If you are preparing for government jobs, the foremost thing you should ask yourself is whether you are clear about your career choices. You should not be rigid about choosing any particular position, but be surely determined to choose a particular field of job. In the similar manner, it’s not just choosing to be in the government sector, but choosing a particular department is also important. So, before applying, you need to be sure whether you want to apply for civic volunteer jobs or SSC Group D jobs. Accordingly, you should prepare and apply.

Most of the government recruitment drives offer chances to the interested candidates to apply online. Important information regarding the URLs, dates, and educational qualification can be obtained from a reputed govt. job portal. But solving sample papers and learning to solve mathematical equations are not enough to get a job in the govt sector. You need to know how to prepare yourself for the best. Here is a list of pointers to help you prepare yourself for securing a position in the government sector:

Figure out the particular field

Yes, most importantly, you need to choose a particular field of job that you want to do. If you want to be a teacher in a govt school, do not sit for SSC group D jobs. Instead, you should give SSC TET jobs. If only you have a special interest in a particular field, you should follow vacancy information and dates for that particular field and apply accordingly. So, give yourself some time to think and prepare accordingly. This will also help you to get good scores in the exams.

Keep a positive attitude

You must have heard so many times that getting a job in the government sector is very difficult. However, if you keep a positive attitude and work hard towards achieving your goal, nothing is impossible. Yes, for getting a govt job, you may have to go through several tests and screenings. But do not lose hope. Be positive and enthusiastic. This will reflect in your efforts as well as in your body language as you appear before the employer during the interview session.

Using the right tools help

Use the right job searching tools and the right govt. job portal for searching vacancy information of your liking. There are a few good online portals where you can genuine and comprehensive information on the recruitment drives by the central or the state governments. You can thus apply on time and also submit appropriate documents. This will make it easier for you to apply for your dream job on time.

Prepare well and get ready

Prepare yourself for the best performance. Remember, clearing both the written examination as well as the interview is tough and requires a perpetual and deliberate effort. Enrol in an institute that offers training for getting government jobs. Experienced mentors will provide the best tips for cracking both the written exam as well as interview. Be patient and diligent in your approach. You may have to prepare for an exam for months or years before getting successful. It may not be possible to crack any exam at one go. You should not lose hope and try again after an unsuccessful attempt.

Improve your communication skills

Whether you are applying for SSC Group D jobs or for SSC TET jobs, you need to have good communication skills. This will help you to score high marks in the interview as well as in the written exam. You must know that candidates with good communication skills are always preferred by the employers. So, develop your communication skills along with practicing sample papers.

All these tips will help you to be better prepared for getting jobs in the government sector. You must make it a point to follow guidelines for each vacancy provided on the official websites of the respective departments. Best wishes!

“Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Unfortunately, these days those words and goals are still not implemented and probably never will be. There are too many interests involved in establishing such an ideal government. Too much ego, prejudice, and economic, social and many other and conflicting interests are involved in the basic ingredients for melding such a government. Maybe it should be like this in the name of democracy and freedom of choice; maybe the people don’t deserve such an ideal government.

The major problem is generating the desired balance among all those ideals and desires. The two extreme possibilities are a government with too much power and a weak, divided government that is unable to make crucial decisions. A government or an organization with enough resources can do almost anything. Not only that, they can even publicly justify their actions in the name of preserving and protecting the democracy. They will support their actions, which may be illegal, immoral or even criminal in the name of justice, for the people and nation. To balance between a completely open society where everything is transparent, visible and known to everybody and a closed society where certain actions and information are known to few is a very difficult task. “People don’t have to know everything,” may have justification in certain cases. Polls have already proved that the mood of people can be easily manipulated and change directions with time, events and publicity.

Governments can, if they wish, eliminate certain groups or individuals who, in their opinion, oppose and are hostile to their policies. The elimination of a terrorist or a political opponent is as easy to achieve as it is easy to hide from the public. The death or disappearance of such people is explained under categories such as natural causes, accidents, mental hospitalization or death during emergency surgery.

