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Chaldean Teacher Namir Gourguis Freed |
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By Amer Hedow :: 3481 Views
::  :: Government & Society, World News & Odds 'N' Ends
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 Kirkuk, IRAQ – The disputed lands of Kirkuk continue to foster hostilities as the three major factions of Iraq pound Christian minorities in order to seize property and lay claim to the oil rich lands. Although Iraq is the native home to the Chaldean Catholic Church, one of the oldest Christian churches in the world, hundreds of thousands of Christians have been forced to flee since the US-led invasion of March 2003. “Our people are easy targets. Iraqi Christians are the Tibetans of the Middle East. We are peaceful,” says John Anwya. “These cowards attack Iraq’s native people.”
In northern Iraq a Christian missionary and teacher Namir Nadhim Gourguis, has been freed after just over a week in captivity, according to the Catholic missionary news agency Asia news.
Gourguis was well known in the community and loved. Mediation by tribal chiefs and local imams led to Gourguis' release just over a week after he was abducted by a gunmen last Thursday at an elementary school near the northern oil city of Kirkuk.
No ransom was paid for the release of 32-year-old Gourguis, according to Asia News. The archbishop of Kirkuk, Louis Sako, declared Friday a holiday for Christians to celebrate Gourguis' release. "After eight days in captivity, Namir is free. We thank God - today joy reigns in Kirkuk's Christian community."
Last year saw a wave of sectarian attacks against the Christian community in Iraq. The northern city of Mosul's archbishop, Paulos Faraj Rahho, was found dead last March after having been kidnapped, tortured, and beaten for about two weeks.
At least 14 Christians were killed in the northern city of Mosul in Nineveh province in three months and thousands of Christian families fled the city, according to the United Nations. |
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Take a Number
<p>By Jarrett Skorup. </p>Dealing with government agencies.
http://www.mackinac.org/12318
Rejecting State Employee Raise
<p>The <a href="http://www.mirsnews.com/welcome.php"><span style="color: #003399;">Michigan Information & Research Service</span></a> (subscription required) reprinted <a href="http://www.mackinac.org/12281"><span style="color: #003399;">this</span></a> blog post by Paul Kersey, labor policy director, explaining why it would not be a violation of labor law for the Legislature to reject a 3 percent raise for state employees as some lawmakers claimed.</p> http://www.mackinac.org/12314
Superintendent, Teacher Pay
<p>By Michael Van Beek. </p><p><a href="http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=113946"><span style="color: #003399;">Senate Bill 1148</span></a>, introduced recently by Sen. Bruce Patterson, R-Canton, would limit the total compensation of public school superintendents to 75 percent of what the governor is paid and prohibit districts from paying any teacher more than what a state legislator makes.</p> http://www.mackinac.org/12288
Quick! Change the Subject
<p>By Paul Kersey. </p><p>Teamsters President James Hoffa would love to manipulate Tea Partiers for his own purposes.</p> http://www.mackinac.org/12315
Protecting Small-Business Owners From Stealth Unionization
<p>Another lawmaker has put his support behind legislation that would end the stealth unionization of small-business owners.</p> http://www.mackinac.org/12313
Center Analyst Empties 'Brain Drain' Myth
<p>Research by James Hohman, fiscal policy analyst, shows that claims of Michigan experiencing a "brain drain" are not true.</p> http://www.mackinac.org/12312
Taking Flight
<p>By Lorie A. Shane. </p>Dove Academy stresses college.
http://www.mackinac.org/12240
Climate Policy Forum
Join us for a luncheon and expert panel discussion on "The Changing Debate on Climate Change" at Oakland University, March 16. Learn about "Climategate" and what it means for public policy. http://www.mackinac.org/12220
Trade Disagreement
<p>A Michigan congressman wants to repeal legislation that has been one of the few bright spots in the state's slumping economy over the last decade.</p> http://www.mackinac.org/12309
Do We Get What We Pay For?
<p>By James M. Hohman. </p>Michigan legislators should take a pay cut.
http://www.mackinac.org/12287
Opinion: Teacher certification tests don’t get the job done
<p>By Mr. Ryan McCarl. </p>http://www.mackinac.org/12229
Spend less? Tax more? System overhaul?
