Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

"I've got five minutes left on a drive from Iowa to Florida. I've managed to squeeze myself into a Mustang GT and do this 21-hour trek, so my body isn't loving it right now."

That first sentence Matt Leo uttered on a call back in January tells you all you need to know about the South Australian's persistence on his road to the NFL.

Leo had just been invited to be part of the 2020 International Player Pathway Program, after three years at Iowa State and two years prior with junior college Arizona Western.

Courtesy of a temporary car swap with a friend, he'd switched out his snow-tested Nissan Ultima for a more Florida-friendly Mustang and made the near 3000km solo expedition to the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

Flash forward three months and that program has now placed the 6'6," 270 pound (122kg) defensive end with the Philadelphia Eagles, and the GT has a return journey back north on the odometer.

"She's got a few chips on the front bonnet. She surprisingly killed the trip on the way back ... she was a little more filled up than heading down," Leo tells ESPN.

"When everything closed down at IMG (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) I was either going to go back to Australia or back to Iowa, but I knew everything was going to be locked down no matter what. I made it back in two days."

Long-haul drives along Americans highways don't carry an ounce of frustration for the 28-year-old Adelaide native, whose desire to take a leap into American football started with a chance glance at Super Bowl XLVII during a 'smoko' (a 'cigarette break' in the Australian tradie vernacular) when he was an apprentice plumber. That, and watching the series Friday Night Lights.

"Watching [Friday Night Lights] was an incredible thing for me. It was almost that thought of wishing you had grown up in America, gone to high school and college there," he says.

"The physicality is something that shone out to me. I didn't know what position would suit me, but you think to yourself, 'what an incredible sport to be a part of'. It's something we lack in Australia ... so having the opportunity where I actually got to attend university here was like living out that dream."

The word 'dream' certainly isn't a new one for athletes making the cross-code switch, but for Leo it was more than a throwaway line. There were no college scholarships on the table for him back in 2015, and thousands of dollars in junior college tuition fees were waiting on the other end of a hopeful flight to the U.S.

"I managed to save up and sell my car. I had a bit of savings in the bank to make it possible for me for my first year at junior college. After that I've been fortunate enough to be on scholarship," Leo says.

"It was something that I'd never done in any terms before, taking such a big leap never having played the sport. I knew that because it was a dream, I was willing to take the chance on anything and trust that I'd give my all, and if it didn't work out then I could obviously hold my head up high."

With a sporting background that spans the three major 'footy' codes in Australia -- rugby league, rugby union and Aussie rules -- the physicality he got a glimpse of on TV was never going to be an issue, and that's precisely the trait that stood out to the coaching staff at Iowa State after his two years at the junior college (JUCO) level.

"My coaches love to see my physicality, my hands, just shocking and shedding, putting my paws on people and trying to move furniture," he says.

"I just really worked on earning trust within the whole building, until they could count on me in those crucial times. It was something that didn't come overnight or in one semester, gradually getting that opportunity to step on the field. I knew that I couldn't waste it."

From his senior season as part of the defensive line rotation for the Cyclones straight into the International Player Pathway, Leo arrived with a deeper football background than most of his class, as well as the two Australians that had previously come through the program: Jordan Mailata and Valentine Holmes.

"I definitely felt like I was more polished in some areas. Playing at a Division 1 school in a Power 5 conference is definitely an advantage," he says.

"The time that I spent there, even though it was cut short (by the COVID-19 pandemic), was amazing. The relationships that I built with the other eight guys are something I cherish. I wear this program with pride going into the next phase."

Despite promising numbers at a COVID-19-hastened Pro Day -- 26 reps in the bench press, 9'10" in broad jump -- and five years of seasoning in the college system, the over-age international prospect didn't hear his name called during the NFL Draft.

But with the NFC East being randomly selected to take on an international player and roster exemption for the 2020 class, Leo landed at a franchise familiar with Australians. The Eagles are currently home to punter Cameron Johnston and fellow Pathway product Mailata, who was the first to reach out after news broke that Leo's next stop was Philadelphia.

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"Jordan's been in contact throughout this whole thing - once my name got allocated in January he hit me up. And then the minute the Eagles released it on Twitter, he was the first person to FaceTime me and go crazy," he says.

Returning from a back injury that halted his 2019 season, Mailata will be operating on the other side of the line of scrimmage to his rookie compatriot, but the prospect of a show-down in camp, whenever that begins, excites the former Cyclone.

"He said he can't wait to get to work with me so I'm excited man, we're going to work our butts off. Iron sharpens iron and you know we're going to help each other in the best way possible," Leo says of Mailata.

