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text:
Behind the Headlines Podcast
Opinion: Local campaign donations and expenditures: Enough already
Original post made on Dec 3, 2021
The ability to market yourself and your ideas is essential as a candidate for elected office. But in a city the size of Palo Alto, they should not feel compelled to build a formidable campaign cache.
Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, December 3, 2021, 6:46 AM
Posted by Local Resident
a resident of Community Center
on Dec 3, 2021 at 9:18 am
Local Resident is a registered user.
This is an opinion piece. The key is they want to limit individuals (residents) to contributing $250 per person. This would only work if no organizations (including the Democratic Party) could spend more than $250 for or against a candidate but I don't know how that's possible.
A little background. Liz Kniss is now the president of the Palo Alto League of Woman Voters. She had repeated campaign finance violations including failing to disclose the many contributions from developers until after the election.
Currently limiting campaign contributions by individuals is being pushed by folks like Liz Kniss because a few civically minded residents stepped up to the plate to counter developer contributions and some folks believe Palo Alto can be urbanized faster if those residents influence is diminished.
Email Town Square Moderator
Posted by tmp
a resident of Downtown North
tmp is a registered user.
"a local campaign finance reform task force under the aegis of the League of Women Voters of Palo Alto."
League president is Liz Kniss.
Posted by Online Name
a resident of Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
Online Name is a registered user.
What will Ms. Kniss's initiative do about thevery well-funded campaigns run by all the groups backed by corporate and institutional money like Palo Alto Forward, YIMBY, YIMBY LAW, Peninsula For Everyone, Renter's Alliance, etc. etc.
There's big tech and developer money behind all these groups, with new ones popping up seemingly weekly. Do a few searches and you'll see huge campaign budgets, paid staffers, in-kind donations of office space and resources, etc. etc.
Remember that Ms. Kniss has always been pro-development, pro-office buildings and famously denied PA even had a traffic problem.
Posted by Annette
a resident of College Terrace
Annette is a registered user.
Palo Alto is fast becoming the irony capital of California.
"The task force also recommends mandatory individual donation limits of $250 for council candidates who do not accept voluntary expenditure limits and mandatory individual donation limits of $500 for those who do. "
Irony or travesty or hypocrisy when donations to those groups named above run to the hundreds of thousands of dollars and in a few cases millions of dollars?
This isn't just a finger on the scale, it's putting a whole body there.
Posted by Nancy Neff
a resident of Midtown
Nancy Neff is a registered user.
@ Online Name: I have been working with the Task Force so I am familiar with details of the proposal. Disclosure on political ads of the top 5 funders will be required as soon as a group spends over $2500, and if a contributor is a committee, the top 3 funders of the committee will also be diclosed. Then voters will know who is behind the spending.
So groups can spend as much as they want but only have to disclose when they spend 10X what an individual spends? That's definitely trying to handicap residents.
on Dec 3, 2021 at 10:03 am
@ Local Resident: There is a balancing act for how low to put the threshold, with lower thresholds for displaying contributors on ads more likely to lead to constitutional challenges. Top contributors must be disclosed who made total contributions of $2500 or more to the committee that paid for the ad in the last 12 months, not who paid for a specific ad. So a $2500 threshold would hopefully capture the major players in Palo Alto.
Posted by ALB
ALB is a registered user.
Gail Price and Liz Kniss should never be the messengers for campaign finance reform as they are in the pocket of developers.
Posted by felix
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
felix is a registered user.
Wait a minute, apply critical thinking to this proposal and it doesn't look so good. It only speaks to the low hanging fruit, turning a blind eye to some insidious practices.
It is completely silent on major PAC donations that can avoid reporting by channeling it through a membership group to support candidates agreeable to both parties. The group could be given a $50,000 PAC donation, then can print campaign materials for distribution by members, pay a private service to drop them door-to-door, etc.
In the last election a lot of LLCs donated large amounts of money to some candidates. The individuals behind those LLC's wouldn't have to reaveal thier ID here, even if making smaller donations.
There's nothing about out-of-town donations. Only town residents vote, yet a few candidates were notable in having great numbers of out-of-town donations compared to in-town, and not from just a few friends and family. It's critical to know how many, how much, and from whom this money comes from. It influences our elections, some candidates and who ends up on city council. Is it from lobbyists such as Yimby Action headquartered in Sacramento, billionaire developers, etc.?
Not surprising, given Liz Kniss was involved with creating this proposal (earlier reports), that it leaves out requiring early reporting of developer donations before elections? Kniss got caught reporting all her developer donations after her last election, so voters didn't know she broke her promise not to take developer money.
An unenforceable voluntary cap on spending is likely doomed to fail. Greg Scharf completely self-financed his last election – around $100,000. When candidates can self-finance, make themselves loans (and often do), spending limits ring hollow.
Posted by Consider Your Options.
Consider Your Options. is a registered user.
As a former campaign worker for a successful candidate, I can say this statement is true. "...doesn't look so good. It only speaks to the low hanging fruit, turning a blind eye to some insidious practices."
Our campaign stuck to our candidate's commitment not to seek big donations from developers and other big interests outside Palo Alto. That required enormous discipline and grueling grassroots work. This put our candidate at a significant disadvantage because opponents were raking in very large donations from deep-pocketed private interests. We had to do five times the work to keep up. We never could raise what those opponents did. It was surprising to see how much of the money was coming from outside of Palo Alto. We were fortunate that our candidate was capable and our team of volunteers was willing to do the extra work. The problem seems to be escalating, and I wonder how it will affect future potential candidates decisions to run.
This proposal puts candidates, especially new entries to the political field who want to represent residents, at a real disadvantage. Given how these recommendations are written, that appears deliberate. Ms. Kniss has recruited a fleet of Palo Alto Forward members to the LWV Board this year. As a long-time member of the League, I have been disappointed by some of the work they are doing. It looks to me like they are being influenced by political advocacy groups with developer ties. That is not what I expect from the League of Women Voters. I'll be viewing their recommendations with a different lens while the current League leadership is in charge.
on Dec 3, 2021 at 2:02 pm
I remember when the League of Women Voters was a trusted organization. But that was then and this is now.
@Nancy Neff, you didn't answer any of the questions about limiting the donations from organizations, PACS, companies, etc.
I remember an earlier campaign where organized groups nastily criticized contributions from between 5 to 8 wealthy individuals, claiming they were real big donors who were bigger than the Chamber of Commerce, one of the top 3 lobbying organizations in the entire US which helps all its local chapters.
The lack of transparency and logic is really quite something. They obviously think we're morons to believe a $10K donation is the worst of all possible worlds in this era of Citizens United -- "corporations are people, my friend" -- and huge Dark Money groups.
A needed correction to my comment, 2nd above - I should have said Greg Scharf self-financed his candidacy, not election, given he lost to Karen Holman.
Also -State and federal constraints on what and how limits can be imposed is no excuse for enacting bad policies that selectively try to shut some doors while leaving others wide open to abuse.
Posted by Angie Evans
a resident of Crescent Park
Angie Evans is a registered user.
There has often been a lot of conjecture from opposition in Palo Alto about Palo Alto Forward's funding. As a non-profit organization that relies on member dues and philanthropic grants, they/we have consistently shared funding sources. I'm not going to take the bait and debate this. Rather, I think we should focus on where and how money is being injected into our elections. Here's just one report here: Web Link
Posted by Allen Akin
a resident of Professorville
Allen Akin is a registered user.
The link posted by Angie Evans is interesting, though complex. (And significantly flawed in some respects; for example, Alison Cormack is classified as an outlier, when by voting history she should be classified in the Pro Growth camp.) The bottom line seems to be that large individual contributors have dominated donations in both the Residentialist and Pro Growth camps, with Residentialists gaining a larger edge in recent elections. Pro Growth candidates depend more heavily on non-resident individuals, corporations, and trade associations.
Liz Kniss is a consummate politician. She understands that given the distribution of donations, limiting individual contributions will tip the funding balance toward pro-growth candidates.
Posted by Jennifer DiBrienza
a resident of Evergreen Park
Jennifer DiBrienza is a registered user.
