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| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, Vol. 13, No. 42 | |||||||||
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Our readers' opinions
Sugar cane burning is all partof the experience in rural areas Dear A.M. Costa Rica: It has always been problematic for me when people move to a farming community and complain about the odor of the pigs or cattle being raised. If you don’t like the odor of a farm, move somewhere else. http://www.amcostarica.com/022713.htm#31 Burning of cane fields is not a tourist problem. Tourists who choose to visit cane farm areas in burning season is the problem. Pick a different – and just as lovely – spot in Costa Rica for your visit! Tourism operators, tell your charters to pick another location! As to carbon neutrality, have you ever followed one of the local buses? The ones belching black smoke? Or driven through San José where traffic fumes are everywhere? Let the government regulate traffic emissions first, then pick on farming areas. Cane farms provide employment and exportable products. Burning is a fast and easy way to keep workers safer and production costs lower. If environmentalists want to collect debris to burn for fuel, I suggest they try working through the cane fields, dodging terciapelo and avoiding the bites of insects that carry dengue and malaria. If they dare. Victoria
Torley
Aguacate He proposes a boycott of the airport in Liberia Dear A.M. Costa Rica: Watch Out for Liberia airport in Costa Rica. For expats departing Costa Rica, it is usually more economical to fly out of San José than Liberia by up to $200. The downside is that most of the U.S.-bound flights out of Liberia are in the afternoon in comparison to the San José flights which are usually in the early a.m. which could facilitate an overnight stay, but there are bed & breakfast hotels which do offer transportation to the airport. You also have to watch out for the duty free stores that give bad information on the quantity of alcohol and tobacco products you can legally take. I have experienced exaggeration on several trips which is in excess of what is allowed to bring into the U.S., which creates a real hassle with U.S. customs. If for some reason your luggage is misplaced coming into Liberia, and it arrives on a different flight/different day, the airline will assure delivery of it to you. But they fail to make clear that it goes directly to airport customs, where they open it and rummage through it, and anything they consider of value. They want to stamp your passport, which makes you have to wait six months to bring any other items or make any purchases at duty free. Worst of all, you will be forced to make another trip to the airport to claim what is rightfully yours. The irony of all of this is that customs will not release the baggage to be returned to the airline until the passenger appears in person with their passport to have it stamped. The airport customs makes their own interpretation of the law and feels that any item(s) worth between $1 to $500 that you get your passport stamped, and their sentiments is that you should bring as many items as possible as long as total value is less than $500 dollars and receipts to show proof that it does not exceed that max amount or they will in turn provide their value of the merchandise which would be much more than the actual purchase price in the U.S. So it's very important to have receipts to show proof. Note the actual stamp on the passport clearly shows an allotted space to list the monetary value of the items which they simply leave blank, which lends to confirmation that the Tico employees of customs do not have the capacity to perform basic arithmetic. Basically, everyone traveling would be carrying items of some monetary value. As far as the Liberia airport is concerned, not much thought went into vehicle short- and long term parking despite having adequate land. Also, should you need handicap assistance such as a wheelchair, you have to wait until you are in line and arrive at the ticket counter to ask the airline directly for this assistance. There is no seating at all on the lower level where you see passengers off and passengers arriving, despite the government of Costa Rica collecting millions of dollars in airport tax in addition to a $29 departure tax from Costa Rica. Hopefully, if Liberia Airport is boycotted enough, somebody will see the light and amend their ways. But at present, the reception to raise legitimate concerns is to have the employees there simply turn their back on you and walk away. John
Kouns
Tilaran
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A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
A.M.
