The mention of Europe brings to mind quaint streets filled with cabs, bicyclists, and pedestrians. It doesn’t initially make you think of fuel protests, exorbitant fuel costs, and rising food costs. Don’t Europeans walk everywhere?

The United States is not the only country that has been experiencing heartburn, for the past few years, over the increase in fuel prices. The countries of Europe have also seen an increase in fuel prices. This is evidence that we truly live in a global economy because as the dollar weakens, fuel becomes more expensive for everyone. This is due to the fact that fuel is traded in dollars. So how is the fuel price increase in Europe affecting Europeans?

Most recently Europeans have noticed an increase in the price of food. Despite the price of potatoes dropping, the price of chips (of the infamous British favorite, fish and chips) is rising. When this matter was investigated, they found that even though potatoes cost less, the increase in fuel prices in Europe was causing an increase in food prices.

As in the U.S., European citizens have been working hard to modify their gas-guzzling lifestyles. Carpooling, or as they call it, car-sharing, has become a necessity for many. And like Americans, many are doing more biking and walking to work if they live close enough. Some are even finding jobs closer to their homes in order to combat the increase in fuel prices. Despite what Americans think of Europeans, they don’t really walk everywhere. They need fuel too and this has caused disgruntled citizens in all of the nations.

Europe has had its share of protests over the increased price of fuel. Fuel protests have been staged all over Europe as people have blockaded roads and waterways crying out for relief from the increase in fuel prices. Protesters in Plymouth, England drove carts 10-15 miles per hour down a 9 mile stretch of road. Some of the protesters chose to stress their point by driving a horse and cart.

There is no question; the increase in fuel prices in Europe is as big of an issue over there as it is here in the US.

For some adoptive and foster parents, attachment theory is a new concept though it was first described in the 1950’s. In a London hospital, psychiatrist, John Bowlby and social worker, James Robertson, studied the effects of children under the age of three, separated from their mother. In the 50’s, long hospitalizations and excluded parents were a common practice even though it was common knowledge in the community that children, especially under the age of three, were “changed for the worse” when they returned home. Robertson stated, “A hospital experience has dangers of emotional trauma for the young child.” Bowlby and Robertson identified three stages for separated children: Protest, Despair, and Denial/Detachment.

1. Protest – The child expects mom to respond to his cries. When she doesn’t come, the child is heartbroken, visibly upset and searches for her.
2. Despair – With mother’s continued absence, the child gives up hope, becomes withdrawn and quiet, and becomes what Robertson called, “settled-in.”
3. Denial/Detachment – The child shows more interest in his surroundings and seems happy which Robertson saw as a danger sign. In actuality, the child is merely making the best of the situation. Robertson noticed, “When his mother comes to visit, he seems hardly to know her, and no longer cries when she leaves.” Once the child returns home, and if his stay was long, he seems to not need any mothering at all. His relationships are described as shallow and untrusting.

These three stages occur for any young child separated from his mother over a period weeks, and sometimes even in a matter of days. Bowlby and Robertson were able to witness firsthand the effects of a child being separated from his mother. Parents whose children suffered early abandonment did not witness their child’s separation but can imagine and understand their child’s trauma and fears.

Because of this early separation, foster and adopted child will have current events that trigger past experiences of loss or abandonment. Let’s look at the example of Jacob, 8 years old, adopted from Colombia at age 2. Jacob was taken to the orphanage several days following his birth. The orphanage was in a poor area; it had a few broken toys, shared clothes, and meager food for the children. Jacob’s adoptive parents, Julie and Ron, know his tantrums occur when he has things “taken away” and especially when he loses food as punishment. This year in school, his teacher’s behavior plan was to take away tokens from misbehaving children. Jacob’s parents know this will trigger his old trauma and without delay, they talk to the teacher. Luckily, the teacher understands the significance of Jacob’s early loss and she changes the classroom behavior plan. Now, the children earn tokens when they mind their teacher.

Bowlby and Robertson were pioneers in identifying the three phases leading to attachment difficulties. Their work has been invaluable in understanding how to prevent attachment difficulties. Although we may not be able to prevent all children from early separation and loss, Bowlby’s and Robertson’s work provides a backdrop of comprehending the three phases children experience when they suffer from neglect, abandonment or loss.

1 Robertson, J. (1958) Young Children in Hospitals. New York.: Basic Books.

Fighting an effective property tax protest is probably of more than academic interest if you’ve found yourself the victim of an overly high property tax bill. In this article I’d like to offer five tips on how you can successfully fight and win the real estate tax revaluation battle.

