Racing career.

Open wheel career.

Leffler began his career racing midget cars in the USAC series, where he won three consecutive midget championships from 1997 and 1999, as well as the Silver Crown series championship in 1998. He was the third driver to win three consecutive midget car championships. He won the Hut Hundred and Belleville Nationals in 1997, and the Turkey Night Grand Prix and Copper Classic in 1999. He won his second Turkey Night Grand Prix in 2005.  Roger Penske met Leffler at the 1998 Hut 100. Leffler's success also caught the attention of Joe Gibbs Racing, a team which had previously signed Tony Stewart from the USAC ranks. Leffler joined the team in 1999 and made four starts in the Busch Series during the season with moderate success. At the same time, he also started a race in the Indy Racing League at Walt Disney World Speedway in the No. 5 Treadway Racing machine, but finished last after crashing early in the race.  Leffler made his first, and only, start in the Indianapolis 500 in 2000. This effort was put forth by Treadway Racing with backing from Roger Penske's United Auto group. Leffler qualified in the 17th position, which was also where he finished.

NASCAR career.

During the 2000 season, Leffler drove full-time for the No. 18 MBNA sponsored Joe Gibbs Racing team in the Busch Series. He finished twentieth in the final standings, earned three pole positions during the year, and finished second at Phoenix. He also made two IRL starts, among them a start for Treadway in the Indianapolis 500 where he started and finished seventeenth. After that season he moved up to the Winston Cup Series to become the driver of the #01 Cingular Wireless Dodge for Chip Ganassi Racing as the permanent replacement for Kenny Irwin, Jr., who was killed in a practice crash while driving for the same team at New Hampshire in 2000. Leffler's car retained sponsorship from BellSouth through its Cingular Wireless property, and with Ganassi's purchase of a stake in Felix Sabates' former team came a switch in manufacturer as Leffler became one of several drivers to drive Dodge Intrepids in the brand's return to NASCAR. It was a controversial decision, as Leffler performed poorly the season prior in excellent Joe Gibbs equipment in the Busch series. During his inaugural Cup season, he had only one top 10 finish and four failures to qualify. He was, however, the inaugural pole setter at Kansas Speedway. After his 37th-place finish in the 2001 championship, Ganassi replaced him with Jimmy Spencer for the 2002 season and remade Leffler's former car into the #41 Target Dodge.  Leffler joined Ultra Motorsports in 2002 to drive the #2 Carquest/Team ASE Dodge Ram in place of the departed Scott Riggs and had great success early on with the team. In his first year, he tied a single season Craftsman Truck Series record by scoring eight pole positions, and qualified no worse than eighth at any race during the season. Despite not winning a race, he had six second-place finishes and a fourth-place finish in the championship. He also won the Night Before the 500 midget race and got to drive Ultra's #7 car in the final two races of the Cup Series season after the team fired Casey Atwood. Leffler finally broke through in 2003 when he scored his first career victory at Dover. Despite the success, Leffler ended up losing his ride at Ultra in controversial fashion. Haas CNC Racing, which was fielding its first full-time Cup Series team, had fired its driver Jack Sprague after the Tropicana 400. Team owner Gene Haas named John Andretti as his replacement, but he was unavailable for the Brickyard 400 due to a prior commitment with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.. Haas approached Leffler to drive the #0 NetZero Pontiac Grand Prix in the race and he agreed to do so. Ultra, which had warned Leffler that such a move would be in violation of his contract, responded by firing him.  Leffler made ten starts in the #0, becoming the permanent driver after the Sirius Satellite Radio at the Glen. The team then signed Ward Burton away from Bill Davis Racing to take over the car, and he joined the team before the season was over to get a head start. Leffler was moved to the #00 Haas Automation car in the Busch Series for the remainder of 2003, with the idea that he would remain there for 2004. At Nashville Superspeedway in 2004, Leffler scored his first career Busch Series victory. He was running third in the points when the team released him from his contract. He ended up finishing twelfth in the championship despite missing the last seven races.  Shortly after his dismissal, Leffler signed a deal to re-join Joe Gibbs Racing for 2005, taking over a newly created Cup team sponsored by FedEx. The No. 11 Chevrolet was regularly outside of the top 35 in points, meaning that it was not guaranteed a starting spot for all races; Leffler was unable to qualify for the Coca-Cola 600 because of it. He was replaced by Terry Labonte for the two road-course races and, eventually, was fired from JGR after nineteen starts in which he failed to record a top ten finish. He was replaced by a mix of Labonte and JGR developmental drivers J.J. Yeley and Denny Hamlin, the latter of whom took over the car full-time the following season.  While racing with Gibbs, Leffler briefly raced with Braun Racing in the Busch Series, a team that had lost their regular driver, Shane Hmiel, to a drug suspension. After leaving Gibbs, Leffler joined Braun Racing on a full-time basis for the remainder of the season. Leffler had scored four top ten finishes with Braun in nine starts for the team.  For the 2006 season, Leffler was signed to return to Braun Racing to drive the No. 32 Chevrolet. The team carried sponsorships from Lucas Oil, Fraternal Order of Eagles, and ABF U-Pack Moving. The No. 32 team became the No. 38 team with sponsorship from Great Clips after it merged with Akins Motorsports. Jason also attempted to qualify for the second to last race of the chase at Phoenix in the No. 71 for Braun Racing but failed to qualify.  During the 2007 season, Leffler won the pole for the Winn-Dixie 250 at Daytona International Speedway. He finished ninth. Leffler would make NASCAR history July 28, 2007 as he passed Greg Biffle with two laps remaining to win the Busch Series Kroger 200 at O'Reilly Raceway Park. The win marked the first race victory for a Toyota Camry in Busch Series competition, and the first win for a foreign manufacturer in a top-tier NASCAR series since Al Keller won in a Jaguar in 1954. The win also marked Leffler's second career Busch Series win and first win since the 2004 season. Leffler returned to Sprint Cup in 2008 for a few races in the No. 70 Haas CNC Chevy while driving full-time for Braun Racing's No. 38 Toyota Camry.  In 2009 at the July Daytona race weekend it was announced that the No. 38 Toyota car would be shared with Kasey Kahne for the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season. Leffler remained in the Great Clips Toyota in 2010 and 2011. In late 2011 he was informed that he was free to pursue other opportunities for the 2012 season.  On January 9, 2012, Kyle Busch Motorsports announced that Leffler would drive the No. 18 truck for fourteen races with sponsorship from Dollar General. However, strings of bad luck and poor finishes plagued the team, and Leffler was released on August 14.  Leffler also returned to the Cup Series in 2012, driving for Robinson-Blakeney Racing at Watkins Glen International, and for Humphrey Smith Racing at Michigan International Speedway.  Leffler made a single Cup Series start in 2013, driving Humphrey Smith Racing's No. 19 Toyota Camry at Pocono Raceway in early June, three days before his death; he started and parked, finishing 43rd in the event.

Death.

On June 12, 2013 at 8:30 PM, Leffler was involved in a crash during a 410 sprint car heat race at the Bridgeport Speedway in Logan Township, New Jersey. Running second with a few laps left, his car suffered a front suspension failure, causing it to crash into a wall and flip several times.  Leffler instantly lost consciousness in the accident. When it was found that Leffler was not breathing, the rest of the race was cancelled and victory lane ceremonies did not take place. He was airlifted by helicopter to Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Chester, Pennsylvania, where he was pronounced dead at 9:00 PM EDT, 30 minutes after the accident. An autopsy report stated that the cause of death was a severe blunt force neck and backbone injury.  After his death, many drivers and racing associations such as NASCAR and IndyCar made statements on the death and gave their condolences. NASCAR drivers competing in the 2013 Quicken Loans 400 had special stickers placed on their cars in honor of Leffler. Denny Hamlin, who replaced Leffler in the No. 11 FedEx Toyota in late 2005 had his car repainted to resemble Leffler's livery.

Personal life.

Leffler was the son of Charles and Patricia Leffler. Leffler had a son, Charlie Dean, with Alison East, who was five years old at the time of his death. He shared his life with live-in girlfriend Julianna Patterson; they resided in North Carolina. Leffler was engaged at the time of his death to Julianna Patterson.

Career awards.

Leffler was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2003. He had 18 national championship midget car wins at that time.

Motorsports career results.

NASCAR.

Camping World Truck Series.

Ineligible for series points

Jason Charles Leffler (September 16, 1975 – June 12, 2013) was an American professional open-wheel and stock car racing driver. Leffler began racing in the open-wheel ranks, competing in the 2000 Indianapolis 500 before moving to primarily NASCAR competition. He died from injuries sustained in a 410 sprint car race at Bridgeport Speedway in Bridgeport, New Jersey.

Jason Leffler (* 16. September 1975 in Long Beach, Kalifornien; † 12. Juni 2013 in Chester, Pennsylvania) war ein US-amerikanischer Automobilrennfahrer.


Early life.

Wetzel was born in Puyallup, Washington and began playing soccer as a young girl. Starting at age eight, she played for club soccer team, FC Royals, a team she won five state championships with. She attended Puyallup High School where she played on the varsity soccer team for three years. She finished her high school career with 47 goals and 17 assists. As a senior, she was named to the all-state second team after scoring 19 goals.  Wetzel also played for the Washington state and Region IV Olympic Development Program (ODP) teams. She won the 2004 national championship title with the Washington state ODP team and was a finalist in 2005.

Oregon State Beavers.

Wetzel attended Oregon State University from 2007 to 2010. She ended her collegiate career with 81 caps for the Beavers and seven goals. She also appeared in two games for the women's basketball team.

Playing career.

Club.