Costa Rica advertising reaches from 12,000 to 14,000 unique visitors every weekday in up to 90 countries. |
| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, Vol. 13, No. 42 | |
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| High season occupancy reported to be
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A new survey report by the national tourism chamber showed that even in the most popular areas hotel occupancy was below 50 percent during December and January. Those months are considered the peak of the high season and this also is the time youngsters are out of school and Costa Rican families are likely to go on vacation. The survey results showed that the situation was even more grim on the Caribbean coast, the northern zone and the central Valley where occupancy was under 30 percent. The Cámera Nacional de Turismo surveyed 152 hospitality firms all over the country during February. The firms represent 5,600 hotel rooms, the chamber said. Despite the results, the chamber said that 40.6 percent of the respondents characterized tourism as normal and that only 6.6 percent said it was very bad. As is typical, less expensive hotels and other hospitality operations attracted the highest number of customers. One-star hotels reported 56.2 percent occupancy, and two-star operations reported 44.1 percent. Smaller operations also seemed to be preferred with those with 50 to 100 rooms reporting a 62.8 percent occupancy. Hotels with 200 or more rooms said the occupancy rate was just 15.6 percent. The larger and more expensive operations are those that cater to foreign tourists, who appear to be in short supply this year. The survey shows that hospitality operators perhaps were over optimistic last December when they estimated their occupancy for the Christmas season. At the time a survey of 142 operations showed the company officials anticipated 76 percent occupancy. A chamber survey of occupancy from December 2011 to last March showed a rate of 70.5 percent. The tourism industry has been hard hit by world economic conditions. But the central government also sees tourists as a |
source of income and has increased various taxes. For example, the tax to leave the country now is $29, which means a family of five would have to pay $145 just to pass through a national airport. In addition, the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo has been paying for the Policía de Turismo under an agreement with the security ministry. Arecent study by the INCAE Business School said that the industry had a weak strategy. The tourism institute came in for criticism online in the Web site of the new Asociacion Para La Proteccion Del Turismo en Costa Rica for plastering the subways in Madrid, Spain, with photos of a tropical bird that does not even live in Costa Rica. The campaign cost $300,000. An earlier campaign featuring a talking sloth and trip giveaways did not seem to have much impact in tourism numbers. Tourism operators themselves also seem to be challenged in promotion and seem to rely on cheaper, less effective marketing techinques. |
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| Supermarket prices are found to be highly
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The economics ministry did a study of supermarket prices, and the results reinforce the dictum that shoppers need to be aware. The survey found price differences of up to 161 percent in identical food items. It also found that some beach dwellers pay top prices. Playa Herradura was the most expensive place to buy an assortment of goods called the basic basket. The survey covered 40 supermarkets, 30 that were parts of chains and 10 independents, during the first two weeks of February. Prices on 53 articles were checked. The same items purchased in the Palí market in Heredia would cost 95,132 colons or about $191.22. But at the Automercado in Playa Herradura, the surveyors found that the price would be 121,127 colons or $243.47. |
The items included fresh meat and
fish, cleaning products, personal care items, bread, lard, vegetable
oil and even sliced lunch meats. In one case, checking prices on similar items, surveyors found a difference of 720 percent on a toothbrush. In the case of white cheese, the survey found a difference of 163 percent. Even tilapia had prices that varied by 93 percent. Of course, all the price differences are not profit to the stores. Merchants set their prices based on their costs, so that a store where the operator pays a much higher rent will see prices on the high side. In addition, stores that cater to expats usually carry a greater variety of products and also charge higher prices. The full survey is available on the Web site of the Ministerio de Economía Industria y Comercio. |
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| You need to see Costa Rican tourism information HERE! |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, Vol. 13, No. 42 | |||||
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| Vapor at
volcano ruled to be normal activity By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Vapor put out by the Volcán Rincón de la Vieja probably is normal and there are not other signs of eruption, said the Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico at Universidad Nacional. Experts from the national emergency commission flew over the volcano Tuesday and said that heavy clouds kept them from seeking the crater. However, they said they failed to detect any indications of slides on the sides of the crater. In addition, neighbors of the mountain have not heard any loud noises that suggest an eruption, the Observatorio said. The volcano and a national park by the same name are in north central Costa Rica. The mountain has been active with some eruptions throwing material out of the crater into a nearby river. The volcano was reported waking from a long slumber in September 2011. Since then it has been under observation. The report early Tuesday of vapor came from local police. Two held in trafficking case By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Frontier police chased and captured men in two vehicles in Santa Cecilia de La Cruz and said the drivers were suspects of trafficking Nicaraguans. In addition to allegations of trafficking in persons, the two drivers face fines for having vehicles that have not been inspected, said police. In addition police detained five Nicaraguan men who were passengers. Pessimism in older adults might mean longer lives By
