Sports talk Thursday with Lauren Hunter: All about the money

Sports

For years, there has been a great debate on whether or not college athletes should receive compensation from companies for using their likeness on products. Last week California lawmakers took steps to ensure that this compensation happens, with a bill at the state level that would allow college athletes to receive money for use of their name, image and/or likeness. The bill passed the State Senate by a vote of 31-4.

Although the bill wouldn’t have any effect until 2023, the legislation received an immediate response from NCAA President Mark Emmert. According to USA Today, Emmert implied in a letter to chairs of two State Assembly committees that if the bill became law as it is currently written, then California schools could be potentially prohibited from competing in NCAA championships. Such a possibility would be a huge blow to the state, which is home to 23 NCAA Division I schools, four of which are in the Pac-12.

So here we go again- another back-and-forth between the almighty NCAA and everyone else. In my opinion there are excellent points from both sides of the argument here, many of which I plan to explore throughout this post.

The NCAA and California lawmakers are going head-to-head over a bill that would allow college athletes to receive compensation for the use of their likeness.

Let’s start from the athletes point of view. If I were in their shoes I would be flattered at first to know that a company believed me talented enough to feature in a video game or on a t-shirt. But everything goes back to the money. And after I found out that they were making a significant profit off of my hard work, I would want my slice of the pie.

Such was probably the thoughts of athletes Sam Keller and Ed O’Bannon when lawyers representing them filed separate antitrust suits against the NCAA in 2009 concerning video games. O’Bannon ended up securing at $40 million settlement with the video game publisher, Electronic Arts.

And while I’m considering this point, besides the fact that companies don’t want to have to share with anyone they don’t want to, why shouldn’t an athlete get paid for using their likeness? Anytime a company wants to use an actor or actress for one of their ads, they have to pay up. I don’t see a difference, other than potentially the age and where they are at in their careers.  The way I see it, the only thing keeping student athletes from receiving payment is the rules of the NCAA. Hence the conflict between the association and the current bill in California.

EA Sports’s NCAA Football is an example of a video game that used the likeness of college athletes. NCAA ended their deal with Electronic Arts (EA) in 2014. Credit: USA Today

At the VERY LEAST, companies should secure consent from athletes when using their name and/or likeness. And it should come directly from the athlete, even if there are other arrangements that have to be made with the school and/or NCAA. Even if the NCAA controls permission for companies to use an athletes image, I personally believe the athlete should at least be notified and consulted.

Anyone who disagrees with the above point of view probably does such because of the impact it can have on college athletics as we know it. As much as I hate to admit it as a recent college graduate, the whole point of college is to get an education. Sports should be an added benefit, however recruiting has become such a big deal in our nation that often sports become the ultimate priority and education falls to the wayside.

With that being said, we all know the perks that come with going to a D1 college on an athletic scholarship. It’s not like all of the athletes who appear on video games and other products are destitute. In many instances they’re treated like borderline royalty at the colleges they attend, with priority class registration, great dorm locations and tutoring on a whim. And for those who have the potential to go pro, there are even more programs to help assure hefty contracts come draft day. Long story short- many of these athletes who complain about not getting paid also have it MADE. I imagine that if you got right down to it with the board of the NCAA, they would say the same thing.

So speaking of the colleges, where do they fit into all of this mess? And better yet, why does the government care?

If we want to be cynical about it, we could say that colleges want to win championships. And without some of their star players, their chance of winning diminishes. If an athlete gets busted for doing something like accepting money for an autograph, for example, then there ya go. I know that the bill in California primarily focuses on the use of an athlete’s likeness, but if that is allowed then one can assume the rest will probably shortly follow.

But if we don’t want to be cynical then colleges probably see the wisdom in letting athletes accept a part of the money that is made off of their own name. Goodness knows that athletic programs probably receive money from the use of their logos and names.

As far as why the government is getting involved, there’s not a lot of thought I have on that, but I will say I am interested in seeing how this situations pans out. Sounds like enough legislators agree that college athletes deserve compensation if their name or likeness is used, so only time and more news updates will tell what ends up happening in this government/NCAA showdown.

 

Let’s Pretend

Opinion

Let’s Pretend
Why do Republicans pretend they are “negotiating” with Pelosi when she is not negotiating and has said so often? She stands pat on “No money for the wall!” The Democrats have absolutely no interest in protecting America, American’s or America’s sovereignty! Their only goal is to regain and keep total power, with illegal voters if that’s what it takes.