"I can't wait to get out with those boys. Cameron hit me up too, so knowing there's two other Aussies in Philly on the team feels like I'm going home.

"I feel like this is my perfect fit. To go out to Philly with a team that is blue collar as well as passionate to a die-hard level, it feels like I'm back with the Port Adelaide Power, my [AFL] team back home."

Being an older rookie isn't the easiest path, but Leo looked to 38-year-old edge rusher Cameron Wake as a model for the unorthodox, undrafted route to NFL success. Wake tallied 39 sacks over two seasons in the CFL before breaking through with the Miami Dolphins, ascending as one of the game's best pass rushers after entering the league at age 27.

"He was such an inspiration for me to take this leap to American football. He's just the true definition of perseverance and persistence in what he did. He's such a detailed pass rusher and he perfected his craft, that's given him the ability to play this long. He's just an absolute beast," Leo says.

"I came into this sport behind everyone, next to guys who'd been playing since they were six years old. So it was that constant feeling of 'I know I'm behind the eight ball, and I have to consistently grind to get up to speed'."

But with a family that have been with him every step of the way, tuning in on TV or radio, and the memory of crawling into tight spaces under houses, looking back to his plumbing contractor days in Adelaide and saying "I'm too big for this", Leo wants to make sure a late arrival to football doesn't mean an early exit.

"I have fallen in love with this game that much, I'm invested completely. Whatever the outcome is I'll definitely exhaust all my measures giving this opportunity a go," he says.

"There is no other option."

Excerpt from:
From smoko to the big smoke: Matt Leo lands in Philly - ESPN

Amid the daily lifestyle changes that COVID-19 has brought with it, there are still everyday fixes thar require some outside assistance.

At locally owned and operated The Gentleman Plumber, presented by McGee & Sons Plumbing, the staff has taken extra measures in maintaining customer and employee health while getting the job done.

Owner Mike McGee said his team has been trained to follow safety protocols, even before the virus started. Thats how the name gentleman plumber came into existence.

The gentleman plumber was a nickname that customers gave me when I first started, because they saw the gloves, Lysol and cleanup and the way we would do things, McGee told The Coastland Times.

Currently, McGee has taken extra steps to make his customers feel at ease. When the homeowners call, we let them know the precautions that were taking, McGee said.

The precautions include sanitizing hands and wearing gloves prior to entering a residence or business, wearing a mask while servicing customers and no hand shaking upon arrival.

McGee said his techs are washing their hands in accordance with CDC guidelines before leaving a premises. They are also offering to take photos of the work being done during a job and after completion.

Due to the fact some customers cannot be present at the time of service, McGee said he still wants to keep them informed. Were sending them pictures as we work and making sure they feel comfortable with what has gotten done and whats complete.

In addition, officer manager Christy Siefferman has been handling all the billing through QuickBooks to eliminate interaction during payment.

To further mitigate spread of the virus, McGee noted that his team has been trying to stay away from jobs that are a lot more dirtier than normal, such as drain cleaning. We are being selective with those [jobs] to protect our own guys, he said.

The Gentleman Plumber is continuing to remodel and install products, such as water heaters, water mains, facets and other tankless products.

McGee said company trucks and tools are being cleaned daily and Siefferman noted that hot spots around the office, such as the bathroom, sinks, doorknobs and the like, are cleaned every day.

Its been really easy for us because we were like this before all this happened, McGee said. In a line of work that deals with daily germs, health and safety are of the utmost importance.

For more information on The Gentleman Plumber, visit http://www.mcgeeandsonsplumbing.com.

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The Gentleman Plumber on tackling germs and limiting 'dirty jobs' | The Coastland Times - The Coastland Times

In 470,000 American homes spread across every state, washing hands to prevent COVID-19 may not be as easy as turning on a faucet. They don't have showers or toilets or, in some cases, even water piped into their homes. Nearly a million U.S. homes don't have complete kitchens and millions more are overcrowded, making it much tougher for people to shelter in place and avoid infection.

In nearly half a million American homes, washing hands to prevent COVID-19 isnt as simple as soaping up and singing Happy Birthday twice while scrubbing.

In many of those homes, people cant even turn on a faucet. Theres no running water.

In 470,000 dwellings in the United States spread across every state and in most counties inadequate plumbing is a problem, the starkest of several challenges that make it tougher for people to avoid infection.

Thats according to a Kaiser Health News analysis of data from the Census Bureau and the Housing Assistance Council in Washington, D.C. The analysis reveals other ways that inadequate housing in the United States puts people at risk during this pandemic. Nearly a million homes scattered across almost all counties dont have complete kitchens, raising the risk of hunger and vulnerability to illness, even as people have been expected to eat all meals there amid stay-at-home orders. And over 4 million homes are overcrowded, with more than a person per room, making it nearly impossible to isolate the sick.

