(CNN)A Chicago-area resident who participated in two terror attacks in Israel in 1969 pleaded guilty Tuesday to having illegally obtained her American citizenship.
Rasmieh Odeh, 69, entered her plea Tuesday afternoon in federal court in Detroit, admitting she had been convicted in Israeli court in 1970 for her role in two bombings, and that she had willingly omitted that information from her US citizenship application.
[…]
Odeh was sentenced to life in prison by an Israeli military court in 1970 in connection with two bombs planted the previous year in Jerusalem by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, according to court documents. One bomb killed two people at a supermarket. The other damaged the British Consulate in Jerusalem, but caused no injuries.
Odeh, a Jordanian national, was later released from Israeli prison in 1979 as part of a prisoner transfer.
[…]
Court documents state that Odeh is a community organizer with the Arab American Action Network. The group, a Chicago-area nonprofit, lists Odeh as an associate director on its website.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Capitol Hill negotiators are reporting progress toward a long-sought agreement on a massive $1 trillion-plus spending bill that would fund the day-to-day operations of virtually every federal agency through Oct. 1.
Aides say lawmakers closely involved in the talks have worked through many sticking points in hopes of making the measure public as early as Sunday night. The House and Senate have until Friday at midnight to pass the measure to avert a government shutdown.
The catchall spending bill would be the first major piece of bipartisan legislation to advance during President Donald Trump’s short tenure in the White House. It denies Trump a win on his oft-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, but gives him a down payment on his request to strengthen the military.
It also rejects White House budget director Mick Mulvaney’s proposals to cut popular programs such as funding medical research and community development grants.
Most of the core decisions about agency budgets have been worked out, but unrelated policy issues — such as a Democratic request to help the cash-strapped government of Puerto Rico with its Medicaid burden — were among the final holdups.
Texas is one of just seven states with Republican-controlled Legislatures and governorships that have stonewalled private school choice — and many others are small and rural, such as North Dakota and Wyoming.
Leaders of the school choice movement are stumped by the rebuff since Texas usually leads the nation in driving the conservative agenda. They have vowed to spend money and recruit primary challengers to defeat anti-school choice legislators.
“Texas is hailed to be this conservative, deep red state but you look across the country where we have school choice programs and it’s places like Indiana and Ohio and Wisconsin,” said Randan Steinhauser, co-founder of the pro-school choice group Texans for Education Opportunity. “It’s really frustrating.”
Steinhauser worked in Washington for Betsy DeVos, the outspoken school choice advocate who is now Trump’s education secretary. She thought she could advance the cause after returning to her native state four years ago: “I was kind of naive thinking, ‘Oh yeah, we’ll get it done, no problem,'” Steinhauser said. “I was shocked.”
The issue lays bare the ideological split between a high-profile tier of conservative activists and more traditional Republicans seeking to safeguard heartland values.
Republicans from rural districts are worried about the dwindling of many small towns, and fearful of undermining public schools that are top employers and the social and cultural lifeblood of community life. On school choice votes, they join forces with Democrats supporting public teachers unions.
Another strong bastion against school vouchers in Texas is the large homeschooling community. Many of them are opposed to vouchers for fear of government imposing onerous requirements on homeschooling.
“People are saying: ‘Is he sane?’ I have no idea…. but he was a young man of 26 or 27… when his father died. He’s dealing with obviously very tough people, in particular the generals and others.
“And at a very young age, he was able to assume power. A lot of people, I’m sure, tried to take that power away, whether it was his uncle or anybody else. And he was able to do it. So obviously, he’s a pretty smart cookie.”
Trump is probably right. Un is not unintelligent and received a good education. But his secret to holding power is probably more rooted in his ruthlessness rather than his intellect.
The city of West Bend will be celebrating Loyalty Day today with a huge parade and dignitaries from across the state. Loyalty Day is observed nationally. All VFW Posts will be invited to take part, but so are all other veterans’ organizations, bands, marching units and others from across Wisconsin.
The event will kick off with a parade beginning at Badger Middle School at 9:30 a.m., followed by a celebration at Regner Park.
There’s only one Loyalty Day parade in each state each year. Last year Pleasant Prairie was the host city. For more information on the event and parade, visit wisconsinloyaltyday.com
On a history note: Loyalty Day was first celebrated in 1921 as “Americanization Day.” It was a way for people to reaffirm their loyalty to the United States and recognize the heritage of American freedom. The first national observance was declared by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on May 1, 1955; three years later it was deemed an annual holiday.