Wetzel played for the Seattle Sounders Women in 2007 and Ottawa Fury Women in the W-League in 2008 and played for the Fury for four seasons. She was named to the W-League Team of the Week in 2012 after scoring a goal and serving an assist during a shutout win against Hamilton.  On April 5, 2013 she joined the Portland Thorns FC for the 2013 NWSL season as a discovery player. She scored her first goal for the Thorns during a home match on June 7 against FC Kansas City. Wetzel made 18 appearances for the Thorns during the 2013 season and helped the team win the league's championship title.  On April 5, 2014, Wetzel was traded with Kathryn Williamson and Portland's first-round pick in the 2015 NWSL College Draft to the Western New York Flash for Sarah Huffman and a player to be named later. April 7, 2014, Portland Thorns revealed that the player to be named later was Verónica Boquete. The draft pick became Jaelene Hinkle.  She was waived by the Western New York Flash in September 2014.

International.

Wezel was called up to the United States women's national under-23 soccer team in 2010.

Courtney Wetzel (born February 25, 1989) is an American soccer midfielder. She played for the Western New York Flash and Portland Thorns FC of the NWSL, and the Ottawa Fury Women and Seattle Sounders Women in the W-League.

Courtney Wetzel (* 25. Februar 1989 in Puyallup, Washington) ist eine US-amerikanische Fußballspielerin, die zuletzt in der Saison 2014 bei den Western New York Flash unter Vertrag stand.


Background.

At the end of World War I (1914–1918), attention of the Allied Powers (Entente Powers) focused on the partition of the territory of the Ottoman Empire. As part of the Treaty of London (1915), by which Italy left the Triple Alliance (with Germany and Austria-Hungary) and joined France, Great Britain and Russia in the Triple Entente, Italy was promised the Dodecanese and, if the partition of the Ottoman Empire were to occur, land in Anatolia including Antalya and surrounding provinces presumably including Smyrna. But in later 1915, as an inducement to enter the war, British Foreign Secretary Edward Grey in private discussion with Eleftherios Venizelos, the Greek Prime Minister at the time, promised large parts of the Anatolian coast to Greece, including Smyrna. Venizelos resigned from his position shortly after this communication, but when he had formally returned to power in June 1917, Greece entered the war on the side of the Entente.  On 30 October 1918, the Armistice of Mudros was signed between the Entente powers and the Ottoman Empire ending the Ottoman front of World War I. Great Britain, Greece, Italy, France, and the United States began discussing what the treaty provisions regarding the partition of Ottoman territory would be, negotiations which resulted in the Treaty of Sèvres. These negotiations began in February 1919 and each country had distinct negotiating preferences about Smyrna. The French, who had large investments in the region, took a position for territorial integrity of a Turkish state that would include the zone of Smyrna. The British were at a loggerhead over the issue with the War Office and India Office promoting the territorial integrity idea and Prime Minister David Lloyd George and the Foreign Office, headed by Lord Curzon, opposed this suggestion and wanting Smyrna to be under separate administration. The Italian position was that Smyrna was rightfully their possession and so the diplomats would refuse to make any comments when Greek control over the area was discussed. The Greek government, pursuing Venizelos' support for the "Megali Idea" (to bring areas with a majority Greek population or with historical or religious ties to Greece under control of the Greek state) and supported by Lloyd George, began a large propaganda effort to promote their claim to Smyrna including establishing a mission under the foreign minister in the city. Moreover, the Greek claim over the Smyrna area (which appeared to have a clear Greek majority, although exact percentages varied depending on the source) were supported by Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points which emphasized the right to autonomous development for minorities in Anatolia. In negotiations, despite French and Italian objections, by the middle of February 1919 Lloyd George shifted the discussion to how Greek administration would work and not whether Greek administration would happen. To further this aim, he brought in a set of experts, including Arnold J. Toynbee, to discuss how the zone of Smyrna would operate and what its impacts would be on the population. Following this discussion, in late February 1919, Venezilos appointed Aristeidis Stergiadis, a close political ally, the High Commissioner of Smyrna (appointed over political riser Themistoklis Sofoulis).  In April 1919, the Italians landed and took over Antalya and began showing signs of moving troops towards Smyrna. During the negotiations at about the same time, the Italian delegation walked out when it became clear that Fiume (Rijeka) would not be given to them in the peace outcome. Lloyd George saw an opportunity to break the impasse over Smyrna with the absence of the Italian delegation and, according to Jensen, he "concocted a report that an armed uprising of Turkish guerrillas in the Smyrna area was seriously endangering the Greek and other Christian minorities." Both to protect local Christians and also to limit increasing Italian action in Anatolia, French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau and U.S. President Woodrow Wilson supported a Greek military occupation of Smyrna. Although Smyrna would be occupied by Greek troops, authorized by the Allies, the Allies did not agree that Greece would take sovereignty over the territory until further negotiations settled this issue. The Italian delegation acquiesced to this outcome and the Greek occupation was authorized.

Greek landing at Smyrna.

On 14 May 1919, the Greek mission in Smyrna read a statement announcing that Greek troops would be arriving the next day in the city. Smith reports that this news was "received with great emotion" by the Greek population of the city while thousands of Turkish residents gathered in the hill that night lighting fires and beating drums in protest. The same night, thousands of Turkish prisoners were released from a prison with the complicity of the Ottoman and Italian commanders in charge of the prison.  Greek occupation of Smyrna started on 15 May 1919 where a large crowd gathered waving the Greek kingdom flags on the docks where the Greek troops were expected to arrive. The Metropolitan of Smyrna, Chrysostomos, blessed the first troops as they arrived. An inexperienced colonel was in charge of the operation and neither the appointed high commissioner nor high-ranking military individuals were there for the landing, resulting in miscommunication and a breakdown of discipline. Most significantly, this resulted in the 1/38 Evzone Regiment landing north of where they were to take up their post. They had to march south, passing a large part of the Greek celebratory crowds, the Ottoman governor's konak and the barracks of Ottoman troops. Someone fired a shot (Smith indicates that no one knows who) and chaos resulted, with the Greek troops firing multiple shots into the konak and the barracks. The Ottoman troops surrendered and the Greek regiment began marching them up the coast to a ship to serve as a temporary prison. A British subject at the scene claimed he witnessed the shooting deaths of thirty unarmed prisoners during this march, by both Greeks in the crowd and Greek troops. British officers in the harbor reported seeing Greek troops bayoneting multiple Turkish prisoners during the march and then saw them thrown into the sea. In the chaos, looting of Turkish houses began, and by the end of the day three to four hundred Turks had been killed. One hundred Greeks were also killed, including two soldiers. Violence continued the next day and for the next months as Greek troops took over towns and villages in the region and atrocities were committed by both ethnic groups, notably the Battle of Aydın on 27 June 1919.

Reactions to the landing.

The landing and reports of the violence had a large impact on many parties. The landing helped bring together the various groups of Turkish resistance into an organized movement (further assisted by the landing of Mustafa Kemal in Samsun on 19 May 1919). Several demonstrations were held by Turkish people in Constantinople condemning the occupation of Smyrna. Between 100,000 and 150,000 people gathered in a meeting at Sultanahmet square organized by the Karakol society and Türk Ocağı. In Great Britain and France, the reports of violence increased opposition in the governments to a permanent Greek control over the area.  As a response to the claims of violence, the French Prime Minister Clemenceau suggested an Interallied Commission of Inquiry to Smyrna: the commission was made up of Admiral Mark Lambert Bristol for the United States, General Bunoust for France, General Hare for England, General Dall'olio for Italy and, as a non-voting observer, Colonel Mazarakis for Greece. It began work in August 1919 and interviewed 175 witnesses and visited multiple sites of alleged atrocities. The decision reached was that when a Greek witness and Turkish witness disagreed, a European witness would be used to provide the conclusions for the report. This system was dismissed by Venizelos because he claimed that the Europeans living in Smyrna benefited from privileges given to them under the Ottoman rule and were thus opposed to Greek rule. The report was released to negotiators in October and generally found Greeks responsible for the bloodshed related to the landing and the violence throughout the Smyrna zone after the landing. In addition, the conclusions questioned the fundamental justification for the Greek occupation and suggested Greek troops be replaced by an allied force. Eyre Crowe, a main British diplomat, dismissed the larger conclusion by saying the Commission had overstepped its mandate. In the negotiations after the report, Clemenceau reminded Venizelos that the occupation of Smyrna was not permanent and merely a political solution. Venizelos responded angrily and the negotiators moved on.  At about the same time, British Field Marshal George Milne was tasked by the allies with devising a solution to Italian and Greek tension in the Menderes River Valley. Milne warned in his report that Turkish guerrilla action would continue as long as the Greeks continued to occupy Smyrna and questioned the justification for Greek occupation. Most importantly, his report developed a border that would separate the Smyrna zone from the rest of Anatolia. The council of Great Britain, France, U.S. and Italy approved the Milne line beyond which Greek troops were not to cross, except to pursue attackers but not more than 3 km beyond the line.

Administration of the Smyrna Zone (1919–1922).

High Commissioner.

Aristeidis Stergiadis was appointed the High Commissioner of Smyrna in February and arrived in the city four days after the 15 May landing. Stergiadis immediately went to work in setting up an administration, easing ethnic violence, and making way for permanent annexation of Smyrna. Stergiadis immediately punished the Greek soldiers responsible for violence on 15–16 May with court martial and created a commission to decide on payment for victims (made up of representatives from Great Britain, France, Italy and other allies). Stergiadis took a strict stance against discrimination of the Turkish population and opposed church leaders and the local Greek population on a number of occasions. Historians disagree about whether this was a genuine stance against discrimination or whether it was an attempt to present a positive vision of the occupation to the allies.  This stance against discrimination of the Turkish population often pitted Stergiadis against the local Greek population, the church and the army. He reportedly would carry a stick through the town with which he would beat Greeks that were being abusive of Turkish citizens. At one point, Stergiadis interrupted and ended a sermon by the bishop Chrysostomos that he believed to be incendiary. Troops would disobey his orders to not abuse the Turkish population often putting him in conflict with the military. On 14 July 1919, the acting foreign secretary sent a long critical telegraph to Venizelos suggesting that Stergiadis be removed and writing that "His sick neuroticism has reached a climax." Venizelos continued to support Stergiadis despite this opposition, while the latter oversaw a number of projects planning for a permanent Greek administration of Smyrna.