In fact, about 828,000 people have to deal with more than one of these housing problems.

We assume this is happening in Third World places, said Greg Carter, an assistant professor at the Indiana University School of Nursing. But its happening here.

Carters work takes him to southern Indianas Orange County, a community of just under 20,000 that, as of Thursday, had 107 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 14 deaths. Its also one of 322 U.S. counties with rates of inadequate plumbing at least three times the national average of four homes in every 1,000.

Phil Mininger, construction manager for Habitat for Humanity there, said he knows a man in his early 70s who lives in a dilapidated house without running water or electricity. The man walks to a Walmart about a half a mile away to use the bathroom and wash his hands.

Conditions like these also occur in states such as Colorado, Alaska and New York wherever plumbing is absent or in disrepair or water has been shut off.

Percentages are twice as high in rural areas overall, but similar conditions can be found in urban centers, too. Just under half a percent of dwellings in New York City have inadequate plumbing, for example, but thats still about 14,000 homes.

Public health experts say substandard housing reflects vast socioeconomic inequities that make America a breeding ground for the coronavirus. Poverty, and the poor health that goes with it, fuel the spread and raise the likelihood of dying from COVID-19, both in places the disease already has hit hard and those its just reaching.

The discrepancies between those with privilege and those without, they existed before our pandemic. What happens after? asked Jessica Hanson, an assistant professor of community and behavioral health at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. I hope when this is done, we as a community and as a society recognize there are people who dont have access to what they need. And that has to be addressed.

Facing the virus without running water

The federal government made huge public health gains in the early- to mid-20th century by spending heavily on water infrastructure. The result was healthier people who lived significantly longer. But that changed in the 1980s, according to a 2019 report by the US Water Alliance, Dig Deep and Michigan State University researchers. From 1977 to 2014, another report said, federal spending on water infrastructure dropped from $76 to $11 per person in inflation-adjusted dollars. Local and state spending rose, but didnt come close to meeting the need.

Then the COVID pandemic struck.

Nick Slim, tribal council administrator in the remote Yupik Eskimo village of Kipnuk, about 500 miles west of Anchorage, said people there have been doing the best we can to follow hand-washing advice, but it can be a struggle. They have no piped water; he and the other 650 residents depend on hauling ice and collecting rain.

Were all concerned about the virus, Slim said.

Just over a third of homes in the Bethel Census Area of Alaska have inadequate plumbing, the nations second-highest rate behind the adjacent Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area.

According to state officials, most Alaska homes without running water and flush toilets are in Native Alaskan villages either not served by water utilities, or in places where water must be hauled or that have aging and deteriorating piped systems. Compared with the overall U.S. population, KHN found, Native Americans are eight times more likely to lack sufficient plumbing in their homes.

In the absence of running water, respiratory illness festers. Rates of invasive pneumococcal disease in southwestern Alaska are among the highest in the world.

Still, Alaska has had fewer confirmed cases of COVID-19 than many other states, with about 370 as of Thursday. But a University of Texas study said that if a county has just one case of COVID-19, there is a 51% chance that an outbreak is underway.

Gunnison County, Colorado, has already been hit hard by the coronavirus, with 172 confirmed cases and six deaths among just over 17,000 people. That gives the county, known for the Crested Butte ski resort, one of the highest case rates in its state. It also has one of Colorados highest rates of inadequate plumbing about 1 in 45 homes. Its a place of housing extremes, with the median owner-occupied home costing $339,000, and some mobile homes going for a tenth of that.

Loren Ahonen, a program administrator with the Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority, recalled a mobile home with an unrepaired frozen water line. Water was restored about a week after county residents were told to stay home amid the pandemic, he said. But until then, he said, tenants relied on 5-gallon jugs of water from the grocery store, neighbors and good Samaritans.

As in many other communities, Ahonen said, all utilities in Gunnison County have suspended shut-offs for nonpayment during the pandemic. But emergency water shut-offs are still happening when leaks arise, as he noticed recently when he drove through a mobile home park prone to water problems.

Raising the risk of disease

Such issues compound another perennial issue in mobile homes: overcrowding. Ahonen said hes seen up to six people squeeze into a small home. A social distancing index created by the Colorado Health Institute found that 1 in 20 homes in a Gunnison County census tract were overcrowded.

Crowded housing is also a big issue in urban areas, and has been linked to higher rates of COVID-19. An analysis of New York City cases by the New York University Furman Center found that the ZIP codes with the highest rates of positive cases had more than twice the rate of renters living in overcrowded conditions as those with the lowest rates.

