The moment Yussuf Abdallah met the Rwandan soldiers, he knew the game was over.

The 18-year-old Islamist insurgent in northern Mozambique was part of a group known to locals as Shabaab. He has loose ties to Isis and has terrorized the northern province of Cabo Delgado for the past four years, displacing over 800,000 people and killing over 3,000.

But then troops from a country barely a fraction the size of Mozambique showed up and cleared most of the area within weeks.

“We were overwhelmed by their numbers, they were also extremely fierce,” said Abdallah, now a Mozambican state prisoner in the coastal town of Mocímboa de Praia, until August a stronghold of insurgents. “We couldn’t contain the confrontation, they have better weapons, there was nothing we could do.”

The Rwandan brigade of 1,000 soldiers and police did in a matter of weeks what the Mozambican forces and others had not been able to do in years. The turn of events in Cabo Delgado illustrates Kigali’s desire under President Paul Kagame to go beyond its borders and act as a police officer in regional conflicts.

Rwandan efforts have not only restored calm and security – allowing families who had fled the terror to return home – but will also help revive the development of multibillion-dollar offshore gas wealth, which has the potential to transform Mozambican economy of 14 billion dollars. In April this year, Total, the French energy giant, declared force majeure on Africa’s biggest investment after an attack nearby.

The intervention of Kagame, a former rebel commander whose forces ended a 1994 genocide in which 800,000 people were killed, reflects Kigali’s military prowess and willingness to act.

About 10 percent of the 30,000 Rwandan troops are on mission elsewhere in Africa and it is “the willingness to participate in these operations that has given us a good reputation on a global scale.” It has a lot to do with African solutions to African problems, ”said Colonel Ronald Rwivanga of the Rwanda Defense Forces.

But Rwanda does not share a border with Mozambique and faced no immediate danger of an insurgency that threatened French commercial interests. There is also some unease about the motives of a country that faces growing international criticism for the alleged persecution of political enemies.

“This is the responsibility to protect,” a senior Rwandan army officer told Cabo Delgado. He added: “It is also about projecting the power of Rwanda.

“A solid exercise in public relations”

At the end of September, Kagame arrived in northern Mozambique in military fatigues to inspect his troops.

He rejected speculations that the Rwandan deployment was linked to French interests, despite a late May pledge from French President Emmanuel Macron of 500 M € in development aid during a visit to Kigali.

On that same trip, Macron acknowledged some French responsibility for the genocide, a move designed to end two decades of resentment. A French official also denied that they were funding Rwanda’s counterinsurgency efforts.

“The operations themselves have been largely successful, but they also show what we are capable of doing even with our limited resources,” Kagame told reporters in the regional capital, Pemba. Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi added that there was “no triangulation” across a third country.

But the Rwandans “were eager to come. They told us “we have the experience, we have the capacity and you don’t have to pay anything,” said a senior Mozambican official. “For them, it is also a strong public relations exercise.” Their presence, according to residents, was more effective than a regional force deployed by Mozambique’s neighbors, including South Africa.

“Rwandans are better than us”

During the fighting which lasted four weeks, Rwandans say they have killed more than 100 insurgents and suffered only four victims.

“Unfortunately, I have to say that the Rwandans are better than us. Fortunately, they came and things got better, ”admitted a Mozambican corporal, holding a rusty AK-47 rifle, with a magazine held in place by duct tape.

Rwanda knows better than many the cost of not providing assistance to people facing violence,

In stark contrast, the Rwandan soldiers have shiny new equipment and crisp new uniforms, their professionalism, discipline and military prowess prompting some observers to call them “Israel of Africa” ​​- a nod to the military position of the Jewish state and to the two countries history of the suffering of the genocide.

Rwanda is small, relatively stable, with a population of only 13 million. Yet, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute compiled by the World Bank, its military spending as a percentage of gross domestic product is higher than that of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation fighting Boko Haram, and Ethiopia, the continent’s second most populous country in the midst of a brutal civil war.

As part of the UN missions, Rwanda has peacekeepers in South Sudan and the Central African Republic. He also sent around 1,500 troops and police to Bangui last year under a bilateral deal, similar to his deal with Mozambique, which means less bureaucracy but also that Kigali has control of its troops.