the American Psychological Association news staff
Older people who have low expectations for a satisfying future may be more likely to live longer, healthier lives than those who see brighter days ahead, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association. "Our findings revealed that being overly optimistic in predicting a better future was associated with a greater risk of disability and death within the following decade," said lead author Frieder R. Lang of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. "Pessimism about the future may encourage people to live more carefully, taking health and safety precautions." The study was published online in the journal Psychology and Aging. Lang and colleagues examined data collected from 1993 to 2003 for the national German Socio-Economic Panel, an annual survey of private households consisting of approximately 40,000 people 18 to 96 years old. The researchers divided the data according to age groups: 18 to 39 years old, 40 to 64 years old and 65 years old and above. Through mostly in-person interviews, respondents were asked to rate how satisfied they were with their lives and how satisfied they thought they would be in five years. Five years after the first interview, 43 percent of the oldest group had underestimated their future life satisfaction, 25 percent had predicted accurately and 32 percent had overestimated, according to the study. Based on the average level of change in life satisfaction over time for this group, each increase in overestimating future life satisfaction was related to a 9.5 percent increase in reporting disabilities and a 10 percent increased risk of death, the analysis revealed. Because a darker outlook on the future is often more realistic, older adults’ predictions of their future satisfaction may be more accurate, according to the study. In contrast, the youngest group had the sunniest outlook while the middle-aged adults made the most accurate predictions, but became more pessimistic over time. "Unexpectedly, we also found that stable and good health and income were associated with expecting a greater decline compared with those in poor health or with low incomes," Lang said. "Moreover, we found that higher income was related to a greater risk of disability." The findings do not contradict theories that unrealistic optimism about the future can sometimes help people feel better when they are facing inevitable negative outcomes, such as terminal disease, according to the authors. "We argue, though, that the outcomes of optimistic, accurate or pessimistic forecasts may depend on age and available resources," Lang said. "These findings shed new light on how our perspectives can either help or hinder us in taking actions that can help improve our chances of a long healthy life." That neck pain might come from texting and cell phones By
the University of Nebraska Medical Center news staff
In today's technology-thirsty society, it's common to see someone with their head down texting on their cell phone or reading the latest status updates on Facebook. However, too much texting and tilting the head down can become a pain in the neck for some people. "People get so focused on these devices that they end up holding their neck and upper back in abnormal positions for a long period of time; enough that other people coined the phrase 'text neck,' which is essentially referring to postural pain," said Chris Cornett, orthopaedic surgeon and spine specialist. He is with the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The term, text neck, is defined as overuse syndrome involving the head, neck and shoulders, usually resulting from excessive strain on the spine from looking in a downward position at hand held devices such as cell phones, mp3 players, e-readers and computer tablets. "When you hold your body in an abnormal position, it can increase stress on the muscles, cause fatigue, muscle spasms and even stress headaches," Cornett said. "With every degree of motion to the front or side that you move your head, the stress on your neck is magnified beyond just the weight of the head." |
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| A.M.
Costa Rica's Fifth news page |
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| Guy
Fawkes masks now illegal in the Kingdom of Bahrain By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The Kingdom of Bahrain has taken the unusual step of banning the importation of stylized Guy Fawkes masks, which were made popular in the 2005 movie "V for Vendetta." In the movie, the main character, who seeks to overthrow the British government, wears the mask. Bahrain’s minister of industry and commerce, Hassan Fakhro, announced the ban saying anyone who is caught importing the mask faces arrest. The masks have become a global symbol of protest, and the de facto symbols of the Occupy Wall Street protest movement and the Anonymous online activist group. The mask also was frequently seen in many protests during the so-called Arab Spring as well as in the London riots of 2011. Abbas Al Omran, a member of the British-based Bahrain Center for Human Rights, said he didn't think the ban would have much effect, as there are already many of the masks already in Bahrain, and the