Structure of the administration.

The Greek consulate building became the center of government. Since Ottoman sovereignty was not replaced with the occupation, their administrative structure continued to exist but Stergiadis simply replaced senior positions with Greeks (except for the post for Muslim Affairs) while Turkish functionaries remained in low positions. Urgent steps were required for the organization of a local administration as soon as the Greek army secured control of the region. A significant obstacle during the first period of the Greek administration was the absence of a clear definition of the Greek mandate. In this context the coexistence of interallied authorities whose functions often overlapped with that of the Greek authorities resulted in a series of misunderstandings and friction between the two sides. This situation resulted after a decision by the Supreme Allied Council that all movements of the Greek army had to be approved by Field Marshal George Milne.  The administration of the Smyrna zone was organized in units largely based on the former Ottoman system. Apart from the kaza of Smyrna and the adjacent area of Ayasoluk which were under the direct control of the Smyrna High Commission, the remaining zone was divided into one province ( "Nomarchia"): that of Manisa, as well as the following counties ( "Ypodioikiseis"): Ödemiş, Tire (Thira), Bayındır (Vaindirion), Nympheon, Krini, Karaburna, Sivrihisar, Vryula, Palea Phocaea, Menemen, Kasaba, Bergama and Ayvali.

Repatriation of refugees.

The repatriation of the Asia Minor Greeks who had sought refuge in the Greek Kingdom as a result of the deportations and persecutions by the Ottoman authorities, assumed top priority, already from May 1919. The Greek authorities wanted to avoid a situation where refugees would return without the necessary supervision and planning. For this purpose, a special department was created within the High Commission.  A survey conducted by the refugees department indicated that more than 150 towns and villages along the coastal area (from Edremit to Söke) had been destroyed during World War I. Especially from the 45,000 households belonging to local Greeks, 18,000 were partially damaged, while 23,000 completely destroyed.  In general the period of the Greek administration experienced a continuous movement of refugee populations aided by charitable institutions such as the Red Cross and the Greek “Patriotic Institution” (). In total, 100,000 Greeks who had lost their land during World War I, many a result of Ottoman discrimination, were resettled under Stergiadis, given generous credit, and access to farm tools.

Muslim affairs.

Following the Treaty of Sèvres, all sections of the Ottoman administration that dealt with issues pertaining to Muslim religion, education and family affairs were organized by the High Commission. Under this context a special polytechnic school was established in Smyrna which soon operated with 210 Muslim students and with costs covered by the Greek administration.  However, nationalist sentiments and suspicion continued to limit the impacts of Stergiadis' administration. The resettlement of Greeks and harsh treatment by the army and local Greek population led many Turkish residents to leave which created a refugee problem. Discrimination by junior Greek administrators and military members further contributed to Turkish hostility in the Smyrna zone.

Archaeological excavations.

Archaeological missions in Asia Minor were of significant importance for the High Commission. Excavations were focused on ancient Greek settlements in the area, mainly found in the surroundings of the urban areas, as well as along the coastal zone. The most important excavation were conducted during 1921–1922, where important findings were unearthed in the Ionian sites of Klazomenai, Ephesus and Nysa. Apart from ancient Greek antiquities, Byzantine monuments were also unearthed, such as the 6th century Basilica of St. John the Theologian in Ephesus. In general, the excavations undertaken by the Greek administration provided interesting material concerning the history of Ancient Greek and Byzantine Art.

University.

Another important project undertaken during the Greek administration was the institution and organization of the Ionian University of Smyrna. Originally conceived by the Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos and entrusted to Professor German-Greek mathematician Constantin Carathéodory of Göttingen University, as head of the new university. In the summer of 1922, its facilities were completed at a cost of 110,000 Turkish liras. The latter included 70 lecture rooms, a large amphitheatre, a number of laboratories and separate smaller structures for the University personnel. Its various schools and departments of the University were to start operating gradually. Moreover, a microbiology laboratory, the local Pasteur institute and the department of health became the first fields of instruction at the new university.

Developments in the Greco-Turkish War.

In 1920, the Smyrna zone became a key base for the Greek summer offensive in the Greco-Turkish War. Early in July 1920, the allies approved operations by the Greeks to take over Eastern Thrace and territory around Smyrna as part of ongoing hostilities with the Turkish Nationalist movement. On 22 July 1920, Greek military divisions crossed the Milne line around the Smyrna zone and began military operations in the rest of Anatolia.  International negotiations between the allies and the Ottoman administration largely ignored the increasing conflict. In early 1920, Lloyd George was able to convince the new French Prime Minister, Alexandre Millerand to accept Greek control of Smyrna, but under Turkish suzerainty. Negotiations were further refined in April 1920 at a meeting of the parties in Sanremo which was designed to discuss mostly issues of Germany, but because of increasing power of the nationalist forces under Kemal, the discussion shifted to focus on Smyrna. French pressure and divisions within the British government resulted in Lloyd George accepting a time frame of 5 years for Greek control over Smyrna with the issue to be decided by the League of Nations at that point. These decisions, i.e. regarding a Greek administration but with limited Turkish sovereignty and a 5-year limit, were included in the text of the Treaty of Sèvres agreed to on 10 August 1920. Because the treaty largely ignored the rise of nationalist forces and the ethnic tension in the Smyrna zone, Montgomery has described the Treaty of Sèvres as "stillborn". However, with the signing of the Treaty of Sèvres, the Ottoman Vali Izzet Bey handed over authority over Smyrna to Stergiadis.  In October 1920, Venizelos lost his position as Prime Minister of Greece. French and Italians used this opportunity to remove their support and financial obligations to the Smyrna occupation and this left the British as the only force supporting the Greek occupation. Smyrna remained a key base of operations for the ongoing war through the rest of 1920 and 1921, particularly under General Georgios Hatzianestis.  A significant loss at the Battle of Sakarya in September 1921 resulted in a retreat of Greek forces to the 1920 lines. The ensuing retreat resulted in massive civilian casualties and atrocities committed by Greek and Turkish troops. Jensen summarizes the violence writing that "The Turkish population was subjected to horrible atrocities by the retreating troops and accompanying civilian Christian mobs. The pursuing Turkish cavalry did not hesitate in kind on the Christian populace; the road from Uşak to Smyrna lay littered with corpses."

Aftermath.

Greek troops evacuated Smyrna on 9 September 1922 and a small allied force of British entered the city to prevent looting and violence. The next day, Mustafa Kemal, leading a number of troops, entered the city and was greeted by enthusiastic Turkish crowds. Atrocities by Turkish troops and irregulars against the Greek and Armenian population occurred immediately after the takeover. Most notably, Chrysostomos, the Orthodox Bishop, was lynched by a mob of Turkish citizens. A few days afterward, a fire destroyed the Greek and Armenian quarters of the city, while the Turkish and Jewish quarters remained undamaged. Culpability for the fire is blamed on all ethnic groups and clear blame remains elusive. On the Turkish side - but not among Greeks - the events are known as the "Liberation of İzmir".  The evacuation of Smyrna by Greek troops ended most of the large scale fighting in the Greco-Turkish war which was formally ended with an Armistice and a final treaty on 24 July 1923 with the Treaty of Lausanne. Much of the Greek population was included in the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey resulting in migration to Greece and elsewhere.

The occupation of Smyrna (, Occupation of İzmir) was the military control by Greek forces of the city of Smyrna (modern-day İzmir) and surrounding areas from 15 May 1919 until 9 September 1922. The Allied Powers authorized the occupation and creation of the Zone of Smyrna (Greek: Ζώνη Σμύρνης) during negotiations regarding the partition of the Ottoman Empire to protect the ethnic Greek population living in and around the city. The Greek landing on 15 May 1919 was celebrated by the substantial local Greek population but quickly resulted in ethnic violence in the area. This violence decreased international support for the occupation and led to a rise of Turkish nationalism. The High Commissioner of Smyrna, Aristeidis Stergiadis, took a firm stance against discrimination against the Turkish population by the administration; however, ethnic tensions and discrimination remained. Stergiadis also began work on projects involving resettlement of Greek refugees, the foundations for a University, and some public health projects. Smyrna was a major base of operations for Greek troops in Anatolia during the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922).

Mit der Besetzung von Izmir am 15. Mai 1919 übernahmen die griechischen Streitkräfte die Verwaltung über die kulturell und strategisch wichtige Hafenstadt Izmir und die umliegenden Gebiete (Ionien). Im Vertrags von Sèvres (Sektion 4) wurde die Besetzung geregelt. Sie endete am 9. September 1922, als die türkische Armee in Izmir einmarschierte.


History.

St. Michael's Secondary School is a part of the Anglican Diocese of Sabah. The development of Anglican Church schools was inspired by foreign settlers to provide education to their children.  St. Michael's was founded in 1888 by the late Rev. William Henry Elton. At first, there were two students in the school, who taught Rev. William Henry Elton Malay language and Chinese language. In exchange, Rev. William Henry Elton taught them English.  After World War II St. Michael's collapsed, but the school was rebuilt using donations from people around the district.  St. Michael's is divided into two sections. The new building consists of five floors including washroom, staffroom, science laboratories, IT lab, library and classrooms. The other part of the school includes classrooms, Canteen A and surau (a small place of worship for Muslims). Canteen B is located in front of the Canteen A. Between the two buildings, there is an open place for outdoor activities. In addition, there is Elton Square on the ground floor of the new building.

School anthem.