Louisa Lombard, a Yale anthropologist researching Rwandan peacekeepers, said their reputation was based on being among the most disciplined and least corrupt missions of any African mission. Unlike others, he was not the subject of any allegation of sexual misconduct.

“We feel more persecuted”

Rwanda’s willingness to get involved must be seen through the prism of its own history, analysts say.

Aggée Shyaka Mugabe, director of the Center for Conflict Management at the University of Rwanda, believes that the deployment of Rwandan troops may be aimed at “promoting the national image”, but it is rooted in the 1994 genocide during of which approximately 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed as the peacekeepers withdrew. “Rwanda knows better than many the cost of not providing assistance to people facing violence,” he said.

But for human rights groups and exiles, the deployment of Rwandan troops to Mozambique can only distract from allegations that the Kagame government – praised for turning the nation into a thriving economy after the genocide – silences opponents at home and abroad.

Last month, a Rwandan court sentenced Paul Rusesabagina, a Kagame critic who inspired a Hollywood genocide film, to 25 years in prison for “terrorism”. Officials say he had a fair trial and deny targeting the critics.

A former Rwandan army officer was killed in Maputo early last month and Cleophas Habiyaremye, president of the Association of Rwandan Refugees in Mozambique said: “We feel more persecuted since the arrival of troops in Mozambique, but we are not afraid of the troops, we are afraid of the politicians.

“Due to its terrible past, Rwanda has played an active role in conflict resolution and is a major contributor to peacekeeping operations,” said Lewis Mudge, director of Central Africa at Human Rights Watch.

“However, this should not exempt the government from being held accountable for its own human rights violations – past and present – or serve as a means to target or exert pressure on Rwandan refugees and diaspora communities. “

“As long as the Rwandans stay, it will be fine”

Crucially for Mozambique, Rwandan efforts could herald Total’s return and the restart of the $ 20 billion gas project. The company “will come back,” Nyusi told the Financial Times in Pemba, “when all is calm; We are working on it. “

However, Total warned at the end of September that even if it restarts next year, the development of the Afungi peninsula could not produce its first LNG until 2026, delaying a project intended to transform the Mozambican economy. Kagame said the troops would stay as long as needed, but not forever.

“As long as the Rwandan forces stay there for a long time, everything will be fine,” said a security contractor at Total’s camp on the Afungi peninsula. If they withdraw tomorrow, there will be problems.

Whatever their motivations for being in Mozambique, the local population clearly welcomed them.

After eight months hiding in the bush, farmer Amina Abdullah returned to her home in Quelimane shortly after the Rwandans took control in August. The Islamists had taken over the region, beheading his brother and taking his daughter with them.

“We thank the Rwandans for coming, they made a muito bom trabalho – a really good job, ”she said, adding that she did not know if her daughter was alive. “Maybe now the Rwandans can find her and bring her back. “

Additional reporting by Joseph Cotterill in Johannesburg and Tom Wilson in London

DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) – A primary election will decide which two candidates pass in the November election for mayor of Dubuque. There are five people showing up after Mayor Roy Buol, the longest-serving mayor in Dubuque history, announced he would not be running.

KCRG-TV9 spoke to four of the five candidates about their motivation to run for mayor and what makes them the ideal candidate. Here are their responses:

Brad Cavanagh

Q: Why did you decide to run for mayor of Dubuque?

A: Dubuque needs very strong leadership in the years to come. We need someone who is ready to sit at the table with everyone and make all the voices heard and hear what people have to say, hear the ideas of how we are doing. before, you know, creating a unified vision together. I have shown that I am that. I go out and knock on doors and talk to thousands of people. I’ve been all over town talking to people and hearing what they have to say, so I’m ready to bring people together around the table.

Q: What makes you the ideal candidate for the job?

A: I am someone who really listens. I actually go out and listen to what people have to say and I want to hear from people and have all kinds of ideas on what we can do to move forward together as a city. I never think I have all the answers and I really don’t think a mayor should. I think we need to have someone who is willing to listen to what people have to say. I also have a solid understanding of many of the issues here in the city, especially the more difficult ones. Things like housing issues, poverty, child care and those things that I have worked with for over 20 years.

Nino Erba

Q: Why did you decide to run for mayor of Dubuque?