masks can still be sneaked in or even made at home. In the United States, the masks are readily available online for less than $10. Bahrain is the second Gulf state to ban the masks. Last November, the United Arab Emirates also forbid wearing the iconic masks. The Kingdom of Bahrain has been dealing with internal dissent since 2011 when Shi’ite groups demanded democratic reforms and an end to what they said was the Sunni monarchy's discrimination against them. Bahrain's government put down the demonstrations in March 2011, sending security forces to clear a protest encampment in Manama and inviting in troops from neighboring Sunni-led Gulf states to restore order. No determination yet in death of adopted Russian tot, 3 By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The Medical Examiner's Office in Ector County, Texas is continuing its investigation into the death of a three-year-old Russian adopted child even though they have had the autopsy results for a week. Authorities are providing little information on what they have learned so far. The investigation into the death of 3-year-old Max Shatto has been in a holding pattern since his body was sent to the Tarrant County, Texas, Medical Examiner's office, in the city of Fort Worth Jan. 22, the day after he died. The office in Fort Worth sent an autopsy report to the Medical Examiner in Ector County, which has jurisdiction in the case, last week. Ector County, in west Texas, does not have a facility for doing autopsies. But Linda Anderson, spokeswoman for the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office, where the autopsy was done, says authorities there will have to make the final determination of how the child died. “We just did the autopsy and we then send the information to them. If they want to continue to investigate, they can do that, before they release their report," said Anderson. She says it is not unusual to have an autopsy report take several weeks because of the time needed for toxicology and body chemistry test results, which are included in the final report sent to the investigating authorities. “We give them the cause of death and then we give them a suggested manner of death, our opinion on what was the manner of death, but then it is ultimately up to them as to how they rule it, as far as the manner is concerned," she said. The man heading the investigation is Ector County Sheriff Mark Donaldson, but he says he cannot proceed until the report is on his desk. “The designated medical examiner for Ector County has to make his final determination and then send it to me and that is when we go from there," Donaldson. The Medical Examiner for Ector County is Nathan Galloway, but his office is not providing any information to journalists, referring all questions back to Sheriff Donaldson. The sheriff says representatives of the Russian Embassy in Washington and the Russian consulate in Houston have been in contact and that Sergey Chumarev, senior counselor for the Russian embassy came to his office in the city of Odessa, Texas, a couple of weeks ago and spoke to one of his deputies. Political figures in Russia have charged that the adoptive parents of Max Shatto, Alan and Laura Shatto, were responsible for his death and have asked that his younger brother, Kristopher, who was also adopted by the couple, be removed from the home. But the U.S. State Department has cautioned that no judgment should be made until the investigation is complete and state officials monitoring the home have found no reason to remove the remaining child. Meantime, Texas Child Protective Services is investigating the agency that handled the adoption for the Shattos, the Gladney Adoption Center in Fort Worth, to make sure all proper procedures were followed. Texas officials say the 127-year-old private agency remains in good standing, but that licensing inspectors did find some errors in procedure in four cases last year in which children were sent to homes before the background check on the adopting parents was complete. Van Cliburn, renowned pianist, dies after 75-year career By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Classical pianist Van Cliburn, 78, died Wednesday. The legendary performer was only 23 years old when he captured the world's attention by winning the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow. In addition to performing decades of concerts and recording numerous albums, he fostered the careers of young artists by creating several scholarship programs and establishing the annual Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1958, Van Cliburn became an instant celebrity when he won the Tchaikovsky Competition. It caused a sensation for an American to win a Russian competition during the tense standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union known as the Cold War. Cliburn’s triumph in the competition was celebrated not only by Americans, but by Russians. New York Times Moscow correspondent Max Frankel covered the competition and later wrote that “The Soviet public celebrated Cliburn not only for his artistry but for his nationality; affection for him was a safe expression of affection for America.” Van Cliburn won the competition on the strength of his performance of the Tchaikovsky's "Concerto No. 1." When he returned to the United States, RCA Records released Cliburn’s debut album containing the prize-winning work. The LP won a Grammy Award and sold more than one million copies, making Cliburn the first American artist to achieve platinum status with a debut release. Van Cliburn demonstrated his profound love of the music he performed, but felt its popularity went beyond his technical abilities. "If you take a great piece of music into your heart, you take it for its great spiritual value," said Cliburn. "And when you look at a wonderful piece of music, even though it may enjoy popularity, if