Alegando redução da burocracia nas parcerias entre governo e sociedade, presidente eliminou da LDO de 2010 e 2011 necessidade de declaração do Fisco que comprovasse o funcionamento de institutos que quisessem receber recursos
Marta Salomon, de O Estado de S.Paulo
BRASÍLIA - O desvio de dinheiro público por meio de entidades de fachada foi estimulado por vetos do presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Os vetos abrandaram as exigências para o repasse de verbas do Orçamento a entidades privadas sem fins lucrativos, a pretexto de reduzir a burocracia nas parcerias entre o governo e a sociedade.
Em agosto de 2009, Lula vetou dispositivo da Lei de Diretrizes Orçamentárias (LDO) que cobrava das entidades candidatas a receber dinheiro público a apresentação de cópia de declaração de informações econômico-fiscais emitida pela Secretaria da Receita Federal. Com o veto a essa exigência, as candidatas ao repasse ficaram obrigadas a apresentar apenas uma declaração de funcionamento "emitida por três autoridades locais".
Reportagens do Estado publicadas na semana passada revelaram que entidades existentes só no papel foram contratadas para realizar eventos culturais sem licitação e com preços superfaturados. Os gastos foram autorizados por emendas parlamentares. As denúncias já derrubaram do cargo o relator-geral do Orçamento, senador Gim Argello (PTB-DF), na terça-feira.
Ainda não se sabe a dimensão da fraude, mas o veto à exigência de comprovação pelo Fisco do funcionamento das entidades facilitou a liberação de dinheiro público. No Orçamento deste ano, R$ 2,7 bilhões já foram pagos, de um total de R$ 4,5 bilhões de gastos autorizados. Contratadas em grande parte sem licitação, essas entidades têm sido personagens de sucessivos desvios de dinheiro público.
Entrave. Em mensagem enviada ao presidente do Senado em 12 de agosto de 2009, Lula anunciou uma série de vetos à LDO, que dita regras para as despesas do governo em 2010. Alegou "contrariedade ao interesse público e inconstitucionalidade".
O ministro do Planejamento, Paulo Bernardo, foi quem deu os argumentos a Lula para o veto ao artigo 36 da LDO para 2010. "A exigência poderá trazer mais um entrave burocrático às parcerias entre o poder público e a sociedade organizada", diz a mensagem de Lula. Procurado na sexta-feira à noite, o ministro não respondeu à reportagem.
O texto alega que a exigência poderia ser dispensada porque qualquer cidadão pode acompanhar a execução dos convênios na internet, por meio do Portal dos Convênios. O acesso ao sistema, no entanto, é bastante limitado.
Mais importante: o texto defende que o funcionamento regular de uma determinada entidade pode ser atestado apenas pela declaração de autoridades locais. "Entende-se que as autoridades locais têm legitimidade para demonstrar e atestar o efetivo funcionamento das entidades privadas sem fins lucrativos que farão parcerias com a União."
O Congresso voltou a propor a exigência de declaração de funcionamento emitida pela Receita na LDO para 2011. A exigência foi mais uma vez suspensa por veto de Lula. A mensagem enviada ao Senado em agosto de 2010 alega que a exigência "contraria as medidas adotadas para desburocratizar as parcerias".
Irregularidades em convênios do Ministério do Turismo com entidades já vinham sendo apontadas pela Controladoria-Geral da União desde 2008. A própria CGU reconhece que ainda existem possibilidades de fraudes.
Quando Lula usa e abusa da expressão “sine qua non”, ele pode estar certo de que a imensa maioria dos brasileiros não faz ideia do que isso significa. Nesses momentos, Lula fala, com orgulho, para a elite. Se é impossível para o brasileiro médio entender as sutilezas de um texto em português, o que dirá em latim? A presidente eleita Dilma Rousseff precisará redirecionar seus gastos se quiser tirar o povo da ignorância. Pode começar desistindo do Aerodilma.
Mesmo com um avanço no segundo mandato de Lula, não há como festejar o resultado brasileiro na última avaliação de estudantes de 15 anos em 65 países. São seis os níveis de conhecimento da pesquisa conhecida como Pisa, na sigla em inglês (Programa Internacional de Avaliação de Alunos). Em matemática, 69,1% dos alunos brasileiros não passaram do nível 1, o pior de todos. Em leitura, quase metade (49,6%) dos brasileiros também ficou no nível 1. O estudo é feito a cada três anos e envolve países da OCDE (desenvolvidos) e convidados. O Brasil ficou em 53º lugar, atrás de Bulgária, Romênia, Tailândia, México, Chile, Uruguai e Turquia, entre outros. O melhor Estado brasileiro, o Distrito Federal, ainda ficou abaixo da média internacional.