I'm really surprised at some of the reactions to this piece. I thank Gail Price for writing it and the LWV for advocating for these changes. Some random thoughts in no particular order:
The question about developers and outside organizations is a good one. My understanding is they fall under the same donation limits and disclosures as any individual. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong on that but I think individual donations are individual donations. So on both "sides" of this debate there would be big limitations of a handful of very big donors. Sounds good to me!
As for out of town donors, I don't believe that could be regulated. Now if you want to get serious about campaign finance there are all kinds of things we could do - we could partially publicly fund elections. In NYC elections, any donation from a resident is matched by the city, while outside ones are not.
PACs are a totally different story and, as noted in the piece, have been determined to be free speech and cannot have the same limits set. But disclosure rules would at least make it clear who was paying for them.
These all seem like very reasonable first steps to tamping down the escalating costs of mounting a local election and I look forward to hearing more and working with the community to make it happen!
Why are PAC's a totally different story? Because they have more money? Because they're better organized? Because they can help their candidates with in-jkind donations of legal advice, office space, clerical help, web site help, etc etc?
How nice that Palo Alto Forward is featured on the Chamber of Commerce website along with Stanford, banks and other struggling mom & pop businesses.
Or a search on Who Funds YIMWeb Link (which has local, state, national and global chapters and numerous spinoffs) the following comes up from WikiPedia for the Palo Alto chapter but to do browse the entire entry.
"The bills failed in the state senate after multiple attempts at passage. California YIMBY received $100,000 from Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman, $1 million from Irish entrepreneurs John and Patrick Collison through their company, Stripe, and $500,000 raised by Pantheon CEO Zach Rosen and GitHub CEO Nat Friedman."
And Liz Kniss et al cares about $10K donations??!!
Question for the LWV: what about the timing of donations? The set disclosure dates can be avoided. What's to stop a donor from pledging to donate - but after the election, avoiding the disclosure that might turn off voters? I think one of the biggest obstacles to having a level playing field is the PACs that are aligned with a political party. Remember the endless stream of glossy mailers for Mark Berman? The fine print told this story: our local election was out of our hands. On the surface, these changes present as a good idea. But as always, the devil is in the details.
on Dec 3, 2021 at 11:06 pm
Re: PACs, if they donate directly to a candidate they are subject to the same limits as an individual donating to a candidate. If they are spending for or against a candidate without coordinating with any candidate (called IEs or independent expenditures) the US Supreme Court said they cannot be limited but they can be disclosed.
Reporting requirements are specified by the Fair Political Practices Commission. Here's a paragraph from their website:
Who Files [Form 410]:
Recipient Committees: Persons (including an
officeholder or candidate), organizations, groups, or
other entities that raise contributions from others
totaling $2,000 or more in a calendar year to spend
on California elections. They must register with
the Secretary of State and report all receipts and
expenditures. "Contributions" include monetary
payments, loans and non-monetary goods and
services received or made for a political purpose.
Also from FPPC.ca.gov re Independent Expenditure Committees:
Individuals and entities, including corporations, firms,
businesses, and proprietorships, making independent expenditures of
$1,000 or more in a calendar year qualify as a committee under the
Act and must file reports of the independent expenditures.
@ Felix and Online Name: A membership group can send information only to its own members without triggering disclosure rules. Under the proposed reduction of the threshold from $50,000 (the state level) to $2500 (for Palo Alto races), a membership group receiving a PAC donation would have to be displayed on the ads that went to anyone other than members if they spent over $2500, and the top 3 donors to the group would also be displayed.
It would not be constitutional to ban out-of-town contributions, but all contributions to candidates, whether from individuals or organizations, must be reported to the Secretary of State.
A number of cities are having success with voluntary expenditure limits. While self funding cannot be regulated, it is usually covered by the press.
@ Consider Your Options: My observation of the Task Force was that there was a great deal of research on what other cities have done, and that the intention is to make running for office more accessible to candidates who want to represent residents. Lower donation limits should make it possible for candidates to compete who do not have access to wealthy donors or organizational support.
@Annette: I will respond although I don't represent the LWV; I am a volunteer with California Clean Money Campaign. I don't know of anything we can do anything about the timing issue, but I'll pose the question to CCMC. These proposals are not expected to fix everything, but we sincerely hope that they will be a significant improvement.
Ms Neff - Disclosure does not equal prevention. Does the LWV not get this?
It doesn't prevent PACs from still donating any amount (again using one example) to an agreeable membership group acting as a surrogate for a candidate that then can spend big on ads, leaflets and leafleting, etc.
supporting its candidate.
Of course out of town donations can't be banned, but LWV doesn't include these donations in its beefed-up disclosures.
These and many more reasons I listed above is why the LWV proposal doesn't come close to creating a level sensible playing field for candidates and shouldn't be considered.
Posted by PaloAltoVoter
PaloAltoVoter is a registered user.
How about some changes to address the recent FPPC violations and getting around the spirit of the FPPC regulations?
Candidates pledge to take no more donations after the final reporting period (ie Kniss and Tanaka accepting large donations after the election was over). I am also concerned about the amount of money coming from non voters out of town. How about each candidate must post prominently on their home page the percentage of donations from Palo Alto voters vs non voters (including PACS). IEs should be tracked and reported by the press.
The oped proposal seems to target limiting Palo Alto voter donations at the expense of candidates backed mostly by our local voters. I'm glad most commenters see that clearly.
Finally if there was a voluntary limit $30,000 seems way too low given elections in the last ten years. Set it similar to some other cities at higher limit but where candidates can still reach the population. Maybe $75000. That might maintain a more level field even with IEs
Finally , can Palo Alto make these non partisan races not allow party endorsements or donations?
Let's nor forget that Ms Kniss knows all about donation disclosure laws as was made clear by the way she ran out the clock when accused of campaign disclosure irregularities.
Is her recent move her way of atoning for her past mistakes?
Isn't Gail Price the current president of Palo Alto Forward? Why didn't she mention that?
@Palo Alto voter – I think local elections are partisan, especially when a candidate is seeking local office as a stepping stone to higher office. Berman is a perfect example of how this plays out. During his run for CC, our mailboxes were stuffed with glossy and expensive campaign mailers. Name recognition worked and he was elected. Next thing you know, he's running for the Assembly. And then, more mailers. And another win - that time over an arguably more qualified candidate, a woman, who didn't have the same level of party support.
As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.
Posted by Fred Balin
Fred Balin is a registered user.
Editorial Note: Not thrilled with the 2K PA Online character limit. Ergo, Part 1 below:
The concept and proposals in the guest opinion are valid and worthy of the public's and the city council's serious consideration … once again.
At the top of the list is voluntary expenditure limits. In Mountain View, which has had such an ordinance on the books since 2000, at the time a candidate files nomination papers with the city clerk, she or he is advised of the voluntary limit and files a statement of acceptance or rejection. That choice is made public, and voters can factor it into their own decision-making calculus.
It is important to note that the expenditure limit in Mountain View not only includes monetary contributions, but also non-monetary contributions, aka "in-kind" contributions. The latter includes goods and services, which in Palo Alto city council elections span everything from supporters' "coffee" and event refreshments to professional services (e.g., consulting and design) to picking up the tab for an expensive mailer. Mountain View includes these non-monetary contributions within their voluntary expenditure limit and Palo Alto should as well.
Second in importance is a limit on the size of donations from a single outside source. While expenditure limits must be voluntary, contribution limits can be set by a municipality below the absurdly high $4,900 legal ceiling. My personal limit continues to be $250, and I see no reason why a viable candidate (i.e., someone with roots in the community and whose foremost concern is the public good) should need more. Of far greater importance is the sweat equity of resident-to-resident: walking, talking, emailing and distributions; gatherings via virtual meetings at farmer's markets, in parks, along neighborhood streets and in retail establishments.
-- to be continued ... I hope.
@Fred Balin, thanks. Is there any way to quantify the value of non-monetary aka in-kind donations. With rents so high giving someone office space would run into many thousands of dollars each year depending on how many people. I think Silicon Valley Leadership Group houses at least one of the PACs.
Looking forward to your next post.
In-kind contributions such as office space or services are to be listed at fair market value on FPPC disclosures.