A: It has really become clear that the city council and government as they are now are not equipped to deal with the challenges that we have, whether it is climate change, our homeless crisis. – shelter, the revival of the economy.

Q: Why are you the ideal candidate for the job?

A: I am the person with the most lucid point of view on things. When I read reports from people like the United Nations who say that even if each country followed their updated climate targets to the letter through the Paris Agreement, we would still go straight through the temperature targets that we have set for ourselves, so why doesn’t city council act like we need to be as proactive and as intense as possible in our climate efforts. There’s also a new chance to hit the reset button and bring a breath of fresh air into the conversation so people can understand this guy really understands when it comes to climate change, he understands. really when it comes to housing, so let’s hear what he has to say.

John miller

Q: Why did you decide to run for mayor of Dubuque?

A: I joined the race four years ago and did it at the last minute because a friend of mine decided not to race and I enjoyed doing it. I think it’s something in my blood because mom and dad were amazing people. I do this because I guess I’m predisposed to do this sort of thing and I like it, but mostly it gives me the opportunity to help the citizens.

Q: Why are you the ideal candidate for the job?

A: I consider myself to be very good at connecting with people, being open and honest, listening to them carefully, and then taking notes so that we, the citizens and I, can make plans to proceed.

David Resnick

Q: Why did you decide to run for mayor of Dubuque?

A: I care deeply about Dubuque and believe we can be a thriving community that is inclusive, economically strong, and beautiful in every way.

Q: Why are you the ideal candidate for the job?

A: You cannot be a beginner and be a good mayor. Experience and commitment are really very important to move our city forward. There is simply too much at stake to have someone with very little experience on the board or some candidates have no experience and Dubuque deserves better. I have a proven track record of fiscal responsibility and independence, and in these times that are broken in so many ways, we need, I think, someone who can unite people and I think everyone. world can agree that financial strength and independence and listening to our citizens is very important. The other thing I commit to is continuous improvement. Everyone knows that Dubuque has a strong dynamic and we must continue this momentum.

* April White was not available for an interview, but in a statement to TV9 said, “I want to be the voice of the people and give power back to the people, Dubuque is ready for a NEW START.”

Copyright 2021 KCRG. All rights reserved.

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I hope you had a nice week-end. The return of in-person meetings and conferences means it’s time to re-evaluate the benefits of professional networking. Hybrid events that blend in-person and online elements provide a way to meet professionally in the post-pandemic world. But do they work? Written and edited by Wai Kwen Chan and Andrew Jack.

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Andrew Hill’s management challenge

Corporate schmoozing is coming back, judging by my unscientific polls from last week’s Chelsea Flower Show, where negotiators will see and be seen, and the promised return of the World Economic Forum in Davos next year.

Can you explain why video calls are better than in-person events?

But how useful is in-person networking, given all we’ve learned about the benefits of virtual conferencing? For the next one management challengeI would like to see a two or three sentence note to the boss justifying your request to attend a conference or in-person event. If not, step into the shoes of the management and send a short response on why video calls are better. I will watch [email protected] for your entries.

Thanks for the responses to last week’s theatrical challenge, where I asked what show you would put on for managers. Alison Chappell, who works at a large energy company, mischievously suggests that JM Synge The Playboy of the Western World “For our trading team”, while speaker Thomas Roulet sent a detailed synopsis for While waiting for DieuOVID, loosely based on Samuel Beckett’s existential masterpiece Waiting for Godot: “Each organization looks forward to [the end of the pandemic], but no one seems to know when, and more importantly, how it will happen.

In further reading, Ian Cook in Harvard business review offers some therapies for companies rocked by employees joining the “Great Resignation”. “Before you can determine the underlying causes of turnover in your organization, it is essential to quantify both the extent of the problem and its impact,” he writes.

Data line

In FT survey, Masters in Management alumni claim finance is the subject their schools are strongest in teaching, followed by general management and international business, write Leo Cremonezi and Sam Stephens.

Business schools are still not rated well by graduates for technology-related subjects, compared to general management disciplines. Graduates in the US and Canada gave lower scores for finance compared to alumni in other regions – and rated their schools very well for teaching international business. Here are more graphics on the MiM program.