Nosso pior Estado, Alagoas, só foi melhor que o lanterninha no Pisa, o Quirguistão, um país que quase ninguém no Brasil nem sequer sabe localizar no mapa. É inacreditável que, depois de oito anos de mandato de um presidente de esquerda, uma economia pujante como a brasileira ainda esteja na rabeira do mundo em educação. Quando um aluno do 3º ano do ensino médio, Evanildo da Silva Costa, com 18 anos, não sabe quanto é 8 dividido por 4, o país inteiro deve ficar constrangido.
Na média, a nota do Brasil em leitura melhorou entre 2000 e 2009. Mas as porcentagens escondem uma crueldade: na prática, segundo o relatório oficial, quem melhorou foram os alunos ricos, que já eram bem avaliados dez anos atrás. Os outros continuam com muita dificuldade para ler, entender, discernir.
Existe em nosso país uma inversão assustadora de valores. Quando o palhaço Tiririca recebeu a maior votação de um deputado federal, mesmo sem saber ler e escrever direito (ou talvez por causa disso), políticos demagogos se apressaram em apresentar projetos para permitir a candidatura de analfabetos no Brasil. Como se fosse preconceito impedir alguém que não sabe ler de ocupar uma cadeira no Congresso.
É claro que cultura não rima necessariamente com honestidade, sabedoria e inteligência. Há os cultos que são ladrões e mal-educados. E os incultos que são honestos e educados. Mas o fato de um ex-torneiro mecânico ser o presidente mais popular da história do Brasil não pode tornar a falta de instrução uma qualidade. O escritor Marçal Aquino acha um erro que as escolas obriguem alunos a ler livros totalmente fora do contexto de sua vida – e a decorá-los: “O aluno acha a leitura um troço chato e passa a odiar o escritor”. Mais dramática é a situação de nossas escolas rurais, sem recursos. Professor de geografia dá aula de matemática. Aluno chega com fome e não consegue prestar atenção em nada. Isso é, para a oitava economia do mundo, uma humilhação.
Em novembro do ano passado, num congresso científico, Lula afirmou que “a educação é condição sine qua non para o crescimento”. E continuou, arrancando risos: “Eu tô falando sine qua non porque o Caetano Veloso vai ouvir que tô falando sine qua non, e vai dizer ‘porra, como o Lula tá culto’”. O presidente agora adotou de vez a expressão, que quer dizer “indispensável”.
Para Lula, hoje, “humilhação” é o avião presidencial precisar fazer escala em suas viagens internacionais. Deve ser constrangedor, não? Por isso, cinco anos depois de comprar um Airbus por US$ 57 milhões, o governo negocia a compra de outro Airbus por US$ 300 milhões. Nossos alunos de matemática podem tentar fazer uma conta simples: a diferença entre o Aerolula e o Aerodilma daria para construir quantas escolas e para alfabetizar quantos brasileiros em um ano?
Ruth de Aquino é diretora da sucursal de ÉPOCA no Rio de Janeiro
TEHRAN, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- A group of Iranian university students gathered on Sunday in front of the British Embassy in Tehran to protest against what they called Britain's involvement in assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist.
The angry students set ablaze the flags of Britain and the U.S. in site in protest of the so-called "plot," the official IRNA news agency reported on Sunday.
The students carried placards and chanted slogans, according to the report.
In two separate incidents in northern Tehran late November, Iranian nuclear scientist Majid Shahriari was killed and another scientist Fereidoon Abbasi was wounded, both on their way to work.
Iran accused Israel and Western countries' intelligent services of being behind the terrorist attacks.
London (CNN) -- Protesters made "some contact" with Prince Charles' wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, during a demonstration in London last week, Home Secretary Theresa May said Sunday.
May, whose responsibilities include domestic security, refused to confirm Camilla was "poked with a stick," as some British media have reported.
Charles and Camilla's car was hit with paint and a window was cracked as the vehicle drove through protesters en route to a show in central London on Thursday night. Neither of them was injured, although the duchess looked shaken as she got out of the car.