All agencies, unofficial and official, such as the CIA, MI5/6, KGB and the Mossad, were and will be doing “it” in the name of national security. The popular public reason may be: “In order to protect, preserve or even enforce Democracy.” In certain cases those actions might be truly justified; the problem is where to set the limit. Many people have disappeared worldwide in the name of national security.

The reason of national security for not disclosing certain information or imprisoning an undesired subject is used too often by many countries and organizations.

Governments operate mainly at three levels. While level one is the clean and white level of activities, reserved for heads of states and highly exposed political figures, level two is the gray area. This is an unethical area of activity which smells bad but is still legal. Killing, eliminating, removing and falsifying are part of level three. Normally, “we the people” are exposed to level one and occasionally to level two, but rarely to level three.

At level three, I can mention for example, Gerald Bull, the Canadian engineer who developed the Babylon or “super-gun” long-range artillery for the Iraqi government. Bull was assassinated in Brussels, Belgium in March 1990.

It is quite interesting to note the language evolution with regard to using politically correct terminologies. The word-laundering is quite fascinating. Terms such as “Terrorists” or “freedom fighters,” “guerrillas”, “political assassination” or “removing from power” all depends on which side you ask or talk to.

The USA is a super-power with worldwide presence and intervention. In general, they are a stabilizing factor. Many Americans don’t understand the importance of their support for certain countries and at the same time many supported countries simply hate their presence.

To better understand the above, try to imagine a world without the U.S. involvement. Let’s assume that the U.S. is not a super-power or they evolved from an Empire to a regular Republic interested mainly in their internal affairs.

What would the world look like without U.S. intervention?

Oil is one of the major energy resources of most modern countries. Oil was one of the main reasons for wars and the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein. It was not a territorial dispute; it was about oil. The Americans are one of the largest oil consumers, so it is obvious why the U.S. was interested in assisting Kuwait.

However, this is not the whole picture. The U.S. involvement all over the world is not only for oil and monetary interests. Most people believe that there are other reasons. In the era of a globalized economy, world stability is essential and according to the Chaos theory, even a small problem in the Middle-East, for example, can generate a chain reaction which affects the U.S. in many areas. Most people believe that the global American intervention is also because they care. They care about establishing and maintaining Democracies and enabling freedom for everybody everywhere possible. Obviously there are other reasons and interests; so what are they?

China is becoming a major player in the world arena. They are the second largest oil consumers. The route of oil to China is secured and enabled by the U.S. Navy. China’s long term goal might be to be equal the U.S. and they can achieve it.

Without the U.S., Taiwan would cease to exist as a Democracy and may be annexed to mainland China. Without the U.S., Japan would have to get nuclear capabilities if they wanted to remain independent. They have had a continuing dispute with China since 1937, and the Chinese will never forget the Japanese invasion. The U.S. assisted Iran indirectly by eliminating Saddam Hussein, who had fought Iran over a border dispute for eight years. Saddam Hussein was interested in making Iraq an influential power in the Persian Gulf region. He invaded Iran not only because of the long history of border disputes, but also to enlarge Iraq’s oil reserves. Europe wants and needs oil, but they are not willing to pay the full price to get it. They hate the American presence and will not acknowledge that without the U.S., they wouldn’t get the oil they need.

Europe’s attitude toward Israel is extremely hypocritical. They have a short memory; however what unites Europe against Israel or the Jews is Anti-Semitism.

Since March 2003 when Recep Tayyip Erdogan became Turkey’s Prime Minister, their policy toward Israel has changed. Erdogan was unhappy with Israel’s reaction to Hezbollah’s kidnapping of soldiers in 2006; he was critical when Israel conducted the Gaza War; he asked to inspect Israel’s nuclear facilities under IAEA inspection; and he has criticized Israel for its many defensive actions.

The tension between the countries has escalated following the Gaza flotilla raid.