Pascual Pea, 33, an aide to a New York City council member, said he and seven family members are packed into a small, four-bedroom apartment in the Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights.

Recently, his parents and sister developed COVID-19 symptoms, he said, and it was difficult with so many people to separate each other. Pea said he spent most of his time in the kitchen, while his father stayed in a bedroom, his mother in the living room and his sister in her room. Everyone shares the bathroom, cleans constantly and hopes the virus wont spread further.

Indiana Universitys Carter said people living in unhealthy housing conditions are often older or suffer from chronic disease, further raising their risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19. Carter recalled a woman with diabetes who lived in an Orange County home buzzing with fruit flies, where meat rotted in a dilapidated refrigerator.

While Carter and his team were able to help her, aid is harder to come by these days, with many outreach programs on pause. Arranging repairs has been complicated by social distancing rules.

As the pandemic and its accompanying economic crisis continue, public health experts worry that people living in substandard housing may spiral further downward especially since housing is usually just one of their challenges. They may have lost low-wage jobs to COVID-19. Or they may lack medical care, steady food or other ingredients of a healthy life.

Were going to see them experience a greater lack of access to these things. Carter said. People were already dying of poverty.

Carter and other experts said policymakers, and society as a whole, must focus more on housing and health disparities. Pandemic or not, no one in America should live without the basics of indoor plumbing, said Lance George, research director for the nonprofit Housing Assistance Council, which helps build homes across rural America.

This is 2020, George said. These are problems that shouldve been solved.

KHN data reporter Hannah Recht contributed to this analysis.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation that is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

Methodology

For estimates of households in the United States that do not have adequate plumbing or adequate kitchens or are overcrowded, KHN analyzed data from the American Community Survey (ACS) five-year estimates (2014-18), specifically the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) provided by the University of Minnesota. This data provides demographic data on individual members in each household. KHN excluded those living in group quarters.

For race/ethnicity categories, whites, American Indians, blacks and Asians include non-Hispanics only; Asians include Pacific Islanders and American Indians include Alaska Natives; and Hispanics are of any race or combination of races. Non-Hispanics who responded as representing more than one race are included in the other category.

Plumbing is considered inadequate if it lacks one or more of the following: piped hot and cold water; a bathtub or shower; or a toilet. A kitchen is considered inadequate if it lacks a refrigerator, a stove or range, or a sink with a faucet. A household is considered overcrowded if it has more than one person per room.

To compare rural and non-rural areas, KHN used data from the Housing Assistance Council, which coded census tracts as rural, urban, or exurban/suburban and provided household estimates by census tract for inadequate plumbing and kitchens, based on ACS five-year estimates (2013-17).

Read more from the original source:
Millions stuck at home with no plumbing, kitchen or space to stay safe - The Times

Plumbers, electricians, AC mechanics, carpenters, domestic help and caregivers can apply for work passes from the Greater Chennai Corporation online. These workers will have to apply through the website http:/tnepass.tnega.org, said Corporation Commissioner G. Prakash in a release on Sunday.

Standalone and neighbourhood shops selling articles such as hardware, electrical items, mobile phones and computer peripherals, except salons and beauty parlours, will be permitted to stay open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, residents are apprehensive about the process of getting the passes.

Santosh, a resident of Kilpauk who runs a shop in Broadway, said he had applied for an e-pass on the website and the application was pending. He is not sure if the police would allow him to travel to this shop. Shops selling essential commodities will operate from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hotels are permitted to supply food parcels from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

But all restrictions pertaining to the lockdown will be in force in all containment zones until May 17, Mr. Prakash said. The restrictions would be relaxed in areas other than containment zones. As many as 68 of the 200 wards in the city have not yet delineated any containment zones so far.

Work on relaying roads, construction of public buildings and bridges will begin on Monday in areas which have not been classified as containment zones. The Corporation Commissioner will inspect units in SEZ, and export units before issuance of permits for operations. Units will be permitted with 25% workforce with a minimum of 20 workers.

IT and ITeS units will operate with 10% workforce with a minimum of 20 workers. Micro, small and medium enterprises will be permitted with 33% workforce. Amma canteens, banks and ATMs will remain open.

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Plumbers, mechanics and caregivers need to get e-passes - The Hindu

Advanced Remediation Services (ARS), a subsidiary of Elk Grove Plumbing and Drain, is fighting the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) by disinfecting surfaces with thermal foggers.

ARS, which focuses on fire, water damage, sewer and mold remediation, is certified to use thermal foggers, which fumigate the interiors of buildings with a light mist that the company says is effective in killing this coronavirus.

Linda Fassett, remediation specialist with Advanced Remediation Services, spoke about her companys efforts to help keep the community safe through foggers.