With wildly fluctuating property values in many parts of the United States and Canada, it is becoming more and more common for property owners to discover that their property’s assessed value has been overstated by the taxing authorities.

Why is this so?

Well for one thing, assessing offices are typically understaffed and in many cases simply can’t keep up with the workload involved with adjusting the values of hundreds or thousands of properties.

For another the taxing authorities often are slow to lower the valuation of a property, because it means the taxing authority collects less in taxes if they do. While this is not fair or otherwise justified, it is the reality. The fact is it is human nature for many career government workers to exercise this protective herd mentality in the name of job preservation.

With that said, here are the basic steps you need to take when mounting a property tax protest, i.e. a real estate tax abatement filing.

1. Go to your local tax assessor’s office and find out what the local tax calendar sets as the deadline for filing a property tax appeal.

2. Request the property tax cards for other homes that you know are fairly similar to yours in terms of construction style, total square footage of living area, age, location and quality. Create a small spreadsheet to help you organize and compare these factors.

3. Compare the assessed values of these homes with your own. If the physical factors are very similar the assessed values ought to be close–but often they are not. If yours has been assessed for tax purposes at a significantly higher value, you likely have a case to wage a real estate tax protest.

4. Adjust your findings for any obvious differences in value that you can determine from these records as well as your knowledge of he local area. Is a property assessed more highly perhaps because it is much younger than another, or because it is a custom home versus a tract home?

Sometimes there are good reasons for differences in assessed values for very similar homes, but probably more often there really is no good reason. Apply some common sense here when weighing these factors, and use the “smell” test. That is, if it stinks, there is probably something rotten about the assessed value! And that is reason enough to take on a property tax protest.

5. State your findings succinctly in a letter to the property tax assessor and avoid being overly dramatic or outraged if you really do feel you are getting a raw deal. Property tax assessors are human, and like you they will react better to honey as opposed to vinegar.

You might even start off with an informal discussion with the assessor before filing an official abatement request. Sometimes an assessor will grant relieve based upon a good, simple argument.

There’s no reason to remain a victim of poor government and over taxation. It’s easy to wage a winning property tax protest armed with the right information.

Social media, First Amendment and data security issues are interwoven in recent accounts of current events that raise fascinating concerns and questions.

In San Francisco, attempts were made to foil protesters planning to disrupt public transportation services when the Bay Area Rapid Transit authority temporarily interrupted cell service at several subway platforms. This unleashed a barrage of reaction and debate on both sides of the issue. Perhaps the most notable and certainly the most vicious group to take exception to BART’s action was the hacker group Anonymous, which attacked myBart.org, defacing the site and releasing personal information for 2,400 BART riders, and even organizing a subsequent demonstration.

It’s not only the vigilante group that is acting in the wake of BART’s decision to thwart protesters by disrupting cell service, however; the Federal Communications Council has also launched an investigation into the matter.

Was BART’s temporary shutdown reasonable given the public safety concerns of the transit authority, which designates free speech areas for public protests safely outside of its train and subway platforms? Were the free speech rights of the protesters violated? What about other riders who may have tried to reach a child, parent or even emergency services during the period cell service was disrupted? Was it worth the cost to attempt to prevent potentially dangerous protests?

While all these issues are sorted out, BART’s professional reputation has certainly been damaged. Policy-makers are questioning the organization’s decision-making and lack of leadership, some even comparing BART to former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, who shut down cell service in Tahrir Square in response to peaceful protests earlier this year.

Days before the San Francisco incident, social media was cast first as the villain and then as the hero across the pond in London. First, rioters utilized BlackBerry Messenger to organize days of extremely destructive and disturbing lawless acts. In the wake of the riots, however, volunteers have been recruited and massive cleanup efforts have been mobilized via Twitter and Facebook, redeeming social media’s role in this unfortunate episode in the eyes of Londoners and other observers.

Back in California, Anonymous is again making threats, this time in Fullerton where the vigilante organization seeks retaliation for the alleged beating death of a homeless schizophrenic man by Fullerton police. The Anonymous YouTube video is both fascinating and disturbing with its masked spokesperson, computer-modulated voice and demands.

So where will this tale end? Its conclusion is yet to be written. The debates surrounding the use of social media platforms to incite action, the use of cyber-attacks to exact vigilante justice and the threats to First Amendment rights and data security are too important, however, for any of us to ignore. Where do you stand on these issues? Which of these threats do you find most disturbing?

