highbrow: the opening introduction by violinist Warren Ellis – of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman fame – centered on a hemorrhoid attached to Bono.
Ellis's amusing and surreal song introductions, as it turned out, were the perfect counterweight to the often dense, challenging and lengthy instrumentals he wove with co-conspirators Jim White (drums) and Mick Turner (guitar). Ellis's theory about how Justin Bieber is responsible for global warming, his fantasy about putting everyone in the whole world in your pyjama bottoms and dumping them into "the coldest, iciest Montreal lake you can find" and his bit about Paul Hewson (Bono), Paul Gadd (Gary Glitter), Paul McCartney and Paul Newman living together and reacting to a new Bono hit – all weirdly priceless.
The music, as befits Ellis's sometime vocation as a writer of film scores, is the sound of unsettling aural images, with a deeply strange beauty sometimes peeping through, as in Hope.
Playing mostly with his back to the audience, Ellis furiously sawed away at his instrument, frequently creating loops, building on them and setting them all loose in a screech that sounded like a demented string section, as in Some Summers They Drop LIke Flies. To kick off that piece, he enlisted the audience to sing a two-note phrase (actually, the same note separated by an octave). The band built on that sparse accompaniment, creating a lugubrious foundation as Ellis took off into a mournful melody.
With White often unleashing hell around the song rather than simply keeping time and Turner's scratchy, often minimalist playing, Dirty Three are somewhat closer to free jazz than rock, as illustrated Thursday night by the cacophonous Sometimes I Forget You've Gone.
Although there's not an excess of breathing room in Dirty Three's music, the ensemble playing is about how each musician finds his entry point into a piece and how he fills whatever space he finds there. And to see the process unfold before you in real time is to understand how crucial the live experience is to the trio's music. (Click here to see how Ellis expounded on those matters – and more – when he recently spoke to colleague Jordan Zivitz.)
It's a rarefied atmosphere, to be sure, and an acquired taste. For the uninitiated, the leisurely beginnings, endless endings and relentless attack-and-release strategy could easily spell tedium. But for the group's devotees – who listened respectfully and left their explosive enthusiasm to the appropriate moments – it was clearly heaven.


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Polar IrDA USB Adapter Drivers
Polar IrDA USB Adapter is supported for Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP 32/64-bit, Vista and 7 32/64-bit. Please make sure you have updated Microsoft Service Pack before installation.
Download the drivers from here. Save the .zip file to a temporary location and extract it with, for example, WinZip. See user manual for installation instructions. After installing drivers, restart your computer.
When installing drivers to Windows Vista/7 64 bit, please make sure that you are logged onto your computer as an administrator. Admin rights are necessary to install the drivers.
Do not use these drivers for the silver-colored Polar IrDA USB 2.0 Adapter (picture below).


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Feb. 6, 2008
Santa Clara, Calif. - The Santa Clara men's tennis team will host No. 71 Brigham Young University this Saturday February 9, at 12:00 p.m. at the Degheri Tennis Center. The Broncos look to bounce back from their 5-2 loss to Loyola Marymount and stop the Cougars three game winning streak. BYU will face Stanford on Friday and then travel to Santa Clara the following day, on their short Northern California road trip.
This season sophomore Jay Wong has continued to play successfully, as the only undefeated player in singles with a 3-0 record. Wong has taken command of the No. 1 singles position, after playing as high as the No. 2 spot last season.
"Jay is playing great this season," said Coach Derek Mills. "He continues to develop into a great tennis player and has battled hard this season. Not only does he play smart, but he knows how to stay composed, as two of his singles matches have gone into three sets."
The Broncos have been working hard this week in practice to prepare for the Cougars, who are their first ranked opponent of the season.
"Facing BYU will be a challenge, but one the guys are ready to take on," said Mills. "They continually come out and work hard, and have been able to maximize practice this week due to the better weather conditions."
Santa Clara looks to earn their second win of the season this weekend at home.


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During the six months ending 30 June, revenue came in at CNY 4.4 billion ($720 million), an increase of 38% on the same period last year. This was largely due to a leap in turbine sales.
On the back of this, the Chinese manufacturer pushed its operating profit up 244% to CNY 378 million. The company managed this by bringing down costs, therefore increasing its gross profit margin by 11.8 percentage points to 30.4%.
Goldwind said it achieved this through "technological development, supply chain optimisation and lean management".
Over the period, the manufacturer sold 561 turbines with a capacity of 942MW, up from 412 turbines with a capacity of 662MW in H1 2013.
Sales of its 2.5MW machine increased steepest, with 250MW shifted, more than double the machin's sales during the same period last year, "demonstrating a shift in market demand towards larger-capacity units", Goldwind said.
The company's backlog of orders was 4.9GW at the end of the period.
Revenue from power generation from wind farms operated by Goldwind was CNY 520 million, an increase of 179%.