The question is what his motives are and if he has a hidden agenda that may explain his overzealous attention to Israel. His reactions have gained Turkey influence and sympathy among his Arab neighbors. Particularly, he may have gained certain advantages among his domestic political parties. His special collaborative attention and meetings with Syria and Iran should worry the West and particularly Israel.

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party or PKK, founded in 1978, is a Kurdish organization which fights against Turkey. Their goal is to establish an independent Kurdish state.

There is a claim by Germany that the Turkish military has used chemical weapons against members of the PKK.

Lebanon is a puppet country controlled by Syria and Iran. Hezbollah or “The Party of God” is a Shi’a Islamic organization involved in Lebanese politics, supported by Syria and Iran. Actually, they are viewed by most of the world as a terrorist organization.

Their forces are trained and organized by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Their main goal is to eliminate the colonial entity in Lebanon and to establish an Islamic regime.

To achieve that, the Iranians with their supporters all are united under the hatred towards Israel and their desire to eliminate the Zionist entity from the region.

A top secret CIA document released on April 2004 lists the many possible suspects for the assassination of Elie Hobeika, former Lebanese Forces Commander.

Possible culprits include fellow Christians, other members of the Lebanese elite, Palestinians and Israelis.

There is no direct evidence of Israeli involvement in the assassination, but highlighting an Israeli connection could help the Lebanese avoid the internal friction that would arise if a Lebanese group were blamed.

Anybody who thinks that the Israel-Palestinian conflict is over territories is totally wrong.

Israelis are willing to give back certain territories and make peace in exchange for a piece of paper… Unfortunately, based on history, those signed agreements have a very short life time. In the volatile region of the Middle-East Israel will face many difficulties without U.S. support. In the 1980s Soviet military forces in Afghanistan faced a different type of war than they had experienced in the past. The resistance forces fighting them were the mujahedeen.

The Makhtab Al-Khidamat (MAK) was founded by Osama Bin Laden and Abdullah Azzam, which led to the establishment of Al-Qaeda in 1988. At the end of the Soviet occupation they wanted to extend and justify their operations, so they tried to include other Islamic causes. It is quite obvious that Al-Qaeda benefited from the U.S. funding and training given to the Afghan mujahedeen fighting the Soviet invasion.

There are many Al-Qaeda cells which are operative worldwide. Without united cooperation they will continue their terrorist operations including their attempt to get nuclear related weapons.

Which FAR obligations are put forward by government agencies in the contract?

In their contract Government can impose varied obligations as per established by FAR. Thus these agencies can be either demanding contract bids or can even insist upon the firm’s overhead rate in accordance with FAR. In addition, it can be the company’s schedule for audited overhead or parallel footnotes; which they will look out for.

What are the pre-requirements for FAR Overhead Rate Calculation?

Accounting software:

While numerous firms find government contracts desirable; what they oversee is the information they are obligated to produce during FAR audits. They even miss out on having a proper report of the contract and the cost that is involved. It is thus essential for a firm to own a submissive system to manage the accounting per se. It can be time-consuming and quite a struggle in the beginning but proves beneficial for a firm in long run. For a smooth accounting, the concerned accounting firm can cater to the services of software execution.

Job Costing System:

Job Costing System is enforced while working on a government contract so as to avoid the double billing which prevails in many cases. While auditing, it is required by the accounting system to acknowledge only the allowable government billing. To calculate that; recognizing the definite cost of employees is essential which is calculated according to the pay rate of each worker. While calculating this you can’t count the cost of working hours as per your hourly rate. Salaried employee’s hourly rate is thus calculated on the basis of the time put forth by him in the project. You can even have an overview on whether Job Costing System is functioning rightly because the job costing is reunited with the direct cost of general ledger only.

Identifying Direct and Indirect Costs:

For FAR Overhead Rate Calculation the firms are required to have befitting knowledge of the firm’s expenses. These expenses are to be differentiated as general overhead expenses and the once that are existing due to the government contracts.

