Applauding the Ethics Commission’s decision on child care reimbursements
I come at the news of the Alabama Ethics Commission granting candidates the right use campaign funds for child care expenses, as a) a woman who has been an underdog, under-funded candidate (though at the time I did not have children) b) as a mother of two (with another on the way), and c) as someone who’s worked for candidates that have paid out of pocket for child care during campaigns and/or have brought their children to campaign events because of the high costs of care. On all fronts: I believe the decision is a good one, if not long overdue. Reimbursing for child care is in-line with how money is spent in campaigns, so long as you can pay for the other essential costs of campaigning, such as gas, food, etc. then there’s no reason to exclude child care. Far too often there are those who want to run for office, but lack the financial means to do so. They are essentially priced out successful campaigns. It doesn’t pay a lot to be an elected official, and it seems to cost exponentially more to run a successful campaign with every passing campaign cycle. Let’s be honest it costs a lot of money to campaign, especially when special interests, good or bad, are invested in candidates trying to keep or change the status quo. This opinion allows individuals, who otherwise lack the financial means to pay for child care out of pocket while they run, the opportunity to be in the arena and fight. For that I believe this decision is a great step forward. Campaigning can be exhausting (and it should be if done correctly). There are long hours and endless stops. These stops aren’t always appropriate for children and while I love to see kids involved in the political process, it should be the value of the experience that compels a candidate to bring them not the costs of child care. That seems to be a fact that was lost on those who opposed to the reimbursements, like Alabama Ethics Commissioner Charlie Price. Running for office shouldn’t come with a parenting penalty. Yes, one must take into account all personal factors when committing to a campaign and the potential for public service, and that should include the personal and financial tolls it will take on a family, but no family should be excluded or put out because of reasonable and justifiable costs associated with child care. There’s enough barriers already and we need good people to run and hold office — which absolutely includes parents. My hope is that as we move forward candidates don’t take advantage of this and keep the strict guidelines of campaign interest in mind when they seek reimbursements. There’s always going to be bad seeds, and there’s always going to be those who abuse the system, live off their campaign funds and have careless spending habits, but let’s face it: child care is an essential component for those parents who wants to get out there and make their voices heard. So simply put: Kudos to the FEC and Alabama Ethics Commission for making the right decision for families.
Five things you need to know about Will Ainsworth
Now that the runoff elections are over, voters are turning their attention to the November General Election less than 90 days away. After a jam-packed primary race, Guntersville-Republican State Rep. Will Ainsworth Public Service Commission President Twinkle Cavanaugh garnered enough support to tip the race into a runoff election. Ainsworth won the July 17 runoff with just 51 percent of the vote. Now Ainsworth moves to the November general election, where he faces Democratic candidate Dr. Will Boyd. With that in mind, Here’s five things you need to know about Will Ainsworth: 5. His first job out of college, he served as a youth pastor After graduating from Auburn University with a Bachelors degree in Marketing, Ainsworth served as a youth pastor at Grace Fellowship Presbyterian Church in Albertville. There, he led middle school and high school students into a committed relationship with Jesus Christ. 4. He loves the outdoors, and owns a Hunting lodge in Guntersville, Ala. After leaving his job as a youth pastor, Ainsworth sought a way to incorporate his passion for hunting and fishing into his daily life. He and his brother Austin founded Dream Ranch, a popular hunting lodge in Guntersville attended by over 20,000 people annually. The lodge allows guests to hunt Whitetail Bucks, Bobwhite Quail, and Ducks all on the same property. He is also a co-founder and promoter of the Tennessee Valley Hunting & Fishing Expo held annually at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville Ala. The expo allows outdoor enthusiasts of all kind to gather for a weekend of entertainment and gives hunting, fishing, and outdoor gear merchants a place to peddle their wares. 3. Kay Ivey used his security program as a backboard for the new Alabama Sentry Program Ainsworth proposed a bill in the legislative session earlier this year, and even though the bill failed, Kay Ivey’s Alabama Sentry Program is very similar to the proposed bill. The bill proposed that school administrators, principles, and teachers who met certain qualifications would be allowed to carry a firearm on school campuses. It also required that those carrying must complete a 40-hour course in basic school policing in a program approved by the Alabama Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Commission, and pass an annual firearm re-qualification; the same test required of law enforcement officers. The only real difference between the two plans is Ainsworth’s provision to include teachers in the program, which he believes is crucial to the program’s success. 2. He’s a member of several committees in the Alabama Legislature Although all members of the legislature serve on several committees, Ainsworth serves on a wide array of committee’s integral to the state and Alabamians. Ainsworth currently serves on the Agriculture and Forestry, Ethics and Campaign Finance, State Parks, Public Safety and Homeland Security, and the Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure committees. 1. He has twin boys Ainsworth has twin boys, Hunter and Hays, who are eight years old. He coaches them in basketball, baseball and soccer. “My priorities will always be Faith, Family, and Service in that order,” Ainsworth wrote on Facebook in 2014.