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Missing Panhandle dog shows up after 9 years
CRESTVIEW, Fla. – A missing dog is back with its family nine years after breaking out of their back yard in Crestview.
April Hight received a call from the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society called to let her know that animal control workers had picked up their Lhasa Apso named Maggie on Tuesday. A microchip provided contact information for Maggie's owners.
"It's just a gift to have her back," Hight told the Northwest Florida Daily News. "She'll be able to live out the rest of her years loved and cared for and that'll make up for the hopefully not all horrible years she had to live through to get back home."
Hight and her daughter Abigayle, who was 4 when Maggie ran away, picked up the almost 11-year-old dog on Wednesday. Maggie's hair was matted but a checkup showed no other major issues. But Hight says Maggie is "skin and bones."
"You try to picture what her life might have been like," Hight said. "It's hard to fathom or imagine."
While Maggie was quiet at first, she recognized Hight's husband and immediately began wagging her tail.
The Hights are foster parents and they've enjoyed watching children "blossom" under their care. She says they look forward to the same thing with Maggie."You can see that little spark in her, that little light in her," she said.
Copyright 2014 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Analysis instrument for determining the quality of SF6 gas
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With the completely equipped instrument, it is possible to measure the purity of SF6 gas, the humidity and the SO2 or HF concentration, respectively. The SF6 gas analyzer GA10 determines the pressureised dew point of the SF6 gas by means of the pressure measurement of the test gas and the measured humidity. The combined measurement of all measurement parameters mentioned above minimises both the measuring time and the required quantity of test gas.
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The son of Aretha Franklin was savagely beaten at a Detroit gas station, according to a spokeswoman for the Queen of Soul.
Eddie Franklin, 52, was undergoing surgery after the beating Monday night, said Gendolyn Quinn. The statement says three people may have been involved in the beating but didn't have any additional information beyond the statement.
According to ABC 7 in Detroit, a witness told cops three suspects, two males and one female may have been responsible for the attack. Detroit Police said they were looking into the matter but had no other information.
Eddie Franklin made a guest appearance on his mother's latest release earlier his year, singing "His Eye Is On the Sparrow" on the the 12-track CD "A Woman Falling Out of Love." He was a suspect in a 2002 fire at a $1.6 million Detroit-area mansion his mother used for storage, but was later cleared of suspicion.
Aretha Franklin is one of the most honored musicians in American history, having won numerous Grammys; the National Medal of Arts; the Presidential Medal of Freedom and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Selected Reading: The Associated Press, Detroit Free Press, Aretha-Franklin.com.


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Grow Your Practice | Dental Consultants
Free Practice Analysis
97% Success Rate | Affordable | We Come To You | Since 1996
Simply fill out the form below. We will be in touch to schedule a complimentary thirty-minute phone call.
Dr. Jeremy Johnson, DDS, Monroe, WA
I'm extremely happy with my decision to utilize Cambridge Dental Consultants. My dental practice consulting has been awesome! I love that I can call or email him whenever and always get a quick response. He even calls and checks in if he hasn't heard from me for a bit. My production increased immediately after the first in-office visit and has continued to climb. The initial investment was recouped in increased production about seven weeks after our first meeting.
My average per day production for the first four months I worked with Cambridge Dental Consultants has been 20-25% higher than the prior two years. In fact, all the four months have had higher average per day production than ANY month in the two years prior to working with Mike.
Last month I produced more than I ever have in one month since starting my practice in 2003. On top of that is the fact that my staff is driving all of this growth! They tell me which op to go to and when, then they get all excited when we exceed our goals! These four months have been the best months of my career!
That's a lot of exclamation points! This is all to suggest that you give Cambridge Dental Consultants a call.
Dr. Shane Blake, DMD, Coudersport, PA
I have owned my dental practice since January 2005. The practice is a rural solo provider practice. The practice has always been successful but something was always lacking. I did not manage the practice by the numbers and its shortfalls were overcome by sheer determination and hard work for both myself and the staff.
My motivating factors to sign up with Cambridge Dental Consultants in January 2017 were that I had reached a point in my career where time with my family was worth more to me than the professional fulfillment that dentistry can provide. The practice was so micromanaged that it required most of my time and I didn't understand how to motivate both myself and my staff beyond the sheer nose to the grindstone path to success that had guided us the prior 12 years.
Cambridge Dental Consultants was instrumental in educating each staff member in what expectations are and how performance for each position is measured. Staff members became more aware of their part in the overall success of the practice and doing their part. Ultimately this led to a less stressful and more productive average day which decreased management stress and headaches and allowed life to be enjoyed just a bit more with a little more time.
We have had many changes in the practice after our initial integration over the last 1 ½ years. Cambridge Dental Consultants has been helpful in navigating those planned and unplanned changes. My only regret is I had not used Cambridge''s systems sooner.
Dr. Kristin Rushing, DDS, Nashville, TN
I used Cambridge Dental Consultants as well, it gave me a good foundation for employees to know what was expected of them as well as very detailed job descriptions that could be used to train new employees if I needed to replace a staff member. My dental practice consulting made me more knowledgeable about what my numbers and percentages should be but also things to look for when they are off.
Everyone is accountable for their numbers and communicate better as a team. We all want to be more productive and time was spent looking into my specific concerns as well as reviewing all facets of the business. Everything was reviewed including input from staff on ways to improve the office. I feel the morale in my office has changed, and we are overall headed in a much better direction. As a side note, I've used a different consultant previously and their motto was simply to increase production. Patients felt pressured, and we still had communication issues among the staff.
Dr. Andrea Mulholland, DDS, Columbus, OH
I have been the owner of a general dental practice for ten years now. I work four days a week and have an associate who is with me for three days.
The practice has always done well but I knew there were many aspects of it that needed improvement but I didn't know how to proceed. I researched several practice management companies but decided to go with a Cambridge Dental Consultants because of their good reputation and because I didn't feel pressured.
Cambridge Dental Consultants worked with me for the past year and a half, and he has helped my practice tremendously. He really knows the ins and outs of a practice but I appreciated that he didn't use a cookie-cutter approach. He really treated my practice like the individual practice that it is and I didn't feel pressured to follow any suggestions that I wasn't comfortable with.
I know there are a lot of dental practice consultants out there. I just really feel like Cambridge Dental Consultants is one of the best and was the best for me and my practice.
Dr. Ron McHargue, DDS, Moses Lake, WA
I was fresh out of school when I bought my practice in 2012. It came riddled with staff issues and I had no knowledge of business. I thought I could handle it and went for a year and a half before really coming to the realization that I was in over my head. I was stressed completely and needed help with staff issues and business advice.
I contacted Cambridge Dental Consultants because of what I read on Dentaltown and because of their fair price and money back guarantee. Our Cambridge Dental Consultant was very helpful in getting me over a couple of big hurdles dealing with staff. I now have a direction and a good plan for tracking numbers and keeping a pulse on my practice. I was hesitant to even hire a consultant, but I am very glad I did and wouldn't hesitate to get Cambridge back and work with them again
Dr. Ed Warr, DMD, Ashland, OR
My experience with Cambridge Dental Consultants has been great. In June 2014 I was very concerned as my year was down by about 6% from the previous year. I had used dental practice consultants before and hadn't liked any of them. But, I knew I needed help with what I did not know - I went to school to earn a DMD, not an MBA.
After researching several and having several phone conversations regarding their methods, I committed with Dental Consultants.
Their money back guarantee was a nice touch to lower the risk factor for me. So, I finished 2014 up 8% over 2013. In six months, Dental Consultants helped me introduce practices that helped me have a 14% turn around in six months. I whole heatedly recommend Cambridge and their services.
Dr. Jeffrey D. Weaver, DDS, Port Royal, SC
We have been using Cambridge Dental Consultants since Dec 2013. We are really just getting started, but so far everything has been great. They really have given us the tools to quickly get our team focused, and have created systems and measurable statistics for each area. YTD for 2014 compared to 2013, our production is up 12% (over $20,000).
Our office felt "stuck", like we simply did not know what we should be doing to get better. We knew the potential was there, but did not know the next steps to take. What we liked from the start is that Cambridge dental consultant has been in every type of office and seen every type of problem/issue there is. Their ideas are proven and, so far, we have been very happy with the results. Our team is really pleased with the direction we are going.
We built our office in 2007 and, had we known, would have started with a dental practice management consultant much sooner. Good luck with your decision. I think you will be very pleased with Cambridge Dental Consulting.