If you decide to make an appeal to the IRS on your own there are some tips that you need to know. This article will deal solely with how to prepare a protest in the event you need to appeal some decision made by the IRS.

A protest should be a document that is presented to the IRS which contains all the facts, documents and any other supporting article that can persuade the IRS to view the taxpayer in a more favorable way. This protest should be drafted in a way that will maximize things that favor the taxpayer and minimize things that do not favor the taxpayer. The importance of putting together a protest is to help the IRS see the taxpayer in a different and ultimately more favorable way.

Make sure to be realistic about writing a protest because it can be very time consuming. You will need to research your specific problem in the tax law and then interpret it to the IRS correctly. Interpreting tax law can be a very daunting task if you are not familiar with it. Seemingly simple problems can turn into complex jargon very quickly and this is why it is very important to take your time and understand the law when drafting your proposed protest.

It is important to remember that the Appeals Officer is going to have limited knowledge of your case when you decide to make a protest. Make sure that you research how the IRS examiner put your case together in the first place because it is possible that they misinterpreted the law. It can happen where an examiner puts a case together against the taxpayer and did not do their homework thoroughly enough.

Below I will list the important points to remember when drafting your protest:

1. Gather all the facts in the case

The first thing you want to keep in mind when drafting your protest is to write in a that presents all the facts of the case in a truthful manner but at the same time would convince the court to view the taxpayer in a favorable and sympathetic way. You want to write in a very clear and concise way to present the case in the best way possible. It is very important that after you have finished drafting your protest that you go back and review it against the tax laws that apply to it. Make sure that you have presented your case in favor of yourself but at the same time laid out everything in accordance with the law.

2. Bring to light any problems in their procedures

After you present your case against the IRS you may choose to present an analysis of how your case was handled by the examiner within the IRS. If you were able to find any weaknesses in the examiner’s report of your case then this is the time to present them. These weaknesses can include misinterpretation of the law, the logic used by the examiner and any procedures used that were not conducted correctly. The purpose of this is to show the IRS that you have a strong case and avoid going to court.

3. Leave no argument out

All your arguments should be made to the IRS no matter how small you believe them to be. This is because even if you believe them to be not important it is very possible that the IRS will view them in a completely different way.

4. Show cases that favor your case

You should present all previous cases that have taken place to the IRS that will be favorable to you. These can include revenue rulings, revenue procedures and tax law cases that dealt with a subject manner close to yours and will make your case more favorable for settlement.

5. Show all relevant cases, good and bad

Do not hide cases that have taken place and had outcomes that make your own case unfavorable. Make sure that you discuss these cases with the IRS and distinguish your individual case from them; you want to gain credibility with the IRS in every possible instance.

6. The devil is in the details

Make sure that you are as detailed as possible when drafting your case. The burden of proof is on you to prove to the IRS that you are entitled to a settlement. If you cannot provide detailed answers to all of the issues brought up by the IRS then they will have little incentive to provide a settlement to you.

7. Shift the burden of proof

If possible, you can actually shift the burden of proof to the IRS by providing all the facts in the case. Remember that the burden of proof cannot shift until you go to court but if you are able to show the IRS that it is possible, the Appeals Officer will review the case and may side with you instead of going to court.

8. Present an affidavit

You can use affidavits to persuade the IRS in your favor by showing them that you are very serious about the case. If you can show that you are able to prove the facts of the case in your favor the Appeals Office will be forced to review the case in a way that is favorable to the taxpayer. Keep in mind that if you submit an affidavit you are going to have to sign it under penalties of perjury.

Submitting a protest to the IRS is a very lengthy process depending on the size and scope of your case. Do not under estimate the amount of time it will take you to research the tax law relevant to your case, put your research in writing and then practice presenting your case to the IRS. Remember the most important part is to take your time and do a thorough investigation into your case.

On February 28, President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker visited Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of his tour of the Western Balkans, countries-candidates for membership in the European Union. During his stay in Sarajevo, he said that the possible time for the country’s entry into the EU is 2025. He added that this can happen only if all conditions exist, but did not name them.

However, at present, the domestic political situation in the Federation does not contribute to the accession to the European Union. In recent months, Bosnia and Herzegovina has been marked by high level of popular discontent, manifestations of which were regular protests of certain social groups. The longest is the protest (from June-July 2017) of the Union of Veterans. Veterans demand from the authorities the introduction of a new law regulating the system of payment of benefits, since the current system allows for numerous violations and the facts of receiving financial payments to other categories of citizens in case of forging documents. The authorities have been trying to resolve tension since July last year by promising to start working on a new law on veterans, but still no work has been done. It should be noted that on February 28 they held the largest protest action, which was aimed on blocking the main roads on the territory of the country.