Jim Ziegler asks TPO to table bridge decision pending John Cooper/ALDOT answers
Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler is back at it: trying to protect taxpayers from wasteful spending. Just over two months ago, Ziegler reached out to the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) trying to find answers about a proposed bridge between Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, AL. As Alabama Today previously reported, in a letter dated April 17, sent a letter to John Cooper, Transportation Director at ALDOT and William Patty, ALDOT Chief Counsel, inquiring about the need for an $87 million state-funded bridge project in Baldwin County — which would be a second bridge to Orange Beach. Zeigler requested the following documents from the ALDOT: Copies of any and all studies that demonstrated a need for a bridge over the Intercoastal waterway Any and all documents that show a change in the need for the Intercoastal bridge since the determination in 2016 that the bridge was unnecessary Any and all analyses to support spending $30-$87 million in state funds in light of the pressing infrastructure needs throughout the state Any and all documents that resulted in the range of costs projected ($30 to $87 million) Documents that show cost overruns on current and recent ALDOT projects According to the court filing from the bridge company, they agreed to widen their bridge at no additional cost to Please provide any and all documents that address why the option of widening the original bridge is not being utilized. John Cooper and ALDOT have yet to respond to Ziegler’s request. Which is why on Tuesday, he sent a letter to the Florida/Alabama Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) making a formal request that they delay action on an agenda item, Resolution FL-AL 18-12, during a meeting they have scheduled Wednesday. This Resolution would update the 2040 Florida-Alabama Transportation long range plan to include the controversial bridge. The report notes that, in April 11, 2018 the “TPO tabled action on: Gulf Coast Intracoastal Waterway Bridge from SR 180 (Canal Road) to Foley Beach Express; Wolf Bay Bridge and Connecting Roads from SR 180 (Canal Road) to CR 20. TPO amended the LRTP to add two projects: I-10 from US 29 to the Alabama State Line; Nine Mile Road from in the Vicinity of Beulah Road to East of I-10.” The decision to table action was a direct result of local residents speaking out to express their concerns. Joe Emmerson who leads the group opposed to the “Bridge to Nowhere” and other local residents attended the meeting and expressed their concerns over both the cost and need for the bridge as well as the effects it would have on existing property owners in the area. The report for Wednesday’s cites two public hearings on the project (one being the last TPO meeting) although in sworn testimony DOT officials expressly denied any public hearings have been held and residents have expressly spoken out against the fact they have not had the opportunity to have their voices heard. The resolution in question is one concerning the controversial Gulf Coast Intracoastal Waterway Bridge from SR 180 (Canal Road) to Foley Beach Express. Read Zeigler’s letter in full below: State of Alabama June 12, 2018 Mr. Gary Kramer Ms. Tiffany Bates Florida/Alabama Transportation Planning Organization Request that you postpone any positive action on Item F.1. (1) As the State Auditor for the State of Alabama, I hereby request that you delay any positive action on the first half of Resolution FL-AL 18-12 (Item F. 1, enclosure A) on your June 13, 2018 agenda. This is the Gulf Coast Intracoastal Waterway Bridge from SR 180 (Canal Road) to Foley Beach Express. The reason is that I have formally requested from the Alabama Department of Transportation vital public documents needed to address issues about this proposed project. ALDOT has not yet provided the documents as yet. If you will postpone any positive action on F.1 (1), I will notify you as soon the needed documents are provided. I will also provide you my independent review of this project. F. 1. Consideration of Resolution FL-AL 18-12 to amend the Florida-Alabama 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan for Two projects: (1) Gulf Coast Intracoastal Waterway Bridge from SR 180 (Canal Road) to Foley Beach Express Thank you. Jim Zeigler Alabama State Auditor 600 Dexter Ave., S-101 Montgomery, AL 36130 334-242-7010 Alabama Today has reached out to Austin Mount the Executive Director of the TPO to confirm they are in receipt of the letter, to ask if it has been forwarded to members of the commission and to seek comment and will update this story upon hearing back from them. He responded back Tuesday evening that the resolution item will remain on the agenda. Below is his full response: “We are in receipt of the request however the item still sits on the agenda and will be discussed tomorrow. ALDOT is heavily in support of the bridge and the TPO board will be informed of all materials received before they make a decision to deny/approve/table the bridge matter.” *6:28 p.m. CT: this article has been updated to include a response from TPO.