text: Listen to This Weeks Message Loading Content... Share a Link to this Message The link has been copied to your clipboard; paste it anywhere you would like to share it. Close - Browse Series - ------------- View Series Archives ------------- Activate Fortify Mobilize Faith in Action Immanuel, God with Us Multiply Be Fruitful Joy of our Salvation On Your Mark Courage Under Fire Demo Series - Browse Speakers - Vernon Brewer Ric Detlefsen Jill Graham Andy Jones Kevin McGinley Eric Murrell Mark Silvers Jonathan Simon Pastor Skinner - Browse Topics - Abide in Jesus Acts 10 - Cornelius and Peter Be a Giver Be Fruitful and Multiply Because He Lives Blind But Now I See Christlike Christmas Come Lord Jesus Dealing with Disappointment Delivered and Devoted Demonstration Do Not Be Afraid Doubt Draw Near To God Empowering Women in Ministry Endurance Endure Opposition Ezra 1:1-3 Faith Faith in Action Faith in Action - Abel Offering Faith in Action: Jephthah Faith In Action: Moses Faith to Overcome Faith to the End Faith without works is Dead Falling Forward Forsaken for our Forgiveness Give Me Faith Give Thanks Glorify God God is Real God is Real God the Holy Spirit Goodness Godliness Growing in Knowing Hills and Valleys Insight and Impact from the Resurrection Is Hell Real Jesus and His Church Jesus is God Joy Listen Live in Unity Live Supernaturally Living the Word Love One another Marriage and Divorce Mobilize Mountaintop Triumphs Multiply Passion Multiplying Disciples Not Fan but a Follower On Your Mark Our Mission Parenting with Purpose peace Prayer Problem of Evil Quick to Listen, slow to speak, slow to anger Reason for Hope Reliability of Scripture Restoring Joy Seek and you will find Seeking Saving Giving self control Share God's Love spiritual gifts Spiritual Reproduction Stand firm Stand Firm to the End Take Up Your Cross Taking Back Territory Taming the Tongue Temptation The Greatest Commandment The Joyful Disciple Those who seek God, Find God. Thriving Comunity To Win as Many as Possible Transformed Trials Truth VS. Relativism Valley Hardships Walking With God Wisdom Woman at The Well - Browse Books - John Ric Detlefsen - September 29, 2019 Quick to Listen, slow to speak, slow to anger Listen Related Topics: Quick to Listen, slow to speak, slow to anger | More Messages from Ric Detlefsen | Download Audio From Series: "Activate" Facebook Tweet Link Share Link Send Email More From "Activate" Trials Kevin McGinley September 8, 2019 Listen Doubt Kevin McGinley September 15, 2019 Listen Temptation Kevin McGinley September 22, 2019 Listen Quick to Listen, slow to speak, slow to anger Ric Detlefsen September 29, 2019 Listen Living the Word Mark Silvers October 6, 2019 Listen Activate: Love Your Neighbor Kevin McGinley October 13, 2019 Listen Faith without works is Dead Kevin McGinley October 20, 2019 Listen Taming the Tongue Kevin McGinley October 27, 2019 Listen Wisdom Kevin McGinley November 3, 2019 Listen Draw Near To God Ric Detlefsen November 10, 2019 Listen Displaying 1-10 of 131 2 More » Powered by Series Engine MAIL email@example.com CALL (970) 530-4283 FIND US 6541 S. College Ave.Fort Collins, CO } Sunday Services 10am © 2018 SouthGate Church


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Hello Everyone,
I previously owned three computer speakers which after volume them up they blown. (I owned two Logitech z2300, one Mtx Lp1200 & now the Klipsch 2.1 ) My current speaker is the Klipsch which after thanksgiving family dinner blown. As a result of high volume and prolonged used. All the speakers I previously owned have had the same exact problem and I really don't know what to do to fix this. I was told that my current speaker (which is the one that I would like to repair) have the fuse blown. Please note that the bass work perfectly fine and when I connect the headphones too. Thank you for your time and any help will be appreciated.


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Best Advertisements – How Fab Made the Perfect Commercial
A Lesson for Marketers in Video
Fab Has a Challenge
Fab is a relatively new e-commerce site having been launched in 2011. Although they are strongly defined (Everyday Design) and different from the competition, not everyone knows about them. They do not have a lot of brand equity versus Amazon or eBay. So how do they create brand awareness and differentiate themselves from other established e-commerce brands?