Overview of employment and career

Our main article examines the evolution of the corporate social responsibility professions. While core functions such as finance and marketing remain, soft skills such as collaboration and resilience are becoming just as important.

Pilita Clark talks about Ted Lasso’s leadership lessons, the sweet comedy shows that it pays to be a kind and decent manager.

Post-pandemic hybrid trade events have their pitfalls. Viv Groskop explains that producing conferences with both in-person and virtual elements requires expertise – and few organizations have it.

Chris Sheldrick, co-founder of What3words, the localization app, shares his leadership advice on scaling an ambitious startup. He advises: “Have breakfast with a different employee each day to hear what they’re doing and gain insight and feedback. ”

In the shortlist of the FT’s 2021 Business Book of the Year, climate change, opioid addiction and cybercrime are among the themes analyzed in the £ 30,000 prize.

Finally, what advice would you give to motivate your coworkers if their boss doesn’t care what they’re doing?

What is your knowledge of current events?

Take our quiz of 10 questions.

The best reads from business schools

Evergrande’s deadline shivers down the spine in Asia’s $ 400 billion debt market Traders are worried about the fallout if an indebted Chinese real estate developer starts to miss payments.

China extends crackdown, declaring all crypto activity “illegal” The country’s central bank is seeking to prevent residents from trading on foreign exchanges.

Beijing releases Canadians after Huawei CFO hits deal with U.S. prosecutors Meng Wanzhou flies to China after resolving fraud charges while Spavor and Kovrig return to Canada.

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The concept stems from the age-old expression “time is money” and the differentiation between wants and needs. A blog by Squirrels explores the number of labor hours it takes to purchase an item. It’s probably something we’ve all considered, but the method is powerful.

In this blog, the example used is a person with an annual salary of $ 25,000 buying a car costing around $ 25,000.

The blogger made this calculation:

$ 25,000 of wages, divided by 250 working days, = $ 100 per day.

$ 100 per day, divided by 8 hours, = $ 12.50 per hour.

$ 12.50 per hour, multiplied by 75 percent – to account for taxes – = $ 9.38 per hour after tax $ 25,000 car, divided by the hourly rate of $ 9.38, = 2,665 hours.

This meant that they had to work 2,665 hours to buy the car, and if you factor in the above calculation assuming 2,000 hours of work per year, that comes to 1.33 years of their life. worked just to pay for a car.

This will allow young people to make an informed judgment on whether the experiences are worth it.

Dr Junaid added, “It also gets students thinking about the ‘opportunity cost’ of any purchase. A £ 9 theatrical release sounds good, but they might consider what else they could do with £ 9? “

Whiz Education has developed a Virtual Maths-Whizz Tutor which is a great way to help kids understand the value of transactions and progress in math at their own pace.

“One of the main features is a virtual ‘store’ where students can spend the credits they have earned while progressing through classes.

“Students can buy things like virtual pets and furniture, and they can even buy clothes to personalize their avatar.”

“It’s our light-hearted way of teaching students the basics of money management, which we believe will be of use to them later in life. “

While there isn’t much emphasis on this aspect of money in school, Junaid believes that “when taught well it can make a dramatic difference to the fortune (literally)”.

Although Newsweek is held in default, the news company says it is not responsible because its name is not on the lease, according to court documents, and their motion to dismiss the charges was dismissed.

Alan Sash, who represents Newsweek, said in court documents that the lawsuit was a “bad faith and unwarranted attempt” to collect commercial rent.

Stawski sued IBT and Newsweek in January, saying they had not received any rent for the offices since September 2020 and the tenant owed more than $ 700,000 in arrears.

Since then, Newsweek’s bank accounts have made several payments to the owner for IBT’s arrears and executives at the spin-off company were in contact with the owner about the sublease and payment plans, according to the complaint. .

In doing so, Newsweek had “ignored and abused the corporate form by dominating and controlling IBT,” Perry wrote in his ruling.

Who will be responsible for paying rent on Whitehall Street is still uncertain, Stawski’s attorney Efrem Fischer said. It could be one or the other or both, he said.

This lawsuit is not the first rent dispute between the landlord and the media company. Stawski Partners sued IBT for over $ 500,000 in rent arrears in 2019, but this case has since been settled.