Pelosi and Schumer have shown their fear and loathing of Donald Trump. Cancelling use of the House Chamber for the State of the Union was her first shot at Trump and was met with rising resentment. Eight hundred thousand out of work non essential government drones is really of little consequence to the millions of real working Americans who have benefitted from Trumps “Make America Great Again” economic and trade policies.

Pelosi further shows her contempt of the President by allowing New Jersey (12th Dist.) Rep., Bonnie Watson, to invite an illegal alien to the gallery during the rescheduled State of the Union Speech. Trump could send over Sarah Huckabee Sanders, or someone, to read his speech. That would do nicely. After all, we are pretending we hold each other in due respect, aren’t we?

I should suspect that that illegal invader, Morales is her name, would be immediately detained upon her arrival and turned over to ICE for deportation. That would be showing Trump’s belief in enforcing immigration laws as well as a proper contempt for Pelosi leadership. After all she is not an equal to the President. But, he won’t do that, at least not publicly. Too, hasn’t Rep. Watson opened herself up for prosecution by flaunting America’s immigration laws? Will she be held accountable? Naw, of course not! We’re still pretending we respect the rule of law and Democrats can’t be prosecuted because their intentions are good and they only “mean well.”

The Democrats derangement of Donald Trump is reflected daily not only by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority leader, Chuckie Schumer’s actions, but the Never Trump GOP’s reaction, pretending to solve the immigration problem by negotiating with Democrats. It should be clear by now, that that is a needless exercise in futility. The Democrats will not negotiate, period! This was the canard that led John McCain astray, his earnest belief in comity and the hands across the aisle business, i.e.: capitulation to Democrats. It never works!

Our labor force employment rate is 62.3%, and Nancy Pelosi pretended to said: “The GOP attitude disrespects workers, dishonors our values and damages our economy.” Right! That’s the voice of a true believer, a Marxist shouting into a tin cup so she can hear her own echo. That is the message the Democrats want all Americans to accept as the pathway to Socialism.

The Democrats, now openly on board supporting policies of infanticide, are pushing state laws that encourage abortions on demand; by keeping open Americas borders for the invasion of the peasant class; by proposing economic killing policies with their “New Green Deal,” and killing capitalism as a philosophy of theft. That is the Socialist mantra we’ll face during these next two years. In their determination, squads of Democrat politicians, some new ones, are lining up to challenge President Trump in 2020 for the leadership of the our country.

William Pitt once said: “Where law ends, tyranny begins.” We need only look at the events unfolding in Venezuela today to realize that truth. Socialist Venezuela is where Democrats will take us. Where Democrats don’t pretend, as their mask of death has been ripped off, is their hypocrisy is exposed and the future of America, if they succeed, is clearly visible on the streets of Venezuela. Remember, freedom is the goal, the Constitution is the way. Now, go get ‘em!

Multiple Guilty Pleas Expose Ability Of Drug Cartels

State & National

MULTIPLE GUILTY PLEAS EXPOSE ABILITY OF DRUG CARTELS

TO LAUNDER DRUG PROCEEDS THROUGH MONEY REMITTERS

ATLANTA – The last of nine Atlanta-based defendants charged with laundering drug money to Mexico through metro-Atlanta area money remitters has pleaded guilty, concluding a three-year long federal investigation targeting professional money launderers that exposed the ability of drug cartels to launder their illicit proceeds through money remittance companies.

“This investigation revealed how drug cartels use remittance companies to fuel their criminal enterprises,” said U. S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.  “Money remitters have strict rules to follow.  When employees make a decision to ignore those rules, both the employee and money remitter businesses can face prosecution.”

“This case demonstrates the commitment of HSI and our law enforcement partners to dismantle and bring to justice those involved with trying to circumvent our financial laws and help launder illegal drug proceeds,” said ICE HSI Atlanta Acting Special Gregory Wiest.

“Drug cartels are constantly looking for conduits like money service businesses to launder their illicit drug proceeds back to Mexico. We work to dismantle drug organizations by cutting off the money flow back to Mexico, this makes it harder for the drug cartels to operate,” said James Dorsey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to target these money laundering experts by working jointly with our law enforcement partners.”

          According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2014, federal law enforcement agents began investigating individuals in the metro-Atlanta area that were suspected of laundering drug proceeds to Mexico.  Federal agents utilized cooperating sources to infiltrate these individuals’ networks and determined that the money launderers were frequently using small businesses to send drug proceeds to Mexico.  These small businesses offered “money remittance services,” which allow customers to wire funds to individuals in other countries without using traditional bank accounts.

