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CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19) -

The Cincinnati Museum Center is joining forces with the Cincinnati Underground Railroad Freedom Center to create a united corporate structure.

An official announcement is scheduled for Wednesday morning at the Freedom Center.

Sources tell FOX19 that any Museum Center levy funds would not be used in any way to support the Freedom Center. Museum Center officials want a $141 million tax levy on the November ballot to fix water damage and make long term repairs.

The annexation would allow for the consolidation of resources aimed at cost savings for both parties involved.

"We know that joining together will strengthen our respective organizations," said Francie S. Hiltz, chair Cincinnati Museum Center Board of Trustees and Rev. Damon Lynch, Jr. presiding co-chair of National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. "The result will be creative and dynamic organizations, offering greater financial strength and new opportunities."

Officials say the museums will maintain their own brands and distinct missions, but be better positioned to contribute more to the community.

When the transaction is completed, the Freedom Center and Cincinnati Museum Center will be united in operations and planning. For the purpose of charitable gifts and other revenue, each organization will be a separate 501(c)(3) entity. The Board of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will be responsible for overseeing fundraising, programming and for enhancing the image of the Freedom Center, locally, nationally and globally.

Economic hardships had threatened to close Cincinnati's National Underground Railroad Freedom Center by the end of 2012, if it could not find $1.5 million a year to cover future budgets.

The Freedom Center's leadership said they were doing everything they could to save the museum, from slashing the budget to reaching out to survivors' families in the hopes of getting their support.

Kim Robinson will continue to serve as the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center leader in this new structure and work jointly with the Cincinnati Museum Center's senior leadership team, led by Doug McDonald.

"We are deeply motivated by the future opportunities we see to strengthen our ability to carry out the mission of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center," said Robinson.
"This step of joining with Cincinnati Museum Center will allow us to consider exciting new approaches to engage far more people in the universal struggle for freedom and the celebration of its achievement."

"The Freedom Center and Museum Center are both defining institutions for our community," said P.G. Sittenfeld, Cincinnati City councilman. "The solution that has been brokered is a great example of the power of building partnerships. This is a good thing for Cincinnati."

Copyright 2012 FOX19. All Rights Reserved.

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Museum Center, Freedom Center to merge

13-02-2012 23:23 Child Protection and Estate Planning Webinar for Aussie Expats - Todd Pallett

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Child Protection and Estate Planning Webinar for Aussie Expats - with Todd Pallett - Video

Wellington and Auckland have become among the most expensive cities in the world for expatriates to live in.

But local residents may have gained some benefit from the key factor behind the rise in costs to new arrivals - the strengthening of the New Zealand dollar.

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) latest Worldwide Cost of Living survey, Auckland is now the 15th costliest city in the world, up from 24th previously, while Wellington rose 16 places to be equal 17th with London.

The index measures the cost of an expatriate lifestyle in over 130 cities using a weighted average of the prices of 160 products and services.

EIU editor Jon Copestake said the cost of living in Auckland and Wellington had doubled for expatriates in the past decade.

New Zealanders would not have noticed that sort of rise, although they might have noticed living costs "creeping up", Copestake told Radio NZ.

Supply side inflation pushing up the cost of living in the past few years had fed into many economies.

"But the main issue here is currency movement. It seems that the New Zealand dollar and the Australian dollar have become haven currencies. They've had a lot of investment in them over the last few years. And this is what's really driven the rise up the rankings for New Zealand and Australian cities," Copestake said.

"People coming into New Zealand will see the relative cost of living much higher. I think in fact, in a sense, there's a benefit to Wellington and Auckland people in that they might actually see the cost of imports going down because things will become relatively cheaper in other currencies, and they will actually find maybe the cost of travelling abroad slightly cheaper."

While there were advantages in that respect, the two cities were becoming uncompetitive in price terms.

But Copestake also identified another reason for residents of Auckland and Wellington to relax, pointing to an apparent growing correlation between being an expensive city internationally, and being ranked among the most liveable cities.

"So in a sense, the fact that there's a high cost of living in Wellington and Auckland is probably also partly reflected in the high liveability you can enjoy in those cities."

The EIU living costs survey ranked Sydney in seventh place, Melbourne eighth, Perth 12th, Brisbane 13th and Adelaide 17th.

For the first time in at least two decades, Zurich topped the rankings, moving up four places compared to last year to overtake Tokyo which remained in 2nd place.

Geneva, the other Swiss city surveyed, moved up six places into joint third alongside Osaka.

Both Japan and Switzerland had seen strong currency movements in the past few years which had made them relatively more expensive, the EIU said.

As well as currency movement, structural factors maintained the high cost of living in many cities.

Despite Eurozone weaknesses affecting markets such as Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Italy, the evidence was that German and French cities were still relatively expensive with Paris and Frankfurt holding firm in the 10 most expensive - at sixth and tenth, respectively.

Oslo, which was considered the world's most expensive city a few years ago remained towards the top of the ranking - in fifth - although Singapore's presence, at ninth, in the top 10 highlighted a shift away from Western Europe towards Asian hubs.

Copyright © 2012, Television New Zealand Limited. Breaking and Daily News, Sport & Weather | TV ONE, TV2 | Ondemand

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NZ cities among most expensive for expats

Indian, Egyptian expats to meet on football pitch To demonstrate their support for the National Sports Day, a team of the Qatar Indian Football Fraternity (QIFF India) will meet an Egyptian XI in a football match to be played at Qatar Sports Club tomorrow. The match is being organised by the Qatar Sports Club.
The National Sports Day was celebrated across the country yesterday.
The kick-off of the exhibition match, sponsored by Doha Bank, is at 6 30 pm.
QIFF India officials said though their opponents are a very strong team, it is a rare opportunity for their players to play against a stronger team of Doha-based Egyptian players.
Since the QIFF team was constituted on a short notice following an appeal made to the team management by Qatar Sports Club officials, they could mobilise only players who took part in the successful Qatar Kerala Inter-District Football Tournament held more than two months ago at Doha Stadium.
“We know it well that there are many others who play football in the Indian community but we did not get enough time to contact those players,” said QIFF general secretary Abdul Rahman Hassanar.
A QSC official said the match was scheduled for tomorrow owing to the convenience of players and football fans in both the expatriate groups.
The QIFF has made arrangements to transport football fans to the venue of the match from such locations as Al Attiyah Market, Safari Mall, Ali International Trading Establishment (Industrial Area), Town Centre Bin Omran, Dasman Centre Airport Road and Shalimar Restaurant,also on Airport Road.

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Indian, Egyptian expats to meet on football pitch

ISLAMABAD ? The Election Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday decided to grant voting rights to overseas Pakistanis. The decision will allow 3.7 million Pakistanis living abroad to vote.

The debate on whether overseas Pakistanis should be allowed to participate in Pakistan’s elections gained steam after Pakistan Tehrike Insaf chairman Imran Khan moved the Supreme Court requesting that Pakistanis living abroad should be permitted to vote.

At a meeting of the commission on Tuesday, which was chaired by ECP secretary Ishtiak Ahmed Khan, participants from various political parties decided that names of overseas Pakistanis will be registered in the electoral rolls. 

A voting mechanism has yet to be decided, but the participants discussed various proposals, including the option of postal balloting and setting up polling booths at Pakistani embassies.

Sources said non-resident Pakistanis above 18 years of age would be tracked by the National Database and Registration Authority and they would be sent ballot papers by post. The next general elections are scheduled for 2013.

news@khaleejtimes.com

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Pakistani expats get voting rights