Representatives for IBT and Newsweek did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

SAN ANGELO, Texas – San Angelo LIVE! Make no assumptions or representations about anyone’s guilt or innocence on the booking report. People accused of crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Information on the site should not be used to determine a person’s actual criminal record.

Photos or photos in the booking report are public information and no permission is required for them to appear in the media.

The Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, the San Angelo Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety have made various arrests, including the following.

• David Creek was arrested for drunk driving at 10:27 p.m. and released at 9:13 a.m. the next day on $ 1,000.00 bail.
• Kris Munoz was arrested for PEDESTRIAN – TRAFFIC WALK at 12:05 am and released at 3:28 pm the same day on $ 264.00 bail.
• Heston Peacock was arrested for MTR * DEL CS / MARIJ TO MINOR at 1:27 p.m. and no bond was issued.

Of the 556 beds available, there are currently 548 occupied by TGCDF detainees as of Monday morning.

* The reservation report uses an unclassified DEA intelligence report titled “Drug Slang Code Words” for terms meaning marijuana. *

Business School Updates

Sign up for myFT Daily Digest to be the first to know about business school news.

The FT invites teachers, researchers and alumni of business schools around the world to participate in its new awards for responsible business education.

Registrations are open until October 20 for examples of recent graduate projects, teaching cases and research studies that have had a positive societal and environmental impact.

The aim is to showcase and encourage innovative approaches in areas such as tackling climate change, increasing sustainability and greater diversity and inclusion.

There are three awards:

• Best alumni “factors of change” graduated from a business school in the past three years and having personally contributed to redefining “business as usual”, whether as intrapreneurs within organizations or as entrepreneurs managing start-ups ;

• Best business school teaching cases published over the past three years with sustainability and tackling climate change as key learning objectives;

• Best academic research in business school published over the past three years that addresses societal challenges, with evidence of a positive impact on policy or practice

The strongest examples will be assessed by a panel of external and internal judges, and highlighted in a special FT report in January 2022.

Click on the links above to access the individual submission forms for all three categories.

SINGAPORE – Women often have additional caregiving responsibilities, whether it is caring for children or elderly parents.

So more needs to be done to support them financially and emotionally, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Saturday (September 18th) during the closing session of the Singapore Women’s Development Conversations.

Such additional responsibility for care is one of the obstacles in women’s work and careers, as caregivers have to make many significant sacrifices, he said.

Minister of State for Education and Social and Family Development Sun Xueling said on Saturday that a survey conducted as part of the initiative found that women in dual-income households were five times more more likely than men to handle household chores and family responsibilities.

Women were also nearly four times more likely to have quit their jobs to care for them than men, she added.

Noting that being a caregiver is both hard work and “heart” work, Premier Lee said, “Their careers are affected. The cost of care can be substantial.

“Caregivers have more difficulty building their own retirement savings. This can make caregivers, especially full-time caregivers, very vulnerable.

Many in the conversations strongly felt it was unfair to caregivers, he added, agreeing that caregivers, whether female or male, deserved more support.

One direct avenue is to provide more financial assistance, Premier Lee said.

To this end, the Ministry of Health (MOH) is exploring how it can improve the Home Care Subsidy Program, in order to provide more assistance to targeted groups.

Prime Minister Lee said, “No amount of money will fully compensate for the sacrifices that caregiving requires, but we know that many caregivers would appreciate more help.”

Another important issue was the well-being of the caregivers themselves, as many said that they often did not have free time and did not know where and how to seek help.

Many found themselves exhausted and exhausted.

PM Lee said the Department of Health is exploring how it can expand respite care options to meet the varied needs of caregivers.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Parliamentary Secretary for Communications and Information and Health Rahayu Mahzam, who is one of the three co-leaders on the review, said the initiatives would go a long way in delivering better support for the elderly, their caregivers and their families.

She said: “The conversations made it clear that women who reach their full potential will improve all of our lives at home, in schools, in the workplace and in the community.

“But to achieve this, we will need an effort from the whole of society of men and women to change our mindsets and overcome societal stereotypes about gender roles.”

Ms Fannie Lim, executive director of the Daughters of Tomorrow charity, hoped that women who quit working to be home caregivers would benefit from automatic top-ups to their Central Provident Fund accounts.