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Dir: Havana Marking. UK. 2012. 90mins
The fascinating and gripping story of the Pink Panthers, a gang of diamond robbers operating all around the world, is investigated and exposed in Havana Marking's smart – though never quite as exciting as one might expect – documentary, which makes clever use of partially animated 'acted' interviews with actual members of the team.
Perhaps most telling is an archive interview with Bozidar Spasic, a long-serving security official in the former Yugoslavia who admits that his unit supplied fake passports to criminals.
Smash & Grab: The Story Of The Pink Panthers, which had its world premiere at IDFA in Amsterdam, does a fine job in telling the story of the Pink Panthers, who turn out to be a series of interlinked gangs originating from the Balkans, whose diamond robbery escapades are the sort of things usually to seen in narrative feature films.
Marking's film Afghan Star proved to be a critical success and sold in many territories, and with Smash & Grab she has assembled a film that has the real crime pedigree to appeal to buyers, plus its slickly shot structure and clever use of animation could well make it appealing as a theatrical release.
As well as interviews with those who have followed the criminal career of the Panthers – including journalist Milena Miletic and cop Chief Inspector Yan Glassey of the Swiss Central Brigade (who talks in his office, where he points to a large stuffed pink panther toy hanging from the ceiling in a noose – a joke gift from colleagues) – the film's coup is interviews with several actual Panthers.
The stories they tell are true, but while of the voices are real the Panthers themselves are replaced by actors who have then been animated (in a painterly style, with the backdrops altered) so they can't be recognised. Their testimony is fascinating, especially when interwoven with real-life security footage of their robberies and archive interviews.
Perhaps most telling is an archive interview with Bozidar Spasic, a long-serving security official in the former Yugoslavia who admits that his unit supplied fake passports to criminals and helped them cross borders simply so they wouldn't commit robberies in their home country. "When they came back to Belgrade they had no need to steal…plus they spent money here," he candidly admitted.
The breakup of former Yugoslavia saw many well trained and connected, and as the Panthers interviewed admitted, they all worked in small teams rather than being one fully-fledged operation. They would return to the Balkans, pass the diamonds to a courier and the goods would be speedily fenced.
Lela, one of the female panthers (played by Jasmin Topalusic) explained how having a woman on the team was vital for the pre-planning, and how she would go into stores to spot the where the gems were held and how good the security system was, while Mike (played by Tomislav Benzon) talked about the routine for each robbery and how time was of the essence.
There is great detail – and impressive footage – of a Panther robbery in Dubai at the Graff Store in the Wafi Mall, where more than $15million worth of jewels were stolen in a brazen robbery. But in this instance the Dubai police tracked a getaway car and identified and caught some of the gang. Most impressive in her interview is Dr Farioa Al Shamali of Dubai's Forensic Science and Criminology Department who talks about how forensic clues helped solve the case.
As the thieves brazenly committed their crimes across the globe Interpol has been tightening its grip, with even the Dubai police chief hinting that arrest could even be made in the Balkans, which the gang regards as a safe haven. With many of the criminals being caught and extradited, the film asks -is this the end of the Pink Panthers?
Production companies: Roast Beef Films, Sabotage Films, BFI, BBC Storyville
International sales: Goldcrest Films International, www.goldcrestfilms.com
Producer: Mike Lerner
Executive producer: Martin Herring
Cinematography: Richard Gillespie
Editor: Joby Gee
Music: Simon Russell
Website: www.facebook.com/smashandgrabthemovie
Main cast: Tomislav Benzon, Jasmin Topalusic, Daniel Vivian, Rob Kennedy. With: Milena Miletic, Yan Glassery


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Working with Red Branch Media is easy.
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The site looks great, and we walked away feeling great about the work and the partnership. I'd work with them again without hesitation!
When you choose Red Branch Media, you get more than marketing support. You get a team of cheerleaders and brand advocates who share your objectives. Over the years we've had the opportunity to work with Red Branch on many projects, from content creation and social media through event planning, and their enthusiasm and creativity never disappointed. And, they aren't slaves to the contract. We never heard, "sorry, you are over the 20 hours allotted to this project so this will cost extra." Rather, they weren't happy until we were happy. We look forward to working with them again soon.
Working with the brilliant Red Branch team is nothing short of amazing. Their ability to work on tight deadlines and come up with engaging unique content is unparalleled. You don't need a B2B Marketing service, you need Red Branch.
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Red Branch Media is a company I trust with my brand, and that trust is not lightly given. Their work is always on point, on time, and on message – and it's effective at driving traffic, conversions, customers, and clients that are relevant and right on target.
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Red Branch Media developed our content strategy – keeping up with a very focused, thematic blog and managing our Twitter interactions. I would describe their work as consistent, curated and classy.
They have never missed a deadline in two years; they are like clockwork. Even though they are prompt, their content is never sub-par. It's articulate and high quality. They maintain all communication with our twitter audience in a friendly, warm and professional manner.
Trust the RedBranch Team with your marketing.
They deliver awesome content, expert advice and industry knowledge.


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Partnerships Protect New England's Beautiful Environment
Release Date:04/04/2018
11 New England Organizations Recognized as Energy Star Partners
Release Date:04/03/2018
Conn. City and Private Waste Hauler Take Steps to Correct Toxic Waste Violations
Release Date:04/02/2018
Protect Your Family From Accidental Poisonings
Release Date:03/16/2018
EPA Community Grants Available to Protect Public Health and the Environment in New England
Release Date:03/15/2018
EPA Tips for a Clean and Healthy Wood Burning Season in New England
Release Date:02/23/2018
EPA Begins Reviews of 24 New England Site Cleanups during Current Fiscal Year
Release Date:02/16/2018
Holyoke, Mass., Trainer Recognized for Outstanding Service Company is from Enfield, Conn.
Release Date:02/09/2018
Canton, Conn., Wastewater Treatment Facility Recognized for Excellence
Release Date:02/08/2018
Naugatuck, Conn. Incinerator to Control Mercury Emissions Under Settlement
Release Date:02/01/2018
EPA awards Diesel Emissions Reduction Act grant for clean air project in Guam
Release Date:01/30/2018
Winter in New England is the time to test your home for Radon!
Release Date:01/29/2018
Sites in Mass. and Conn. are on EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Focus List
Release Date:01/17/2018
EPA makes up to $3 Million available for locally-focused environmental education grants
Release Date:01/11/2018