West Bend featured in AARP magazine
The title of the article in AARP Magazine is “If You Lived Here, You’d Be Happy Now.”
The online post went on to name 31 cities on the AARP Livability Index that it defined as “can help you find places worth moving to or staying put.”
Some of the other “worthy” locations included Madison as the No. 1 choice in the medium population category. In the small population category La Crosse was No. 1 followed by Fitchburg at No. 2.
AARP touted West Bend at No. 10 across the country in the small population category. The city was tagged with the comment, “Public works of art punctuate the Riverwalk which snakes three miles through downtown along the Milwaukee River. If it’s snowing duck inside the Museum of Wisconsin Art.”
St. Mary’s Parish recognizing school history
St Mary’s Parish is to creating a living history of St. Mary’s School by resetting brick pavers from a fundraising effort in 2006-2007 to get new playground equipment.
Matt Pederson and Debbie Quevy from Heritage Hill Nursery in Cedarburg worked together to set the pavers. A committee has been established to direct the project, it’s called the St. Mary’s School Living History Core Group. Watch for more updates as St. Mary’s Parish celebrates its 160th anniversary this summer.
5th annual Banner ArtWalk is May 15
The 5th annual Banner ArtWalk is May 13 at the Museum of Wisconsin Art. Fifty hand-painted banners will hang from the second-floor railing in the atrium entrance of museum.
Artist and banner organizer Chris Porter said the idea started as a way to help beautify the downtown. “We didn’t have the money for flower baskets and it was a good way to take old Christmas banners and repaint them,” she said.
“The first year we learned a lot, the second year we learned more, and from year to year it’s getting better; we have a lot of talent here and I’d love to see it continue forever and ever.”
Those taking in the event will also be able to explore the Museum of Wisconsin Art free of charge. The banners are painted by local artists who have received rave reviews in the past.
“They’re beautiful and unique and everyone has its own little story,” said Jan Nesladek of West Bend.
“It beautifies our downtown and it gets people to go downtown,” said Grace Wright. “I give Chris Porter a lot of credit this had to be a huge project.”
“I’m really impressed with the artwork and especially the fact there are a lot of students involved,” said Carol Casadonte, formerly of Tomahawk.
Banners from previous years will be auctioned off. Money raised will support the banner ArtWalk project.
ION Sports Bar to open Monday, May 1
Friends and family were treated to a special night this week as ION Sport Pub in West Bend held a test run for its kitchen and wait staff. ION Sports Pub, 1102 E. Paradise Drive, will officially open Monday, May 1.
Major remodel underway at Pick ‘n Save south
Neighbors in West Bend may have noticed shelving and stock being moved at Pick ‘n Save south in West Bend.
Here’s a note from one reader: I was just at Pick N Save South this morning. It is full of staff (folks I have never seen before) that are busy clearing off (completely) shelves all over the store. At first I thought that they were just doing a major re-arranging of the store, but now I am wondering if they are closing the store? Perhaps you might want to take a look.
To be clear, the store is prepping for a major remodel. It’s a story WashingtonCountyInsider.com posted this past January. The Kroger Co. is completing an interior remodel of the two Pick ‘n Save stores in West Bend.
Some might say this is “the Meijer effect” as the new chain retailer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan is opening a new store in West Bend, 229 S. Main Street, in March/April.
Other say it’s part of the intended restructuring Kroger had in mind following its $866 million acquisition of Roundy’s Supermarkets in Dec. 2015. Staff at the Kroger stores in Fond du Lac said all the stores in the “Fox Valley area” are being remodeled.
Rick Riehl Memorial Scholarship to be awarded Monday, May 1
The Rick Riehl scholarship will be awarded for the first time during Monday’s Scholarship Award Ceremony at 7 p.m. at the West Bend High Schools Silver Lining Art Center. Funds for the award were donated by friends, family, and those that new Riehl since his battle with what was likely Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The Rick Riehl Memorial Scholarship reads: Rick Riehl was an educator and coach in the West Bend Schools for 32 years, teaching high school English and coaching more than 60 sports seasons. Rick was a tireless advocate about the importance of sports. He dedicated much of his life to strengthening the quality of athletics in both the youth and high school programs.