you examine its pages very carefully, you will find the reason. And it will always be a very good reason why it is popular. President Barack Obama presented a 2010 National Medal of Arts to Cliburn, March 2, 2011, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Cliburn began studying piano at age 3 with his mother, herself a talented pianist. Cliburn made his orchestral debut at age 12 with the Houston Symphony and five years later earned a scholarship to New York's prestigious Juilliard School. Following graduation, he spent several years performing with various major symphony orchestras, which led to his participation in Moscow's First International Tchaikovsky Competition. Cliburn brought to his performance not only great musicianship and tremendous technical skill, but a determination to please his audience. "You always want to play well," he said. "You're always hoping to play well. And if you don't play well, YOU are the unhappiest person. So, you want to please your audience and you hope that you're being true to the music and also true to those who want to hear you." Cliburn dedicated many years of his life to helping aspiring young artists by creating scholarship programs at schools and universities throughout the world. In 1962, he established the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas. Over the years, the competition has enhanced the careers of numerous developing musicians. More humane treatment urged at border to U.S. By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Valentin Tachiquin banged nine times on a metal podium outside the U.S. Capitol Building, the number of times his daughter was shot to death by a border patrol agent last year. “I’m not a politician, I’m a hurting dad,” Tachiquin, a Hispanic U.S. citizen who works as a corrections officer at the California Institution for Women, said Wednesday. “I would die for this country, but don’t kill my family just because you have a badge.” Tachiquin is part of a group of civil and human rights activists, local politicians, business and religious leaders who traveled to Washington from communities along the Mexican and Canadian borders this week. They're urging members of Congress to take a more humane approach to border security in an upcoming immigration reform bill. A bipartisan group of senators plans to propose the new legislation next month in a bid to better address how the U.S. stops immigrants from entering the country illegally and works with unauthorized immigrants already in the country. Tachiquin said the border is now being patrolled by agents who lack training and haven’t had the proper background checks. “I want Congress to implement new mechanisms so that the citizens of this country won’t be harassed by the Border Patrol Agency,” he said. Tachiquin’s 32-year-old daughter Valeria Munique Tachiquin Alvarado, a U.S. citizen, was killed last September by an undercover border patrol agent in Chula Vista, California. Police say the agent, dispatched to arrest a formerly deported felon embroiled in drug offenses, ended up shooting Ms. Tachiquin through her car windshield, fearing for his life, after she struck him with the vehicle. The case is still under investigation. Concerns about the conduct of border agents have grown in recent years, as news outlets expose alleged abuses. Last year, for example, the PBS documentary “Crossing the Line” interviewed a series of witnesses and victims who spoke of torture and sexual and psychological abuse at the hands of border agents. It also showed hidden camera footage of agents pouring out water jugs an aid organization had left in the desert for dehydrated immigrants crossing the border from Mexico. Jenny Burke, a spokeswoman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said the force stresses honor and integrity in every aspect of its mission. “The overwhelming majority of CBP employees and officers perform their duties with honor and distinction, working tirelessly everyday to keep our country safe,” she said. “We do not tolerate corruption or abuse within our ranks, and we fully cooperate with any criminal or administrative investigations of alleged misconduct by any of our personnel, on or off duty.” Customs and Border Protection has more than 18,500 agents on the border with Mexico and more than 2,200 on the border with Canada, according to the Department of Homeland Security. In addition, unmanned aircraft, helicopters and planes are flying overhead, while thermal imaging systems are in place and a fence stretching more than 1,000 kilometers divides the U.S. from Mexico. Advocates of the current setup say Customs and Border Protection’s nearly $12 billion budget is well spent because the country is under siege from undocumented immigrants slipping across a porous border that could be penetrated by terrorists, too. El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar says the border needs an economic boost, not more drones in the air and boots on the ground. She also said taxpayer funds would be better spent on programs promoting commerce and tourism rather than what she called the militarization of the border. “We need to divert the money to help our national economy,” she told the press conference. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, a Democrat of El Paso, said the debate is often most fierce in the House of Representatives’ Homeland Security Committee, where he holds a seat. “You have people who feel the border is not secure enough and they want to further fortify and militarize the border. Then you have people like me, who live on the border in the safest city in America,” he said. Despite this divide, O’Rourke said he felt optimistic that progress could be made after the committee's chairman, Michael McCaul, a Republican, noted Tuesday that the “border is as secure as it’s ever been.” O’Rourke said because the border is relatively secure, it opens the possibility of discussing more comprehensive immigration reform, like the kind Tachiquin is pushing. While members of Congress wage that battle in Washington, Tachiquin wants them to remember the people living that battle every day. “They need to recognize we’re only human.” |