Moving on to independent expenditures, i.e., outlays from groups not associated and not coordinating with a candidate. Voters know where the communications are coming from: unions, political organizations, local political action committee, as well fly-by-night endorsement mailers, easily recognized for what they are. In upcoming local elections we may see independent expenditures from groups that we do not recognize and therefore increased disclosure requirements could be a helpful measure for the public.
In 1996 nearly two-thirds of Californians voted to establish state and local contribution limits. The following year, the Palo Alto city council passed an ordinance, still on the books, (PAMC 2.40.070) establishing a voluntary expenditure limit of $14,000, but its implementation was suspended due to lawsuit, and later, when they could, our city did not reinstate it.
In mid-2007 council members Peter Drekmeier, who set a record for contributions and LaDoris Cordell, who accepted no monetary contribution, called for limitations. Encouraged to pursue this concept, they dutifully returned from the council's Policy & Services committee with voluntary monetary contribution and expenditure caps: $300 and $30,000 respectively. But with the next council campaign in view, all other council members withdrew support. Hopefully that will not happen this time around.
I have written two guest opinions on this topic, the most recent in 2017, reviews the "arms race" in 2016. Web Link ).
We as residents need to curb this escalation and join the many forward-thinking California municipalities who have adopted local campaign expenditure, contribution, and disclosure requirements. Web Link
Posted by Peninsula Lady
Peninsula Lady is a registered user.
Re the statement about the US Chamber, the truth (fact) is that there is zero relationship between the US Chamber and the Palo Alto Chamber - zero. The local chamber is a wholly independent nonprofit and gets nothing from the national organization and has no political, legal, monetary or any other kind of connection at all.
No relationship between the US Chamber of Commerce and local communities?? Not according to THEIR web site as per the second sentence below Web Link
"We Work for You
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business organization. Our members range from the small businesses ***and chambers of commerce across the country that support their communities,*** to the leading industry associations and global corporations that innovate and solve for the world's challenges, to the emerging and fast-growing industries that are shaping the future. For all of the businesses we represent, the Chamber is an advocate, partner, and network, helping them improve society and people's lives."
Their in-kind contributions re legislative support and research, training, office space etc etc. does not come cheap. Check out some of their huge LOCAL buildings,
Posted by Paul Brophy
Paul Brophy is a registered user.
If you really want to reduce the role of money in Palo Alto elections, the simplest and most effective means is to switch to district elections. Instead of having to appeal to 65,000 residents, candidates will only serve 9,000 citizens. Ads in the local papers and mailings will matter far less than getting neighbors to support you and to walk the streets on behalf of your candidacy.
Consider four questions. 1. What is the problem you're trying to solve? 2. Does this problem demonstrably exist? 3. Is the proposed solution effective? 4. Does the proposed solution have undesirable side-effects?
From what I see here, the answer to #1 appears to be "money corrupts the campaign process". Of course this can be true. However, as commenters have pointed out, given the past positions of the people involved, there is a risk that the true answer to #1 is "money is preventing the campaign process from yielding the outcome I want".
Based on Angie's link, my take on question #2 is "maybe". The actual split of large contributions seems close, and it's not clear they affected the election outcomes. Money matters marginally, but it doesn't make up for an unsuccessful candidate. Fred's link is crucial to understand the context.
Regarding #3, I'd guess disclosures are ineffective if they don't exist before people start voting. Fred, what's the timeline for the disclosures we're discussing here? As for voluntary campaign limits, they put candidates into a Prisoner's Dilemma. I'm glad to see they've been respected in Mountain View, though my recollection is that they haven't been successful in other contexts.
As for #4, one side-effect that concerns me is the biasing effects of rule changes. We're in the midst of national furor about voter suppression, and much of it revolves around rules that have modest, but significant and intentional, effects on the outcome of close elections. If allowing large contributions results in representatives that more-accurately reflect the opinions of people who live in Palo Alto vs. people who live elsewhere, I might be OK with that. I would prefer reducing the influence of money overall, but I don't find it acceptable to do that at the expense of representing local concerns accurately.
Paul, I like your suggestion, but contributions cross district boundaries, and so do slates.
Yes, the 2K char limit is annoying.
Allen, thank you. Other thoughts on your questions:
1. Money can prevent people from running/succeeding if they don't have access to large donors.
2. Interviews with some potential and past candidates indicate yes, it's a problem.
3. The proposed change to disclosures has to do with independent expenditures, not candidate disclosures, where timing is still a problem that will require further study. The disclosures are printed on the ads, or spoken on robocalls, written in a text, linked in an online ad, etc., so people see them throughout the campaign.
4. I think that reducing large contributions from everywhere -- because the donation limits apply to persons, corporations, LLCs, political parties, or any groups -- should help with representing local concerns from a wider variety of people, because the importance of smaller donors is increased.
Since there's been a huge, prolonged problem with candidate disclosures and the years it takes the the election commission tasked with protecting the integrity of our elections managed I wonder why this isn't a top priority.
Many of us still recall how the elctions commission slow-walked its investigation into the campaign irregularities of Ms. Liz Kniss until she'd served out her term. Only then did we find out about the "late" contributions from developers that we just under the maximum required to be discloses.
It's the height of irony that our former mayor who keeps grooming pro-development acolytes is the one championing this initiative!
Hi, Nancy. Thanks for the followup!
So it sounds like there's anecdotal evidence. That can be suggestive, but it's hard for those of us who haven't seen it to interpret. Did anyone go on the record?
I'm a little skeptical about the effectiveness of piecemeal disclosures as you described. Most voters won't see all of them (particularly if mailings, online ads, etc. are targeted). I know I'd rather see the information aggregated. Was a requirement for mandatory real-time reporting considered? If the raw data is available to the public, then aggregation is an easy problem to solve.
As far as contribution limits go, there is one data-driven experiment that would be helpful. If the limits had been in place for the last three or four elections, how would the donations for each candidate have been reduced, and how would the proportions donated to each faction change? Perhaps someone went through this exercise already to help choose the limits; if so, what were the results?
Posted by Douglas Moran
a resident of Barron Park
Douglas Moran is a registered user.
During the 2020 City Council Election, I did an analysis of the contributions to all the candidates as of the late September reporting deadline -- September 24 for contributions through September 19 -- and published it in my blog "Examining Candidates' Donations" (Web Link
This is the most important set of these reports because voters start returning their ballots in early October and consequently it reflects how much money the campaign has to work with during the vital period of mid-September through mid-October. Of course, this would not reveal planned spending by IECs -- Independent Expenditure Committees aka PACs. Nor would it reveal the various schemes that candidates can use to delay reporting of contributions and expenditures until later.
Note: I did not do an updated analysis because the next campaign reports were too close to the election to expect that analysis to have enough impact to justify the effort.
On IECs: That blog references a blog from the 2014 Council Campaign where a self-described Independent Expenditure Committee ran an advertising blitz during the final week of the campaign. The ads attacked the slow-growth candidates and supported the pro-development candidates. Most/all of the IECs supporters were prominent supporters of the pro-development candidates, including members of their campaigns. That included Gail Price, the author of this Op-Ed.
That blog: "A reprehensible political ad" (Web Link of 02 November 2014.
Under the advocated contribution limits -- individual and total -- most campaigns would not have the resources to respond. That 2014 IEC campaign spent only $7270, but that was 24% of what is being advocated as the spending limit for campaigns. No campaign can afford to reserve 25-50% of its budget for IEC-funded attacks.
In my comment above, the site's software added to the URL what was supposed to be the closing parenthesis. If you click on the link, you will need to trim those characters.
Posted by NeilsonBuchanan
NeilsonBuchanan is a registered user.
Debate and idealism are the foundation of our democracy. These exchanges must evolve to several clear policy issues and then be validated by legal experts who specialize in Calif law. I am not convinced that anyone has a grasp of the complexities of campaign controls.
I see almost no chance that Palo Alto in the short-term can enact any meaningful financial controls on candidates who can game any knee-jerk reforms sought by local experts who have their own legit bias. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
Politics has always been a contact sport. The game is clearly getting rougher with signs of average voter fatigue. These circular, well-intentioned, but uninformed debates tire me out.