Jeff Sessions, Justice Department defend college students First Amendment rights
Jeff Sessions is making headlines this week and setting off the liberal left with common sense, constitutional actions. Among his actions giving the “open minded,” “tolerant,” progressives heartburn is the fact that the Justice Department has decided to take on schools infringing on students First Amendment rights under the guise of attempting to police “biased speech.” Weighing in on a University of Michigan case, the Justice Department said: The Department of Justice today filed a Statement of Interest in Speech First, Inc., v. Schlissel in the Eastern District of Michigan. The plaintiff, Speech First, a nationwide organization dedicated to defending civil liberties, alleges that the University of Michigan has adopted policies prohibiting and punishing speech protected by the First and Fourteenth Amendments. Speech First alleges that the University of Michigan’s policies on “harassment,” “bullying,” and “bias” are so vague and overbroad as to prompt students to limit their speech out of fear that they might be subject to disciplinary sanction, including “individual education” or “restorative justice” at the hands of the University’s Bias Response Team. The United States’ Statement of Interest argues that the University of Michigan’s Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities, which prohibits “harassment,” “bullying,” and “bias,” is unconstitutional because it offers no clear, objective definitions of the violations. Instead, the Statement refers students to a wide array of “examples of various interpretations that exist for the terms,” many of which depend on a listener’s subjective reaction to speech. The United States also argues that the University’s Bias Response Policy chills protected speech through its Bias Response Team. The Bias Response Team, which consists of University administrators and law enforcement officers, has the authority to subject students to discipline and sanction. It encourages students to report any suspected instances of bias, advising them: “[t]he most important indication of bias is your own feelings.” According to the plaintiff, the Bias Response Team has responded to more than 150 alleged incidents of bias in the last year. In filing the Statement of Interest, Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio provided the following statement: “Freedom of speech and expression on the American campus are under attack. This Justice Department, under the leadership of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, is committed to promoting and defending Americans’ first freedom at public universities.” This is the fourth Statement of Interest filed by the Department of Justice in a First Amendment case under Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The first was filed on Sept. 26, 2017 in Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski, the second was filed on Oct. 24, 2017 in Shaw v. Burke, and the third was filed on January 25 in Young America’s Foundation and Berkeley College Republicans v. Janet Napolitano. In the case at hand in Michigan was summed up in an op-ed by Nicole Neily the president of Speech First, a membership association that defends students’ free speech rights on campus, published in the Hill: Michigan complements its code with something called a bias response team, a system that encourages fellow students who overhear comments (even ones taken out of context, between friends) to report offensive language to administrators, which is then tracked and publicly shared on the school’s website as a visible reminder of the student body’s various sins. Incidents are investigated, potentially subjecting students whose speech offends another student to punishment by process. Depending on the outcome, he or she may be sent for “restorative justice” — a benign euphemism for a modern-day reeducation camp — to atone for the thought crime in question. But even if he or she is exonerated, the stigma of going through such a process, as well as the distraction from his/her studies and the burden imposed on his/her time, serves to significantly deter students from expressing ideas outside the mainstream. Regardless of your positions on issues, we should all fear this type of selective thought and word-policing and the encouragement that in the real world it would be acceptable. Schools can’t force tolerance and decency on people. Nor should they be able to implement subjective rules to force alternative views and ban, or prohibit, the expression of dissenting views in the name of “bias.” Imagine the ways in which such subjective criteria could be used as a weapon to silence anyone at any time based on personal preferences of the listener. It is frightening that places of higher education where young adults should be encouraged to express themselves freely and to learn to approach conflict in a