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Escazú
medical practitioner faces unlicensed allegation By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Judicial agents detained Wednesday a long-time Escazú expat who provided medical services. He was identified as a German national with the last name of Hainnes. He faces an allegation of practicing medicine without the proper permissions. The man, 60, has a medical office in his home and presented himself as a doctor of osteopathy. Although widely recognized in the world, such medical providers are not recognized by the Colegio de Médicos y Cirujanos in Costa Rica, said agents. Osteopathy involves the manipulation of muscles and body parts in order to cure diseases. Many osteopaths in the United States are fully-licensed physicians who provide all the services of a general medical practitioner as well as the manipulation. There is an uneasy truce there between medical doctors, known as M.Ds, and doctors of osteopathy, known as D.Os. Hainnes came to Costa Rica in 1999, said the Judicial Investigating Organization. Agents confiscated patient files and other material, they said. Hainnes has a practice that includes expats. He is believed to be multi-lingual. Bill to tax speculative funds reported out of committee By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A legislative committee Wednesday reported out a bill that would allow a 30 percent exit tax on what is being described as foreign speculative capital. The bill empowers the Banco Central de Costa Rica to apply the tax and related measures when it appears that the local economy is being affected by the inflow of foreign capital. Money is coming here now because Costa Rica has a relatively high interest rate for colons. The tax would be leveled on non-residents, although that area is cloudy because foreign investors could have Costa Rican corporations. There also does not seem to be a recognition of the non-resident expats who live here part of the time and might even operate successful businesses. The bill also might contravene the Central American Free Trade Treaty that provides for free flow of capital. Another section of the bill regulates the foreign purchase of stocks and other financial paper in Costa Rica. Four captured on high seas let go by prosecutors here By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Judicial authorities have freed four Costa Ricans who the U.S. coast guard captured in international waters as drug smuggling suspects. The nation's chief prosecutor said in an email relayed by the Poder Judicial that he does not have the legal authority to relinquish jurisdiction. After a short court appearance Wednesday the four were freed because prosecutors said they did not have enough evidence. The men threw packages into the sea when the U.S. ship neared. They were believed to be smuggling marijuana into Costa Rica. Under a joint anti-drug agreement, Costa Rica has jurisdiction over those captured on the high seas in a boat flying the national flag. When the men appeared to be on the verge of going free, the idea was advanced that Costa Rica surrender them to the United States for prosecution. That is why the fiscal general, Jorge Chavarría, insisted that the law did not permit this. |
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| A.M. Costa Rica Seventh Newspage |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, Vol. 13, No. 42 | |
 High court reviewing Voting Rights Act By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A key civil rights law from the 1960s that helped ensure minorities could vote is now under review by the U.S. Supreme Court. Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in the midst of the struggle for civil rights, particularly in the states of the Deep South where racial discrimination was widespread. At that time, local officials were known for making it difficult for African-Americans to vote. A key part of the law known as Section 5 gives the federal government the power to pre-approve or block changes in voting procedures put forward by states and local governments in areas where African-Americans historically faced enormous difficulties in voting. Under the U.S. Constitution, states have most of the power when it comes to running elections. The law has been re-authorized by Congress several times, most recently in 2006. But now some conservative groups and officials from some of the states affected by the law say the statute is outdated and no longer necessary. Butch Ellis is county attorney for Shelby County, Alabama, which is challenging a key part of the Voting Rights Act. He spoke to reporters outside the high court. “They have made great strides over the last 48 years," said Ellis. "I have been the county attorney since 1964. I was 24-years old when we came under Section 5 . I am 73 last weekend and we are still under the same formula, none of which has applied to us in many, many, many years.” Some of the more conservative justices on the Supreme Court seemed to express skepticism about the law during oral arguments Wednesday. They question whether the remedy Congress agreed to in 1965 is still warranted nearly 50 years later. The Voting Rights Act was a product of the bloody struggle for civil rights in the southern U.S. in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Civil rights groups and the Obama administration defended the law in oral arguments before the high court. They acknowledge some progress on race relations has been made in the states covered by the law in the past several