<poem> "Upon the crest of Elton Hill, "The old St. Michael's School remains; "Here youth are trained with zeal and will, "That all may drill their youthful brains.  "Thy fame spreads far beyond the seas, "Of Borneo, the isle of bliss; "Advance thy work and never cease "To serve mankind with naught amiss.  "Ye sons and maids of Sandakan, "Uphold thy alma mater dear; "Spread wide the truth and join the van, "To fight all evils without fear." </poem>

Facilities and buildings.

Elton Square.

Located on the crest of Elton Hill, next to the World's Heritage, is St. Michael and All Angels' Church, the oldest stone structure in Sabah. It has two academic buildings, a cafeteria, and a multi-purpose court. Legacy Block is a 2-storey wooden building with classrooms, a hall, a cooperation store and a utility room. Another academic building is a 6-storey concrete building leaning on the crest of Elton Hill. It consists of five laboratories, the staff office, the principal's office, a library, an auditorium, a skill training workshop, a kitchen workshop, an art centre, a dental clinic, a book storage room, and a sport equipment storage room.

St. Michael's Secondary School is a dual session secondary school located in the city of Sandakan, state of Sabah, East Malaysia. It is located at the foot of Elton Hill which is at the hub of the city on the Churches Road. The school was established on 5 October 1888, making it one of the oldest schools in Sandakan.

Die SM St. Michael Sandakan () ist eine Sekundarschule () in der malaysischen Stadt Sandakan im Bundesstaat Sabah. Sie wurde 1888 vom anglikanischen Geistlichen William Henry Elton gegründet, der auch als die neben der Schule stehende Kirche St. Michael’s and All Angels erbaute. Die Schule ist die zweitälteste Schule in Sabah.


Early life.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Mathias attended and played for Oak Mountain High School in Birmingham. Mathias was one of the top-ranked recruits in the nation according to Soccer Buzz Magazine. She was a Parade Magazine high school All-America selection in 2007 and the 2006 and 2007 National High School Coaches Association All-America.

University of North Carolina, Texas A&M University, 2008–2011.

Mathias attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she played for the Tar Heels for two seasons in 2008 and 2009 before transferring to Texas A&M University where she majored in Agriculture leadership and development. During her first season with the Aggies, she started in 20 matches and scored nine goals – third best on the team. She was named to the All-Big 12 first team and the Big 12 All-Newcomer team. She was also a two-time Big 12 Player of the week. During her senior year, she started in all 24 matches and scored eight goals, including three game-winners. She ranked second on the team in assists with 11 and led the Big 12 Conference in all games with 93 shots on the season while ranking second in shots per game at 3.88. She ranked third in assists at eleven and third in assists per game at 0.46. Mathias ranked second in Top Drawer Soccer's Big 12 Top 20 Player Rankings and was named to the All-Big 12 First Team as well as the Big 12 All-Tournament Team. Mathias ended the season ranked at number 17 nationally in total assists was number 35 for assists per game.

Club career.

New York Fury, 2012.

Following the folding of the WPS, Mathias signed on to play with the New York Fury of the WPSL Elite.

FC Kansas City, 2013–2014.

Prior to the start of the National Women's Soccer League's inaugural season, Mathias was selected 22nd overall in the 2013 NWSL Supplemental Draft by FC Kansas City. During the 2013 season, Mathias started in 20 of the 23 matches in which she played. She scored two goals: one against the Portland Thorns on June 30 resulting in a 2–0 win for Kansas City and the second in the ninetieth minute against Boston Breakers on July 24. Kansas City finished the regular season in second place with an 11–6–5 record and advanced to the playoffs. They were eliminated in the semi-finals after being defeated 3–2 by Portland in overtime.  During the 2014 season, Mathias helped FC Kansas City finish second in the regular season standings with a 16–6–2 record and ultimately win the league championship after defeating first place Seattle Reign FC 2–1. Mathias started in 18 of the 22 matches in which she played.

Seattle Reign FC, 2015–2017.

In November 2014, Mathias was traded to Seattle Reign FC in exchange for Kate Deines and two 2015 draft picks. During the 2015 season, Mathias started in 19 of the team's 20 regular season games and recorded 1,480 minutes on the pitch. During a match against the Washington Spirit on May 2, she scored the game-winning goal in the 48th minute helping the Reign win 3–1. During a match against the Houston Dash on August 12, she scored an equalizer in the 22nd minute. The Reign defeated the Dash 2–1 and earned a berth to the playoffs. Mathias served two assists throughout the season. The Reign finished the regular season in first place clinching the NWSL Shield for the second consecutive time. After advancing to the playoffs, Seattle faced fourth-place team Washington Spirit and won 3–0, advancing to the championship final. Seattle was ultimately defeated 1–0 by FC Kansas City during the championship final in Portland.  During the 2016 season, Mathias made 17 starts in her 19 appearances for the club. She scored the club's lone goal (a header goal) during a 2–1 loss to Sky Blue FC in April 2017, the club's first loss at home in 24 games. During the first few months of the season, a number of offensive players became unavailable due to injury including Manon Melis, Jess Fishlock and Megan Rapinoe. Seattle finished the regular season in fifth place with a record, narrowly missing a playoff spot by two points.  Returning to the club for the 2017 season, Mathias scored a goal in the 39th minute in a match against the Portland Thorns FC. After the match, she was fined and suspended three matches for an incident with Emily Sonnett.

North Carolina Courage, 2018–present.

Mathias was traded to North Carolina Courage in January 2018. She appeared in 22 regular season games for the Courage, scoring 3 goals. Mathias was an important part of the backline that broke the record for fewest goals concealed, and won the NWSL Shield. She was named to the 2018 NWSL Second XI. In the 2018 play-offs, Mathias was in the starting lineup for the semi-final and final. She recorded an assist in the Championship game as the Courage won the 2018 NWSL Championship.

International career.

Mathias has extensive experience at the youth national team levels having played on the U-15, U-16, U-17, and U-23 teams. In October 2016, Mathias was called up to camp for the United States women's national soccer team. She received her first cap for United States women's national soccer team on June 12, 2018 in a friendly against China PR in Cleveland. Mathias came in as a substitute replacing Sofia Huerta in the 77th minute.  She was named to the U.S Roster for the 2018 Tournament of Nations, but she didn't appear in any games. The U.S won the tournament. Mathias was on the provisional 35-player roster for the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship but wasn't named to the final 20-player roster, however she would still join the squad to train and help in preparations.

Honors.

Club.

FC Kansas City  Seattle Reign  North Carolina Courage  Personal

Merritt Elizabeth Mathias (born July 2, 1990) is an American soccer forward currently playing for North Carolina Courage in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She previously played for FC Kansas City and Seattle Reign FC.

Merritt Elizabeth Mathias (* 2. Juli 1990 in Birmingham, Alabama) ist eine US-amerikanische Fußballspielerin, die seit der Saison 2018 bei den North Carolina Courage in der National Women’s Soccer League unter Vertrag steht.


History.

Shin-Tōmei Expressway was partially opened on April 14, 2012 with 162km section from Gotemba, Shizuoka to Mikkabi, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka.  On February 13, 2016, the 55km section connecting with the eastern terminus of Isewangan Expressway in Nagoya to Mikkabi was opened.  On January 28, 2018 the outer circumferential highway of Tokyo, the Ken-Ō Expressway, was linked with the Shin-Tōmei Expressway in Ebina, Kanagawa, but the section between Ebina and Gotemba is under construction.

Future.

The section between Gotemba JCT and Ebina JCT is still under construction and slated to open in 2020. Once completed, Shin-Tōmei offers direct connection between Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo through Isewangan Expressway and the Shin-Meishin Expressway. The entire cost for the project from Tokyo to Osaka is 7 trillion yen (around 70 billion dollars).

List of interchanges and features.

Shin-Tōmei Expressway route.

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Shimizu Connection Route.

!style="border-bottom:3px solid green;"|No.!style="border-bottom:3px solid green;"|Name!style="border-bottom:3px solid green;"|Connections!style="border-bottom:3px solid green;"|Dist. fromShimizu JCT!style="border-bottom:3px solid green;"|Notes!style="background-color:#BFB;"|9-2!style="background-color:#BFB;"|9-1!style="background-color:#BFB;"|9 {|table class="wikitable"

Inasa Connection Route.

!style="border-bottom:3px solid green;"|No.!style="border-bottom:3px solid green;"|Name!style="border-bottom:3px solid green;"|Connections!style="border-bottom:3px solid green;"|Dist. fromMikkabi JCT!style="border-bottom:3px solid green;"|Notes!style="background-color:#BFB;"|17-1!style="background-color:#BFB;"|15-1!style="background-color:#BFB;"|15

The, literally meaning New Tōmei, is a national expressway in Japan running parallel to the Tomei Expressway as an alternate route. It is operated by Central Nippon Expressway Company. The expressway is also numbered E1A under the "2016 Proposal for Realization of Expressway Numbering".

Die Shin-Tōmei-Autobahn (jap., "Shin Tōmei Kōsokudōro", dt. „Neue Tōmei-Autobahn“) ist eine seit 2012 auf 162 Kilometern teileröffnete Autobahn auf der Hauptinsel Honshū in Japan. Sie verläuft etwa 10 km weiter landeinwärts und parallel zur längeren Tokyo und Nagoja verbindenden Tōmei-Autobahn und soll diese als derzeit wichtigste Ost-West-Autobahn entlasten und bis 2020 auf einer Gesamtlänge von 254 Kilometern fertiggestellt werden. Die Autobahn ist mautpflichtig und wird von der Autobahngesellschaft "Central Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd." (, "Naka-Nihon Kōsokudōro Kabushiki Gaisha", kurz "NEXCO Naka-Nihon" (), engl. "NEXCO Central Japan") betrieben.


Functions and design.