May has not offered to resign over the incident, she said Sunday on Sky News.
Police released images Sunday of 14 people they want to question in connection with violence at the demonstration, which was to protest government plans to let universities triple their tuition fees.
"We want the public to help us identify these people who may have been involved in violent disorder, attacking police officers and smashing buildings, shops and windows," Detective Chief Superintendent Matthew Horne said in a statement.
"The vast majority of the people we are seeking are suspected of committing serious offences of violent disorder and criminal damage," he said, without specifying whether any were directly involved in the attack on the royals' car.
A total of 34 people were arrested at the demonstration Thursday, the fourth in a series of protests against the planned tuition increase.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said Friday that protesters who resorted to violence will "feel the full force of the law," and blamed them for wreaking havoc in London during the pre-Christmas weeks.
Addressing reporters, Cameron defended the government's contentious move to triple tuiton at UK universities and said protesters, not the police, should be blamed for the chaos.
"I immediately rang the Prince of Wales," Prince Charles, said Cameron. "We need to learn the lesson of this incident," he said.
On Friday, police sifted through rubble strewn over London's Parliament square, searching for clues and culprits in Thursday night's protests, where students and their supporters, enraged by the tuition hike, broke windows and ambushed the royal vehicle.
"It is not the fault of the police," said Cameron. "It was the fault of those who tried to smash that car."
Members of the National Union of Students condemned any forms of violence, including from the police, they said in a statement on their website.
"Regarding many of the scenes that were witnessed yesterday, whilst it is clear that there were a small number of people involved who were inciting violence, many people were contained for a long period of time when attempting to take part in peaceful protest," the NUS stated.
"We are calling on the Metropolitan Police to have a full investigation into the clashes yesterday between protesters and the police and for it to look again at its tactics for policing demonstrations," it said.
A photo of the royal couple, dressed in evening wear, made headlines as it showed the startled expressions on their faces as they sat in their Rolls-Royce before exiting for a Royal Variety Performance.
The royal couple escaped unhurt. Police said the route had been cleared minutes before the royal couple was due to make their journey.
The high-profile incident came late in a day of violent protests that left at least 12 officers and 43 demonstrators hurt.
London's Metropolitan Police issued a statement Friday condemning the protests and alleged vandalism that took place Thursday night, claiming protesters intimidated Christmas shoppers and bystanders.
"This has nothing to do with peaceful protest," the statement said.
"Students are involved in wanton vandalism including smashing windows in Oxford and Regent streets."
The protests followed a vote in the House of Commons to approve a plan to raise the existing cap on tuition rates charged by universities from £3,000 to £9,000 a year. In U.S. dollars, that's a nearly $10,000 a year increase -- from
roughly $4,700 to $14,000.
Lawmakers approved the plan in a 323-302 vote.
The measure awaits approval by the House of Lords and a signature by the queen before it can become law.
Fees protester made 'contact' with Camilla says May
Camilla and Charles found themselves in the middle of the protest
Home Secretary Theresa May has confirmed there was "contact" between the Duchess of Cornwall and one of the protesters who attacked her car.
But she did not confirm reports the duchess was poked with a stick during student protests on Thursday.
The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Paul Stephenson, has spoken to Prince Charles following the incident.
Overnight the police have issued images of 14 alleged rioters.
The BBC understands there have been some positive responses from members of the public to the release of the photos.
The protesters launched an attack on a car carrying Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall as it passed along Regent Street.
Their Rolls-Royce was kicked, splashed with paint and a window was cracked to chants of "off with their heads".
There were reports Camilla was poked with a stick, through one of the car windows as the royal couple made their way to the London Palladium.
Mrs May told Sky News: "I'm not sure about the term 'poked with a stick'. I understand there was some contact made.
No resignation
Mrs May said the Rolls-Royce may no longer be "appropriate transport"
"Again this is an incident that needs to be looked at by the Metropolitan Police. That is what they are doing. So we will very soon have the details of that.
"And obviously it will be for them to look at what happened and decide whether there are any lessons that need to be learned."
She said had not considered offering her resignation over the incident and added: "Of course that's an incredibly regrettable incident that took place.
"We should praise the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall for their response - they carried on with the engagement they were doing that evening so they didn't let down the people who were expecting them."