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Eugene Laverty was taking life at a distinctly more mundane pace as he made a fleeting return home last week ahead of a gruelling triple-header of flyaway MotoGP rounds this month.
The 30-year-old took time out of his hectic race schedule to treat the children at Taylorstown Cross Community Playgroup near his hometown of Toome to a special day, delivering an important safety message on the need for wearing protective equipment before donning his helmet to particpate in a fun bicycle race with the beaming kids outside.
Laverty, whose little nephew Joseph McLaughlin attends the playgroup at Taylorstown, was in relaxed mood last Friday morning as he posed for photographs with the staff and chatted with the eager toddlers before giving interviews to the media.
It was a welcome break from the high-pressure MotoGP lifestyle but Laverty's mind is never far from the job and his recently-confirmed return to World Superbikes in 2017 was a key topic of conversation.
The Aspar Ducati rider still has some unfinished business to take care of as he strives towards his aim of ending the 2016 MotoGP World Championship with a top 10 finish in the final standings, but Laverty was happy to turn his thoughts to the new challenge he faces next year, when the unassuming Northern Ireland star told the News Letter he feels he is in the right moment of his career to finally become a world champion.
"I've finished as the runner-up two times in World Supersport and once in World Superbikes, so I've now finished second three times in the world championships and the aim now is to win a world title," said Laverty, who will ride a factory-supported Aprilia RSV4 for Shaun Muir Racing in a team backed by Milwaukee alongside Italy's Lorenzo Savadori.
"I was perhaps not ready then to be world champion and made errors at the wrong times: I was always capable of winning races but to win a championship you have to put a whole season together and I feel more complete as a rider.
"Now that I've gone to GP and ridden under-par machinery and sometimes had to settle for an 11th place, it has taught me a lot and now it's time to try and put a run together and try and win a world title at last."
Laverty's compatriot Jonathan Rea was crowned World Superbike champion last year and is on course to retain the title this season as he remains the dominant force in the championship on the Kawasaki ZX-10R.
The prospect of both Northern Ireland riders potentially going head-to-head in a title showdown in 2017 is a mouth-watering one for the fans and pundits alike and Laverty acknowledges the hype is going to be ramped up a level next year.
"On the track, Johnny is just another rival but it's clear away from the track we understand the weight of it because having both of us from somewhere as small as Northern Ireland at the top level of the sport is fantastic for everybody back home to be able to watch us and support us.
"I've been watching Johnny the last few years and always supporting him on a Sunday and he's been so strong these past few years, so we're all going to have to chase him down.
"I'm under no illusions and I don't expect to go in and knock him off his mantle straight away because Johnny is going to be the toughest guy to beat," added Laverty.
"It's not just one year, it's been these two years that he's been building and building with the Kawasaki.
"It's not going to be easy, but that's why I signed on for two years because it's a big task, but I feel up for it."
After a tough rookie season in motorcycling's MotoGP premier class in 2015 on the uncompetitive 'Open' class Honda, Laverty has shown what he is capable of this year following the Aspar team's switch to Ducati machinery, with his standout results including a fourth in Argentina and sixth at Brno in the Czech Republic.
In an ideal world, Laverty would have been offered the sole Desmosedici GP16 machine made available to Aspar for 2016, but instead the bike was earmarked for new signing Alvaro Bautista.
Rather than settle for the older and less competitive GP15 version of the Ducati, Laverty decided a return to World Superbikes with a factory ride was the smart choice.
"At first it was difficult but then you start thinking with your head and looking at it in black and white. It was a case of: if I could get a better bike I'd stay in MotoGP but if not, then I'd go to World Superbikes.
"When you have a factory bike in World Superbikes versus a bike that is midfield in MotoGP, then it's a matter of head over heart," Laverty said.
"That's motorsport in general at the top level, not just MotoGP. If you're coming into MotoGP on a midfield bike then it's difficult to get to that next level of machinery and there's only so much you can do on a midfield bike: Valentino Rossi isn't going to win on a midfield bike and that's motorsport nowadays."