She said: “I was a stay-at-home mom for six years.

“Of course, when you stop working there are some benefits that are not available to you. So if we can have some kind of recognition for the caregivers, in very practical terms like grants or even some form of income supplement, that would be good.

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Over the years, Karnataka has been praised for maintaining fiscal discipline, although there have been concerns about indiscipline in budget spending by successive governments, but over the past three years the state failed on both counts. The state has always been proud of the fact that it has always limited its borrowing to less than 3% of the state’s gross domestic product (GSDP), as mandated by the 2002 Karnataka Fiscal Responsibility Law. The law was changed some time ago to allow the state to borrow up to 5% in view of the Covid situation, which is understandable. But such has been the mismanagement of finances in recent years that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) pointed out in his finance and audit report that the state had in fact borrowed more than its needs in 2019-2020, open market borrowing amounting to 59% of total tax liability. This excess borrowing resulted in an increase in the State treasury of 57% compared to the previous year. In other words, the government resorted to borrowing more than necessary, on which interest must be paid, and then left the money unused, without making use of it. The CAG correctly noted that maintaining an unused cash balance is not prudent financial management and that the government should limit its borrowing in the market to its needs. Debt sustainability analysis also shows that the growth in public debt has exceeded the growth in MSRP.

Also Read: Karnataka Budget Allocations Not Spent: CAG Report

What is even more shocking is that although funds have been available, budget allocations have remained unused year after year for the past three years, indicating the non-achievement of planned financial expenditures. The budgeting exercise, it seems, was so casual that the allocations were made without even taking into account the expenses of previous years. Even though large sums were not spent, the government requested additional grants and credits without justification. Noting that 11% of the total provisions made in 2019-2020 remained unused, the CAG urged the government to be more practical in its budget. It is also a sad commentary on the lack of control of the legislature, which blindly approves the additional grants requested by the government periodically.

The CAG report shamed Karnataka, which until recently boasted of being one of the best-managed states financially. Excessive borrowing, not using available funds and then holding money in hand and getting nothing out of it, is evidence of insensitive bureaucracy and political leadership. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who also holds the finance portfolio, is expected to ensure tight budget control and adherence to established financial practices to save the state from financial disaster.

On his third and final attempt at the Navy SEAL’s Underwater Tying Exam, 18-year-old Brenton Davis, shivering and walking across the water, made a solemn decision: pass the test or die trying.

Diving to the bottom of the pool, housed at the Naval Special Warfare Training Center in Coronado, Calif., Davis carried out three demolition nodes, one at a time, all in one fell swoop.

Announcement:Republican Brenton Davis is the first candidate to announce his candidacy for the Erie County executive

The problems:Erie County executive race: Republican Brenton Davis takes second job

Completing the first two easily, Davis started the third, a clove hitch knot, something he had practiced several times before, but now seemed impossible after nearly two minutes underwater.

Head flickering and eyesight darkening, Davis passed out, still convinced he would only resurface after all three knots were finished.

“Before I knew it, I woke up on the edge of the pool throwing up water,” Davis said. “I had tears running down my face. I knew I was coming home.”

But he wasn’t, however.

A seasoned SEAL instructor, nicknamed “Mad Max,” who knelt down next to the young recruit, appeared more in disbelief than upset.

“You didn’t tie the third knot, but you showed us that you wanted to be here at the point where you literally drowned,” Davis told Mad Max.

It was a matter of spirit, after all. Heart. And for Mad Max, Davis had it in bundles – and got a passing grade to keep training.

It was a familiar episode for the Meadville native.

At 5ft 6in and around 160lbs, Davis, 38, played the classic underdog, the self-proclaimed “runt of the group” who, by force of will, struck over his weight to progress through the athletics, military and business.

Drawn to adversity, Davis became a high school wrestler when he barely broke 100 pounds; signed up to be Navy SEAL without ever seeing the ocean; and earned a master’s degree in economic development when no one in his family went beyond high school.

The odds, he said, were meant to be overcome. And now, as the Republican candidate for the Erie County executive, Davis is looking to prove it again.

“My mother always said ‘dynamite comes in small packages’,” he said.