Discarding Unallowable Costs:

FAR Overhead Rate Calculation demands a review of the expenses so as to divide the unallowable and allowable expenses and time to avoid unnecessary billing of the expenses.

Thus for Architectural/Engineering firms, Government contracts stand as befitting opportunity if they properly perceive the complexities that come along with it as per the directions of several Government entities. The complexities being the need of a CPA firm to handle the firm’s Overhead Rate Calculation and to have the audit in accordance with FAR.

When we earn less than what we need to spend, what we do is borrow money. The “we” can apply to individuals, to corporations, or to sovereign countries or governments. Often-for governments especially-borrowing money is not a problem. They borrow money to pay for borrowed money, and lenders are easy to find. For example, latest available data show that the total (gross) amount of US government debt (USD21T) is bigger than that country’s gross domestic product, or GDP (USD20T). Stated differently, the current debt-to-GDP ratio of the federal government of the USA is 105 percent.

Some countries even have higher debt-to-GDP ratios: Japan (236 percent), Italy (131 percent), and Singapore (110 percent), among others.

Philippines? The trend over the past decade shows a decreasing rate: from 55 percent in 2008 to 42 in 2017. Amount of total national government debt in 2017 stood at Php6.6T, 67 percent of which was domestic debt while 33 percent was foreign debt.

The debt-to-GDP ratio is one of the indicators of a country’s capacity to pay. Experts tell us that a low debt-to-GDP ratio indicates an economy that produces and sells goods and services sufficient enough to pay back debts without incurring further debt.

Because government borrowing does not seem to worry policy makers even for debt guzzlers like the US and Japan, perhaps what may interest taxpayers more is determination of the “need to spend.”

There are cases where countries (or areas within them) can promote people’s welfare better by buying public goods and services now, using borrowed money (at cost, meaning with interest) than waiting for a later date when cash flow positions can be expected to improve. A quick example is expenditure on key infrastructures, like road networks or hydro-electric plants that stimulate job-generating private investments, and further promote downstream livelihood opportunities. Investments like these often pay for themselves over a long period of time.

The development goal becomes more attractive when economic opportunities are seen spilling over the countryside, with added expected benefits-from the whole nation’s perspective-of easing urban poverty and congestion, greater equity in wealth distribution, creating a variety of conditions for social levelling, etc.-all of which can go a long way in checking rural insurgency.

This idea is cropped from the backdrop of the Philippines’ possibly becoming a federal nation where, as an assumption, the federal states will have more autonomy at finding sources from which to fund their development projects. A possible set up can emerge where, like what the national government does, LGUs can issue debt papers or instruments (such as notes or bonds) to raise money.

While other countries like the US and Brazil have enabled their municipal governments to issue debt instruments or securities, consideration of this funding option has yet to gain traction among most LGUs in the Philippines, except for some mega cities like Cebu City. Rather the more common practice has been for LGUs to vie for bilateral loans, involving in many cases development banks like Land Bank and the Development Bank of the Philippines, whenever they see the need to borrow money.

Over the past several years, the Bureau of the Treasury, in collaboration with the Department of Finance and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, among other related government agencies, has developed a robust environment for debt management operations that include improved investor relations, enhanced organizational capacity and optimized analytical tools for policy action, streamlined processes for origination (eg auction of Treasury Bills and Bonds), as well as big data management required from recording, monitoring and servicing of national government debt.

The external environment contributes to the vigor of the entire debt management apparatus, such as the overall health of the economy-buttressed by a predictable political climate-that can justify positive credit ratings on a consistent basis. It is this kind of ratings that makes it easy for governments to find lenders, and incur debt at the least possible cost to the taxpayer.

Investment opportunities for LGUs are legion, and I wish to broadly discuss a few of them here.