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Why I recommend Lightwell.
I'm still seeing a lot of disparagement of lightwell. I'd like to mention and respond to the common complaints, followed by a discussion of how to use the spell. Hopefully I'll persuade a number of you that this just might be something to add to your inventory — or at least move it from "no way" to "darnit, another choice for a limited talent pool…"
Let's begin with the common complaints.
1) "The healing breaks on if the target takes damage." Yes, it does. So does healing from bandages. Bandages, however, do not allow movement or attacks. For that matter, Greater Heal (and Flash heal and…) can be interrupted and delayed. And both Circle of and Prayer of Healing can have some of the party out of range, 'wasting' most of their healing power. Like all our healing spells, this has a weakness, and we merely have to use it in the right place and time. Which in turn exposes the real issue behind this complaint — it is useless for healing tanks, and potentially useless for all the melee classes. It's extremely mana efficient, it's a use and forget spell – no maintenance required – that is available to provide healing up to three minutes after you cast it (and so works even if you are OOM or dead), but it doesn't work for tanks so its worthless. I disagree with your weighting of worth.
2a and b) "Players rely on the healer to provide health, not on what they can do themselves." An absolutely false argument – else bandages and healthstones and healing potions and several other consumables and trinkets would be, well, unused. There is, however, a slightly more true variation: "Players forget it's there and so don't use it." Most of them forget because they never see it – a self-fulfilling prophecy in action. When it IS there, however, a couple of reminders seem to resolve the problem nicely – once when it's cast, and once when you see a player needing it while you're unable to provide assistance (as when you're spamming GH on the tank). In short, a valid but easily surmountable argument.
3) "Players waste the well by clicking multiple times – intentionally as well as accidentally." This used to be an extremely valid argument, but it was fixed with this most recent patch. If they're receiving the buff they can't pull another charge.
4) "The amount healed is too small." Another somewhat valid argument prior to this patch, assuming 787 per tick/2361 total healing is "too small". While the spell still gets no benefit from talents like Spiritual Healing, it does now get boosted by healing bonuses at a 100% coefficient. And at high-raid levels of 1800 to 2000 +heal, it's outperforming any other player-initiated heal — competing favorably with max rank GH heals, but over 6 seconds. Remember it takes bandages 8 seconds to work fully, and you can't move or attack for them. Yes, potions are faster but have a 2 minute cooldown. What you've got is one more tool that's finally doing a good bit of work.
5) "The cooldown is too long." Agreed. So is the cooldown for the shadowfiend, which does not require a talent point. It makes this a situational spell like Circle of Healing or Holy Nova, meaning whether you get it or not will depend not a small amount on whether you expect to see those situations to any significant degree. Which leads me quite nicely into how I use this spell for which I paid so much…
1) Grinding. (Huh?) If I'm in a target-rich environment, I'll put the lightwell in a convenient location. Starting with the second target (usually 30 seconds per target), my routine is click LW, shield, start the attack. Due to my combat method the mob is usually chewing on me at the end – I'm taking a bit of damage. The LW means I am not ticking mana in the middle of my grind, however. Just HF, SW:P, smite, MB, and wand to finish in most cases – with restoration of most mana before I take on the next mob.
2) Instance runs, rooms with multiple pulls. Especially with warlocks in the party. This is a great opportunity, as not only can ranged players who took a turn as George recover after the tank's regrabbed the mob(s), but some players can top off swiftly before the next pull while I regenerate mana. And as for a warlock in the party … this is almost as beautiful a synergy as the warlock/shadowpriest combo. Life tap for mana become nothing.
3) Boss fights. I often try to time the use of this like I do shadowfiend. If it's going to be a long fight, drop it early enough I get to do it twice. If it's going to be a less-than-5 minute fight, I pop it around the 1 or 2 minute mark. If I die and it's not on cooldown, it's the second button I hit (first being a renew on the main tank), followed immediately by a PoM.
And I'm going to start using it in the arena. See, another fix is that the other side can't drain charges any more. No more "five fast clicks to waste mana". I doubt most of my team will get the full three ticks, but a single 2-second tick of 787 + 1/3 heal bonus is still going to matter an awful lot of the time.
Is it a perfect spell? Heck no. Is it a viable spell? I believe so. I believe most of the objections have been surmounted by either pointing out their spuriousness or by fixes that have been made. I would like it to get more improvement – it and Circle of Healing and, well, several others. But I think it's worth adding to the priest's inventory, not necessarily as a CORE spell, but definitely as one of the major supplements.
Your mileage may, of course, vary.
6 Responses to "Why I recommend Lightwell."
I am becoming a big lightwell fan myself, but I'm usually not sure where to put it when I'm the healer in an instance. Lately, I put it on myself and stand in it, and then if I get damage I fade and click. Other party members tend to click on it after a fight. For boss fights I guess it can be cast someplace close to the boss so party members can see it and possibly be close when they need a heal during the fight
[…] also provided an insightful article on why and how Lightwell may now be a much more viable talent for Holy Priests to pick up. I'm certainly looking at it […]
Honestly its still not worth putting a point into. Good info though. People still forget about it, even when I spend 5 minutes pre boss fight telling them to use it. No other priest I have raided with has ever used it or even specd for it. Never saw a holy priest drop it in BT, SSC, or anywhere else. That being said, Ill keep my 1 measly point where it is.
Nice article and uses for lightwell, but still it is worthless. Even in your examples i could find better uses for that one point than to put it in lightwell.


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The Government of Manitoba has tabled its 2013 budget. There was no reason to expect bread and circuses, given the tough position of the provincial government, but there were opportunities to undertake long term reforms to put the province on a sound fiscal footing. Unfortunately, the Premier has opted to give the provincial credit card another swipe to pay for crumbs to throw at senior citizens with the remaining balance. It's not much of a feast for anyone, but it will require a long fast for all to pay for it. Assuming the province remains solvent long enough to make the payments.
Manitoba's deficit for 2013 is projected to be $515 million. The provincial debt was $14.5 billion in 2012, and the province is heavily reliant upon transfer payments to finance its bloated public sector. While some broad based tax relief would be nice – Manitobans face the highest income tax burden in Western Canada – it simply isn't possible now, or any time soon, without getting the cost of the public sector in line with the Canadian average. Doing so would save the government roughly $1.2 billion each year. It could be done through attrition over the long term to avoid short term pain. Instead, the highlights of this budget are tax breaks to appease elderly homeowners, and tax increases for everyone. It is the kind of short term thinking that has gotten this province in so much trouble.
The province has committed to spending $50 million annually to refund the education portion of the property tax to homeowners age 65 and over. The education portion of the property tax should be done away with. Since municipalities don't have access to sales, income, or fuel taxes, they rely on property taxes to meet their obligations. Having the province also collect property taxes crowds out municipal ability to raise revenue. It renders municipalities reliant on inefficient, politically driven transfers from the provincial and federal governments to provide infrastructure.
Indeed, the province could have financed the complete elimination of the education levy simply by reducing transfers to municipalities by $471 million per year. The goal of such reform would be more closely to align provincial and municipal spending and taxation. But simply eliminating the tax on seniors does something else altogether: it redistributes wealth to property owning seniors from everyone else and does so regardless of whether they will use the savings to put food on the table, or fly to Arizona for the winter.
In addition to spending $50 million on an ill-advised election promise, the provincial government has decided to repeal the law requiring a referendum for major tax increases, and will boost the PST by 1 per cent. While sales taxes are relatively better taxes, this move is off base for two reasons. First, Manitoba doesn't have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem. Second, the province should follow virtually unanimous expert advice, and harmonize the PST with the GST. Studies have shown that residents of Ontario and the Atlantic provinces that harmonized their sales taxes saved money as businesses passed on savings from the more efficient taxes through lower prices. Indeed, analysts suggest that BC is going to take an economic hit from repealing its harmonized sales tax. Instead of harmonization, the province is moving in the exact opposite direction. They are exempting more goods such as diapers, car seats and strollers. Such boutique tax cuts force government to make up revenue elsewhere. The trouble with these exemptions is that you can't exempt all of life's necessities without rendering the sales tax useless. If we were only to tax bad things, we'd be relying exclusively on cigarettes and beer for tax revenue. Incidentally, the province has also increased taxes on those.
Meanwhile, the government is recklessly pushing forward with its $20 billion hydro expansion gamble. The shale gas boom has decimated the export market for Manitoba electricity, yet the government is unwilling to change its grand plans. Their unwillingness to acknowledge changing economic conditions could well bankrupt the province.
The Government of Manitoba is in serious financial trouble. If Ontario doesn't get its economy back on track, Manitoba is going to have to meet these challenges with diminishing transfer payments. The longer Manitoba puts off tough decisions, the tougher they'll have to be. By the looks of this budget, they'll have to be really tough, and really soon.