Detention basins are storm water best management practices that provide general flood protection and can also control extreme floods such as a 1 in 100-year storm event. The basins are typically built during the construction of new land development projects including residential subdivisions or shopping centers. The ponds help manage the excess urban runoff generated by newly constructed impervious surfaces such as roads, parking lots and rooftops.  A basin functions by allowing large flows of water to enter but limits the outflow by having a small opening at the lowest point of the structure. The size of this opening is determined by the capacity of underground and downstream culverts and washes to handle the release of the contained water.  Frequently the inflow area is constructed to protect the structure from some types of damage. Offset concrete blocks in the entrance spillways are used to reduce the speed of entering flood water. These structures may also have debris drop vaults to collect large rocks. These vaults are deep holes under the entrance to the structure. The holes are wide enough to allow large rocks and other debris to fall into the holes before they can damage the rest of the structure. These vaults must be emptied after each storm event.

New approaches.

Research has shown that detention basins built with real-time control of the outflow from the basin are significantly more effective at retaining total suspended solids and associated contaminants, such as heavy metals, when compared to basins without control.

Extended detention basin.

A variant basin design called an extended detention dry basin can limit downstream erosion and control of some pollutants such as suspended solids. This basin type differs from a retention basin, also known as a "wet pond," which includes a permanent pool of water, and which is typically designed to protect water quality.  While basic detention ponds are often designed to empty within 6 to 12 hours after a storm, extended detention (ED) dry basins improve on the basic detention design by lengthening the storage time, for example, to 24 or 48 hours. Longer storage times tend to result in improved water quality because additional suspended solids are removed.

A detention basin or retarding basin is an excavated area installed on, or adjacent to, tributaries of rivers, streams, lakes or bays to protect against flooding and, in some cases, downstream erosion by storing water for a limited period of time. These basins are also called "dry ponds", "holding ponds" or "dry detention basins" if no permanent pool of water exists. Detention ponds that are designed to permanently retain some volume of water at all times are called retention basins. In its basic form, a detention basin is used to manage water quantity while having a limited effectiveness in protecting water quality, unless it includes a permanent pool feature.

Ein Hochwasserrückhaltebecken (HRB) ist eine Stauanlage, deren Hauptzweck die Regulierung der Abflussmenge eines Fließgewässers bei Hochwasser ist. Es dämpft die abfließende Hochwasserwelle, indem es übermäßige Wasserfrachten zwischenspeichert und nach Abklingen eines Ereignisses wieder kontrolliert abgibt. Das Becken ist im Normalfall leer (sogenanntes Trockenbecken oder grünes Becken) oder teilweise gefüllt (Dauerstaubecken). Große Hochwasserrückhaltebecken können ähnlich aufgebaut sein wie Talsperren, ihr Hauptzweck bleibt jedoch der Hochwasserschutz. Talsperren dienen darüber hinaus jedoch auch weiteren Zwecken, wie z. B. der Trinkwasserversorgung oder der Stromerzeugung. Als Absperrbauwerk werden Staumauern oder Staudämme eingesetzt.


Background.

Japanese economic conditions prior to Abenomics.

The Japanese government raised consumption tax rates from 3% to 5% in 1997, which worsened the recession and deflated the economy. The government raised the consumption tax in 1997 for the purpose of balancing its budget, and then the government revenue decreased by 4.5 trillion yen because consumption stumbled. The country recorded a GDP growth rate of 3 percent in 1996, but after the tax hike the economy sank into recession. The nominal GDP growth rate was below zero for most of the 5 years after the tax hike. Japan's averaged annual wages grew during 1992-1997, but the wages started to decrease after the consumption tax hike came into effect in 1997. After 1997, the wages decreased faster than the nominal GDP.  In 2012, the Diet of Japan under previous Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda passed a bill to increase the consumption tax rate to 8% in 2014 and 10% in 2015 in order to balance the national budget; this tax hike was expected to further discourage consumption.

World economic conditions prior to Abenomics.

During the global economic recession, Japan suffered a 0.7% loss in real GDP in 2008 followed by a severe 5.2% loss in 2009. In contrast, the data for world real GDP growth was a 3.1% hike in 2008 followed by a 0.7% loss in 2009. Exports from Japan shrank from 746.5 billion in U.S. dollars to 545.3 billion in U.S. dollars from 2008 to 2009, a 27% reduction. By 2013, nominal GDP in Japan was at the same level as 1991 while the Nikkei 225 stock market index was at a third of its peak.

Ideological basis of Abenomics.

Abe's economic policy is also related to the rise of China as an economic and political power. Abe's supporters drew explicit parallels between Abenomics and the Meiji era program of "fukoku kyohei" (enrich the country, strengthen the army). In addition to providing a stronger counterweight to China in the Asia-Pacific region, strengthening the Japanese economy is also intended to make Japan less reliant on the United States for defense. Note: NGDP is valued at 2006 market prices

Implementation.

Abenomics consists of monetary policy, fiscal policy, and economic growth strategies to encourage private investment. Specific policies include inflation targeting at a 2% annual rate, correction of the excessive yen appreciation, setting negative interest rates, radical quantitative easing, expansion of public investment, buying operations of construction bonds by Bank of Japan (BOJ), and revision of the Bank of Japan Act. Fiscal spending will increase by 2% of GDP, likely raising the deficit to 11.5% of GDP for 2013.  Two of the "three arrows" were implemented in the first weeks of Abe's government. Abe quickly announced a ¥10.3 trillion stimulus bill, and appointed Haruhiko Kuroda to head the Bank of Japan with a mandate to generate a 2 percent target inflation rate through quantitative easing. But Kikuo Iwata, the deputy governor of Bank of Japan, suggested that BoJ does not strictly aim for the 2 percent price target in two years. Iwata implied that BoJ would not loosen again its monetary policy, aimed at halting economic stagnation, soon after the increase in the sales tax in April 2014.  Structural reforms have taken more time to implement, although Abe made some early moves on this front such as pushing for Japanese participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.  The mid-2013 House of Councillors election gave Abe complete control over the Diet, but the government showed some internal division over specific structural reforms. Certain cabinet members favored lower corporate taxes, while others were wary of the potential political backlash for cutting taxes on large firms while raising taxes on consumers. Labor laws and rice production controls have also become contentious issues within Abe's government.

Quantitative Easing.

On 4 April 2013, the BoJ announced its quantitative easing program, whereby it would buy ¥60 to ¥70 trillion of bonds a year.  On 31 October 2014, the BoJ announced the expansion of its bond buying program, to now buy ¥80 trillion of bonds a year.

Effects.

Abenomics had immediate effects on various financial markets in Japan. By February 2013, the Abenomics policy led to a dramatic weakening of the Japanese yen and a 22% rise in the TOPIX stock market index. The unemployment rate in Japan fell from 4.0% in the final quarter of 2012 to 3.7% in the first quarter of 2013, continuing a past trend.  The yen became about 25% lower against the U.S. dollar in the second quarter of 2013 compared to the same period in 2012, with a highly loose monetary policy being followed. By May 2013, the stock market had risen by 55 percent, consumer spending had pushed first quarter economic growth up 3.5 percent annually, and Shinzo Abe's approval rating ticked up to 70 percent. A "Nihon Keizai Shimbun" survey found that 74% of the respondents praised the policy in alleviating Japan from the prolonged recession.  The impact on wages and consumer sentiment was more muted. A Kyodo News poll in January 2014 found that 73% of Japanese respondents had not personally noticed the effects of Abenomics, only 28 percent expected to see a pay raise, and nearly 70% were considering cutting back spending following the increase in the consumption tax.  Under a weaker Yen, Abenomics increased the cost of imports, including food, oil and other natural resources upon which Japan is highly reliant. However, the Abe government viewed this as a temporary setback, as the weaker yen would eventually increase export volumes. Japan also managed to maintain an overall current account surplus due to investment income from overseas. In December 2018, however, it was confirmed that the Japanese economy started contracting in the third quarter of 2018 and declined the most in four years during this quarter as well.

Analysis.

Austerity policies.

BMI Research is viewing that Japanese economy fall in fiscal crisis before 2020 caused by its basic structural condition with high government debt, demographic decline, and loss of competitiveness of the key industry. So, ruling current political power will changed with their no ways. Anatole Kaletsky was an early supporter of Abenomics, but since the Japanese government decided to raise the country's consumption tax rate to 10 percent, he expressed his concern that the tax hike could deal a more devastating blow to Japanese economy than expected. In 1997, the Japanese government raised the rate to 5 percent from 3 percent to tackle its debt of 50 percent of its GDP at that time, promising that the tax hike would be offset by income-tax reforms. But the tax hike ended up making the domestic consumption stumble, pushing the economy into recession. The country fell into a deflationary trap. Due to the country's long-running malaise, the government gross debt reached 200 percent of its GDP despite the increase of the sales tax. The IMF forecast that the tax hike in 2014 would cut Japan's economic growth from 2.5 percent in 2013 to 1.4 percent in 2014, but Kaletsky argues that this economic downturn is underestimated.  In March 2014, at a conference in Abu Dhabi, Lawrence Summers expressed his concern about the negative effects of the tax hike, saying that the tax hike could damage the Japanese economy more seriously than early estimates. Although the Japanese government expects the Japanese economy to recover after the economy goes into short recession, Summers suggested that Japan's rebound was overestimated.  Koichi Hamada, a monetary adviser for Shinzo Abe, warned that the planned VAT hike could hurt Japan's economy which started to recover from long recession and deflation. He says that the Japan government should defer the tax hike so that it could not discourage consumption, adding that economists such as Jeffrey Frankel have suggested the gradual increase of the rate of the tax by one percent annually. Although Hamada is concerned about the effects of the tax hike, he expects that monetary easing by BoJ can offset its negative effects, applying the Mundell-Fleming model to Japan.  Depreciating a domestic currency can boost its export if the Marshall-Lerner condition is met. If it is not, the trade balance initially becomes worse.  Since the disastrous nuclear incident in Fukushima in 2011, all nuclear power stations in Japan have been shut down. Making up for lost electricity generation, Japan has imported extra fossil fuels, which worsened the country's trade deficit partly because of weaker yen. The increasing cost of electricity may hurt businesses in the country, and hamper the country from boosting its economy. But Shigeru Ishiba said that people were noticing that electricity could be supplied without nuclear power generation. Thus, restarting the reactors is still controversial: a nationwide poll showed that 76 percent either opposed nuclear power or wanted Japan to reduce the reliance on nuclear energy, while in some regions such as communities close to Sendai city, where nuclear power plants create jobs and relating subsidies are granted, restarting the reactors is widely supported. Unless nuclear reactors are restarted, the Marshall-Lerner condition will not be met due to a heavier dependence on fossil fuels and an increased reliance on imports.