(1) Real Estate Development

That Metro Manila needs to be decongested is obvious for LGUs easily see opportunities from that big problem. Hint: Build a hub for a national government agency, one that offers free housing for 1,000 to 2,000 employees, on top of state-of-art digital connectivity infrastructures. Then invite a government agency that rents property for its offices in Metro Manila or nearby areas to relocate. In five years, the host LGU should see a rapid increase in the number of economic establishments within the area, providing livelihood opportunities for its residents.

Urban planners would also do well to shape ideas for similar ventures. For example, the Tacloban North Township Project of Tacloban City can be a model for uprooting entire communities from danger zones to more a more ideal settlement area.

(2) Land Banking

LGUs that think through issues of squatting (which is a tax on idle property) and disaster response should also do well to buy land now (while still available and relatively cheaper) for future needs of their constituency.

(3) Aged Care Homes and Services

LGUs can add value to what the Philippine Retirement Authority offers by building specialty facilities for the elderly, including those that require medical care for dementia, Alzheimer’s and other physical ailments caused by wear and tear. Filipinos excel (competitive advantage) in caregiving largely because of their culture: respect for elders and moorings from extended families. The market is simply too big (and growing by the day) to be ignored. Estimates show that in 25 years almost one-third of the population of the USA, Japan and most European countries would be nearing retirement age. Unlike the Philippines, the ties that bind families in these countries are not as “strong,” where elders are often left to fend for themselves. These elders, one may further note, are not “freeloaders,” boosting financial viability of these investments.

(4) Organic Agriculture

The objective is to help local farmers compete with the established producers and traders by organizing and continuously training them, and providing them with the required start up and working capital requirements. The “organic” niche can help them stand out from the competition.

(5) Franchisee for Disaster Relief

LGUs can “sub-contract” from DSWD its disaster relief operations on a bill-me-later basis. Government personnel, except probably those who have military or police training, are hardly known for their skills in logistics management. But all other things being equal, LGUs are in a better position to respond more effectively to disaster relief needs due to their proximity to affected areas.

In conclusion, I tried to show that LGUs do have many opportunities to innovate on their service delivery systems by investing in projects that are outside of their usual development portfolio. A robust structure for managing public debt, led by the Bureau of the Treasury, exists. It can be tapped to help them generate the funds they need from the domestic capital market.

GST Rises

Many might be unaware, but the idea of implementing GST in India was introduced under the leadership of the Late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He appointed an Empowered Committee(EC) in the year 2000, and the committee was tasked with drafting the GST laws. Their and several other’s efforts combined finally came to fruition in the year 2017 with the adoption of the Good and Services Tax(GST) Act, 2017. Following the 1st of July, 2017, GST has been in full operation and it seems to have restored order to the taxation system in India.

GST is basically an indirect tax replacing most of the indirect taxes that are levied in various stages of production of goods and services. In this way, GST becomes an indirect tax for the whole country. GST basically aims at removing the cascading effect of taxes. Cascading effect is basically the additions and accumulation of taxes at each level of production of a good/service.

GST Revenue and Surrounding issues

The government has gone as far as to say that there has been a voluntary compliance and great response to GST after it’s initial stages leading to a rise in the tax base from 60 lakh Crores to 1.10 crore Crore rupees. This sounds great for the government but only on paper. The tax base increase can be accredited to the inclusion of many sectors in GST who were previously excluded.GST integration and application has surely helped taxpayers with filing their taxes and smoother compliances.

Present numbers, however, paint a picture of grim reality and realization for the government. The government had offered to provide compensation for 5 years because of the losses incurred by state government due to the implementation of GST, a good move by the central Government helping state governments consolidate the law till the grass root levels.

However, recent realizations and evaluations have left the Central government dissatisfied with the low revenue figures of the GST regime. The bi-monthly compensation for the months of June and July 2018, rose to as much as 3.8 times of that for the months of March and April 2018. the central government is also constantly falling short of their set target of 1lakh crore. The government, however, present a strong front and claim that they have eliminated implementation errors and are also “better equipped to deal with defaulters” which sounds like a hollow statement considering current events. In this regard, the Central Government is formulating strategies and hoping state governments will help identify flaws within the current system.