A Clarence House spokesman confirmed Prince Charles and Sir Paul spoke following Thursday's incident.
A Scotland Yard spokesman declined to confirm reports the commissioner apologised personally to the Prince.
There have been 'positive responses' from the public to the release of the images
There has been speculation in the wake of the incident that the Prince of Wales may trade in his Rolls-Royce for a more secure vehicle.
Mrs May said the Phantom VI might not be "appropriate" for the purpose any more.
The car was a gift from the Car Association to the Queen in her Silver Jubilee year of 1977, but Mrs May said: "One of the issues that may very well be looked at is the question of the appropriate transport that is used by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall."
Prime Minister David Cameron has said protesters who engaged in violence should face the "full force of the law".
Ms May is due to make a statement on the tuition fees protests in the House of Commons on Monday.
Officers have reviewed hours of CCTV footage as part of their investigations into the disorder and have appealed for the public's help in identifying suspects.
Detective Chief Superintendent Matthew Horne said: "The vast majority of the people we are seeking are suspected of committing serious offences of violent disorder and criminal damage."
He added: "The rights of protest and expression are important to us all.
"However, people breaking the law, endangering those protesting peacefully and committing offences such as this are criminals."
Scotland Yard has launched a "major criminal investigation", called Operation Malone, into all the tuition fee protests held from 10 November, when students stormed Tory headquarters in Millbank, up to Thursday's demonstration in Parliament Square.
A total of 175 people were arrested during the four demonstrations, including 34 who were detained on Thursday.
Police are urging people who can identify any of the suspects whose pictures it has released to call 020 8358 0100 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Swedish police said on Sunday that two explosions in central Stockholm were an act of "terrorism" by what appeared to be a suicide bomber, who killed himself and injured two people. A car exploded in the city centre near Drottninggatan, causing panic among Christmas shoppers. Shortly afterward, a second explosion was heard higher up on the same street. Police would not comment on a motive for Saturday's attack on a busy street, but Swedish news agency TT has reported receiving an email ten minutes before the blasts, saying "the time has come to take action", referring to the country's soldiers in Afghanistan and to a case of a cartoon of Islam's prophet Muhammad that outraged the Muslim world.
Plibersek breaks ranks to demand action against WikiLeaks founder
A minister in the Gillard government has defended the push to charge Julian Assange for publishing secret UScables on his WikiLeaks website.
Human Services Minister Tanya Plibersek told Sky News' Australian Agenda the leaks were very serious and threatened the workings of international diplomacy and the quality of advice public servants were willing to give. She broke ranks with some of her factional colleagues in the Labor Left, who told The Weekend Australian the government had overreacted to the leaks and should stop treating Mr Assange like a criminal. Backbencher Laurie Ferguson said the information the 39-year-old Australian had released was crucial to democracy and to exposing the truth.
Ms Plibersek said yesterday that at the heart of the issue was the fact that the documents were classified and had been stolen.
"I don't think that it's a terrific thing for world security for people to go stealing classified documents and sticking them on the internet," she said.
"I think everyone in the Left of the party, the Right of the party and the Australian public would expect that Julian Assange would face the law, as any other Australian citizen would face the law."
Ms Plibersek said the language used by those calling for Mr Assange to be assassinated and accusing him of being a terrorist was extreme and unwarranted.
"But the Australian government has not said those things. The Australian government has said that this is based on an original criminal act, which is a theft of classified documents," she said.
"It's yet to be seen who has stolen those documents, and those are matters best left to the police, both in the United States and here."
Ms Plibersek said anyone publishing anything had to apply a degree of responsibility.
"If we find that someone, say a businessman in Iran who is pro-American, is strung up by the Iranian government because these documents have been published, do you say that Julian Assange has no responsibility for that?
"I think the first principle to go back to is they are stolen documents. It is irresponsible just to whack them up on the internet without knowing what's in them, without knowing what the consequences are."
About 300 people rallied outside South Australia's parliament yesterday in support of WikiLeaks and to demand fair treatment for Mr Assange, who is being held in a London jail.
Event organiser Richard Bergin told the rally people were not accepting the claim that WikiLeaks was a threat.
"An attack on Assange is an attack on WikiLeaks and an attack on WikiLeaks is an attack on us and our right to know the truth," Mr Bergin said.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said it seemed Julia Gillard had either misheard or misunderstood the Australian people on the issue and they were outraged.