Deflation.

Deflation causes consumers to expect goods and services to be cheaper in the future, discouraging present spending. In turn, this causes the economy to shrink, as consumer's spending is vital. Richard Koo explained this phenomenon as fallacy of composition, that is to say that while correct behaviour is desirable individually, it can cause undesirable consequences on the economy as a whole.  Richard Koo opposed the idea that Japan's aging population and decreasing labour force caused Japan to suffer from chronic deflation. Population aging leads to a situation where the number of people (including retired people) who spend money becomes larger than that of people who work. In other words, demand should tend to exceed supply, and therefore population ageing should be inflationary.  He explains what actually has occurred in Japan. The Japanese companies are unwilling to borrow money and pay interest which old people obtain, which may discourage the old people to spend. Thus Japan's tenacious deflation has been caused by the weak demand.  Japan's nominal output has decreased by more than $1 trillion due to falling land prices and equity since 1990. Richard Koo said that in human history Japan was the only country suffering such a loss during peacetime. In a 2003 speech in Tokyo, Ben Bernanke suggested that the Bank of Japan should implement quantitative easing in order to put an end to the deflation spiral. 5 years after his speech, Bernanke started quantitative easing as chair of the Federal Reserve, to fend off a Japanese-like lost decade due to a bubble in housing prices. Japanese wages began to decrease from 1997–98, and Hiroshi Yoshikawa, a professor at University of Tokyo, said that Japan's tenacious deflation was caused by this decline. He argues that the monetary easing by BoJ becomes powerless because the interest rate is already close to zero. The solution he offers to beating the deflation is to push companies to pay their workers more. Kikuo Iwata, Etsuro Honda and Koichi Hamada disagreed with Yoshikawa. Hamada said if the wages just increased, companies would become incapable of maintaining current level of employment.

Debate.

Consumption Tax increase.

Support.

LDP Secretary General Sadakazu Tanigaki that it was difficult to cope with risks stemming from sidestepping the planned consumption tax hike to 10 percent, suggesting that the Japanese government should increase the tax rate as scheduled.  Haruhiko Kuroda, the governor of Bank of Japan, said that raising Japan's consumption tax is a confidence-building measure and the measure could stabilize the social security which would strengthen Japan's economic growth. He stated that the stagnation due to the tax hike would be temporary, while he mentioned the possible scenario in which BoJ would additionally conduct quantitative easing. He warned that the cut of its corporation tax could worsen its fiscal position.  BoJ governor Kuroda argued that if the second hike was delayed, the markets would perceive that Japan is unlikely to tackle its government debt, and then the yields of the government bonds would soar. BoJ's former deputy governor Kazumasa Iwata said that if the second hike was put off, the hike could be permanently postponed, and it would become difficult to reach a new agreement on the schedule of the hike. He said that implementing stimulative measures was the only way to alleviate the tax hike's negative impact.  Hiroshi Yoshikawa is one of the strong supporters of the consumption tax hike to 10 per cent; he maintains that there is no alternative.

Criticism.

One BOJ board member expressed concern over the planned tax-hike set to take effect in 2014 and 2015.  Paul Krugman said that the consumption tax hike from 5 percent to 8 percent raised serious doubt about Japan's economic recovery, and that in order to lift the economy, the government should decrease the VAT to 5 percent and work to build up inflation expectations.  Lawrence Summers supported the view that the Japanese government should postpone the planned tax hike, suggesting that a steady economic growth should be more important for the country than fiscal discipline. He says that if its economic growth accelerates, the world-third-largest economy can tame its government debt. He says that fiscal policy is much more effective than monetary policy, because the former can inject income directly into the spending stream.  When Summers was the US Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, he told the Japanese government not to raise the consumption tax rate from 3% to 5%. But the government ignored his warnings, and raised the tax in 1997 for the purpose of balancing its budget. Although the country recorded a GDP growth rate of 3 percent in 1996, the economy sank into recession in 1998. On top of that, the revenue of the government decreased by 4.5 trillion yen in 1998 mainly because Japan's domestic consumption stumbled. Graph A shows the revenue of the Japanese government during 1994-2006. The tax revenue reached a peak of 53 trillion yen in FY 1997, and declined in subsequent years, being still 42 trillion yen (US$537 billion) in 2012. Joseph Stiglitz said that Japan's economy was still fragile, and the planned consumption tax hike from 5% to 8% would plunge it into recession.

Demand management.

Support.

The International Monetary Fund characterized the program as "a unique opportunity to end decades-long deflation and sluggish growth and reverse the rise of public debt," but argued that "all three arrows need to be launched for the policies to succeed. Uncertainty about the ambition of fiscal and structural reforms is adding to underlying risks."  Economist Joseph Stiglitz has explained how Shinzo Abe's programme for Japan's economic recovery has led to a surge in domestic confidence, and questioned how far Abe's "Abenomics" could claim credit. He referenced Momcilo Stanic, saying there is every reason to believe that Japan's strategy to revive and boost its economy will be a success.  "The Washington Post" journalist Neil Irwin cited successful expansion by Toyota, with operating profit rising 88 percent in the second quarter of 2013, as evidence that the economic program of Japan is working. He has stated that "the fact that one of Japan's biggest and most important companies is again finding ways to make money on the homefront is a good sign that the nation's economic torpor may not last too much longer." He has also argued that Abenomics could "change the economic psychology of Japan domestically" by providing export hikes through currency devaluation.

Criticism.

In addition, there is rising skepticism regarding Abenomics, pointing out that the policy is too focussed on demand rather than on supply, such as the case of the Japanese government's push for generic medicines within its Universal Healthcare System without actually addressing the root causes. One of the fundamental problems that Japan is facing is its aging population. As the population pyramid becomes inverted, the labor pool shrinks from year to year. This brings about a number of problems for the Japanese economy.  First, the government commitment in spending on pensions, medical expenses and social security will continually act as a substantial burden to the already indebted country with a public debt of 240% its GDP. This will further worsen the financial integrity of the Japanese government leading to an erosion of international confidence in Japanese economy. The lack of confidence can raise the risk premium (CDS).  Secondly, its dwindling workforce cannot sustain the economic output level that is maintained in the future. The Japanese demography will drastically change so that more young people will have to support for the older population, which implies that this change in demography is the main culprit for the last two decades of deflation and stagnant economic growth. This has another implication to why the consumer demand might be falling behind.  Goldman Sachs chief economist Naohiko Baba has criticized the infrastructure spending component of Abenomics, arguing that the Japanese construction industry is inefficient and short of workers.  In January 2013, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the German people believed that central banks should not make up for bad political decisions, and she criticised Japan and US of their expansionary monetary policies to enhance their competitiveness. Bundesbank chief Jens Weidmann accused the Japanese government of politicising exchange rates and threatening the independence of the central bank. The European Central Bank launched quantitative easing programmes of its own two years later.

Tax cuts for the rich.

Support.

Koichi Hamada countered the criticism that only big firms and the rich benefitted from Abenomics, saying that it had a trickle-down effect on rest of the economy. He said that Japan needed to lower corporate taxes from about 35% (current level) to 24% to attract investment.

Criticism.

Thomas Piketty said that Japan needed to change the structure of its taxation in order to help the Japanese young generation, suggesting that the world's third largest economy should increase taxes on the wealthy and big firms from 10% to 20%. He took the view that redistribution of wealth could be the fourth arrow of Abenomics. He added that raising VAT was a bad way to reduce inequality in the country.  Joseph Stiglitz suggests that even if tax cuts for the rich are done in US or UK, big firms just try to use them for their personal gains, not for raising wages of their employees.

Results.

GDP.