Posted by Eric Filseth
Eric Filseth is a registered user.
Multiple posts above on Real-Estate money, so I'll comment on out-of-town money. Perhaps churlish to observe that of the $77,395 in out-of-town money in the 2020 Council election, 77%, went to the four candidates – Lee, Malone, Tanaka and Templeton – endorsed by Ms Price.
There may be a larger picture. Ms Neff says that "Interviews with some potential and past candidates indicate it's a problem." One characteristic of the less-successful 2020 and 2018 candidates was they were more likely to have run as "Progressives" than other candidates (and been endorsed by the Democratic Party, despite a "nonpartisan" election).
Regional money skews unevenly. In 2020, the three candidates who ran as "Progressives" (including a memorable "Values" ad on that) raised 30-50% of their campaign funds from out-of-town. Whereas Kuo, for example, raised just 3% outside Palo Alto. In 2018 Wolbach, also a Progressive platform, raised $41,105 outside Palo Alto, nearly 50% of his total; DuBois' figure was 4%. Statistically, it seems Regional money backs different candidates than local money.
Historically Palo Alto has mostly elected not Progressive activists but center-left pragmatists. In 2020 and 2018 the Progressives won generally around a third of the Palo Alto vote, with centrists closer to half - consistent with the 2016 Democratic primary, in which 66% of Palo Alto ballots went to Hillary, and 34% to Bernie. Campaign money or not, Palo Alto may simply not be a terribly Progressive town.
Hence the concern on Regional money: it may not only be non-neutral re "Palo Alto Values" as majority-held; it may in fact oppose them. I can't think of many good reasons why anybody would spend $77K on an election in a town they don't live in, but it's clearly not a random distribution. Regional money shouldn't be a path to minority-rule. Between residents and Regional special interests, most of us would take residents. Any limits on Palo Altans must address the out-of-town money issue.
Posted by Resident11
a resident of Fairmeadow
Resident11 is a registered user.
I strongly agree with Eric. Either limit both or limit neither.
Yes, thank you, Eric Filseth and Resident11.
I'm so tired to the transparent attempts of Gail Price, Liz Kniss et al to game the system for themselves and their friends from out of town who only care about developer interests, not the benefit of us, the residents, voters and taxpayers.
Funny, how a life-long Democrat like me can't get a response from our county Democratic party when I contact them politely questioning their agenda, endorsements and priorities. As has been noted repeatedly, it's not your father's Democratic Party any more.
on Dec 12, 2021 at 11:13 am
I think many, maybe even most, Americans are fed up with the role money plays in elections at every level. The results are terrible, regardless of political affiliation. This local effort would be far more credible if it originated from a different source. Kniss is a seasoned, successful politician. Given her history with campaign violations and Price's connection to PAF, I am surprised she didn't anticipate that many in this community would question the motivations driving this effort.
Allen Akin defined the situation perfectly when he wrote " . . . given the past positions of the people involved, there is a risk that the true answer to #1 is "money is preventing the campaign process from yielding the outcome I want".
It will be interesting to see who Kniss and Price endorse next election.
Posted by PeersParent
on Dec 14, 2021 at 1:50 pm
PeersParent is a registered user.
I'm still confused about the resistance to this. What Eric laid out about out-of-town funds... that would also be limited! Of course. That's the point. Limit it all. We all do better when there is less money in politics. No matter your values, priorities, alignments. Why would we be against more transparency and fewer dollars?
Sounds like the fact that it originated with the League of Women Voters is a sticking point. Yes, Liz is currently president. But this push aligns completely with the LWV priorities. Which are all about democracy, education, and political engagement. I hope we all support those goals.
I hope we can continue this conversation and find a way to reduce the cost of running a campaign and increase the transparency of who is behind candidates and positions.
@PeersParent: If the average resident's donation is different from the average non-resident's donation, then enforcing a limit causes the overall percentage of donations to shift, possibly even changing the priority between residents and non-residents. (As Nancy Neff said above, "There is a balancing act for how low to put the threshold." I assume this is one of the reasons.)
As a drastically-simplified example, suppose there's one resident who donates $1000, and two non-residents who donate $250 each. The status quo is $1000 (67%) of funds come from residents and $500 (33%) from non-residents. Now impose a $250 limit. The new distribution is $250 (33%) from residents, and $500 (67%) from non-residents. If you believe that money makes a difference in campaigns, then you also have to acknowledge that changing the balance of money makes a difference in campaigns, so this is a real problem.
I asked if anyone at LWV had done this analysis on the real data to see what the change might be. So far there's been no reply, which is concerning.
"I asked if anyone at LWV had done this analysis on the real data to see what the change might be. So far there's been no reply, which is concerning."
But typical of the proponents' attitudes to those pesky residents who challenge their logic and their claims. See also "no traffic problems in Palo Alto" and long-standing refusal to respond to specifics that undercut their positions like the fact that continued office development just might be problematic.
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text:
Bon Iver's "Perth" was inspired by Heath Ledger.[141] Justin Vernon, the lead singer and songwriter of the American indie folk band, revealed back in 2011 that he had begun working on the song in 2008 and was scheduled to meet with a music video director who was good friends with Ledger, Matt Amato. "The first thing I worked on, the riff and the beginning melodies, was the first song on the record, 'Perth,'" Vernon told Exclaim!.[142] Amato was directing the band's "The Wolves (Act I & II)" music video the day that Ledger died. "It was no longer about just making a Bon Iver music video anymore," Vernon says. "This was now our chance to be there with Matt as he grieved. It was a three-day wake." Amato told Vernon stories about Ledger that eventually became the inspiration for "Perth," the opening track to the band's second studio album Bon Iver, Bon Iver (2011).[141]
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^ "A Place To Be: Reflections Of Nick Drake". A Place To Be. Archived from the original on 18 February 2009. Retrieved 18 March 2008. A Place To Be: a collection, a celebration, in film, photography, painting, drawing and prose, of the impact the music of Nick Drake has had on other artists ("Introductory film" includes excerpts of the music video, Black Eyed Dog, by Heath Ledger, among others.)
Coinbase was founded in June 2012 by Brian Armstrong and Fred Ehrsam.[6][7] Blockchain.info co-founder Ben Reeves was part of the original founding team but later parted ways with Armstrong due to a difference in how the Coinbase wallet should operate.[8] The remaining founding team enrolled in the Summer 2012 Y Combinator startup incubator program. In October 2012, the company launched the services to buy and sell bitcoin through bank transfers.[9] In May 2013, the company received a US$5 million Series A investment led by Fred Wilson from the venture capital firm Union Square Ventures.[10] In December 2013, the company received a US$25 million investment, from the venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz, Union Square Ventures (USV), and Ribbit Capital.[11]
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In 2014, the company grew to one million users, acquired the blockchain explorer service Blockr and the web bookmarking company Kippt, secured insurance covering the value of bitcoin stored on their servers, and launched the vault system for secure bitcoin storage.[12][13][14] Throughout 2014, the company also formed partnerships with Overstock, Dell, Expedia, Dish Network, and Time Inc. allowing those firms to accept bitcoin payments.[15][16][17][18] The company also added bitcoin payment processing capabilities to the traditional payment companies Stripe, Braintree, and PayPal.[19]
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^ Gemma Jones and Janet Fife-Yeomans (31 March 2008). "Did Heath Ledger Father a Secret Love Child?". The Daily Telegraph. Australia. Retrieved 25 July 2008. The April will lists only [US]US$145,000 in assets and names the late actor's father, Kim, mother Sally Bell, sister Kate Ledger and half sisters Olivia Ledger and Ashleigh Bell as the only beneficiaries. The New York documents also acknowledge Matilda Rose, as Ledger's only known child, as an interested party.
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Ripple (XRP) is an independent digital asset that is native to the Ripple Consensus Ledger. With proven governance and the fastest transaction confirmation of its kind, XRP is said to be the most efficient settlement option for financial institutions and liquidity providers seeking global reach, accessibility and fast settlement finality for interbank flows.