Type: Technical or Academic School:East or West Amount:$10,000 ($1,250 per semester)
Qualifications: A female basketball player who has proven to be hard working and motivated in both the classroom and gymnasium. Community service and school service will be considered. Financial need will be considered
Updates & tidbits
-Wednesday, July 26 is Senior Citizens Day and Military Day at the Washington County Fair. Special discounted admission for ages 60 and older is $5 for the day as well as Sunday, July 30. Also, any card-carrying military person and a guest are admitted FREE on Wednesday, July 26. This year the Washington County Fair Military Committee will be recognizing all Women Veterans and Gold Star Families. Washington County Fair would like to thank Delta Defense for its support of Military Day at the Washington County Fair.
– Students from Central Middle School in Hartford dropped off over 95,000 items at the Goodwill West Bend Store and Donation Center on Friday. The students hope to earn a visit from former Green Bay Packer Donald Driver on May 22.
– Word traveled fast across Washington County over the weekend about the death of Richard Rosche, the former owner of Links Hideaway in Jackson and Links II in Kewaskum. Rosche was killed in an accident last week Friday morning in Illinois.
– The Hartford Police Department is investigating several instances of individuals passing counterfeit $100 bills. The bills look authentic except for the fact they say “For Cinema Use Only” in several spots on the front and back of the bills.
– Volunteers with West Bend Firefighters Local 2025 and members of Friends of West Bend Park & Rec took advantage of the nice weather this week to pack up what remained of Enchantment in the Park.
– Holy Angels School in West Bend salutes the March Students of the Month including Ellie Eckert, Ericka Beistle, and Andrew Glaszcz.
– There’s music and food and a live auction at the 11th annual Samba Chicken Dinner on Saturday, May 13. Tickets are available at Romie’s BP in Allenton, Landmark Credit Union-Hartford, Bergmann’s Appliance in Slinger or from any music director at Slinger High School.
– First Bank Financial Centre in West Bend recently made a nice donation to the Downtown West Bend Association for its Concourse Bike Race. The money will fund the Kids Roll.
– This was the second best year for the most cans collected at American Metal & Paper Recycling during Earth Week with a total of 157,284 pounds. That’s about 5.33 million cans.
– Grace Braeger, AKA 57 Lady, is featured in the latest edition of AggressiveCars.com Grace can be seen in her 1957 Chevy Bel Air tooling around West Bend. She’s also popular at local car shows.
Thecla Richter: a West Bend nurse serving during WWI
Resident historian Lee Krueger is highlighting his great aunt Thecla Richter, who served as a nurse during WWI. Below are letters home from Richter dated February 9, 1918, Feb. 10, 1918 and March 18, 1918.
February 9, 1918 (received on March 9)
…… I never realized how much I cared about coffee until I got to a place where we could not obtain it. Even in Paris we were not able to obtain a good coffee and I certainly regretted the fact that I did not take my little stove, Sterno heat and coffee with me.
Paris had its first air raid while we were there on our leave. I never heard anything more weird than the warning sound of the siren. After only a few moments and we could hear the humming of the engines of the German aeroplanes and the whiz of the bombs before they exploded. It was not my first experience so I really was not panicky although I would be quite pleased if it were the last raid I would have to witness. I viewed the skies from a balcony and it sure was a spectacular sight…. A beautiful moonlight night, skies were dotted with star shells used for lighting purposes. We could also see the planes because some of them were lighted. I think the ones we could see were French planes that carried lights in the wings.
Much damage was done and quite a number of people were injured and killed. One plane was brought down only a few blocks from where we were staying.
Feb. 10. 1918 (received on March 9)
At the present time we have only about 800 patients but we will be getting large convoys of wounded very soon if the nice weather continues. Each year all people look forward to the big spring drives to have all important work accomplished and of course that will mean many casualties. I dread to think of all the splendid young men coming over from the United States to face hardship unheard of before this frightful war but I suppose that they will withstand the strain as well as the Tommys and Colonials.
Met quite a few friends and acquaintances while in Paris. It really seems strange to be meeting people you know way over here.
I received a great many splendid Kodak pictures from Hank Regner-a splendid Christmas box from him.
March 18, 1918 (received April 6)
I am on night duty at the present time. This is the first night duty I have had since coming over…….
Just admitted a convoy of patients. Have been receiving patients almost daily for the past week. One notices the difference at once. As soon as the nice weather comes along we have more patients admitted.