Active participants in the protest actions are industry workers who demanding payment of detained salaries and pension payments. It is necessary to note the constant growth of arrears against the backdrop of the crisis and the unfavorable economic situation. The most frequent method of protest is blockading highways and roads, as well as pickets in front of government buildings. The most active are the workers of the concern Elektroprivreda RS, RMK Zenica, Alumina and Energoinvest RS.

Participants in the protest actions are also pensioners, who demanding pensions increase and abolition of pension contributions for privileged groups of citizens, in particular, military personnel. Since a few thousand people took part in the protests, the authorities of the country under pressure accepted the changes. This step aroused dissatisfaction on the part of representatives of the police unions, because allowances for former policemen decreased by 25-30%. This gave rise for the demonstration of several hundred police officers in Sarajevo.

In recent months, in several parts of the country, medical staff have conducted several short protest strikes. In connection with this, many of the patients’ receptions to specialists were abolished, and the number of people in hospitals was limited, except for emergencies.

Most of the protests are peaceful in nature. However, collisions with the police, trying to lift the blockade from the roads, were already recorded. It should be noted that the requirements of veterans have a wide media and public support, since this problem directly affects the majority of the population of this country. For this reason, it can be noted that the crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina is systematic.

The depth of the crisis is so serious that Bosnia and Herzegovina by 2025 can not get the status of a candidate for EU membership. And Junker knows it. So why does he give in advance unrealizable promises? There are two ways to answer this question. First: with such flirting, he tries to direct the foreign policy vector of the development of this country towards the EU. By doing this, he tries to wrest this country from the sphere of interests of the USA, Russia and China.

The second: stimulating the Bosnian political elites to consolidate efforts to prevent the country from slipping into civil war. After all, in the event of a military conflict, it will affect many countries in the region, including those that are already part of the EU. Brussels will not survive the new influx of refugees from the Balkans.

It turns out that both answers indicate that Junker gives empty promises in order to protect the European Union from new upheaval. In any case, we can say with confidence that the question of the country’s accession to the European Union is not seriously considered by the organization’s leadership. And all the statements of the President of the European Commission are nothing more than promises. After all, the leading EU countries are not ready in the current realities to deal with newcomers’ problems. However, there are a lot of problems in Bosnia and Herzegovina!

Are you a business owner? If only things would go smooth and as we all plan it! Ever dream something like the following could happen to you?

Splashed all over the news and social media is the story about a Limo Car Service owner from Alexandria, VA who suffered severe damages to one of his vehicles as a result of the civil unrest unfolding in Washington, DC on the day of the president’s inauguration.

The Business Owner told reporters that it was likely that insurance would not pay for damages incurred by the limo that was set on fire during protests that had turned violent and ugly. Estimated replacements costs run in the thousands of dollars.

The Inside Story about Insurance and Protester Damage

What is insurance for if not for times like these?

In all fairness, insurance is for catastrophic times like these. However, the right insurance must be in place for coverage to take effect. In general, insurance does pay for personal injury and property / auto damage incurred at the hands of protesters.

While the author of this article is not privy to the particulars of Mr. Ashraf’s insurance coverage, it is safe to assume that his policy has one or more of the following aspects that prevent him from collecting damages:

• His insurance covered acts of vandalism but not protester or rioters damage.

• His insurance company may determine his chauffeur service responsible for the liability as a result of not taking proper precautions against the damages.

• His insurance policy may contain explicit exclusions that make them exempt from paying for damages.

• His specific policy may include a very high deductible for instances such as this, making any claim fiscally not worthwhile.

If one or more of these points indeed are applicable in the protester torched limo case, there are other venues that the unfortunate limo business owner can employ in order to receive compensation for his losses.

These include:

• filing a lawsuit or claim with the protest organizers

• Submitting a claim with related government agencies

• Applying for financial assistance from various charitable organizations

Of course, in cases as complex as this, business owners like the one featured in the above story would do best to consult with a reliable, experienced independent insurance agency that has their clients best interest in mind. By discussing all possible scenarios in light of politics and location where the business operates, an agent should be able to educate a company owner in regard to what type of policy is tailored to needs while scouting the network for suitable options at the most competitively lowest quotes.