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Film critics, co-stars Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Caine and many of Ledger's colleagues in the film community joined Bale in calling for and predicting a nomination for the 2008 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in recognition of Ledger's achievement in The Dark Knight.[161] Ledger's subsequent nomination was announced on 22 January 2009, the anniversary of his death.[162]
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From 2000 to 2005, he starred in supporting roles as Gabriel Martin, the eldest son of Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson), in The Patriot (2000), and as Sonny Grotowski, the son of Hank Grotowski (Billy Bob Thornton), in Monster's Ball (2001); and in leading or title roles in A Knight's Tale (2001), The Four Feathers (2002), The Order (2003), Ned Kelly (2003), Casanova (2005), The Brothers Grimm (2005), and Lords of Dogtown (2005).[19] In 2001, he won a ShoWest Award as "Male Star of Tomorrow".[20]
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On 15 July 2008, Fife-Yeomans reported further, via Australian News Limited, that "While Ledger left everything to his parents and three sisters, it is understood they have legal advice that under Western Australia law, Matilda Rose is entitled to the lion's share" of his estate; its executors, Kim Ledger's former business colleague Robert John Collins and Geraldton accountant William Mark Dyson, "have applied for probate in the West Australian Supreme Court in Perth, advertising for 'creditors and other persons' having claims on the estate to lodge them by 11 August 2008 ... to ensure all debts are paid before the estate is distributed...."[114] According to this report by Fife-Yeomans, earlier reports citing Ledger's uncles,[105] and subsequent reports citing Ledger's father, which do not include his actual posthumous earnings, "his entire fortune, mostly held in Australian trusts, is likely to be worth up to $20 million."[114][115][116]
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In their New York Times interview, published on 4 November 2007, Ledger told Sarah Lyall that his recently completed roles in I'm Not There (2007) and The Dark Knight (2008) had taken a toll on his ability to sleep: "Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night. ... I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going."[80] At that time, he told Lyall that he had taken two Ambien pills, after taking just one had not sufficed, and those left him in "a stupor, only to wake up an hour later, his mind still racing".[31]
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The next day, at 10:50 am Australian time, Ledger's parents and sister appeared outside his mother's house in Applecross, a riverside suburb of Perth, and read a short statement to the media expressing their grief and desire for privacy.[120] Within the next few days, memorial tributes were communicated by family members; the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd; the Deputy Premier of Western Australia, Eric Ripper; Warner Bros. (distributor of The Dark Knight) and thousands of Ledger's fans around the world.[121][122][123][124]
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Two weeks later on 6 February 2008, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York released its conclusions, based on an initial autopsy on 23 January 2008 and a subsequent complete toxicological analysis.[8][85][86] The report concludes, in part, "Mr. Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine." It states definitively: "We have concluded that the manner of death is accident, resulting from the abuse of prescribed medications."[8][10]
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According to the police, Wolozin, who had arrived early for a 3:00 pm appointment with Ledger, called Ledger's friend Mary-Kate Olsen for help. Olsen, who was in California, directed a New York City private security guard to go to the scene. At 3:26 pm, "less than 15 minutes after she first saw him in bed and only a few moments after the first call to Ms. Olsen", Wolozin telephoned 9-1-1 "to say that Mr. Ledger was not breathing". At the urging of the 9-1-1 operator, Wolozin administered CPR, which was unsuccessful in reviving him.[83]
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Categories: Heath Ledger1979 births2008 deaths20th-century Australian male actors21st-century Australian male actorsAccidental deaths in New York (state)Australian expatriate male actors in the United StatesAustralian film actorsAustralian male film actorsAustralian male television actorsAustralian music video directorsAustralian people of English descentAustralian people of Irish descentAustralian people of Scottish descentBest Supporting Actor Academy Award winnersBest Supporting Actor BAFTA Award winnersBest Supporting Actor Golden Globe (film) winnersBurials at Karrakatta CemeteryDrug-related deaths in New York (state)Male actors from Perth, Western AustraliaMethod actorsOutstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Screen Actors Guild Award winnersPeople educated at Guildford Grammar SchoolPeople from Boerum Hill, BrooklynPeople from SoHo, ManhattanRock Eisteddfod Challenge participants
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What did you study at Simmons? What are you doing now?
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Health Informatics. I took this class as a Nursing major. However, after I took this class I fell in love with Health Informatics. I enjoyed going to class, working on class activities, special projects and had fun working on homework assignments. After this course, I realized that I was in the wrong field and wanted to change my major. Professor Menzin taught this class and after I changed my major she became my advisor.
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text:
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Reviews of Butley


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When we first sit down with a buyer to discuss purchasing a condo in downtown Minneapolis, there's always a common fear of Home Owners Association (HOA) fees. HOA fees can be confusing and difficult to understand. But if you're someone who dreams of living an urban lifestyle, we at Downtown Resource Group believe the fear of these fees should never hold you back.
HOA fees are collected by the condo's association on a monthly basis—in order to assist with maintaining and improving the property. In other words, these recurring fees go toward the improvement of the overall building, as well as other routine maintenance services, such as trash, sewer, snow removal, and lawn care. And depending on the condo's association, this monthly fee may cover additional services, as well.
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The Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") issued the latest in a series of reports on sales, advertising, and promotion of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. The reports are based on data submitted to FTC by industry. The cigarette report states that the "total number of cigarettes reported sold or given away decreased by 7.7 billion cigarettes (2.2 percent) from 2006 to 2007, and then by another 20.2 billion units (4.5 percent) from 2007 to 2008," such that the total number of cigarettes sold or given away in 2008 was 322.6 billion. For purposes of reference, that figure was reported as 402.2 billion in 2001. There was also a decline in advertising and promotional expenditures, from $12.49 billion in 2006 to $9.94 billion in 2008 – the lowest figure reported since 2000.
The smokeless tobacco report states that "the total amount of smokeless tobacco sold by manufacturers to wholesalers and retailers increased from 115.82 million pounds in 2006 to 118.23 million pounds in 2007. Sales rose again in 2008 to 119.92 million pounds." That figure was reported as 112.2 million pounds in 2001. The report also presents data on the number of units of smokeless tobacco given away, by package size. Advertising and promotional expenditures increased from $354.1 million in 2006 to $547.9 million in 2008 – more than twice what was reported in 2000.
FDA regulations issued under the authority of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act curtail the distribution of free samples of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, and FDA recently published a final rule that will require more prominent and graphic health warnings on cigarette labeling and advertising – assuming it survives a court challenge. It will be interesting to see whether advertising expenditures are influenced by FDA's implementation of the new law.


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text:
Avianca El Salvador
(Redirected from TACA Airlines)
"TACA Airlines" redirects here. Not to be confused with Cabo Verde Airlines.
Transportes Aereos del Continente Americano, (Air Transports of the American Continent, known and branded formerly as TACA International), operating as Avianca El Salvador, is an airline owned by Kingsland Holdings based in El Salvador. As TACA, it still currently operates as the flag carrier of El Salvador. As Avianca El Salvador, it is one of the seven national branded airlines in the Avianca Group of Latin American airlines, and has been in operation for 75 years.
TA TAI TACA
El Salvador International Airport
Focus cities
Juan Santamaría International Airport
Frequent-flyer program
LifeMiles
Star Alliance (affiliate)[1]
Fleet size
Avianca Group
Adrian Neuhauser (Chairman & CEO of Avianca Group)
David Aleman (Director)
www.avianca.com
TACA owned and operated five other airlines in Central America, and its name was originally an acronym meaning Transportes Aéreos Centro Americanos (Central American Air Transport), but this was changed to Transportes Aéreos del Continente Americano (Air Transport of the American Continent), reflecting its expansion to North, Central, South America and the Caribbean.
On October 7, 2009, it was announced that TACA would merge with Avianca,[2] though TACA maintained its name until the merger was officially completed on May 21, 2013. TACA was the second-oldest continuously operating airline brand in Central America and the Caribbean after Cubana de Aviación.