I have been working in the wards actually caring for the patients since I returned from my leave. I do enjoy the work so much more than I did doing office work and certainly am feeling better than I ever did. I certainly am getting fat. I know that I have gained several pounds this last week. Please don’t worry one bit about me. Of course we do go out and buy food from the peasants…. eggs and bread are the most important items.
…. I am sure that the French people will have more money after this war than they ever had before. Even in the houses around our camp you see new stores every day. The people turn their kitchens or any available place for a counter into a store and sell something.
Atlanta (CNN)Guns are not a part of the culture of my homeland, except perhaps for the occasional Bollywood movie in which the bad guy meets his demise staring down the wrong end of a barrel.
My childhood in India was steeped in ahimsa, the tenet of nonviolence toward all living things.
The Indians may have succeeded in ousting the British, but we won with Gandhian-style civil disobedience, not a revolutionary war.
I grew up not knowing a single gun owner, and even today India has one of the strictest gun laws on the planet. Few Indians buy and keep firearms at home, and gun violence is nowhere near the problem it is in the United States. An American is 12 times more likely to be killed by a firearm than an Indian, according to a recent study.
I was expecting another lefty rant about how Americans are nuts for defending their right to bear arms. Instead, I read a thoughtful article by a woman who was truly trying to inquire with an open mind. She ended:
I leave the convention trying to reconcile what I’ve gathered on this day with the philosophy of nonviolence with which I was raised. I am not certain that vast cultural differences can be bridged in a few hours, but I am glad I got a glimpse into the world of guns. I have much to consider.
The DNA of extinct humans can be retrieved from sediments in caves – even in the absence of skeletal remains.
Researchers found the genetic material in sediment samples collected from seven archaeological sites.
[…]
Back in the lab, they fished out tiny fragments of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) – genetic material from the mitochondria, which act as the “powerhouses” of biological cells. Even sediment samples that had been stored at room temperature for years yielded DNA.
Dr Meyer and his team members were able to identify the DNA of various animals belonging to 12 mammalian families, including extinct species such as the woolly mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, cave bear and cave hyena.
The scientists looked specifically for DNA from ancient humans in the samples.
“From the preliminary results, we suspected that in most of our samples, DNA from other mammals was too abundant to detect small traces of human DNA,” said co-author Viviane Slon, from the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig, Germany.
“We then switched strategies and started targeting specifically DNA fragments of human origin.”
3. We still trust the polls too much. Helmut Norpoth,political scientist at Stony Brook University
During the campaign, almost nobody in the media gave Trump a chance to win the election. That gloomy prospect largely derived from his poor standing in the polls, both nationally and in the major battleground states, with almost no poll showing Trump leading in the three states that clinched his victory in the Electoral College—Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. This failure, one might think, would give the media some pause in seizing on polls that now show Trump with low approval, the worst of any president at this stage. But no, polls nowadays feed news coverage that gives Trump little chance to make it through his first term and assumes there’s no way for him to avoid a midterm disaster. Granted, presidential approval is not the same as a vote choice, but it is a proven predictor of the vote in midterm and presidential elections. It is odd to see journalists retain their faith in a discredited source instead of questioning its reliability. Shouldn’t they instead launch an inquiry into the 2016 polling fiasco?
There are some pretty decent polls out there, but they should be taken for what they are – a possible indicator. They do not necessarily represent reality.
The bill, authored by Rep. Jesse Kremer, R-Kewaskum, would require UW campuses to suspend or expel students who violate the policy twice. Kremer said the bill is needed to ensure people on campuses can listen to constitutionally protected speech, no matter how offensive or unpopular it may be.
“It just so happens that right now, it’s conservative voices on college campuses who feel that they are being suppressed and censored,” Kremer said. “And in the future, that could change, so we want to make sure that this is enshrined in law.”
[…]
Kremer’s co-authors are Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, Rep. Dave Murphy and Sen. Sheila Harsdorf. The latter two chair the Legislature’s higher education committees.
The intent of this bill is good. There is a clearly an issue with liberal fascists using any means necessary to silence opposing viewpoints and the administrations of many universities are not creating an environment of academic freedom on campus where all voices can be heard. In an ideal world, this bill would not be necessary because university administrators and faculty would champion free speech and crack down on people who seek to deny others their rights. But we don’t live in a perfect world and the state government is within its area of responsibilities to protect people’s rights. The key will be making sure that everyone’s free speech rights are protected.