THE STEPS OF RECOVERY

The PTI(Press Trust of India) also was told by a high-ranking official that the government needs to devise a strategy to shore up the GST revenue. The source also bemoans at a lack of a set pattern for paying the compensation to individual states.

The government, however, isn’t just sitting quietly and watch as they fail to gather appropriate revenue. GST Return is set to undergo radical changes in the coming times.

Here are some of the reforms government are planning:

· Deploying anti-invasion measures with a focus on top 30 taxpayers. Data Analytics will be used to profile top 30 taxpayers and look at their tax payments before and after the implementation of GST

· Assuring businesses of all kinds that they would try to put a curb on being intrusive with businesses

· Reforming the current 5 slabs of GST to cut down slabs to just two.

From time, to time, we have witnessed, either the threat of, or an actual, government shutdown. While it is doubtful, anyone benefits, nor is much accomplished, from a positive perspective, there continue to be these types of political confrontations. Rather than saving the government, any money, because, supposedly, certain expenses/ bills, are not paid, during these intervals, history has demonstrated, our country’s economy, and structure, suffers, and few benefit! However, we have seen, this, over – and – over. again, in the past two years, and there have been short – term solutions, or budgets, which only address, continuation, rather than seeking relevant, viably, sustainable solutions, for the nation’s best – interests. Once again, we have reached one of these intervals, where the President appears to be daring the Congress, to, either agree to his proposals and priorities, or bring – on, a shutdown. How could this possibly do any good, but, it will definitely have annoying, disruptive ramifications? With that in mind, this article will attempt to briefly consider, review, and discuss, some of the impacts, etc.

1. President Trump’s Wall: Donald Trump campaigned, promising, a southern wall, which he proclaimed, Mexico, would pay for. Objective observers doubted this, but his core supporters, believed him, and were inspired by the rhetoric and vitriol, it appeared to stir – up! For the past two years, he has continued to focus on this project, although, most security and immigration experts, state it is an inefficient, ineffective, and costly approach. Now, President Trump, is articulating his demand for $5 billion, to build this edifice, and proclaims, the opposing party, is against strong borders, and safety, of they refuse. The Democrats are refusing to agree to this demand, and Trump, states, he’s not only willing, but welcomes shutting down the government, unless he gets what he wants. We appear to have come to a situation, where someone, is demanding what many feel, is unthinkable, and, unless, he gets his way, he will let the government shut down! Who could possibly win, in this political wrangling, and apparent power play?

2. Responsible budgeting: While this President campaigned, against budget deficits, etc, his actions have been somewhat different! The deficit is now, its highest, since 2012, and appears to be spiraling upward. Much of this is due, to what most economists claim, was an unsustainable, ill – conceived tax plan, which predominantly benefited the largest corporations, with a promise, this so – called, Trickle – Down Economics, would create higher paying, better jobs. However, while many of these companies, have seen record – setting profits, the job projections, have not occurred. It’s important to recall, the last time, there wasn’t a federal deficit, was at the end of the Clinton administration, and that deficit reappeared and substantially increased, during the administration of President George W. Bush, and while it was somewhat reduced, during the Obama administration, has grown significantly, in the last year. We need a commitment to sound fiscal policy, and a re – imaging, of the approach. I personally believe, we need, zero – based budgeting.

Until/ unless, our elected officials become responsible, and prioritize the best interests of the nation, rather than any personal/ political agenda, and self – interest, we will continue to have band – aid, approaches, rather than relevant, sustainable solutions. No one benefits from these shutdowns, and in the past, they have been extremely costly, both, in terms of annoyance/ inconvenience/ disruption, and the additional costs, involved, when the government is restored. Wake up, America, and stop being fooled, by the rhetoric!