1.1 Inauguration (1931–1980)
1.2 Expansion years (1980–2009)
1.3 AviancaTACA and modernization (2009–12)
1.3.1 Star Alliance (2010–12)
1.4 Completion of merger and final flight
1.5 Merger and controversy in Costa Rica (2012–13)
3 Destinations
3.1 Codeshare agreements
4.1 Current fleet
4.2 Former fleet
5 Reciprocal frequent-flyer agreements
6 Accidents and incidents
Inauguration (1931–1980)Edit
A TACA Douglas DC-4
TACA was founded in 1931 in Honduras by New Zealander Lowell Yerex. TACA began operations with a single-engine Stinson plane. Since its beginnings, routes covered all the national territory and its aircraft sported the XH Mexican registration (which were changed later by HR). The idea of its founder was to establish one airline in each Latin-American country, such as Aerovias Brasil in Brazil and other TACAs in Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia.[3] Out of all the TACA franchise airlines created, only TACA International of El Salvador survived.[4]
As a consequence, in 1945, Yerex left the company and TACA moved its headquarters to the Republic of El Salvador where it was modernized and expanded, the company then established investment groups in other Latin American countries to be sold to domestic airlines, which in the case of Honduras TACA was sold to SAHSA. Later TACA was organized as an international company having its headquarters in San Salvador only[citation needed] under the name of TACA International.
A TACA Air Cargo Lockheed L-188A Electra at Miami International Airport in 1978
During the 1940s and 1950s, the airline began to acquire larger piston engine airliners including the Douglas DC-3 and the Douglas DC-4. The Vickers Viscount turboprop passenger airliner followed in order to expand its route network around the Americas.
On December 28, 1966, TACA International entered the jet age when it inaugurated their first jet, a BAC One Eleven (which was a popular twin jet airplane at the time with other airlines in Latin America). The aircraft model was used until June 1, 1988, when it was phased out in favor of the Boeing 737-200. The Lockheed L-188 Electra four engine turboprop airliner was operated from 1976 by TACA Air Cargo including freight flights to Miami, Florida.
Expansion years (1980–2009)Edit
A TACA Boeing 737-300 in 1994
Until 1980, TACA was owned by a United States company and had its corporate headquarters in New Orleans (due to the civil war raging in El Salvador) under the administration of the Kriete Family of El Salvador, who owned a minority stock and ended up buying all the shares.
According to the July 1983 TACA route map, the air carrier was operating jet service to four destinations in the U.S. from Central America including Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and New Orleans).[5] The airline also made several upgrades to its fleet during the 1980s by replacing the older turboprops as well as BAC One Eleven jetliners with more efficient aircraft, such as the Boeing 737-200 Advanced and 737-300 with the latter type being a member of the Boeing 737 Classic series. TACA later operated wide body Boeing 767s on its scheduled passenger services including international flights to Los Angeles and Miami.[6]
Between 1990 and 1995, TACA bought the majority shares of the flag carrier airlines; Aviateca, LACSA, and Nicaragüense de Aviación, consolidating operations under a new brand group name, Grupo TACA.
In the 1990s, TACA International became the launch customer and principal users of the Airbus A320 in Latin America. These aircraft were substitutes for the aging Boeing 737-200 and the 737-300/-400 series aircraft that were on the fleet, which were gradually retired until 1999.
A TACA International Airbus A319-100 taking off from Medellín, Colombia
In 1992, TACA signed a strategic alliance with Panama-based Copa Airlines, and the airline began flying to Tocumen International Airport, making it the first flight connection center in Latin America. As a consequence, Tocumen airport became the "Hub of the Americas" and the integration of several Latin American airlines to the alliance took place. The alliance ended in 1998 after the six-year period established in the agreement expired.
Then in 2001, having its main hubs in San Salvador and San Jose, the airline set an operations base at Lima, Peru, its first base in South America, causing as a consequence the founding of TACA Perú, of which TACA had 49% shares at. With this new addition, Grupo TACA began to offer a comprehensive network of routes throughout the Americas.
In 2005, TACA International was one of the founding members of the Mexican airline Volaris. In the same year, TACA became the first airline of Latin America to operate the Airbus A321.
In 2008 the board of directors decided to revert to the original name, TACA International (since the consolidation of the acquired airlines was completed), and the airline' headquarters returned to San Salvador, El Salvador to a new building which was inaugurated shortly afterwards. Also, it revealed a renovation in its corporate image. That same year, TACA became the second user of the Brazilian Embraer 190 in Latin America.
AviancaTACA and modernization (2009–12)Edit
Two Airbus A320-200s from TACA International at the Juan Santamaría International Airport. The airline operated at Costa Rica one of its three major hubs until May 2013, when the routes were subsequently modified as a result of the merger
On October 7, 2009, it was announced that TACA International would merge its assets in a strategic alliance with Colombian flag carrier Avianca, in which case each will maintain its own trademark and operations. Avianca and TACA International operated a combined fleet of 129 aircraft, serving over 100 destinations in several countries in America and Europe.[7] In December 2009 approval for the merger was given by the Colombian Civil Aeronautical Agency.[8] The merger of Colombia's Avianca and El Salvador-based TACA is the latest sign that consolidation in the Latin American airline sector is picking up.
In June 2011, AviancaTaca signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for 51 A320 family aircraft, including 33 eco-efficient Airbus A320neos. This made it the largest order for the A320neo in Latin America.[9]
Star Alliance (2010–12)Edit
On November 10, 2010, Star Alliance announced that Avianca and TACA International were to become full members in mid-2012.
Completion of merger and final flightEdit
Avianca and TACA completed their merger on May 21, 2013. On May 20, 2013, just before midnight (12:00 AM), TACA International began to remove all its signs bearing the TACA logo from airports across the US, Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. However, most of the former TACA International Airbus and Embraer jets as well as the TACA Regional jets still have the TACA logo painted on it. These aircraft are expected to be painted with the Avianca logo at a later date. The last flight with the TACA callsign took place on May 20, 2013. The flight was TACA Flight 566 from Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport in San Salvador to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. It departed San Salvador at 7:50 pm MST and landed in New York at 2:35 am EST. The flight landed two hours and thirty-five minutes after the official re-branding of the airlines; thus, the flight departed with the TACA callsign and landed with the Avianca callsign. The final official TACA flight to have the TACA callsign was TACA Flight 520 from San Salvador to Los Angeles. This flight departed at 7:20 pm MST and landed at 11:50 pm PDT. The first flight departing operated by Avianca El Salvador took place on May 21, 2013. The flight was Avianca El Salvador Flight 561 from San Francisco to San Salvador. The flight departed at 1:25 am PDT and landed at 7:55 am MST. This was followed by Avianca El Salvador Flight 521 from Los Angeles to San Salvador. This flight departed at 1:30 am PDT and landed at 7:30 am MST.
Merger and controversy in Costa Rica (2012–13)Edit
A TACA International Airbus A320-200 in the airline's final livery at Los Angeles
On October 10, 2012, it was reported in a press conference that the trade name TACA International was going to disappear from the public eye and the promotion and marketing strategies were going to be owned by Avianca, according to representatives of the group that controls the brand. The Avianca-Taca's CEO, Fabio Villegas, explained that the use of the single brand for the group would occur in the first half of 2013.[10] Eventually the TACA trade name wouldn't disappear from the public eye TACA will continue to operate but it will operate under the Avianca El Salvador brand and it will remain a full member of Star Alliance. Despite the TACA name permanently retired, Avianca El Salvador still continued to use the IACA and IACO identifiers "TA" and "TAI", along with the call sign "TACA" for Avianca El Salvador Operated flights.
On May 18, 2013, the Avianca-Taca Holding group downgraded the Juan Santamaría International Airport Hub in San José, Costa Rica to a base of operations as part of post-merger restructuring. This included the discontinuation of more than five non-stop flights made by the airline to and from San Jose, including flights to all cities in the United States. As a consequence, more than 200 employees lost their jobs (equivalent to 20% of the work force of the airline). This was controversial in Costa Rica and led to an extensive investigation by the civil aviation authorities of that country against the holding company.[11][12][13]
ServicesEdit
A TACA International Airbus A321-200 landing at Los Angeles International Airport
The former airlines that made up Grupo TACA were:
TACA International
TACA Regional
Aviateca
Inter Regional - operated under Aviateca's code.
Isleña Airlines
LACSA
Nicaragüense de Aviación
TACA Perú
The airline's hubs before Avianca merger were:
Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport in San Salvador, El Salvador
Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru
Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, Costa Rica ended in May 2013
DestinationsEdit
Main article: List of Avianca El Salvador destinations
Avianca El Salvador serves 28 destinations throughout North, Latin, and South America.