positive way and figure out outcomes themselves, administrators would implement such restrictive policies. If a student overhears something that they take offense to they have options A) Walk away or B) Respectfully confront the person talking. That’s what happens everyday in public places throughout our nation. No safe spaces needed. No infringing on one’s rights. There are still issues in our communities that are very controversial. I struggle with how I will talk with and what I will teach my children about the transgender community. I don’t come from a place of hate, or ignorance, or bigotry, but I do favor science and I believe strongly that you can’t simply declare your gender different than what your genetics say. My views are shaped by scientific research and my religion and were I to go back to school and find myself in an environment of discussion I should hope my thoughts would be as welcome as those opposed to mine. I would expect, if not demand, that my constitutional rights give me the ability to respectfully discuss my views without fear of disciplinary action. I wrote about an extreme version this campus censoring in a post about University of Alabama student Harley Barber, being forced out due to a video which included racist views. While her comments were certainly out of line and reprehensible, making her a pariah wasn’t the best course of action. Barber, like many others in college do at some point in early adulthood, spoke and acted from a place of ignorance. She just happened to do so in a racist way
Randall Woodfin pledges to transition Birmingham to 100% sustainable energy
It was just announced that in March of this year, Mayor Randall Woodfin signed a pledge to shift to 100 percent sustainable energy during his tenure as mayor. The pledge, “Mayors for 100% Sustainable Energy Pledge,” which is being pushed by Gasp — the Greater Birmingham Alliance to Stop Pollution — is part of the organization’s Alabama Cities for Sustainable Energy campaign. The pledge also includes a draft resolution for town councils to use to craft their own pro-renewable energy policies. Birmingham City Council has yet to adopt such a resolution. The pledge asks mayors to affirm the following: I believe sustainable energy is good for the City of [fill in the blank] and the State of Alabama because it will create economic development opportunities and job. I believe sustainable energy will help the City of [fill in the blank] and the State of Alabama become a more just and equitable place to live, work, and learn. I believe the overwhelming scientific consensus of anthropogenic climate change and that it is an urgent global challenge. I believe that local, community-focused solutions are essential to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I believe that it is important for the City of [fill in the blank] to transition away from dirty fossil fuels and toward energy efficiency, solar, wind, and pollution-free electric public transportation. Birmingham isn’t the only American city endeavoring to go green. Over 200 mayors have signed a similar pledge pushed by the Sierra Club. While very few have actually followed through on the promise to go 100% green, others have tried and failed. Not included in budget Woodfin signed the pledge on March 14 — the day before the new mayor commemorated his first 100 days in office by presenting The Woodfin Way, his 2018 mayoral transition report. That report included a commitment to invest in renewable energy, as well as with several other recommendations for environmental justice and sustainability projects. Environmental Justice and Sustainability– North Birmingham is ranked number five on the National Priorities List distributed by the EPA. Due to decades of environmental pollution, many communities have suffered. The EPA has chosen North Birmingham as a Superfund site, but it’s up to the city to take ownership over these initiatives. The city must not only revitalize neighborhoods that have been harmed, but also take stock in the sustainability of our environmental future. The goal of the Environmental Justice and Sustainability subcommittee is ensuring the city’s investment in our future by proposing initiatives that address brownfields and pollution, maintenance of parks and green spaces, storm water mitigation and sustainability efforts like recycling, renewable energy, and residential weatherization that saves Birmingham citizens money on energy and creates jobs Nevertheless when Woodfin presented his budget to the City Council in late April, there was no mention about funding for a transition to renewable energy. Alabama Today has previously reported that Alabama Power Company continues to grow its renewables portfolio, with energy coming into the state from wind, solar and hydropower. It is unclear how Woodfin intends to implement the promises of his pledge. Perhaps with the help of Alabama Power Company.