We presume that government is at least as aware of the established health risks of smoking – for smokers and non-smokers – as any aware and enlightened human:

• that there is already incontestable evidence from medical research of the link between Smoking and the Big Three: lung cancer, heart disease and chronic bronchitis. That the death rate for lung cancer is 1000 times higher for smokers than for non-smokers. That three out of four bronchitis deaths are caused by smoking (not air pollution, as is often believed). And that, in the age group 45-55, death rates from heart disease are 50 per cent higher for men smokers than for men non-smokers; and 100 per cent higher for women.
• that smoking is also implicated in other illness like cancer of the mouth, throat, pharynx, larynx, pancreas and bladder; emphysema; and paralytic strokes;
• that smoking in pregnant women is associated with premature/still-born births, and with babies of low birth weight. That, according to a WHO study, one out of five babies who die would have been saved if their mothers had not smoked.
• that a non-smoker exposed to the atmosphere of a smoke-filled room for one hour will inhale as much smoke as if he/she had actually smoked between one and two cigarettes.

We also presume that the government is aware of these additional facts:

• that the acreage under tobacco cultivation has been steadily increasing over the last few decades.
• that the number of cigarette addicts among the young and among women has also been steadily increasing over the last few years. According to recent study, the average number of cigarettes smoked by a male student today stands at 16 a day, for a female student, six.
• That the cigarette industry is also reaching out, increasingly, to rural areas.

Given these frightening facts and troubling trends, we wonder why the government has not taken a decisive stand and tough action to safeguard the nation’s health. We wonder why it has been favouring the cigarette industry (and marketers) with the kid-glove treatment. And why even its half-hearted bans on smoking (in specified public areas) have been poorly implemented.

Especially worrying is the insidious luring of the young to this harmful habit by marketers who romanticise and glamourize smoking. Take a look at a typical cigarette ad. The man lighting up is, well, ‘manly’, virile, macho. He’s young, he’s attractive, he’s sophisticated and – most misleading of all – he’s healthy-looking. He’s also the guy who’s lucky in love, successful at work, and fun to be with (the adventurous, outdoorsy type).

The truth: a four-year study of university students in the United States found that their weight, height and chest measurements were consistently less among smokers than among non-smokers. In another study of young smokers, it was found that they participated less in sports and games, got fatigued more easily, and had lower IQ levels, on average, than non-smokers. Smokers also have been found to suffer more chronic colds, headaches, insomnia and sinusitis. Because smoking puts a heavy load on the heart, chronic smokers also get breathless and winded easily. There’s nothing virile about the smokers’ cough that wakes them every morning. Their taste buds are depressed by the nicotine, so they don’t enjoy their food. As for looking attractive, chronic smokers have a degree of skin-wrinkling appropriate to non-smokers who are 20 years older. Their teeth and nails become nicotine-stained. Smokers also smell: the stink clings to their clothes, their hair and their breath. Even their perspiration smells, because some of the smoke products are absorbed into their bloodstream and excreted through the pores.

So, what’s so attractive or robust about the young smoker? And why isn’t the government moving to stop marketers from propagating a falsely alluring image? In some countries, the industry gets away with catch-lines like ‘Made for each other’ (Wills) and ‘For the gracious people’ (Gold Flake).

If the cigarette trade has forgotten the meaning of the word ‘ethics’, isn’t it the government’s business to remind them with a sharp nudge?

I am alive to the fact that ‘economic considerations’ weigh with the government on an issue like this. But I think that ‘health consideration’ should come first. By collecting the ‘tainted’ revenue (from taxation), while placing the moral responsibility between the fingers of the smoker (with a take-it-or-leave-it) warning that ‘Cigarette smoking is injurious to health’), the government is only eating its cake and having it too.

And merely avowing that “smoking is a social evil which should be discouraged at any cost” is just not good enough. The government will have to match its actions to its fighting words if we are to banish the spectre of thousands of individuals ‘dying for a cigarette’.

The global economy is in constant turmoil, governments are challenged to provide levels of service that typically only private businesses can provide and disruptive technologies are transforming industry at a rapid pace. In this bold new era where change is unavoidable it is the innovative who are positioned to surely thrive.