On the campaign trail, Davis has already appealed to his trademark zeal, visiting every municipality in the county – some 20,000 miles since January – and filling his schedule with near-daily get-togethers, lunches, county council meetings and other public appearances. .

As a career management officer in the Army Reserves, supervising more than 4,000 people in three states, and owner of B. Davis Enterprises LLC, a construction company, Davis believes his combination of top leadership level and know-how in business makes him the right candidate at the moment.

“The county executive is about being a manager – it’s about leadership and knowledge,” Davis said. “And as an entrepreneur I look at it differently, I make connections that most people don’t.”

Disappointed by what he sees as the financial mismanagement of a “verified” county executive, Davis seeks a renewal of budget conservatism and a scrub of departmental budgets to eliminate unnecessary spending.

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Additionally, as Erie County’s population shrinks, Davis is looking to put more emphasis on small business development, flat property taxes, and funneling federal clawback dollars into public infrastructure.

“Fiscal responsibility and financial literacy are the most important aspects of a county executive’s job,” he said.

On November 2, Davis will face Democrat Tyler Titus, state-certified councilor and chairman of the Erie school board, to succeed Democratic incumbent Kathy Dahlkemper, who announced in December that she would not be running for a third term.

While some critics, including Titus, have called Davis an “extremist” or far-right supporter of Trump, Davis insists otherwise, stating that he is more of the “common sense, medium-term” candidate.

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“I have sworn allegiance to the flag, to the nation, not to a president or a party,” Davis said. “I compare (my position) to sitting in the middle of a canoe, with someone on the left and someone on the right throwing rocks at each other. I’m just like, ‘You stop?’ Because it was I who was hit in the head. “

Davis, who has also been criticized for starting an online petition in 2019 to stop the establishment of Erie County Community College, said he was not opposed to education but rather a college that does has no sustainable source of funding.

Davis said he would give the college a four-year commitment to make sure its program is suitable for high-demand jobs and does not duplicate other programs.

“Community college funding shouldn’t fall on the backs of taxpayers in the form of higher property taxes,” he said.

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For Davis’s friends, like Sean Silman, a retired Petty Officer who has known Davis for about 20 years, the accusation that Davis is an extremist or a supporter was false.

“Just because he’s running as a Republican doesn’t mean he’s only open to Republican ideas,” Silman said. “Her whole life has been listening to everyone and finding what’s best for everyone to make everyone better.”

“Living on a dirt road”

Davis, who was born “in a trailer park” in Meadville and raised in Guy Mills to an 18-year-old single mother, described her humble beginnings as “living on a dirt road”.

His mother, who delivered newspapers, married a union mechanic when Davis was 6 months old. The couple later became foster parents, surrounding Davis with around 27 foster children entering and leaving the house at different times.

“I grew up with a different perspective on the world, seeing poor children with behavioral problems,” Davis said. “I got to see how lucky I was and learned not to think too much about the little things.”

While excelling in sports at Maplewood High School – namely cross country – Davis was a lackluster student, motivated primarily by dreams of military service, which he called “a calling.”

“As a child, I always looked for every opportunity to test my courage,” Davis said. “I was wondering, ‘What’s the hardest thing I can do? “Because I’m not just going to do it, I’m going to be the best at it.”

“I was able to save lives”

At 18, Davis enlisted in the Navy and immediately sought to join the SEALs, or special operators of the Navy, Air and Land.

About 75% of interns fail the program. And while Davis did too, he kept coming back, dozens of times, over a period of five months. Finally, weighing 115 soaked pounds at the time, Davis said his body gave in, succumbing to hypothermia.

“It was the first time in my life that I felt completely defeated,” said Davis. “But that defeat only fueled my fire. The Navy sent me to search and rescue school and I was able to save lives.”

Davis spent three years overseas as a combat lifeguard. Subsequently, he joined the Naval Reserve and initiated a training program to prepare local recruits interested in becoming SEALs.

After leaving active service, Davis joined the US Army Reserves. And in 2006, he started his own business, B. Davis Enterprises LLC, as a way to pay for his education. He received a psychology degree from the University of Edinboro in 2008.

While an army officer, Davis had hoped to qualify for Special Forces, but a serious arm injury during training, as well as a back injury sustained while working off duty, made fail those plans.

Davis took it in stride.

“To be successful in business and in life, you have to adapt,” he said.