This is a great way to sanitize and disinfect, whether it be hard surfaces, soft goods, whether it be your home office, its an easy, quick and efficient way to go ahead and keep you safe, she said.

Joe Stillwell, co-owner of Elk Grove Plumbing and Drain, told the Citizen that most customers who have called the company for their fogging service have done so as a preventative measure against COVID-19.

So far, most of them have had us come to be proactive, he said. You never know, like property management companies, for instance, or even plumbers will go into somebodys house. They might be infected and dont even know or they find out after we left that they were exposed to somebody that was infected. Well, they would call us.

Stillwell noted that the oil- or water-based solutions used with the foggers are 100% green and can kill viruses within four minutes.

He added that in the case of the novel coronavirus, it can remain on paper products for 24 hours, most other surfaces for 96 hours, and some hard surfaces such as plastics and hardwoods for two to three days.

Fassett, who recently gained further knowledge on COVID-19 through a symposium with the World Health Organization, said that it is important to eliminate the coronavirus from environments.

Thats the ultimate goal is to stop the spread, to minimize it and get us to that level plain, so we can get back to some kind of normality, she said.

Fassett added that disinfecting through smoggers is additionally beneficial due to its ability to reach hard-to-reach places.

But she stressed that the use of foggers alone will not kill the virus, and her company wipes down the oil of surfaces, and fogs a buildings interior twice just to make sure.

Its just extremely important to be detailed, to be efficient and to know your equipment and your products that you are using, she said.

Because the solutions used by Advanced Remediation Services for their foggers are plant-based, customers can safely reenter their buildings an hour or less after their buildings are disinfected.

Elk Grove Plumbing and Drain co-owner Mark Hutchason told the Citizen that his company strives to keep Elk Grove safe.

Of course, were in business to make money, but our number one priority is to take care of our community, he said.

For additional information about this service, call (916) 714-4357 or visit http://www.advancedremediationservices.com.

Read the original post:
Fogging out the coronavirus | News - Elk Grove Citizen

President Donald Trump named a top Republican contributor as the new Postmaster General, returning the post to a political appointee for the first time in 48 years.

Post offices were once the ultimate patronage pits for political organizations, some of whom enjoyed the large amounts of cash transactions involved.

Until 1971, local postmasters were political appointees who often got their jobs as patronage for Members of Congress. Postmasters of large post offices were named by the President, with U.S. Senate confirmation; the Postmaster General appointed postmasters of smaller post officers after receiving recommendations from local congressmen or influential members of the presidents political parties, like county chairs.

Sometimes the job went to politically adept career postal workers who built relationships with local politicians. Over time, the job transitioned from pure political appointments to people who had post office experience.

There is no indication that Trump plans to return to the old system, but his appointment of North Carolina businessman Louis LaJoy, who has contributed more than $2 billion to GOP campaigns over the last four year, flips control of the post from career postal employees back to the political arena.

The Postmaster General post was a political appointment from the presidencies of George Washington to Richard Nixon. From 1829 to 1972, the Postmaster General was a member of the presidents cabinet.

Trump has been a harsh critic of the U.S. Postal Service, calling the agency a joke and refusing requests for a $75 billion bailout with out an increase in postal rates.

Local Postmasters

When the Ramsey postmaster job opened up in 1957, Rep. William Widnall (R-Saddle River) asked President Dwight Eisenhower to appoint John Roosa, a community leader active in local politics.

After Roosa retired ten years later, Widnall wanted to give the job to another Republican, Fred Warren. But with Democrat Lyndon Johnson in the White House, Democratic U.S. Senator Harrison Williams decided to make the appointment.

That same year, Rep. Henry Helstoski (D-East Rutherford) picked Robert Nieradka as the East Paterson (now Elmwood Park) postmaster after a vote of the local Democratic county committee.

Nieradka and another Democrat, John Mezian, both screened for postmaster. The county committee voted and Nieradka won. Democratic Municipal Chairman Sal Spinato then needed to get sign off from Bergen County Democratic Chairman Anthony Andorra before Helstoski made his recommendation to the White House.

Postmasters were frequently allowed to squat in most cases, rather than switch them out as consequences of national elections.

Republicans had pushed for the creation of a single Edison Post Office in the 1950s to replace what had been 11 separate post offices throughout the municipality. That allowed Edisons congressman, Peter H.B. Frelinghuysen (R-Harding), to name the new postmaster a move that upset Mayor Anthony Yelencsics, whose local Democratic organization still controlled the smaller post offices from the 20 years that Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman occupied the White House.

In New Jersey, local postmaster was a relatively easy and lucrative position.