<p>By Lorie A. Shane. </p>http://www.mackinac.org/12096
Specializing in special education
<p>By Lorie A. Shane. </p>http://www.mackinac.org/12040
This Just In: Spending More on Higher Education Hurts, Not Helps, State Economy
<p>By Jack McHugh. </p><p>The state higher-education establishment and its lobbyists argue that spending more tax dollars on their system will improve Michigan's economy.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://edq.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/24/1/45?rss=1">very latest research</a> on this issue, performed not by self-serving beneficiaries of government spending, but by disinterested scholars, finds that "increased spending on higher education generally exhibits a relatively large negative effect" on a state's economy.</p> http://www.mackinac.org/12306
Center Legal Analyst Testifies on Bills to End Stealth Unionization
<p>Mackinac Center Legal Foundation Director Patrick Wright <a href="http://www.mackinac.org/12294"><span style="color: #003399;">testified</span></a> Tuesday on proposed legislation that would end the stealth unionization of home-based day care owners and prevent the same thing from happening to home health care workers.</p> http://www.mackinac.org/12303
Supposed Benefits of Pension Obligation Bonds Sink With Market
<p>By James M. Hohman. </p><p>Michigan legislators who might consider <a title="http://www.michiganvotes.org/2009-SB-927" href="http://www.michiganvotes.org/2009-SB-927">borrowing</a> <a title="http://www.michiganvotes.org/2009-HB-4075" href="http://www.michiganvotes.org/2009-HB-4075">billions</a> to prop up government employee pension and post-retirement health care benefits should first look at recent developments in California. That state's massive state pension system, CalPERS, may lower its expectations for investment returns. According to the Wall Street Journal, it is considering a <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703316904575092362999067810.html">drop in its return expectations</a> from 7.75 percent to as low as 5 or 6 percent.</p> http://www.mackinac.org/12299
Nicely Played, MEA!
<p>By Paul Kersey. </p><p>The MEA gave up nothing in the "Race to the Top" deal. They made no concessions in terms of teacher compensation or performance. They may — depending on just how the law is interpreted — have made privatization, which has saved school districts and taxpayers across the state millions of dollars a subject of collective bargaining again. Oh, and the state hasn’t gotten a nickel in federal funds so far.</p> http://www.mackinac.org/12293
League of Women Voters' Stance on Energy Policy Hurts Women
<p>By Russ Harding. </p><p>Energy policy that makes it more expensive for developing countries to provide electricity to their citizens only leads to more human suffering and premature death.</p> http://www.mackinac.org/12295
Mackinac Center Legal Foundation Director to Testify Today on Bills to Prohibit Stealth Unionization of Small-Business Owners
<p>Mackinac Center Legal Foundation Director <a href="../../../../../bio.aspx?ID=433">Patrick J. Wright</a> will testify today before the Senate Families and Human Services Committee on proposed legislation to end the forced unionization of home-based day care owners and prohibit any stealth attempts to unionize contractors involved in home health care services. The committee will consider Senate Bills <a href="http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=114065">1173</a>, <a href="http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=114229">1178</a> and <a href="http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=114230">1179</a> at 2:30 p.m. in Room 210 of the Farnum Building.</p> http://www.mackinac.org/12294
State Employee Pay Raise Could Cost Them Jobs
<p>Arguing against a 3 percent pay hike for state employees is actually an argument in support of saving their jobs, according to an Op-Ed in <a href="http://www.michigandaily.com/content/robby-soave-every-million-counts"><span style="color: #003399;">The Michigan Daily</span></a>.</p> http://www.mackinac.org/12292
MED March 9, 2010
Health poll, regional contract, bond votes. http://www.educationreport.org/12296
No Money? No Problem
<p>By Tom Gantert. </p>Defunded state agency presses on.
http://www.mackinac.org/12282
"Fighting for School Reforms" — <i>Against Whom?</i>
<p>By Jack McHugh. </p><p>The Michigan Education Association is taking <a title="http://detnews.com/article/20100307/OPINION01/3070311/1008/Editorial--MEA-s-sabotage-kept-Michigan-out-of-Race-to-Top-finalists" href="http://detnews.com/article/20100307/OPINION01/3070311/1008/Editorial--MEA-s-sabotage-kept-Michigan-out-of-Race-to-Top-finalists"><span style="color: #003399;">heat</span></a> even from some of its <a title="http://skoopsblog.blogspot.com/" href="http://skoopsblog.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #003399;">friends</span></a> in the media because of the state's failure to qualify for $400 million in competitive "Race to the Top" federal grants. The blame game is afoot, but perhaps the the most curious comment on the exercise comes from the Democratic Speaker of the House, Rep. Andy Dillon: "House Democrats were fighting for major education reforms long before Race to the Top entered the picture." Fighting against whom?</p> http://www.mackinac.org/12290
35, 34, 33...
<p>By Paul Kersey. </p><p>Wages for state employees have gone up half again as fast as they did for workers throughout the state. Certainly they can afford to go without an across-the-board raise this year.</p> http://www.mackinac.org/12289
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