Five things you need to know about Twinkle Cavanaugh
The primary elections are over, but some highly sought spots still remain open due to the primary races resulting in runoffs. One of those races is for the Lieutenant Governor’s seat. In a highly contested and publicized race; Guntersville-Republican State Rep. Will Ainsworth came in second to Public Service Commission President Twinkle Cavanaugh. Ainsworth garnered just enough support to tip the race into a runoff election. Now the two republicans will battle it out until the runoff set for July 17 determines a winner. With that in mind, here are the five things you need to know about Twinkle Cavanaugh: 5. She was the first female Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party Elected in 2005 as the first female Chair of the Alabama Republican Party, Cavanaugh led the way to building a strong and inclusive state party, encouraging other women to pursue their goals as well. According to AL.Com in 2003, she spoke to a group of Huntsville business leaders sharing her five tidbits of success, “Build relationships, have goals, think outside the box, face adversity positively and make a difference”, Cavanaugh told a group of 40 women. But her time as chairman wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Cavanaugh devoted a large part of the party’s efforts at removing conservative Democrats in the legislature. Telling them they could consider switching parties or face tough, well-financed conservative republican opponents in the general election. 4. She was Governor Bob Riley’s Deputy Chief of Staff and a senior advisor in his office Before her election as Chairman of the Republican party, Cavanaugh served as then Governor Bob Riley‘s appointments secretary, then Deputy Chief of Staff from 2003 to 2004. After losing her first shot at a Public Service Commission seat in the 2008 general election, then Riley offered her another job, this time a special assistant for corporate affairs in the state’s finance department. 3. She’s been involved in Alabama politics for 20 years Cavanaugh has an incredibly impressive resume. After graduating from Auburn University in 1989 she went to work in Washington D.C. for the Republican National Committee, she then went to work for then Mobile-Republican U.S. Rep. Sonny Callahan. Returning to Montgomery in 1998 she worked on several Republican campaigns and served as executive director of the Alabama Republican Party from 1999 until 2001. She then took a job as state director of Citizens for a Sound Economy. From there, she worked in Riley’s office, secured her spot as chairman of the Republican party, and began to run for public office in 2008. In 2010 Cavanaugh won her seat on the Alabama Public Service Commission, and was elected President of the commission in 2012, a position she maintains today. 2. She is a co-owner of two different businesses Cavanaugh is a co-owner of her husband Jeff’s veterinarian clinic in Auburn, Ala. the Cavanaugh Bradley Animal Hospital. She is also a co-owner of Conservative Solutions, a political consulting firm run by herself. 1. She loves FOX News When Cavanaugh filled out Alabama Today’s candidate questionnaire, she was asked wether she watches 60 Minutes or House of Cards, her answer: “Neither; in our house if the TV isn’t on Fox News, it’s only because the local news is on or there’s a college football game on.” She also mentioned that Fox News is the outlet she gets almost all of her political news from.