Democrat William Fiedler, a former assemblyman and Newark mayor, was appointed Newark postmaster by President Grover Cleveland after losing re-election to his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Republican John Blair was one of the wealthiest men in the nation, but he also spent more than 25 years as the politically-appointed postmaster in Blairstown. He was also the unsuccessful Republican nominee for governor in 1868.

With the loss of postmasters and congressional pages, House members are now limited to a small staff and military academy appointments.

Postmaster Generals were party leaders

The Postmaster General post was a political appointment from the presidencies of George Washington to Richard Nixon. From 1829 to 1972, the postmaster general was a member of the presidents cabinet.

The legendary James Farley served simultaneously as postmaster general and Democratic National Chairman during Roosevelts first two terms. Trumans postmaster general was Robert Hannegan, one of the top party bosses in St. Louis. He was also DNC chairman while serving in the cabinet. Under Dwight Eisenhower, the postmaster general was Arthur Summerfield, the Republican National Chairman.

John F. Kennedy named Edward Day, a former Illinois state insurance commissioner and ally of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, as postmaster general. His replacement in 1963 was John Gronouski, a former Wisconsin commissioner of taxation who had unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy in 1952.

In 1965, Johnson nominated Gronouski as the U.S. Ambassador to Poland and replaced him with Lawrence OBrien, one of the national Democratic Partys top political operatives. Marvin Watson, who was Johnsons White House Appointments Secretary and de facto Chief of Staff, was named Postmaster General in 1968.

Nixons postmaster general was Winton Blount, a GOP insider who left the post in 1972 to become the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Alabama.

View post:
Trump names GOP donor as postmaster general. Could that mean the return of local postmasters as congressional picks? - New Jersey Globe | New Jersey...

Ahmad Sajoh, a former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Adamawa State outlines the qualities the most valued staff of Mr. President must embody

The death of Mallam Abba Kyari is a very big blow to His Excellency Mr. President, the government and indeed the country at large. He left a very big vacuum which will be hard to fill. While it is indeed wrong to speak ill of the dead, I find some of the testimonies bandied around by people who claim to have been too close to the late Chief of Staff as equally wrong. Where were all these people when the man was alive and so many unsavory things were said about him? Some of the testimonies do not even add up at all when juxtaposed with what transpired under the presidency when he was alive. Like I said earlier, we have all accepted this cultural norm that it is bad to talk ill of the dead. But It is equally wrong to say things not true about a man who passed away. In all honesty, we should have been more concerned with designing a template for the President to use in selecting a replacement rather than spending so much time and energy in portraying the late Chief of Staff as an irreplaceable super human.

For me, the most important thing we all should be doing is to help the President identify a suitable replacement that will serve the best interest of the President as the leader of the country and the citizens who have a service contract with the President. According to the President, one of the qualities that stood Mallam Abba Kyari apart was his close relationship with Mr. President for over four decades. This means that whoever will replace the late Chief of Staff must have been close to the President for a long time, long enough to understand the Presidents person and temperament as well as to appreciate him both as a leader with all the burdens of the office and as a human with personal needs. Such a replacement must understand national politics very well while still remaining completely apolitical without pandering to the political whims of the different political tendencies in the polity. This way, the different roles of the office of the President cannot be compromised on the altar of political expediency or to satisfy a particular individual or group political interests.

In addition, the replacement must appreciate working 24/7 all year round without let or rest within the Presidents demands. This must have been cultivated over the years dating to periods long before Muhammadu Buhari became the President. This is why such an appointee should be the choice of the President this time around not one supposedly imposed on the President as was speculated with the late Chief of Staff. And it is easy for the President to find such a person within his inner circular. Most importantly such a persons appointment should erase all the speculations about the office serving as the extension of a supposed cabal manipulating the governance process. This is necessary for confidence building.

My understanding of the functions of the Chief of Staff to the President Federal Republic is one that performs a gate keeping function for the President. This is not in the sense of one who blocks people and issues from getting to the President but one that sieves through the many schedules of the President and the many issues requiring his attention. For the President, this is a very crucial role. Only someone strategic and close enough who understands Mr. President, understands his temperament and thinking can be an effective gate keeper, determining what goes in and out of the Presidents presence and office. Every individual or document going into the Presidents office should be appropriately evaluated for content and in keeping with the mood of the President. This must be done in an honest and timely manner without conflict of interest especially one induced by external forces.

It must also be noted that the Chief of Staff is the coordinator of all the personal staff of Mr. President as well as all the Staff of the Presidential Villa. As the name implies, he is the Chief of all the staff directly serving Mr. President. Everyone serving the President or working within the Presidential Villa looks up to him for general direction and coordination.