decades. But they also argue the law is still a useful tool to ensure that states and local jurisdictions protect the right of all Americans to vote, regardless of race. Rep. John Lewis, a Democrat from Georgia, was badly beaten in 1965 while leading a march for voting rights in Alabama. He spoke in front of the Supreme Court. “We have come a great distance since then due in large part to the Voting Rights Act," he said. "Some people like to point to the fact that we have minorities in the Congress and that we have an African-American president. But we are not there yet!” Legal analysts regard the Voting Rights Act as one of the landmark civil rights laws of the 1960s. David Savage covers the Supreme Court for the Los Angeles Times. He spoke to the CSPAN public affairs TV network. “This law was so important in American history. Everybody agrees, even the people who criticize it today, agree that the Voting Rights Act was one of the great civil rights laws of American history because it really allowed minorities to register to vote and have their votes count,” he said. Savage said the Supreme Court must now decide whether enough progress has been made that a key provision of the law is no longer necessary. “The only question now is, is its time past? Is it outdated? I think the conservative members of the court might be inclined to say this was a good law, but its time is past and you can no longer put the Deep South under this special scrutiny of the courts,” Savage said Legal analysts say the voting-rights challenge is among the most important cases the high court will deal with this term. The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the case before the end of June. Universal gun buyer checks debated By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
U.S. lawmakers debating measures to curb gun violence are considering a law requiring background checks on everyone wanting to purchase a firearm. The current law requires such checks only for people who want to buy firearms from federally-licensed gun dealers, but exempts private transactions. A series of high-profile shootings in the United States has prompted lawmakers to take a closer look at gun control laws. President Barack Obama has put forward a plan to reduce gun violence that includes background checks for all gun sales. In a statement in January, the White House said "studies estimate that nearly 40 percent of all gun sales are made by private sellers who are exempt" from background checks. Analysts have mixed opinions on whether an expansion of the law would help curb gun violence. Jim Kessler is the co-founder of Third Way, a Washington-based policy group. Speaking on a radio program, he said the law allowing private gun sales has backfired. "It has really become a loophole in the law that has allowed a lot of things to occur that probably were not anticipated when the law was passed," Kessler said. "Closing that, in my view, would be a significant move that could really go a long way towards reducing crime in the country and could help prosecute a lot of other federal gun crimes." Harry Wilson is director of the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research at Roanoke College and the author of "Guns, Gun Control, and Elections: The Politics and Policy of Fire Arms." He said on the same radio show that some gun owners oppose universal background checks because they fear it would lead to a national gun registration program. "The gun registry is what frightens a lot of people because then we start down the slippery slope." said Wilson. "Now the government knows who owns guns. This is in the minds of some people the first step toward confiscation of firearms in the United States. So, there is that fear." That fear is unfounded, said Kessler. "It is not hard to do universal background checks and not have any type of registry. You just do the checks through gun stores," he said. "The gun store keeps the record just as any other record. That’s all that would be done. There would be no national registry." But Wilson sees another problem with background checks. He said such checks would close the so-called loophole that allows for the private sale of weapons at gun shows. And this, he said, would not necessarily reduce crime. "Criminals get their firearms generally through relatives, through friends and very often through straw purchasers - people who will buy the gun, who legally can purchase the gun, and then either give it to or sell it to someone who cannot," Wilson said. Kessler acknowledges that violent criminals do not necessarily go to gun shows, but he said they may rely on traffickers who do. "There is actually a massive web of gun trafficking in this country that gets guns from the legal market to illegal market, and the private sale is the lubricant that allows it to occur, including gun shows, " he said. A poll released by Quinnipiac University in February said 92 percent of American voters supported universal background checks on gun purchases. But, it is a proposal that has drawn sharp criticism from the National Rifle Association. "Proposing more gun laws while failing to enforce the thousands we already have is not a serious solution for reducing crime," Wayne LaPierre, NRA executive vice president, told a Senate committee in January, adding that there are other ways to reduce crime. Despite the political strength of the NRA, recent mass shootings could be a turning point in the debate. Former U.S. congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords also spoke at the same January committee hearing as LaPierre. She urged lawmakers to be "bold," and "courageous" and pass tighter gun control laws. Giffords was shot in the brain during a 2011 attack. Her assailant, who showed signs of mental illness for years, purchased his gun at a local store. |
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