Codeshare agreementsEdit
The airline has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:[14]
Cubana de Aviacion[citation needed]
FleetEdit
A former Avianca El Salvador Airbus A321-200 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in 2018
Current fleetEdit
The Avianca El Salvador fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of December 2022):[15][16]
Avianca El Salvador fleet
Airbus A319-100 3 — 12 108 120
Airbus A320neo 3 — 12 141 153
Parent company Avianca has a firm order for 100 Airbus A320neos, and some of the aircraft will likely go to Avianca El Salvador.[17]
Former fleetEdit
TACA International operated the following aircraft:[18]
Avianca El Salvador former fleet
Airbus A300B4-200F 5 1998 2001 Operated by JHM Airlines Cargo
Airbus A321-200 6 2005 2022
BAC One-Eleven Series 400 3 1966 1988
Beechcraft 17 1 1950 1953
Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker 1 1935 1944
Bellanca CH-400 Skyrocket 3 1934 Unknown [19]
Boeing 737-200 16 1982 2005
Boeing 737-300 9 1988 1999
Boeing 737-400 1 1992 1993 Transferred to Carnival Air Lines
Boeing 767-200ER 3 1992 1997
Canadair CL-44 1 1974 1974
Cessna Citation I 1 1994 1995
Curtiss C-46 Commando 2 1945 1970
Douglas C-47 Skytrain 15 1945 1948
Douglas C-54 Skymaster 3 1949 1975
Douglas DC-4 2 1947 1973
Embraer 190AR 12 2008 2019 [20]
Ford 5-AT Tri-Motor 18 1934 1944 [21]
Grumman G-21 Goose 1 1947 Unknown
Kreutzer K-5 Air Coach 2 Unknown 1937
Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar 1 Unknown 1947 [22]
Lockheed L-188A Electra 2 1975 1985
Metal Aircraft Flamingo 2 Unknown Unknown [23]
Stinson Model O 3 Unknown Unknown
Stinson Model U 1 Unknown Unknown
Vickers Viscount 7 1954 1975
Reciprocal frequent-flyer agreementsEdit
LifeMiles is the frequent-flyer program of Avianca and TACA International as of 2009, because of the merger with Avianca. It replaced the old "Distancia" program.[24]
Accidents and incidentsEdit
TACA Flight 510 crash in Guatemala City, April 6, 1993
On March 5, 1959, a Vickers Viscount (registered YS-09C) crashed shortly after take-off from Managua International Airport at Managua, Nicaragua when both port engines failed. 15 of the 19 people on board were killed.[25]
On May 24, 1988, TACA Flight 110, a Boeing 737-300 operating to New Orleans, suffered a double engine flame-out due to water ingestion, a result of an in-flight encounter with an area of very heavy rain and hail. The design of the engines and FAA water ingestion certification standards did not take into account the higher water volume of strong or severe thunderstorms while operating at lower power. The plane landed without further damage on a grass levee at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility. All 45 passengers were uninjured.[26]
On April 5, 1993, TACA Flight 510, a Boeing 767-200, overran the runway at Guatemala City's La Aurora International Airport due to an inability to brake on the flooded runway.[27]
On May 30, 2008, TACA Flight 390, an Airbus A320-200 (registered EI-TAF), overran a rain-soaked runway on landing at Toncontín International Airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. There were 5 fatalities, 2 of which were on the ground.[28]
List of airlines of El Salvador
^ "Lufthansa Wants Quick LATAM Alliance Decision | AVIATION WEEK". www.aviationweek.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 2012.
^ "Avianca confirms 'strategic merger' with TACA - 10/7/2009". Flight Global. 2009-10-07. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
^ "Avianca El Salvador".
^ "Adios TACA!".
^ https://www.departedflights.com/TA0783/html[bare URL]
^ https://www.airliners.net, photos of TACA Boeing 767-200 & Boeing 767-300 aircraft at Los Angeles (LAX) & Miami (MIA)
^ "Latin American airlines to merge". BBC Online. BBC. 2009-10-09. p. 1. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
^ "Poder 360° - Page One Daily News - Avianca and Taca Merger Approved". Poder360.com. 2009-12-03. Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
^ "AviancaTaca to increase fleet with 51 A320 Family aircraft". Archived from the original on 2018-02-08. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
^ "Nombre TACA desaparece del fuselaje de los aviones - ECONOMÍA - La Nación". Nacion.com. 2012-10-11. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
^ juuber (2013-05-18). "AviancaTaca reorganiza vuelos y elimina 261 empleos en Costa Rica - Revista Estrategia & Negocios". Estrategiaynegocios.net. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
^ "Aviación Civil afirma que Avianca suspendió vuelos sin avisar - EL PAÍS - La Nación". Nacion.com. 2013-05-25. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
^ "Costa Rica: Reestructuración de Avianca afecta mercado aéreo". Aeronoticias.com.pe. 2013-05-27. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
^ "Profile on Avianca El Salvador". CAPA. Centre for Aviation. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
^ "Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)". Airliner World. October 2019: 13.
^ "Avianca El Salvador Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
^ "Avianca firms up order for 100 A320neo Family aircraft". Airbus. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
^ "TACA fleet". aerobernie.bplaced.net. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
^ "Aviation Companies, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba & Mexico". Smithsonianeducation.org. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
^ "Global Airline Guide 2016 (Part One)". Airliner World (October 2016): 13.
^ "Ford Tri-Motor". www.nasm.si.edu. Archived from the original on April 23, 2006.
^ "Lockheed Lodestar N31G Virtual Exhibit". www.1940airterminal.org. Archived from the original on November 18, 2005.
^ "Home of Cincinnati Aviation Heritage Society". Cahslunken.org. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
^ "LifeMiles – El programa de viajero frecuente de Avianca, TACA y AeroGal". Lifemiles.com. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved September 11, 2009.
^ "Ftw88Ia109". www.ntsb.gov. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013.
^ "TACA 510 In-Flight Footage (6 April 1993)".
^ "Plane skids off runway in Honduras, 5 dead". Reuters. May 30, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
Media related to Avianca El Salvador at Wikimedia Commons
TACA (taca.com) at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
TACA (grupotaca.com) at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
Aeroman.com.sv
Tus-sentidos.com
Introducing.lifemiles.com
Taca-airlines.com
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Avianca_El_Salvador&oldid=1135109272"


Is your dog scared of fireworks? They are not alone! Although fireworks are a fun, exciting sight for us humans, for dogs, they're typically the opposite. The unexpected, loud noise can often create stress and anxiety for your dog.
It's normal for loud noises to startle us and the same goes for dogs. Fireworks are loud, and when they explode the sound triggers dogs' nervous systems which in turn makes them feel afraid. If your dog runs away when fireworks go off it's because of natural instinct. They are trying to survive. It's not like any other noise they've heard before and they don't understand where it's coming from, so their first instinct is to find protection far away from the loud noise.
There are a few options for you to help calm your pooch.
If you're at home, create a safe environment for your dog during the fireworks. Perhaps in her crate with a chew toy. You could even play some music in the background.
If you're somewhere else, give her a treat or her favorite toy during the fireworks. This will make her feel happy and may take some of the attention off of the loud noise.
Stay calm yourself. If you freak out, so will your dog. If your pup begins to go crazy during fireworks try to stay calm and soothe her. Perhaps you can pick her up and hold her tight. This can help her feel more safe and secure.
Purchase a Thundershirt. A Thundershirt applies pressure to the dog since it is wrapped tightly around her. This gives her the sense of being secure. Have your dog wear a Thundershirt during fireworks — this should help with the anxiety.
Try an essential oil anxiety remedy to counteract the scary combination of fireworks and dogs.
Medicate your pup. If there is absolutely no other alternative, and the fireworks cannot be avoided (maybe you live close to a venue that regularly has fireworks), then you may talk to your vet about prescribing anti-anxiety medication for your dog to take before the fireworks begin.
Here's a video of a dog who truly benefits from the Thundershirt.