Investigators determined that managers and employees of a number of metro-Atlanta remitters were knowingly helping the money launderers send drug proceeds to Mexico.  During the course of this investigation, cooperating sources and an undercover law enforcement officer brought drug proceeds or money that was represented as coming from drug sales to different remitters.  In exchange for a kickback, managers and employees of nine different remitters agreed to launder the funds to Mexico by breaking the transactions into smaller amounts and by listing fake sender names, addresses, and telephone numbers.  The investigation revealed that nine metro-Atlanta remitters transmitted more than $40 million over a roughly four-year timeframe.  The resulting guilty pleas in this case made clear that the bulk of this money came from the sale of illegal narcotics.

Several of the defendants who pleaded guilty actually served as the Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering (“BSA/AML”) compliance officers for their respective stores and were responsible for detecting and reporting these types of illicit financial transactions.  Instead, these defendants used their anti-money laundering training to help the drug proceeds flow to Mexico undetected.

The recorded undercover transactions that took place during the operation exposed how willing many remitters were to help their customers secretly send drug proceeds to Mexico.  One defendant, who served as a store manager and BSA/AML compliance officer, even gave an undercover officer tips on where to sell drugs in Atlanta.  Another defendant, who also served as a store manager and BSA/AML compliance officer, offered to provide a cooperating source help on obtaining fake identifications so that drug proceeds could be transmitted to Mexico undetected.

The following individuals have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in money laundering and are awaiting sentencing:

  • Oscar Gustavo Perez-Bernal, 35, of Atlanta, Georgia, was the manager and BSA/AML compliance officer at La Tienda and Cocina Linda Vista, which were both located in Chamblee, Georgia.
  • Itzayana Guadalupe Perez-Bernal, a/k/a Lupe, 24, of Norcross, Georgia, was an employee at La Tienda.
  • Norma Dominguez, 57, of Atlanta, Georgia, was the manager and BSA/AML compliance officer at La Veracruzana, which was located in Chamblee, Georgia.
  • Norma Carrera, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, was the manager and BSA/AML compliance officer at Hilos y Estambres Teresita, which was located in Chamblee, Georgia.
  • Victor Perez, 31, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was the manager and BSA/AML compliance officer at Intercargo, which had offices in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and Marietta, Georgia.
  • Merli Sandy Tejeda-Bermudez, a/k/a Jorhley Adadlay-Bermudez, 30, of Duluth, Georgia, was the manager and BSA/compliance officer at Mundo Cargo and RR Latinas, which were both located in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
  • Daniel Castaneda-Garcia, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, was the manager and BSA/AML compliance officer at Taqueria el Dany, which was located in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
  • Lidia Pineda-Altamarino, a/k/a Lily, 33, of Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Additionally, Susan Fiorella Ayala-Chavez, a/k/a Pitus, 30, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in money laundering and has been sentenced to three years, one month in federal prison.  Ayala-Chavez was an employee at the Rainforest Chevron gas station in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

          This case is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.  The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Department, Georgia State Patrol, and Powder Springs Police Department provided valuable assistance throughout the course of the investigation.

          Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas J. Krepp and Alison B. Prout are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section provided significant assistance.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

GBI Investigation Leads to the Arrest of a Murray County Deputy

News
October 6, 2017

Murray County, GA – On Tuesday, October 3, 2017, GBI Calhoun was requested by Murray County Sheriff’s Office to investigate allegations of missing money from the Murray County evidence room. The subsequent investigation has led to the arrest of Deputy Donna Woody, age 49, who was the evidence custodian.

Woody was charged with 6 counts of tampering with evidence, 1 count of violation of oath of office, and 1 count of theft by fiduciary. Information obtained during the course of the investigation indicates that an amount in excess of $10,000 was allegedly stolen from the evidence room. Woody turned herself in to the Murray County Sheriff’s Office on the morning of Thursday, October 5, 2017.

This GBI investigation remains active and ongoing.  Anyone with information is urged to contact the GBI’s Calhoun Office at 706-624-1424

Morning Monologue 6/7/16

GMFTO

Hillary’s Quotes and the Fed’s Money.

https://youtu.be/v5lob2cpPqI

Morning Monologue 2/17/16

Opinion

The GOP is broke…

https://youtu.be/e020SsLOI7U

Citizen Questions How Fannin County Attorney Lynn Doss is Paid

Opinion

January 12, 2016

 

My name is Suzanne Kahn, and I’d like to first address the question that some citizens still have about exactly when our county contract finally expires with Advance Disposal Service. The court documents are clear cut that all permitted extensions of the contract by Advance Disposal have been used and the contract finally expires on August 25th, of this year, 2016.