18-year-old Weston Spivey set to join Geneva County Commission
Instead of running from college class to college class, 18-year-old Weston Spivey runs a business and will soon help run a county government. Spivey defeated Bryan Hatton in the Republican primary for the Geneva County Commission District 1 seat last week. Since no Democrat or independent entered the race, Spivey will join the county commission on Nov. 13 – more than a month before his 19th birthday. The Association of County Commissions of Alabama does not track the ages of county commissioners statewide, but given the minimum age to qualify for the office is 18, one would be hard-pressed to find someone younger than Spivey in office. In the midst of campaigning for the office, Spivey helped run the family business – a farm-to-fork food distributor named Green Acres Buffalo and Catfish Farms – while also trying to graduate from high school at Ridgecrest Christian School in Dothan. “That was one of the biggest challenges – trying to graduate and campaign and run the business all at the same time,” he said. Spivey said he has always expressed interest in politics, which is what inspired the event that triggered his campaign. Shortly after turning 17, several Geneva County businessmen approached him about running for the probate judge/county commission chairman spot. “I didn’t even know what the requirements were to run for probate judge. I said, ‘That’s a little much, and I don’t even know if I have a career in politics,’” Spivey said. “They said, ‘You present yourself well, and we’d think you’d do well on any level of government because you’d represent business.’” After some contemplation, Spivey decided to run for commission. He knew the race had its challenges – namely his age. “I had so many people tell me, ‘Weston, at your age, they’re not going to consider you anyways. These seniors – that’s a vote in the other box. They’re not gonna take you seriously,’” Spivey said. Hatton – the incumbent – provided another obstacle. “This guy is a great guy. He’s in his mid-40s. He’s been involved in our community. His wife’s a schoolteacher,” Spivey said. “I’m just a young guy, 18 years old now, and really just involved in the community the past three years. It was a challenge. We ran up against the odds.” Instead of the challenge overwhelming him, Spivey gained inspiration from it. That stimulus – combined with the help of family, friends and “the good Lord above” – resulted in his 805-731 victory, he said. “Instead of campaigning from 8 in the morning to 5 p.m., that motivated me to campaign from 8 (a.m.) to 8 (p.m.),” Spivey said. “We got out and knocked on doors, and we gave people the message. That’s the message the people wanted.” His message primarily focuses on economic development and supporting emergency responders. While some clamor the county needs a four-lane highway for economic progress, Spivey does not believe it is a necessity. Spivey said Geneva County has several marketable qualities that could attract industries, including low tax rates. “We’ve got to show people our taxes are lower here than most counties, and we’ve got to show people how they can save money by bringing business to our county,” he said. Spivey, a volunteer firefighter with the Slocomb and Fadette departments, noted the county must also find ways to support all of its first responders. “Personally, I think our public service departments have got to be prioritized. We’ve got to take care of our citizens,” he said. “When 911 is dialed and someone’s life is on the line, our volunteers have got to have the equipment they need to operate.” Spivey also noted the county’s infrastructure must improve drastically. “Our roads are now worse than they have ever been,” he said. “We’ve got 600 miles of dirt roads in Geneva County and a budget that hasn’t been increased in (several) years to service those roads. Something’s badly got to change.” Spivey noted he has plans to go to college – eventually – but feels his new mission takes precedence. “I made a commitment to this county when I qualified, and my commitment to this county is going to stay true,” he said. “This county right now has got to have attention. I look forward to furthering my education in college, but right now my time has got to be dedicated to the county. I will go to college, but these four years belong to the people.” Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Trump-Kim shake hands, commit to ‘complete denuclearization’
Clasping hands and forecasting future peace, President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un committed Tuesday to “complete denuclearization” of the Korean Peninsula during the first meeting in history between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader. Yet as Trump toasted the summit’s results, he faced mounting questions about whether he got too little and gave away too much — including an agreement to halt U.S. military exercises with treaty ally South Korea. Meeting with staged ceremony on a Singapore island, Trump and Kim came together for a summit that seemed unthinkable months ago when the two nations traded nuclear threats. The gathering of the two unpredictable leaders marked a striking gamble by the American president to grant Kim long-sought recognition on the world stage in hopes of ending the North’s nuclear program. Both leaders expressed optimism throughout roughly five hours of talks, with Trump thanking Kim afterward “for taking the first bold step toward a bright new future for his people.” Kim, for his part, said the leaders had “decided to leave the past behind” and promised: “The world will see a major change.” Soon, Kim was on a plane headed home, while a