IMF affirmed that Japan's nominal GDP contracted by $1.8 trillion during 2012–2015 while real GDP contracted at an annual rate of 6.8 percent in the second quarter of 2014, after the Consumption Tax hike came into effect in April. This fall is the worst since the devastating earthquake and tsunami disaster hit Japan in the first quarter of 2011 when the GDP shrank by an annualised 6.9 percent. In the third quarter of 2014, the GDP shrank by an additional 1.6 percent, largely thanks to the consumption tax hike. The tax hike to 8 percent has had a significantly negative impact on the Japanese economy. In 2014, the revised real GDP growth of the second quarter was minus 7.1 percent on an annualised basis, contrary to economists' expectation that the economy would shrink at an annual rate of 3.5 percent in the second quarter.  Household spending fell 5.9 percent in July 2014 from the same month a year earlier, more than the median forecast of economists polled by Reuters of a 3 percent drop, because of the higher consumption tax. Economics minister Akira Amari said that the Japanese government would take necessary measures, depending on its economic condition, although he at the moment did not feel that those measures needed to be done. Amari expressed confidence that the effect of the consumption tax hike began to wear off and the economy would recover later in 2014.  Kyohei Morita and Yuichiro Nagai said that they believed that Japan's real GDP would return to growth exceeding potential, mentioning economic indicators such as public works and housing construction orders.  Economists' forecast said that the Japanese economy would grow by annualised 2 percent in the third quarter of 2014, but in reality the country's GDP contracted at an annual rate of 1.6 percent in the quarter. Japan's second consecutive contraction meant that technically the third largest economy slipped into recession. Revised figures said that Japan's GDP shrank at an annual rate of 1.9 percent in the third quarter of 2014, which is 0.5 percent contraction on a quarterly basis. The consumption tax hike in April continued to have a negative impact on its economy. Business spending decreased by 0.4 percent from the previous quarter. Abe determined to call for a snap election to win a mandate to delay the second tax hike which was scheduled to be done in 2015.  Akira Amari, however, said that there was a positive ongoing cycle in the economy and they could not sum it all up with the word recession, conceding that the consumption tax hike in April 2014 dented consumer spending.  The following figure compares the 1996-1999 period with the 2013-2015 period, in terms of Japan's real GDP. During the 1996-1999 period, the consumption tax was raised from 3 to 5 per cent, and during the 2013-2015 period, the same tax was raised from 5% to 8%. For the 1996-1999 period, the GDP of the first quarter of 1996 is set 100. For the 2013-2015 period, that of Q1 of 2013 is 100. The interval of the horizontal axis is one quarter, and the quarters when the consumption tax were raised are set zero. And therefore, the GDPs of Q1 1996 and of Q1 2013 correspond to values evaluated at quarter -5. In the first quarter of 2015, Japan's economy grew by 0.6 per cent on a quarterly basis. Increase of inventories helped the economy to expand, and the momentum can be lost in the second quarter. This suggests that the consumption tax hike from 5 to 8 per cent continues to have a negative effect on the economy.  OECD reports that Japan's real GDP is expected to expand by 0.7 per cent in 2015. This growth rate is lower than US's 2.0 and UK's 2.4.  In the third quarter of 2015 the Japanese economy contracted 0.8 percent in annual terms and went into a technical recession as the real GDP shrank for two quarters consecutively. The GDP figure was worse than economists' forecast that it would contract by around 0.2 per cent in the third quarter. This recession was its fifth recession since the Lehman shock occurred in 2008. But Amari seemed to be optimistic about the future of Abenomics, indicating that this technical recession would be temporary and the economy was showing signs of continuous and gentle recovery.

Trade balance.

As external demand on Japan's goods declines, Japan's export fell 2.7 percent in May 2014 from a year ago. But its imports fell by 3.6 percent from a year ago as well, which narrowed Japan's trade deficit by 8.3 percent. The Japan trade deficit with other countries was over 1 trillion yen in April 2014, and it went down to 909bn yen ($8.9bn, £5.2bn) in May 2014. But the country is still running a trade deficit for the 23rd straight month.

Inflation targeting.

In late January 2015, BoJ governor Haruhiko Kuroda admitted that the central bank would not achieve the 2 per cent inflation target by April 2015, adding that he expected the price level to get to the target level in another 12 months. In February 2015, he said that the escape velocity to lift the economy out of tenacious deflation needed to be tremendous. Although in 2013 he pledged to meet the target, the actual core CPI was 0.7 per cent in January 2015. Oil prices were about US$100 in April 2014, and then they decreased about 50 per cent by the end of 2014. He maintained that the decline in oil prices made it difficult for BoJ to meet the target.

GDP deflator.

Abenomics aimed at ending the deflation which continued for more than 15 years, focusing on massive monetary stimulus to build up self-sustaining expectations of moderate inflation. But the expectations were dulled by the consumption tax hike, and the country eventually fell back into deflation: the growth rate of GDP deflator was minus 0.3 percent in the third quarter of 2014.

Impacts on the world economy.

In the early October 2014, the IMF revised its 2014 global growth forecast downwards from 3.4 percent to 3.3 percent, although many central banks continued to provide liquidity to the world financial market. Weaker expansions in Japan, Latin America and Europe worsened the outlook for the world economy.  In October 2014 the World Bank's chief economist Kaushik Basu said that the world economy was taking the risk of stagnation, adding that Eurozone and Japan were the main slowdown areas.  The Eurozone has been brought to the verge of recession. Italy has suffered from recession for a long time, and France is forced to balance its budget by Germany despite the fact that its economy is depressed. Germany's economy is likely to contract for the second consecutive quarter in 2014.  Japan, the world's third largest economy, can be likely to sink into recession due to the consumption tax hike. Although the IMF's previous forecast assumed that Japan would grow 1.6 percent in 2014, the forecast was revised downwards to 0.9 percent.  Regarding the impact upon the US economy, officials of the Federal Reserve Bank, including its second-in-command, said that global stagnation could cause the Federal Reserve Bank to be forced to postpone the planned interest rate hike. US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew rejected the idea that the US alone could boost the world economy.

Issues.

Abe administration was supposed to increase the government expenditure, but the Ministry of Finance ordered Abe to do fiscal austerity measures.  The consumption tax hike from 5 to 8 per cent brought about the self-induced recession in 2014, which discouraged Japanese consumers from spending and gave them a signal of further austerity. The tax hike seemed to start permanently damaging the Japanese economy. Japan's GDP contracted by 0.8 per cent in annual terms in the third quarter of 2015, which made Japan go into a technical recession.  Kozo Yamamoto, one of the creators of Abenomics, said that he was shocked by the latest growth figure, and said that the Japanese government should transfer much money to those who do not benefit from Abenomics. He argued that it was necessary for the government to adopt an expansionary fiscal policy to lift the economy.  Japan's real GDP shrank at an annualised rate of 1.4 per cent in the October–December quarter of 2015. Consumption, housing investment and exports decreased in the final quarter. Although a revised figure might be significantly different to this figure, it is possible that, in the first quarter of 2016, the Japanese economy will fall into the second recession in Abe administration.

The term "Abenomics" is a portmanteau of "Abe" and "economics", and follows previous political neologisms for economic policies linked to specific leaders, such as Reaganomics, Clintonomics and Rogernomics.

Der Begriff Abenomics (jap. "Abenomikusu"; in Analogie zu "Reaganomics") ist ein Kofferwort zusammengesetzt aus „Abe“ (Nachname des derzeitigen japanischen Premierministers) und „“ (englisch für Volkswirtschaft) und benennt Shinzō Abes im Januar 2013 begonnene Politik. Die zweite und dritte Regierung Abe unternimmt seit ihrem Amtsantritt den Versuch, mithilfe von Konjunkturprogrammen, einer enormen Geldschwemme und tiefgreifenden Deregulierungen Japans Wirtschaftskrise zu durchbrechen. Das Land erlebt seit 1990, ausgelöst durch das Platzen der Blasenwirtschaft am Aktien- und Immobilienmarkt, im Vergleich zu den Jahrzehnten zuvor durchgehend niedrigere Wachstumsraten. Ob deflationistische Tendenzen eine Ursache (oder Hauptursache) dieser Drosselung sind, war und ist umstritten.


Education.

Benjamin earned a Bachelor of Science degree with highest honors in applied mathematics at Carnegie Mellon University in 1983. He then went on to receive a Master of Science degree in 1985 and a Doctorate of Philosophy in engineering in mathematical sciences at Johns Hopkins University in 1989. His PhD dissertation was titled "Turnpike Structures for Optimal Maneuvers", and was supervised by Alan J. Goldman.  During his freshman year at CMU he wrote the lyrics and created the magic effects for the musical comedy, "Kije!", in collaboration with author Scott McGregor and composer Arthur Darrell Turner. This musical was the winner of an annual competition and was first performed as the CMU's Spring Musical in 1980.

Career.

Academic.

Benjamin held several mathematics positions while attending university, including stints with the National Bureau of Standards, the National Security Agency, and the Institute for Defense Analyses. Upon receipt of his PhD he was hired as an assistant professor of mathematics at Harvey Mudd College. He is currently a full professor at Harvey Mudd and was chair of the mathematics department from 2002 to 2004. He has published over 90 academic papers and five books. He has also filmed several sets of lectures on mathematical topics for The Great Courses series from The Teaching Company, including a course on Discrete Mathematics, Mental Math, and The Mathematics of Games and Puzzles: From Cards to Sudoku. He served as co-editor of "Math Horizons" magazine for five years.

Mathemagics.

Benjamin has long had an interest in magic. While in college he honed his skills as a magician and attended magic conferences. At one of these conferences he met well-known magician and skeptic James Randi, who greatly influenced Benjamin's decision to perform Mathemagics shows for live audiences. Randi invited him to perform his mathematical tricks on a television program called "Exploring Psychic Powers Live", co-hosted by Uri Geller. Randi also encouraged Benjamin to become involved in the growing skeptical movement. He attended early meetings of the Southern California Skeptics in the 1990s, which later evolved into the Skeptics Society. It was at these meetings that he met Skeptics Society President Michael Shermer, who would later become a co-author on three of Benjamin's books.  Benjamin regularly performs his Mathemagics program for live audiences at schools, colleges, conferences, and even at The Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. These shows feature Benjamin performing mathematical feats like rapidly squaring numbers with up to five digits and correctly identifying the day of the week on which audience members were born based on their birth dates.  He was also featured in "Mathemagics", a multimedia disc released for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer in 1994, which consists largely of short demonstrations and lessons by Benjamin in mental math and Mathemagics.

Media.

Benjamin has appeared in three TED Talks. The first, in 2005, was a demonstration of his Mathemagics show. The second, in 2009, was a plea for improved math education in schools. The third, in 2013, was about the way the Fibonacci series of numbers provides an excellent example of the three most important reasons for studying mathematics: Calculation, Application, and Inspiration.  He has appeared on numerous television programs throughout the years, including a notable performance on the Colbert Report in 2010. He has been profiled in over 100 articles in periodicals such as "The New York Times", People Magazine, USA Today, and Scientific American.

Arthur T. Benjamin (born March 19, 1961) is an American mathematician who specializes in combinatorics. Since 1989 he has been a professor of mathematics at Harvey Mudd College, where he is the Smallwood Family Professor of Mathematics.