Supporting the political process including configuring effective relationship between the President and the political class and political office holders is also another major function of the Chief of Staff. The President as the leader of the country must relate everyday with his political party, other strata of the political class including those in opposition parties, and political office holders. The Chief of Staff liaises with all of these levels of political activity in a manner that is neither partisan nor myopic. He must understand the needs of the political class, help to evaluate certain concepts and contents in order to guide the President on the correct political decisions to make that are appropriate to existing situations.

One of key functions of the Chief of Staff is effective liaison with other levels of the Presidents functions. The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as well as the Officer Commanding all other security outfits in the country. It is the duty of the Chief of Staff to liaise with all of them and keep Mr. President abreast of happenings in the security sector and also avail him information on public perceptions and demands. This, the Chief of Staff must do without undermining the functions of all offices responsible for coordinating security strategies and activities. It is a function that must be used with caution and only someone who is apolitical and level headed can perform this function effectively.

The President is the head of his cabinet and must be able to guide, promote and protect the effective functioning of the cabinet as a constitutional requirement of the governance process. The Chief of Staff must provide support to the cabinet secretariat, ensuring that the President understand all memos and issues to be discussed to enable him guide the process effectively. In doing so the Chief of Staff must have sufficient institutional memories of the functioning of the cabinet from inception of the Buhari presidency. Such a person should have been with the President from the beginning of his Presidency.

The new Chief of Staff should possess a lot of Institutional memory with respect to Diplomatic relationships established overtime and what needs to be done at what level. Therefore the office requires a persons who had been close enough to have been with the President throughout his tenure. He or she must be a close ally and confidant of the President. The new Chief of Staff must be able to appreciate the President as a person, his temperament and family responsibilities. He must be absolutely loyal to the President and such loyalty must have been proven over time,must have the capacity to take as many verbal and written bullets as possible without buckling or even over reacting. A person who has the technical ability to analyze documents and provide advisories for Mr. President, must assemble a crack team and work as a team player with the temperament to moderate the various tendencies that will compete for the Presidents attention

In trying to be all of the above and much more, the Chief of Staff must avoid engulfing the office or the person occupying the office in unnecessary controversies. The whole Nation awaits what a replacement will do in mitigating some of these controversies. It is imperative that the President appoints a relatively less visible person to enable him draw more attention to the functions of the office rather than the personality of the occupant of the office. A person without much political visibility or adverse political baggage will surely bring in credibility and respect to the Office.

It is therefore safe to summarize that the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President is an important coordinating centre for the effective governance of the country under the leadership of the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the federation. One of the requirements of the office is to simplify complex operations for Mr. President to enable him understand issues and operational modalities in a manner that aids effective decision making.

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Searchlight on Mr. Presidents New Chief of Staff - THISDAY Newspapers

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Homes Recently Listed in the Carlisle Area | Home & Garden - Carlisle Sentinel

THE Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (CNGOs) in Zambia has appealed to the government to accept the draft NGO Bill without alterations as citizens stand to benefit greatly from a robust NGO regime.

Chairperson McDonald Chipenzi said, in a statement, that CNGOs whose mandate include to develop, adopt and administer the Code of Conduct for NGOs and facilitate and coordinate the work of NGOs operating in Zambia, expressed its gratitude at the favourable gesture by the Cabinet of approving in principle the Repeal and Replacement of the NGO Act No. 16 of 2009.

Chipenzi said as a statutory body created by an Act of Parliament the NGO Act No. 16 of 2009, the Council of NGOs in Zambia appreciated the levels of engagement and cooperation between itself with individual NGOs on one hand and the government through the department of NGOs Registration at the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services on the other hand in the process of repeal and replacement of the NGO Act No.16 of 2009.

Since the launch of the National Policy on the NGOs in Zambia and the election of the new CNGOs in October 2018 with the subsequent appointment of the 20 member diversely selected and Civil Society led Technical Working Group (TWG), a lot of ground (though not at a pace the Council would have loved) towards reaching the goal of having a repealed and replaced NGO Law, he said. The CNGOs understands too well the healthy but also critical collaboration amongst the members of the TWG and commends the strides made this far that include Drafting of the Laymans NGO Bill through one of its members the Zambia Law Development Commission (ZLDC) and the national wide consultations for comments and input from stakeholders.

Chipenzi noted that the CNGOs also conducted in 2019, a comprehensive NGO Policy sensitisation through its NGO provincial forums across the country, an activity that was inevitable to precede the consultations on the Draft Bill.