clearly ebullient Trump held forth for more than an hour before the press on what he styled as a historic achievement to avert the prospect of nuclear war. Along the way, Trump tossed out pronouncements on U.S. alliances, human rights, and the nature of the accord that he and Kim had signed. Light on specifics, the agreement largely amounted to an agreement to continue discussions, as it echoed previous public statements and past commitments. It did not, for instance, include an agreement to take steps toward ending the technical state of warfare between the U.S. and North Korea. Nor did it include a striking concession by Trump, who told reporters he would freeze U.S. military “war games” with ally South Korea while negotiations between the U.S. and the North continue. Trump cast the decision as a cost-saving measure, but also called the exercises “inappropriate” while talks continue. North Korea has long objected to the drills as a security threat. It was unclear whether South Korea was aware of Trump’s decision before he announced it publicly. U.S. Forces Korea said in a statement Tuesday it was unaware of any policy change. Trump phoned South Korean President Moon Jae-in after leaving Singapore to brief him on the discussions. Trump also said he’d obtained a separate concession from Kim to demolish a missile engine testing site, though it was just one site of many connected to the nuclear program. As Trump took a victory lap on the world stage, experts and allies struggled to account for what Trump and Kim had agreed to — and whether this agreement could actually be the first of its kind not to be broken by the North Koreans. The details of how and when the North would denuclearize appear yet to be determined, as are the nature of the unspecified “protections” Trump is pledging to Kim and his government. During his press conference, Trump acknowledged that denuclearization won’t happen overnight, but said, “once you start the process it means it’s pretty much over.” North Korea is believed to possess more than 50 nuclear warheads, with its atomic program spread across more than 100 sites constructed over decades to evade international inspections. Trump insisted that strong verification of denuclearization would be included in a final agreement, saying it was a detail his team would begin sorting out with the North Koreans next week. The agreement’s language on North Korea’s nuclear program was similar to what the leaders of North and South Korea came up with at their own summit in April. At the time, the Koreans faced criticism for essentially kicking the issue of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal down the road to the Singapore summit. Trump and Kim even directly referred back to the so-called Panmunjom Declaration, which contained a weak commitment to denuclearization and no specifics on how to achieve it. Between handshakes, a White House invitation, and even an impromptu tour of “The Beast,” the famed U.S. presidential limousine known for its high-tech fortifications, Trump sought to build a personal connection with Kim and said they have a “very good” relationship. The U.S. president brushed off questions about his public embrace of the autocrat whose people have been oppressed for decades. He added that Otto Warmbier, an American who died last year just days after his release from imprisonment in North Korea, “did not die in vain” because his death brought about the nuclear talks. In the run-up to Tuesday’s historic face-to-face with Kim, Trump has appeared unconcerned about the implications of feting an authoritarian leader accused by the U.S. of ordering the public assassination of his half brother with a nerve agent, executing his uncle by firing squad and presiding over a notorious gulag estimated to hold 80,000 to 120,000 political prisoners. In their joint statement, the two leaders promised to “build a lasting and stable peace regime” on the Korean Peninsula. Trump has dangled the prospect of economic investment in the North as a sweetener for giving up its nuclear weapons. The longtime property developer-turned-politician later mused about the potential value of condos on the country’s beachfront real estate. The formal document-signing, which also included an agreement to work to repatriate remains of prisoners of war and those missing in action from the Korean War, followed a series of meetings at a luxury Singapore resort. Ahead of the meeting Trump had predicted the two men might strike a nuclear deal or forge a formal end to the Korean War in the course of a single meeting or over several days. But in the hours before the summit, the White House unexpectedly announced Trump would depart Singapore earlier than expected — Tuesday evening — raising questions about whether his aspirations for an ambitious outcome had been scaled back. Aware that the eyes of the world were on a
For world, Trump-Kim summit raises cautious hope for peace