“Person more qualified”

In the county leadership race, a job that earns an annual salary of $ 107,118 and oversees 1,200 employees, Davis believes there is “no one more qualified” than him.

Boasting about his business prowess, Davis recalled how he started his business “from the bed of a Chevrolet pickup truck.”

Today, B. Davis Enterprises LLC, performs a variety of jobs ranging from land clearing to dike construction, and has several subcontractors who hire their own workers.

Since losing the Republican nomination to the county executive in 2017, Davis has said he has remained active in regional development policy and goals.

Earlier this year, Davis helped lead the formation of the Lake Erie Council of Governments, a coalition of public and private actors from Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York, who plan to host sessions working group on regional economic objectives.

Davis has also helped create a program that helps businesses tap into local resources and networks that are not readily available through workshops, training sessions and mentoring.

In the fall, Davis will begin teaching military science at the University of Edinboro.

As Silman said, “Brenton is nonstop.”

Davis agreed.

“My mom knew I was still that little runt, and she instilled a lot of confidence in me from a young age,” Davis said. “Because when you are little you are often outdone. So to get out of it you have to think, thwart and thwart maneuvers. “

AJ Rao can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter @ETNRao.

Garnica has already paid two different consultants to rework his CV and said he would gladly take a lower paying job. But despite all the applications he has submitted, he has only gotten two interviews since the start of the pandemic, none of which have resulted in job offers.

Garnica is among 2 million Californians whose federal unemployment benefits expired over Labor Day weekend. People who still haven’t found a job are now trying to move forward with less support, but research on previous recessions suggests that many may never fully recover.

Make it work

While he was out of work, Garnica tried to change his life to stay afloat. He withdrew money from his 401 (k) account to pay bills, borrowed from friends to cover his mortgage, and rented rooms in his house, where he lives with his girlfriend and eldest son, and the new -born of the couple.

The most stressful time is the end of the month, he said.

“All the bills start to fall due and you’re like, ‘OK, am I going to default on this bill? »Is it more beneficial for me to withdraw money from my 401 (k)? If I take money out of my bank, how does that affect my unemployment… if I’m going to be unemployed? “

Because he was initially confident that he would find another job quickly, Garnica did not immediately purchase health insurance when his work coverage expired. In June 2020, after just over a month without any coverage, he enrolled in Covered California, the state’s health insurance marketplace, with his plan due to go into effect the following month.

Then, at the end of the month, Garnica had a heart attack – the day before her plan began.

“I didn’t go to the hospital right away because my insurance didn’t take effect until midnight. It was kind of like a shitty situation to be in, right? Said Garnica.

Health problems “closely linked” to unemployment

Garnica is only 42 years old and has fortunately recovered. It’s impossible to know the root cause of his heart attack, but long-standing research links unemployment to major health problems, including heart attacks.

“The population health issues that will arise over the next few years could very well be closely linked to the unemployment that we have seen and which has been spurred by the pandemic,” said Jennie Brand, UCLA sociologist and director. from the California Center for Population Research. .

Brand said unemployment can cause stress, depression and even lead to substance abuse. It also often leads people to delay getting health care, as Garnica did.

In addition, in February, researchers at UCSF estimated that more than 30,000 Americans would die in the pandemic’s first year from unemployment-related health problems.

In light of the well-documented links between unemployment and deteriorating health, and the large number of Americans still looking for work, Brand and other researchers are now warning of a potential new health crisis.

Struggling to start over

In addition to health problems, economic difficulties hit those harder who are already more vulnerable, especially older workers and workers of color, said Rebecca Dixon, executive director of the National Employment Law Project.

A woman faces drunk driving charges after a car crash in Kiski Township on Saturday evening. One year old Jamie Fulton was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. Police said she was traveling at high speed, failed to negotiate a bend in the road, hit an embankment and overturned the car. Fulton has been taken into custody. His blood alcohol level was 0.206%, more than twice the legal limit. Police said Fulton also had a suspended DUI license at the time of the crash, with no insurance or registration of the suspended vehicle. Fulton is charged with DUI, driving with a suspended DUI license, accidents involving unsupervised property, driving a vehicle at a safe speed, financial liability required and driving a vehicle with a suspended license.