In 2008, the global economy fell into recession; it was the most significant downturn since the Great Depression. Recovery has been a long and exasperating struggle; at times feeling like we are clinging to the edge of a cliff, desperately trying to hold on and weather-the-storm.

Some economists even predict we are on the verge of another global recession. Foreign and domestic factors are both significant contributors to the swelling pessimism; there is the unpredictability of Trump's Tweets, the looming collapse of the Euro, the astonishingly low cost of crude oil, student loan debts suffocating young adults who are unable to contribute to economic growth and let's not forget about the dreaded silver tsunami.

It's fair to say the economic outlook for the United States and Canada is unsettling. As a result of financial uncertainty many government agencies across North America are seeing their budgets tightened, while expectations from constituents continue to rise. The public opinion towards government processes, civic services and budgetary spending has become progressively more volatile in recent years.

So, how does one do more with less? Well, when you consider that we live in a world where virtual reality, 3D printing, quadcopters, pocket-sized spectrometers, and self-driving cars are no longer simply things of science fiction, the answer may be staring us directly in the face.

There are a plethora of software solutions that assist with a wide range of government functions. The technologies available today disrupt the old ways of doing things; these are solutions that automate and streamline processes, compile and share information departmentally, increase citizen engagement and enable open governments.

Numerous communities across North America are seemingly transforming into smart cities overnight; governments are adopting innovative technologies as a means to become more efficient and generate new revenue. Even more uplifting is that these advancements in technology no longer simply cater to federal and state agencies, local governments are now consuming what has become repeatable and affordable technology solutions.

Optimism should not be confused with naivety. The challenges being confronted by governments are most certainly daunting and implementing change successfully warrants its own discussion, but regardless of these hurdles the solutions being developed out of necessity are truly inventive and inspiring. More and more government agencies seem eager to evolve, refusing to fear disruptive technology and instead utilizing it as an opportunity to prosper. Navigating through the complexities of this digital age is certainly no easy task, but in a world ripe for change to the innovative go the spoils.

Most people have an anti attitude in respect to government surveillance. Ever since Obama became president, government surveillance on the Internet skyrocketed. Government surveillance statistics: in 2015 over 30% of adult Americans were concerned about government surveillance of their electronic communications. On one hand government surveillance is good for increased security and for helping prevent potential terrorist attacks. On the other hand, too much government surveillance will trample over our privacy and violate our basic civil rights. Where do you draw the line for a happy compromise? If 911 was brought about by the elites in the US government, then the push and demand for greater government surveillance are the sole purpose of that tragic event where thousands of Americans were sacrificed. 911 should have never happened. How can the world’s most powerful country get invaded by a team of Middle-eastern terrorists? The whole event stink of government coverup, of US officials contriving and creating the perfect circumstances for national turmoil. Enough ranting. Here are some telling signs of domestic and home surveillance:

1) Does your laptop or desktop computer crash regularly or too often?

2) Do you feel someone is tracking you whenever you surf online?

3) Are your online activities disturbed suddenly with web page freezes or the computer screen turning black?

4) When shopping at a website, are your shopping experiences smooth without strange and unexplainable glitches?

5) Do you have any difficulty visiting all the websites that are listed at search engines?

6) Do the prices of certain products you buy regularly online rise continuously?

7) Do you feel the sneaky suspicion you are being monitored at home?

8) Do you notice sirens coming on too regularly, if you say certain negative words in your remarks?

9) Does anyone in your family give you the remotest impression to be tracking you at home?

10) Do your closest neighbors visiting you behave rather unnaturally as if concealing a dark secret?

11) Do you see a sudden jump of neighbors walking their dogs, jogging, or pushing baby carriages by your home?

12) Do your neighbors sometimes park their automobiles in front of your home without a valid reason?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you may be under surveillance by the FBI. Don’t be surprised if you are; the FBI has grown quite bold since 911. I should know. The FBI won’t let me alone.