South Koreans cheered, Iran warned that President Donald Trump should not be trusted and China said it may be time to discuss lifting sanctions on North Korea as Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held an unprecedented summit Tuesday in Singapore. Around Asia and the world, many have welcomed the flurry of diplomacy in recent months between the two adversaries, after a year of mounting tension, threats and name-calling. Hopes for peace on the long-divided Korean Peninsula, however, remain tempered by the many failed attempts in the past. “The United States and North Korea have been in a state of antagonism for more than half a century,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. “Today, that the two countries’ highest leaders can sit together and have equal talks, has important and positive meaning, and is creating a new history.” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang later said that U.N. sanctions against North Korea could be suspended or lifted in accordance with the North’s actions. “We believe the Security Council should make efforts to support the diplomatic efforts at the present time,” he said. Trump said at a post-summit news conference that he has held off from imposing additional sanctions, but that the U.S. would remove sanctions when the North’s nuclear weapons “are no longer a factor.” Iran, meanwhile, reminded Kim that Trump should not be trusted because he could nullify any nuclear deal with North Korea, just as he had pulled out of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran. “We are facing a man who revokes his signature while abroad,” government spokesman Mohammad Bagher Nobakht, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said he “could hardly sleep last night” in anticipation of the meeting and expressed hope for “complete denuclearization and peace.” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe welcomed Kim’s written commitment to complete denuclearization in an agreement signed with Trump at the end of their meeting in Singapore. New Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, on a visit to Tokyo, said that “both sides must be prepared to give in certain issues if they expect to reach a good conclusion.” At a train station in Seoul, the South Korean capital, people cheered and applauded as televisions screens broadcast the Trump-Kim handshake live. “I really, really hope for a good outcome,” said Yoon Ji, a professor at Sungshin University in Seoul. “I am hoping for denuclearization and a peace agreement and also for North Korea’s economy to open up.” Not everyone was optimistic. “Trump’s words that the process of denuclearization on the Korean peninsula will start ‘very, very soon’ is more of a wish than a fact,” Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the upper house of Russia’s parliament, wrote on his Facebook page. “The role of the international community is important here. We must take the two leaders at their word and push them further,” he wrote. Japan’s largest newspaper, the Yomiuri, printed a one-page “extra” edition in both Japanese and English that was distributed free in major cities 90 minutes after the meeting began. Passers-by outside a Tokyo train station snapped up 500 copies. They generally welcomed the meeting as a good first step but wondered if progress would be made on the fate of Japanese abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s. “I have no idea how much the abduction issue is being taken up at the summit, but I hope it will be a good start for that issue too,” said 70-year-old retiree Tomoaki Kenmotsu. Sakie Yokota, the mother of Japan’s iconic abduction victim Megumi Yokota told Japanese public broadcaster NHK that it seemed like a “miracle” that Trump had raised the abduction issue with Kim. “I feel, we’ve finally come this far.” Megumi was 13 when she was kidnapped on Japan’s northern coast in 1977, on her way home from school. She is one of the 17 abductees officially recognized by the Japanese government. Abe, meanwhile, thanked Trump for raising the abduction issue with Kim and said that “Japan will deal firmly with North Korea face-to-face” to resolve it. The hard work remains to come, said Momoko Shimada, a 20-year-old student: “After the handshake and political show will be the real action. I believe that won’t be easy.” Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Following FEC ruling, Alabama candidate permitted to use campaign funds for child care expenses
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) in May ruled unanimously that federal candidates can use campaign funds to pay for child care costs that result from time spent running for office. The FEC justified their decision by saying the candidate’s child care needs were a direct result of her running for office and essential to her continuing to do so. Thus, the spending would not be considered a violation of rules that prohibit personal spending. Since the FEC only regulates federal election campaign finance, an Alabama candidate for the State House District 45, Democrat Jennifer Gray, requested a formal opinion from the Alabama Ethics Commission as to whether or not she could do the same. In her request Gray explained she would not have needed the child care had she need been a candidate. And without child care, she cannot participate in campaign activities like attending Chamber of Commerce meeting, meeting with constituents, canvassing or phone banking. Unlike the FEC, the Ethics Commission decision was not a unanimous one. In a 3-1 ruling, they decided Gray may use her campaign funds as such expenses would not exist “irrespective of the candidate’s campaign officeholder duties.” “[Gray] may use campaign funds to pay for the childcare expenses described in the request to the extent such expenses are incurred as a direct result of campaign activity and are tied to specific campaign events,” said Jerry L. Fielding, Chair of the Alabama Ethics Commission, in the decision. But the Commission didn’t make a blanket ruling for all candidates. They clearly concluded their ruling stating, “The conclusion reached herein applies only to these facts and may not be applied beyond these facts.” They also ruled that Gray must disclose her child care expenses so that donors know exactly where the funds are going. “The payments must be reasonable and customary for the services rendered, and the campaign must properly document the expenditures,” the decision read.