 

I feel confident that our Post I and Post II Commissioners are on top of this situation and will take whatever steps are needed to negotiate and secure a contract with whatever company they deem will best serve our county with a fair, equitable, and competitive contract. And, I feel confident that they will have a contract in place well in advance of this expiration date.

 

Second, I want to address the years of concern of many citizens that Fannin County has had the same county attorney, Ms. Lynn Doss, for approximately twenty years, and, without ever having a contract of any kind in place.  This “ arrangement”, which is all it can be called, has been perpetuated endlessly by each Commission Chairman for the last three administrations of Richard Vollrath, Howie Bruce, and now  into the eighth year of the current administration  by Chairman Bill Simonds. 

 

I compared the policy of our two neighboring counties of Union and Gilmer to get a very clear picture, and I have all the documents from these counties to back up what I’m saying here.

 

Union and Gilmer Counties both have had legal contracts, or a Letter of Agreement, with their attorneys at all times, and both counties require complete accountability by mandating that their attorneys submit itemized invoices for every hour worked.  Neither county pays a retainer fee. In Union County, Attorney H. Boyd Pettit charges $100.00 per hour plus expenses. In Gilmer County, Attorneys Herman Clark and David Clark charge $110.00 and $100.00 per hour, respectively, plus expenses. 

In Fannin County, there has never been any contract or Letter of Agreement with Lynn Doss, and a significant retainer fee of $5,708.34 per month has been paid without any itemized invoices ever required or submitted for that $61,416.78 yearly check.

 

As a comparison: 

In 2014, Union County paid their attorney $23,874.00, and Gilmer paid $38,595.00.

In 2015, Union County paid their attorney only $8,811.00 and Gilmer paid $68,238.00.

 

 I also have the document showing the RESOLUTION that was passed by Gilmer County Board of Commissioners on March 12th, 2015, declaring their authority to appoint their attorney who “shall serve at the pleasure of the Board.”

 

To say that this Fannin County “arrangement” with Lynn Doss is highly questionable is a gross understatement.  The citizens of Fannin County want and deserve an explanation of why this “arrangement” has been permitted all these years.  I request, Mr. Simonds, that you explain 

how you have justified this through your entire 7 years as our Chairman, and now into your 8th year at the helm. 

 

I have spoken with many Fannin County Citizens who are equally fed up with this perceived stranglehold Attorney Lynn Doss has been afforded for so many years with absolutely no accountability. It is way beyond time for a healthy change in who is welcomed to work as our county attorney. 

 

Mr. Simonds, I sincerely had high hopes that, after last year’s events of our two Post Commissioners successfully making the first few important changes to our county government, you would finally see the wisdom of helping to ethically and morally work with them to make the many changes still necessary to make Fannin County one that is respected for it’s high standards of operation. You can still do that.

 

If you choose not to, I have complete confidence in Post Commissioners Sosebee and Johnson to be the leaders we need to guide Fannin County with integrity.

 

 

Thank you,

 

Suzanne Kahn

 

Donations! Where Does Your Money Go?

Featured Stories

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.  It is also one of the most giving times as well.  People open their hearts and their wallets to help worthy causes and most are legit.   When making a decision on which charity to donate to, most people consider the “efficiency” of the organization.  What percentage of the monies received by the charity goes to funding its mission verses other costs such as fundraising activities, salaries, and other overhead.   When giving to a non-profit you can always check its financials, which are required by law to be available, see below:

https://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Exempt-Organization-Public-Disclosure-and-Availability-Requirements

Tax-exempt organizations must make annual returns and exemption applications filed with the IRS available for public inspection and copying upon request. In addition, the IRS makes these documents available. The questions below relate to the public disclosure and availability of documents filed by tax-exempt organizations with the IRS.

There are several ways you can check out the charity but the most direct way is to ask for a copy of its financials so you can determine if your money is actually being used in the way you believe when you give.  There are sites like Charity Navigator and GuideStar which are very helpful in showing you what percentage of your giving goes to support the mission, as opposed to administrative expenses. Some nonprofits have a large overhead, but according to the charity ratings site, if they are spending more than 33.3% of their total budget on overhead, the organization is not meeting its mission.  However if your “cause” or “local charity” is not listed we suggest you request the disclosure from your choice of giving and make sure your money is helping the cause you desire.

FYN will be taking a look at some of our local charities and letting you know what we find.  Giving is great but it is always a good idea to make sure of how the money is actually being used.

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