Nothing is for free

Los Angeles, California – For accepting free tickets to rock concerts, basketball games, TV tapings and other events without declaring them as “gifts,” Los Angeles mayor Tony Villaraigosa is now in hot water. A joint investigation by the LA City Ethics Committee and the political watchdog Fair Political Practices Commission disclosed that Villaraigosa did not report getting 21 tickets worth more than $50 each for sports and entertainment events including an American Idol taping during his first five years in office.

California laws do not require government officials to disclose tickets as gifts if they will be performing “ceremonial” or official functions at an event, like cutting the ribbon or throwing the first pitch at a baseball game. The Villaraigosa camp said the mayor might have believed his presence during those events fell under the “ceremonial” category. The joint investigation also discovered that the mayor accepted tickets from so called “restricted sources” – like companies employing lobbyists or whose permits were approved by City Council members. These restricted sources are prohibited from giving gifts in excess of $100 per year to avoid conflict of interest situations. 

Villaraigosa, who holds the distinction of being the third Mexican-American to become Los Angeles mayor and the first in over 130 years, faced a maximum fine of over $167,000. The amount was reduced to a much smaller $42,000 however because investigators determined that the violations were unintentional – more like “honest mistakes” – and that the mayor made attempts to comply with the law. Critics however, insist that Villaraigosa should have known better because he is not a greenhorn politician, having been part of the city government for more than two decades.

In the Philippines, a politician can be given a house and lot and it would be undeclared and considered a gift –“Thank you!”

CIA: 101 million Filipinos

By July this year, the number of Filipinos will breach the 100 million mark – 101,833,938 to be exact – according to the CIA World Factbook. Considering the country’s poverty levels (those living below $2 per day) estimated at 35 percent of the population, this unabated population growth is dangerous because it makes the poor even more susceptible to criminality and terrorist infiltration – as seen in the disturbing increase of Filipinos caught as drug mules in foreign countries.

Everyone knows the strong link between drugs and terrorism for the simple reason that drug money is being used to fund terrorist organizations and activities. Even Russia recognizes the growing threat from narco-terrorism, with Russian president Dimitry Medvedev holding talks with the leaders of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan, even going so far as suggesting military strikes against regions known as producers of illicit crops. Russia’s drug czar Viktor Ivanov admitted that they are being flooded by cheap heroin, with the number of Russian drug addicts now estimated at six million.

‘Yes to new taxes’

This is what Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and his underlings seem to be saying by admitting that government will have to endorse new tax measures by 2012 to plug the huge budget deficit and bankroll reform initiatives in the area of education, health care and other basic services. Purisima himself said he was mulling the proposal of former Budget Secretary Ben Diokno to impose new taxes for government to increase revenues, like raising the Value Added Tax from 12 to 15 percent.

Naturally, the thought of paying more taxes is unwelcome especially to lower income groups, which is why Diokno also suggested lowering personal income taxes and implementing reforms in several areas like excise taxation specifically on the rates imposed on cigarettes and liquors. One sweeping measure that would allow government to raise up to P100 billion in fresh revenues over a seven year period is through the use of an electronic strip stamp system to monitor the production and distribution of cigars and cigarettes. Aside from plugging tax leakages, the strip stamp system could help reduce tobacco consumption and help lessen the health hazards due to smoking simply because cigarette companies will be compelled to pay correct taxes – which they will pass on to consumers. Hopefully, higher cigarette prices will discourage smokers from pursuing their unhealthy habit and consequently lessen the incidence of smoking-related illnesses and even deaths.

Spy tidbit

– Don Pepe Rodriguez, director (general) of the Instituto Cervantes informed us that they will be celebrating the International Book Day on April 16 with an open house, a book sale featuring Spanish and English books, and various activities for children. The Instituto will also hold the third “Bersong EuroPinoy,” a poetry chain of Filipino and European poems which was awarded the “Gawad Jaime C. de Veyra” by the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino. Another very successful project of Don Pepe is the “Berso sa Metro” featuring Spanish poems and their Filipino translations printed inside the red MRT trains with colourful illustrations to boot, which have become effective and quite interesting tools in promoting the Spanish language among Metro Manila residents.

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