As you can see from the video, the way you prepare your pup for fireworks can truly be lifesaving. If your dog escapes and is put in a shelter you may never find her. So, be sure to take care of your pup the next time fireworks are in the air.
Do you have any tricks for calming your dog during fireworks?
Fireworks were recently made legal in Iowa so this weekend people were setting them off at all hours it seemed. Our dog, Sally, seemed to do well inside the house but when she was outside she was shaking. We tried giving her one of her favorite treats and she wouldn't eat it. I put a blanket on her and held her for a while to help calm her before taking her inside. Once we took her inside she was fine. If anyone has any other tips besides what's in this article to help our dog please let me know. We love spending time outside and with fireworks being legal for the first summer I have a feeling it will be this way all summer long. We love sitting outside around the fire but if Sally is anxious from the fireworks she is more comfortable inside and won't be able to enjoy the outdoors with us.
Awe poor Sally! Sorry to hear Kimberly, our dog growing up Peanuts hated fireworks too. We normally had to put him in the bathroom as that's the only place in our house that you couldn't hear the banging from the fireworks. Maybe try a Thundershirt or Thunder jacket?
I'm in Iowa too. This 4th of July was just awful! I'm going to work on desensitizing & see if that helps. I wish they hadn't legalized it here-people have went nuts with them:( good luck!
Our Sally hasn't gotten used to the fireworks yet. Someone set some off at 3:30am one night and the loud noise scared her so bad she jumped into bed shaking. She won't go outside if fireworks are going on but if she's inside she seems to do better since the house muffles it some. Let me know if you have any luck desensitizing your dog to them. Good luck!


As photographers, we all hit creative walls. We work to improve our skills, and we learn new things, and then it seems we grind to a halt. Maybe our images start looking dull to us, like they are missing something. Sometimes we over-complicate problems, searching for some magical trick out there that will give us the creative perspective we are looking for. Instead, here is a collection of tips, in no particular order, that you can go out and try today to improve your photography and creative eye.
If you want to get better at photography, become an admirer and student of the world of art. Visit a gallery and spend the day studying the work of great artists. Or just regularly visit all the galleries that Kingston has to offer. Better yet, take a pen and paper with you. When a painting or work of art grabs your attention, jot down why. Composition, the layout of elements, the 'message', the colours – write down everything you admire about it, and the reasoning behind it. If you find something you don't care for, write that down too.
Take a day and focus on perspective. Experiment with different camera angles that you may not have tried before. This tip is only limited by how far you're willing to get out of your comfort zone. If you're shooting an outdoor portrait session, bring a ladder with you. If you don't have a ladder, climb a tree or find a perspective above your subject's head. Not only is this different, looking up is almost always flattering to your subjects features, especially if they are prone to double chins! If you are photographing flowers, consider shooting them from underneath. While this may get you dirty, I promise it will be rewarding. Play with the angle of the sun and capture the translucency of the flower as the sunlight pours through it. Expose for a sunlit background and allow some silhouette of your subject. A fresh perspective can almost always give you that creative boost you're looking for.
Unless you're taking the kids out and have to look after them (or Granny, or the In-Laws, or the Out-Laws) this should be your time, with no outside pressure. No need to create a certain look or feel to the photos. It's just you, the camera and hundreds of exotic animals! Try to find a way of getting a ticket that allows you return visits at a discount – you're bound to find just the animal you want to photography but the elements aren't helping, so make a note to return for another try..
When you go, take your pictures with the intention of hiding the location (the fact that it's a zoo). That means getting creative with the way you frame your shots. Challenging, but rewarding. If there is an unavoidable fence, an obviously fake looking rock or object, or if the surroundings just don't click, don't take the picture. (But don't be put off – just enjoy yourself and accept the constraints). Or, simply change your perspective until the framing works. And if all else fails, move on to another animal! Only one drawback is that most of these kinds of places aren't too keen on tripods – and, as KPC members, I know you like to use tripods. And quite right too – when you can!
That's right, minimize. While being able to shoot thousands of images is nice, it can also dull your creative thought process. With seemingly unlimited images you can just click away, firing off shots left and right all day long. With this mentality, you're sure to get a few keepers. Right?
You will have to carefully consider each shot you take……you'll work harder at getting 'the' shot, and eliminate those shots that we all take 'just because we can'. Do this several times and you'll get into the habit of only taking 'considered' shots – where the composition has worked well, with proper exposure. On the other hand, if you're in a 'once in a lifetime' location you won't want to be hampered by any advice that tells you to limit your photographs, so this is one of those exercises best done locally – somewhere you might be able to return to regularly.
Carrying a camera is an instant way to put your senses on high alert. It causes you to look at the world as if your camera was always pressed to your eye. It gives you a reason to slow down, to take everything in, no matter where you are. Commit to carrying your camera with you everywhere, at least for a certain amount of time. Take pictures knowing full well that the world may never see them. Create photographs of everyday things, moments in time that normally wouldn't require a photograph. The trick will be to see these subtle events in a new way, and to find a way to make them interesting. This may sound like the total opposite of #4 above – well it is….. the idea is to do both.
club member whose work you see regularly doing well in competitions….. they might not even know what it is that they've got that can inspire others but they'll probably be the ones taking pictures from odd positions or in a manner that comes as a surprise..
Pick a colour and create a portfolio around that colour. If you have time, do this with several colours. Go out and create images that obviously focus on a single colour. If you choose blue, consider subjects where this colour is evident. Focus on pictures by water, or the sky. Go out past sunset and into the realm of "nautical twilight," when the setting sun casts shades of deep blues across the sky and earth. Find textured walls that are painted in different colours and shades of blue. If you choose yellow, scout out a field of sunflowers. Shoot subjects straight into the sun, bathing the frame in golden sunlight. You can make the colour even more obvious in post processing by applying filters of your chosen colour over the image.
For the most part photographers are nice, generous and giving people. Sure, there are plenty out there who won't want to hook up with a photographer looking for a mentor, (in the case of wedding photographers, you can't blame them – you could become their competition), but who wants to shadow or even follow the work of someone like that? Find a photographer that inspires you and form a relationship with them. If you're lucky, you will be able to learn from that person, and maybe even shadow them. Ask to hold lights for them during their photo shoots, or just carry around their gear. You will learn a lot just observing how they interact with their clients. Becoming a great photographer is a tough road to take by yourself, having a mentor can make the difference between success and failure.
shutter. Start out with either Av (Aperture Value) or Tv (Time Value) mode. Dedicate at least an entire day to shooting under just that one setting. If you get stuck, the most readily available resource is your camera's manual. Most photographers don't realize how much they can learn by simply reading the manuals that came with their cameras. Once you fully understand one 'Mode', move to the next one, and work your way up to the infamous "Manual" setting. I was quite lucky, in a way, to have learned from my first camera – a completely manual Praktica SLR – which didn't even have an exposure meter, so I had to get a light meter to work out the exposure and then apply them to the camera.
Getting better at anything involves getting out of your comfort zone. If all you do is photograph families and seniors, go out and shoot landscapes one weekend. All of the sudden, your images are going to require completely new camera settings. No more people to pose, no more shallow depth of field or fast shutter speed requirements. Now you have to think about your subject in a new way. A landscape doesn't listen to you. You can't tell it to move left or right, or use a flash to reveal a bit more light in a certain area. For the most part, landscapes require deep depths of field, slower shutter speeds, tripods, and a whole new eye for composition and lighting. If you spend time photographing things you're not used to, you will come away with new ideas for what you are comfortable shooting. And a deeper understanding of your camera too.
Something interesting happens when you attach your camera to a tripod. Suddenly, everything slows down. There's no more snapping photos left and right and quickly filling up memory cards. When you use a tripod, you really have to take the time to compose your image. This mainly happens because you can no longer move the camera around freely. You now have to adjust the tripod to be level with the horizon. You have to move it left or right manually to adjust the position of your subject. Just by doing this, you have to actually slow down and really think about your image.
There you have it, 12 ideas you can implement immediately. Of course you can't do all of these at once, but any time you feel you need a boost, be sure to check back here. If you have more ideas and/or tips, it would be great to get some feedback, and if these tips have helped you in any way, that would be good to hear as well.