Whereas the CNGOs in Zambia applauds the approval to go ahead with the repeal and replacement of the NGO Act No. 16 of 2009 by government, it would further like to make a passionate appeal to government through Cabinet should accept the Draft NGO Bill as would be from the NGOs and stakeholders themselves without alterations as the document would not only be a reflection of the aspirations of the sector but that the Government generally and the citizens particularly stand to benefit greatly from a robust NGO regime, he said. The CNGOs is grateful to the cooperating partners that include the Germany Technical Corporation (GIZ), the European Union (EU), SIDA and Action Aid Zambia among many for coming on board in these endeavours. Furthermore, the CNGOs would like to make an earnest appeal and a clarion call on all NGOs (local and international) to take this process as golden and factor some activities, in their programming, to make submissions/input to the Draft NGO Bill, 2019. The CNGOs would endeavour to ensure and see that NGO(s) singularly or collectively is left behind and/or out.

Chipenzi said it was the CNGOs considered view that the final product would be owned by all stakeholders and will be a beacon of admiration and best practice in the region, the continent and the world as a whole.

Originally posted here:
NGOs urges govt to accept draft bill The Mast Online - themastonline.com

Asthe country braces for a one-in-100-year recession, Cabinet has agreed to a law change that will block thepublicfrom the resource consent processin order to fast track projects that create jobsand stimulatethe economy.

Environment Minister David Parker saidnew legislation was expected to be passed in June to allow for fasterResource Management Act(RMA) consenting ofdevelopment and infrastructureprojects, in response to the damage the coronaviruspandemic was having on the economy.

Created in 1991, the RMAallows communities to make decisions on how their own environment is managed through regional and district resource management plans.

Parker said theRMA providedfor local decision-making generally by local councils with the publichaving a right of participation and appeal.

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However, under the new powers resource consent decisionsfor large projects would not go tocouncil and public input would not happen. Instead,a panel of experts chaired by an Environment Court judge would determine whether a project could be given the green light, he said.

"Most people realise that the world is entering into the worst recession in 100 years as a result of Covid-19," Parker told Stuff.

Tom Lee/Stuff

Attorney-General David Parker says National Leader Simon Bridges, as chair of the Epidemic Response Select Committee, has made an "unprincipled" move in trying to summons high-ranking Government officials to hand over Crown Law advice.

"We think it's justified to put aside those normal rights of participation and have a narrower group of people make these decisions centrally."

As Minister for the Environment Parker would be the "gatekeeper" determiningwhich projects would be fast-trackedand go before the expert panel.

Traditional consentingprocessesused in normal circumstances did notprovide the speed needed in response to the economic fallout from Covid-19, he said.

"The new processes will get projects started sooner and people into jobs faster."

Both private and public projects would be eligiblefor the fast-tracked process such asroading, walking and cycling, rail, housing, sediment removal from silted rivers and estuaries, new wetland construction, flood management works, and projects to prevent landfill erosion.

Ross Giblin/Stuff

Roading projects will benefit from a proposed fast-tracked consenting process.

Projects that helped alleviate housing challenges, encouraged active transport and enhanced the environment would be prioritised, Parker said.

The projects had to be "significant" in size and create a large number of jobs, he said.

"We're not going to be taking over every little resource consent that people have to apply for because that would just choke up this panel and defeat its purpose."

Chris Skelton/Stuff

In 2019 a flood ripped open the Fox Glacier landfill causing large amounts of rubbish to spill into the ocean. Projects to prevent landfill erosion could be fast-tracked under the new law.

Once a project was referred to the panel there was a high level of certainty the resource consent would be granted, he said.

He expected the new legislation to free up resources at a local council level, which should speed up the processing ofotherconsent applications.

Parker said the fast-track process was designed as a short-term intervention to help with economic recovery from Covid-19 and the legislation would be repealed in two years.

Part 2 of the RMA, which contained the core principles of environment protection, would still be applied, he said.

Alden Williams/Stuff

National MP Judith Collins says the changes approved by Cabinet shows the RMA makes it difficult to get anything to get done quickly.

The Opposition's RMA spokeswoman Judith Collins said the changes sounded similar to changesproposed by the National Party.

"They should therefore support the repeal and replacement of the RMA, which is what we are proposing," Collins said.

"Even this government has worked out that the RMA is almostimpossible for anything to get done quickly under it."

Parker said while projects were being fast-tracked environmental safeguards remained.

New Zealand's health response to Covid-19 had given the country a head-start on the world to get the economy moving again, he said.

"This fast-tracking process will allow our economic recovery to accelerate."

Ideas from district and regional councils as well as non-government organisations and the private sector would be considered.

Excerpt from:
Coronavirus: Cabinet approves new legislation to fast-track resource consents and boost economy as it emerges from lockdown - Stuff.co.nz