JERUSALEM, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is deploying more troops along the Gaza border in response to recent cross-border clashes, and a spike in missile and mortar attacks against Israeli civilians over the last week.
On Saturday evening, two Palestinian militants were killed and an IDF paratrooper was moderately wounded in an exchange of fire along the Gaza border after the former were spotted attempting to infiltrate into Israel. The army said the Israeli trooper was wounded by a Palestinian sniper.
Several rockets were fired from Gaza at Israeli communities near the border during the weekend and landed in open fields, causing no casualties.
On Thursday, the Israeli Air Force bombed three Hamas targets in Gaza in retaliation to a mortar attack which wounded an Israeli. In a separate incident earlier in the week, an IDF tank sustained damage after being hit by an anti-tank missile fired by militants.
The IDF Spokesman's Office reported on Saturday that about 200 projectiles landed in Israel since the beginning of the year, eight of them in the past six days.
"The current state of the Gaza Strip border is delicate. We are seeing acute deterioration in security. Violent activity has increased on the northern border as well," IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi said on Wednesday.
Meeting with soldiers from an IDF paratroop unit, Ashkenazi said the army plans to step up its operations in the Gaza area near future.
"There will be more problems. It's inevitable. Conflict around the fence will continue and we must be prepared, because that's what will ultimately decide the outcome of the battle, the next round of fighting will be bigger," said Ashkenazi.
*OK, so they weren't really flying. Except when Isaac threw one after he decided he was done. But I digress...I first found this idea as just a picture on the internet. I'm sure the picture was from a recipe somewhere, but I didn't see the recipe. On the other hand, the picture wasn't that complicated. A box of spaghetti, a package of hot dogs, and voila! I decided to make it with smoked turkey sausages and it was every bit as easy as it looked. Not to mention ridiculously fun to make. And eat.
Flying Spaghetti Monsters Ingredients:
1/2 box of spaghetti
1 package of sausages or hot dogs
Marinara sauce (optional)
Directions:
Cut the sausages into quarters.
Break the spaghetti in half.
Gleefully impale each piece of sausage with as many pieces of spaghetti as you want.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and follow the cooking directions for the spaghetti.
Drain and serve!
Notes: We didn't have any marinara sauce, but they were still pretty good. The sausage gave the water a lot of flavor, which was partially absorbed by the spaghetti. Isaac absolutely loved them, and I think they'll be a lot of fun to make with him when he gets a little bit older.
Os diplomatas americanos descrevem a situação na fronteira do México com a Guatemala de "dramática", um território onde narcotraficantes e contrabandistas de armas são popularmente respeitados e os aviões carregadas com cocaína aterrissam em plena luz do dia, segundo documentos secretos revelados pelo site WikiLeaks.
A Polícia é "ineficaz ou corrupta e a população, abandonada secularmente pelo Estado, decidiu aceitar a proteção de grupos criminosos tão poderosos como Los Zetas (cartel mexicano)", acrescentam os dados, vazados pelo WikiLeaks e publicados pelo jornal espanhol El País.
Várias correspondências diplomáticas muito minuciosas, elaboradas "in loco" por diplomatas americanos em serviço no México e Guatemala, constatam que nenhum desses dois países "trabalha seriamente para que se cumpra a lei".
Enquanto os 3 mil quilômetros de fronteira entre Estados Unidos e México são vigiados por 30 mil agentes americanos (dez funcionários por quilômetro), o México só conta com 125 agentes para os mil quilômetros da fronteira sul (um policial a cada oito quilômetros), acrescenta a informação.
Os diplomatas americanos usam a palavra "dramática" para descrever a situação dessa fronteira.
"Os oficiais mexicanos confirmaram repetidas vezes que eles não têm os recursos humanos para dirigir os esforços de maneira efetiva ao longo da fronteira sul", aponta a informação.
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BBC MUNDO RADIO
Quando Lula usa e abusa da expressão “sine qua non”, ele pode estar certo de que a imensa maioria dos brasileiros não faz ideia do que isso significa. Nesses momentos, Lula fala, com orgulho, para a elite. Se é impossível para o brasileiro médio entender as sutilezas de um texto em português, o que dirá em latim? A presidente eleita Dilma Rousseff precisará redirecionar seus gastos se quiser tirar o povo da ignorância. Pode começar desistindo do Aerodilma.