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text:
Access to a basic payment account - guide19 July 2011
by eub2 -- last modified 19 July 2011
According to recent studies, around 30 million consumers over the age of 18 in the European Union do not have a bank account. Out of these 30 million 'unbanked' citizens, it is estimated that between 6 and 7 million do not have a bank account because they have been denied access to one. These individuals cannot currently benefit fully from the Single Market. Today's Recommendation from the European Commission on access to a basic payment account will promote financial and social inclusion for consumers across Europe. The Commission invites Member States to ensure that such accounts become available at a reasonable charge to consumers, regardless of their country of residence in the EU or their financial situation. It will assess the situation in one year's time and propose any further measures as necessary, including legislative measures.
1. What does this Recommendation cover?
The aim of this Recommendation is to ensure that any consumer who does not have access to payment services can open and use a basic payment account at a reasonable charge. His financial situation and his place of residence should not be used as an excuse to refuse him access to a basic payment account in a Member State where he seeks to open such an account. However the Recommendation only covers individuals who are legally resident in the European Union and who wish to have an account for personal purposes, i.e. not for activities linked to their trade, business, craft or profession.
2. Lack of access to payment services - what is the scale of the problem?
The situation regarding access to a bank account varies widely across the EU, particularly between Member States who joined the EU before 2004 (EU15) and those who joined since then (EU12).(i). Studies and polls available on this subject indicate that about 7% of EU consumers - approximately 30 million adults - do not have a bank account (ii).
As banks generally do not keep data concerning applications which they have turned down, it is difficult to have precise figures but it has been estimated that out of those 30 million consumers, between 6 and 7 million (iii) do not have a bank account because they have been denied access to one. The main reasons are that they do not fulfil certain eligibility conditions, some of them stemming from legal requirements (e.g. identity checks), or from industry practices and requirements (residency requirements, proof of income, profitability, risk assessment, credit history etc.). This does not mean that only 7 million consumers will benefit from the proposal: the creation, accessibility, suitability and affordability of such a product will encourage other people to avail of the service too.
Another issue which is not covered by the figures cited above is the needs of people who travel to and temporarily reside in another Member State as they often face difficulties opening a bank account in the host Member State. From the complaints received by the European Commission, it is obvious that this problem exists in several countries (iv).
3. What kind of services will a basic payment account offer?
A basic payment account should enable the consumer to deposit and withdraw cash, to receive payments (e.g. salary, benefits, pension including by means of credit transfers) and to execute payment orders (e.g. paying bills, purchasing goods and services, transferring money to third parties including by means of direct debits). A payment card should be included, enabling the withdrawal of money from ATM machines and the purchase of goods and services from either physical providers (e.g. grocery store, petrol station) or online merchants (e.g. books, hotel bookings) who accept debit payment cards. Access to online banking services should be provided where technically possible.
While ordinary payment accounts often include overdraft facilities, a basic payment account should not allow for a negative balance on the account.
Payment service providers (mostly banks) should not be prevented from adding other services to a basic payment account, except overdraft facilities which are prohibited (see also question 13). However, access to a basic payment account should not be made conditional on the purchase of additional services by the consumer.
The characteristics of basic payment accounts are defined in the Recommendation in a sufficiently broad manner to allow for product innovation and commercial freedom, while guaranteeing that, at the end of the day, the consumer really has the possibility to carry out essential everyday payment transactions. The determination of the specific features of basic payment accounts is left to Member States and payment service providers, depending on the national provisions adopted by Member States.
4. What will change for "unbanked" consumers thanks to this initiative?
Unbanked consumers are people who do not have access to mainstream financial services. This Recommendation will ease the conditions that unbanked consumers have to meet in order to have access to essential payment services. Grounds such as nationality, place of residence in the Union, expected profitability, employment status, or minimum number of transactions to be carried out in the future should not be valid reasons for refusing access to a basic payment account to a consumer. Nevertheless the applicant should still have to comply with requirements pertaining to the anti-money laundering legislation, in particular identification requirements.
5. What impact will this Recommendation have on payment service providers?
Determining which payment service providers - or which category thereof - should be in charge of providing basic payment accounts at national level is left to the discretion of Member States, on condition that the accounts are effectively available to consumers within their jurisdiction. Consequently, Member States could designate one, several or all payment service providers. By doing so, they should take into consideration their geographical location or market share.
Whilst the development of basic payment accounts might require additional investment from payment service providers, it will also offer them access to new customers and will improve their image.
6. Does the Commission define a specific maximum price that consumers should pay for a bank account?
It is not the intention of the Commission to recommend a specific price level for basic payment accounts. However it is necessary at EU level to ensure that the total amount to be paid by the consumer should be such that he is not prevented from opening a basic payment account and using its associated services.
This principle should be implemented by Member States in the light of their specific national circumstances. Member States are invited to refer to such criteria as national income levels, the average charges associated with payment accounts in the Member State, the total costs relating to the provision of the basic payment account, and national consumer prices. Member States remain free to introduce compensation mechanisms for payment service providers, if justified.
7. How does the initiative address the fact that many consumers choose not to have a bank account?
Lack of access to a basic payment account is both supply- and demand-driven. However, demand is influenced by the availability of suitable products as well as by the criteria applied by providers. If consumers perceived as commercially unattractive or risky to providers are not offered suitable products to meet their needs, they are obviously not in a position to access them effectively. That is why the Recommendation focuses mainly on the supply side while requiring the availability of a certain type of account.
The reasons for 'voluntary exclusion' from accessing a bank account vary and include factors such as low levels of financial education, lack of awareness, and mistrust of providers. It is expected that this initiative will be one of the factors that will contribute to the gradual reduction of the 'voluntary' unbanked consumers. The Recommendation also addresses the demand side while requiring information to be given to the public in general about the availability of basic payment accounts, their main characteristics and how to proceed to benefit from such accounts.