Arthur Todd Benjamin (* 19. März 1961 in Cleveland, Ohio) ist ein US-amerikanischer Mathematiker, der sich mit Kombinatorik befasst und auch als Zauberer bekannt ist.


Taxonomy.

From the time it first became known to science (in 1993) until 2007 or 2008, it was considered a subspecies of the western red colobus ("Procolobus badius") and more recently Pennant's colobus ("Procolobus pennantii"), and its trinomial name was "Procolobus badius epieni" or "Procolobus pennantii epieni". Colin Groves recognized the Niger Delta red colobus as a full species in 2007, although Groves considered all the red colobus monkeys, including the Niger Delta red colobus to be in the genus "Piliocolobus", rather than "Procolobus" (this nomenclature has been followed here). However, other authors consider "Piliocolobus" to be a subgenus of "Procolobus".

Description.

The Niger Delta red colobus is black on top from the head to the rump, becoming orange-brown on the sides and outer legs. The undersides and inner legs, and most of the arms are white. The hands and feet are black. The tail is red-brown on top and chestnut or maroon below, becoming darker towards the tip. It has white whiskers.

Distribution.

The Niger Delta red colobus is found only in the western part of the Niger Delta. It is restricted to marsh forest, that is, forest with a high water table year round but no significant flooding. It shares this habitat with several other primate species, including the Nigerian white-throated guenon ("Cercopithecus erythrogaster pococki"), the red-capped mangabey ("Cercocebus torquatus"), the putty-nosed monkey ("Cercopithecus nictitans"), the mona monkey ("Cercopithecus mona"), and maybe also the olive colobus ("Procolobus verus").

Status.

When it was first discovered, the Niger Delta red colobus was locally common but under some pressure from deforestation, especially logging of "Hallea ledermannii", which is an important food tree for the monkey. Since then, pressure from bushmeat hunting and logging has increased. Red colobus monkeys generally appear to be particularly sensitive to hunting and habitat disturbance, hence concerns that the species may be on the verge of extinction.  The Niger Delta red colobus was still found in the Edumanom Forest Reserve in 2008. However, as of 2008, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers it critically endangered, due a reduction in population of more than 80% over the past 30 years largely caused by hunting and habitat loss. In 2010, the Niger Delta red colobus was included in the list of The World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates, published by the IUCN and other organizations.

The Niger Delta red colobus ("Piliocolobus epieni") is a critically endangered species of colobus monkey endemic to the western part of the Niger Delta. It is threatened by hunting and habitat loss.

Der Nigerdelta-Stummelaffe ("Piliocolobus epieni") ist eine Primatenart aus der Gruppe der Stummelaffen die endemisch im westlichen Teil des Nigerdeltas im westafrikanischen Nigeria vorkommt. Die Art galt lange Zeit als Unterart des Pennant-Stummelaffen ("Piliocolobus pennantii") aus der Republik Kongo und der Insel Bioko, wurde von Colin P. Groves aber in den Rang einer eigenständigen Art erhoben was in neueren Veröffentlichungen (z. B. im „Handbook of the Mammals of the World, Band 3, Primates“) zunehmend anerkannt wird.


Investigation.

Initially, the body of Clinton Trezise was found at Lower Light in 1994, although no connection to Bunting was made at this time. Similarly, the death of Thomas Trevilyan in 1997 was initially treated as a suicide. It was police inquiries into Elizabeth Haydon's disappearance which eventually led them to Snowtown, and on 20 May 1999, the remains of eight victims were found by the South Australian Police in six plastic barrels in a disused bank vault. For this reason, the murders were dubbed the "bodies in barrels murders".  It is believed that the bodies had been held in several locations in South Australia before being moved to Snowtown in 1999. Prosecutors believe that the killers moved the bodies after they became aware of the ongoing police investigation. Two more bodies were found buried in the backyard of Bunting's house in Adelaide. Police later arrested and charged Bunting, Wagner, Vlassakis and Mark Haydon on 21 May 1999 for the murders. At the time of the arrest, Vlassakis lived in Bunting's home.

Trials and verdicts.

The trial of Bunting and Wagner lasted almost twelve months, the longest in the history of South Australia. In December 2003, Bunting was convicted of committing eleven murders, and Wagner of ten murders, of which he had confessed to only three. Vlassakis pleaded guilty to four of the murders. In 2004, Haydon was convicted on five counts of assisting with the murders (of which he admitted to two). The jury did not come to a decision on two murder charges against Haydon, and another charge of assisting murder, at which the senior prosecutor, Wendy Abraham, indicated that she would seek a retrial on those charges. The final count against Bunting and Wagner—that of murdering Suzanne Allen—was dropped on 7 May 2007, when a jury had been unable to reach a verdict.  Justice Brian Ross Martin determined that Bunting was the ringleader, and sentenced him to 11 consecutive terms of life imprisonment without the possibility of release on parole. Wagner was sentenced to 10 consecutive terms under the same conditions, and at his sentencing, he stated from the dock: "Paedophiles were doing terrible things to children. The authorities didn't do anything about it. I decided to take action. I took that action. Thank you." Vlassakis was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences with a non-parole period of 26 years and Haydon was sentenced to 25 years with no possibility of parole for 18 years.  More than 250 suppression orders prevented publication of the details of this case. In early 2011, a judge lifted the remaining orders in response to a request by the producers of the film "Snowtown", a dramatisation depicting the murders and the events leading up to them.

Perpetrators.

Several individuals were involved in the murders: John Bunting, Robert Wagner and Mark Haydon were all charged with the killings; additionally, James Vlassakis pleaded guilty to four murders and provided testimony in exchange for a lesser sentence.  John Justin Bunting (born 4 September 1966 in Inala, Queensland) was found to be the leader of the perpetrators. When he was 8 years old, Bunting was beaten and sexually assaulted by a friend's older brother. He is reported to have "enjoyed weaponry, photography and anatomy," and grew to develop a strong hatred of paedophiles and homosexuals. At age 22, Bunting worked at an abattoir and reportedly "bragged about slaughtering the animals, saying that's what he enjoyed the most". Bunting moved to a house in Salisbury North, South Australia in 1991 and befriended his neighbours Mark Haydon and Robert Wagner. Wagner's romantic partner, Vanessa Lane, a.k.a. Barry Lane, was a male cross-dresser with a history of paedophilia.  Robert Joe Wagner (born 28 November 1971 in Parramatta, New South Wales) was befriended by Bunting in 1991. Bunting encouraged Wagner to assist in the various murders.  James "Jamie" Spyridon Vlassakis (born 24 December 1979), along with his mother and half-brother, lived with Bunting and was gradually drawn into helping with the murders. Vlassakis, 23, helped torture and kill his own half-brother, Troy Youde, and his stepbrother, David Johnson. He confessed in 2001 to four murders, including Johnson's, and became a key witness for the Crown. The detail he provided, supported by other evidence, helped convict Bunting and Wagner. Vlassakis was sentenced in 2002 to a minimum of 26 years and is held in isolation in an unidentified South Australia prison.  Mark Ray Haydon (born 4 December 1958), an associate of Bunting, was initially the subject of "suppression orders or statutory provisions prohibiting publication" and could not therefore be identified as anything other than an alleged perpetrator. In January 1999, he reportedly rented the abandoned state bank building at Snowtown. A jury deadlocked on the murders of Haydon's wife, Elizabeth Haydon, and of Troy Youde. The murder charges were not retried when Haydon pled guilty to helping the serial killers dispose of the bodies of Elizabeth and Youde.

Community impact.

The notoriety of the murders led to a short-term economic boost from tourists visiting Snowtown, but created a lasting stigma. "The Age" reported in 2011 that Snowtown would be "forever stigmatised" due to its association with the murders. Shortly after the discovery of the bodies in Snowtown, the community discussed changing the name to "Rosetown", but no further actions were taken., one shop in Snowtown was selling souvenirs of the murders "cashing in on Snowtown's unfortunate notoriety".  The house in Salisbury North where Bunting lived and buried two bodies was demolished by its owner, the South Australian Housing Trust. The bank, with a four-bedroom attached house, was placed on auction in February 2012 but only reached half its reserve price of $200,000. After holding an open house which raised $700 for charity through charging an entrance fee, the property sold later that year on 27 September for just over $185,000 with the new owners intending to live in the house while running a business from the bank. A plaque will be installed to commemorate the victims.

In media.

Film.

"Snowtown", also known as "The Snowtown Murders", a feature film based upon the life of John Bunting, was released in Australia on 19 May 2011.

Music.

Australian comedian Eddie Perfect wrote a demo song for "Snowtown the Musical" intended to be screened at the 2011 "Inside Film Awards" that he was hosting. The song was not broadcast.

Books.

Books detailing the crimes include:

The "Snowtown" murders (also known as the bodies in barrels murders) were a series of murders committed by John Bunting, Robert Wagner and James Vlassakis between August 1992 and May 1999, in and around Adelaide, South Australia. A fourth person, Mark Haydon, was convicted for helping to dispose of the bodies. The trial was one of the longest and most publicised in Australian legal history.

Als Snowtown murders ("Snowtown-Morde") oder auch Bodies-in-Barrels murders ("Leichen-in-Fässern-Morde") wird eine Mordserie in South Australia bezeichnet, bei der zwischen August 1992 und Mai 1999 elf Menschen ermordet worden sind. Der Name bezieht sich auf die Stadt Snowtown, in der die Opfer gefunden wurden. Aber nur eines der Opfer wurde dort getötet und keines der Opfer und keiner der Täter stammten aus Snowtown. Die Morde wurden aufgedeckt, als am 20. Mai 1999 die Überreste von acht Opfern in einer vermieteten Bank gefunden wurden. Sie befanden sich in mit Säure gefüllten Fässern.