8. Why not limit access to basic payment accounts to the consumer's country of residence?
The aim of this Recommendation is to enable those consumers who want to open and use a payment account but are not offered suitable products in the mainstream financial markets to access basic payment services for their everyday payment transactions.
Residency should not be used as a barrier to accessing essential payment services for those who need them. For many years, the Commission has been receiving letters from citizens who are refused a bank account for the only reason that they are not resident in the country concerned. Such consumers are often, but not exclusively, temporary workers, students, and trainees temporarily or partially residing in the host Member State. In the Commission's view, consumers are unlikely to open a basic payment account in a Member State if there isn't any genuine rationale for them to enter a banking relationship in that Member State. As far as the risk for criminal exploitation of the financial system is concerned, such practices are covered under the Directive on the prevention of anti money laundering and terrorism financing.
9. The Commission recently proposed a regulation to accelerate the completion of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA). Against this background, is there a need for an initiative at European level on basic payment accounts?
The SEPA aims at ensuring that one bank account will be enough to carry out all national and cross-border electronic transactions in euro. However, SEPA is not completed yet. If SEPA has a potential to respond to the issue of access to cross-border payment services within the Euro-zone, it would not be a solution for consumers who can't access payment accounts within their own national borders. Moreover when consumers move temporarily to another Member State, if the latter does not belong to the Euro area, it may still be more beneficial for them to open a bank account in that Member State. Furthermore, while SEPA has been created to eliminate any distinction between national and cross-border payments in euro, consumers cannot benefit from its advantages if they are deprived of a payment account. It thus follows that the two initiatives complement and reinforce each other: access to a payment account facilitated by the proposal on basic payment accounts will also allow the consumer to reap the benefits offered by SEPA and SEPA's overall value will be enhanced as more consumers acquire the possibility to use it and benefit from it.
10. The Commission announced few months ago that it would bring forward a legislative initiative on access to basic payment account. But it has adopted a Recommendation. Does that mean that the Commission considers the issue as less important now?
The Commission believes that every European consumer should have access to a payment account with essential characteristics and functionalities as a minimum. Convergent standards as regards the provision of basic payment accounts throughout the Union are key, not only as a step towards creating a more efficient and competitive single market but also in order to promote financial and social inclusion in the future. That is why the Commission committed to work on the issue of access to basic payment accounts.
Having considered all possible policy options, the Commission decided, at this stage, to opt for a Recommendation. A Recommendation presents the advantage of sending a clear message to Member States as to what actions are expected to remedy the current market deficiency, while leaving sufficient flexibility at national level as to how to achieve this. By setting the objectives to be attained, it should act as a catalyst for the development of consistent principles to be applied throughout the European Union.
The Commission approach is therefore progressive. Member States are invited to take measures within six months. The situation will be reviewed in one year's time. Should it remain unsatisfactory, the Commission will consider proposing binding measures to meet its objective.
11. Granting access to or closing a payment account is a commercial decision. Why is the Commission willing to interfere in the contractual freedom of payment service providers?
Evidence has shown that consumers happen to be denied access to regular payment accounts as a result of industry practices when it comes to the financial situation of the consumer and his place of residence in the Union. Such denials are conducive to high level of consumer detriment, leading to negative impacts on the internal market and the whole society.
This Recommendation does not state that payment service providers will have to accept any application from an individual in any case: it focuses on what is strictly necessary to enable consumers to use payment services. It concerns a specific product for a specific targeted population. Besides payment service providers will not be prevented from refining their offer in connection with the basic payment account.
12. With this Recommendation, does the Commission intend to lower the identification standards imposed on payment service providers?
The Recommendation invites Member States to take the measures necessary to ensure that it is no longer possible to impose restrictive criteria as an excuse to limit access to basic payment accounts according to what providers understand as their obligations under the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Directive (AMLTFD). That does not mean that due diligence requirements under the AMLTFD will be watered down. They will continue to apply.
13. Why not include access to overdrafts? Certain types of credits such as a buffer zone of a minimum amount for withdrawals may be useful for consumers.
While granting access to certain types of credit such as an overdraft facility would seem positive at first sight, it would in reality not achieve the objective of ensuring that a product designed for consumers perceived as commercially unattractive is offered throughout the Union. While the Commission acknowledges that a buffer zone for withdrawals might be useful for those people who have a hard time making ends meet at the end of the month, it believes that allowing for an overdraft facility even for a small amount would not help the case of wide accessibility to basic payment accounts.
In order to grant a credit line, providers would need to carry out a risk assessment. Therefore, this product would not meet the needs of consumers with poor credit histories, people in debt or who are unemployed or on low incomes. Similarly in the case of non-residents, the lack of access to credit histories would prevent banks from offering them such a product.
On access to other types of credit for consumers holding a basic payment account, the Recommendation does not prevent payment service providers from offering credit agreements to such consumers.
14. How does the Commission envisage improving the availability and comparability of data as regards access to banking services in the EU?
The Recommendation invites Member States to compile reliable data on the number of basic payment accounts opened, the number of applications for basic payment accounts refused and the grounds for such refusals, the number of terminations of basic payment accounts as well as the charges associated to basic payment account, on an annual basis.
i : On average, 91 % of the adult population in the EU12 holds a bank account, compared to 97 % for the EU15. In the case of Romania and Bulgaria, only around half of the adult population has a bank account. Flash Eurobarometer 282
ii : Study on the Costs and Benefits of Policy Actions in the Field of ensuring access to a Basic Bank Account, Centre for Strategy and Evaluation Services, July 2010, p.80.
iii : Impact Assessment, p.21. http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/finservices-retail/inclusion_en.htm
iv : Over the past three years, the Commission services have received complaints concerning payment service providers in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and United Kingdom.
Source: European Commission


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