It’s been a newsy week and I’ll be discussing those issues with Eugene Kane on Wisconsin Public Radio‘s Week in Review at 8 AM. Please tune in as host Joy Cardin referees the cage match. Needless to say, we’ll talk about Trump’s first 100 days, NAFTA, Wisconsin transportation funding, prevailing wage, Sheriff Clarke, Trump’s tax plan, and, I assume, the fact that Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett was taken first in the NFL draft. What does that really mean to the Brown’s Super Bowl chances?
This is a healthy reminder for those Republicans in the legislature who want to increase taxes. Wisconsin is still a tax hell, and you have a lot of work to do.
It’s Tax Freedom Day for the Badger State, the day when hard-working Wisconsinites have finally earned enough money to cover their total tax burden for 2017, according to the Tax Foundation’s annual Tax Freedom Day initiative. That’s right – we work the first 117 days of the year to cover our tax bill.
National Tax Freedom Day was April 23 – 113 days of work – but since Wisconsin taxpayers still bear a heavier-than-average tax burden compared with the country as a whole, we must toil away for four more days.
Tax Freedom Day in Wisconsin ranks #40 on the Tax Foundation’s Tax Freedom Day list, meaning Wisconsinites pay off their tax bill before residents of New York, California, Minnesota, and Illinois. However, taxpayers are better off in four Midwestern states: Iowa (#14), Indiana (#19), Ohio (#27), and Michigan (#32).
Wisconsin’s #40 ranking held steady from 2016 but is down from #37 in 2015. Also, in 2015 Tax Freedom Day was on April 25, two days earlier than this year. Despite efforts to reduce the tax burden in the Badger State, it seems that other states have leapfrogged Wisconsin by taking on even more dramatic tax reform.
Wisconsin is the lowest-ranked state with a Republican trifecta – where the GOP controls both houses of the legislature and the governor’s mansion.
The Cleveland Browns made defensive end Myles Garrett the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft, hoping the former Texas A&M defensive end can lead the team back to the playoffs for just the second time since 1999, when it returned to the NFL.
I absolutely oppose socialized health care, but agree that states – not the federal government – have the power to do it.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers pushed forward Wednesday with a proposal that would substantially remake the health care system of the nation’s most populous state by replacing insurance companies with government-funded health care for everyone.
The idea known as single-payer health care has long been popular on the left and is getting a new look in California as President Donald Trump looks to replace former President Barack Obama’s health care law.
The proposal, promoted by the state’s powerful nursing union and two Democratic senators, is a longshot. But supporters hope the time is right to persuade lawmakers in California, where Democrats like to push the boundaries of liberal public policy and are eager to stand up to the Republican president.
“It is time to say once and for all that health care is a right, not a privilege for those who can afford it,” said Democratic Sen. Ricardo Lara of Bell Gardens, who wrote the bill along with Democratic Sen. Toni Atkins of San Diego.
If this passes, that should mean that the federal government can cancel all Medicaid, Medicare, and other health-related programs for Californians, thus reducing the federal tax burden.
The Post reported that the Feb. 2 memo was sent from the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva.
“Recent reports have assessed the negative impact that this reform may have on the right to health of almost 30 million people in the U.S.,” the letter says.
“I wish to express serious concern over the impact of these measures on the rights to the enjoyment of the highest sustainable standard of physical and mental health and the right to social security of the people in the United States of America.”
Dainius Puras, the “special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health,” signed the memo.
Xabier Celaya, an OHCHR spokesman, told the Post that Puras signed the letter but cannot comment on it until it becomes public.
Puras reportedly plans on discussing the inquiry at the U.N. Human Rights Council’s next session in June.
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish authorities said they had arrested more than a thousand “secret Imams” who had infiltrated police forces on behalf of a U.S.-based cleric accused by President Tayyip Erdogan of trying to topple him last July.
The nationwide sweep was one of the largest operations in months against suspected supporters of the cleric, Fethullah Gulen, a former ally of Erdogan. Gulen denies any part in the coup led by military officers.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said the overnight crackdown targeted a Gulen network “that infiltrated our police force, called ‘secret imams’.
“One thousand and nine secret imams have been detained so far in 72 provinces, and the operation is ongoing,” he told reporters in Ankara.
Another 9,103 personnel from Turkey’s police force were suspended on Wednesday, police headquarters in Ankara said in a statement on its web site, citing alleged links with Gulen’s network.
In the aftermath of the failed July coup, authorities arrested 40,000 people and sacked or suspended 120,000 from a wide range of professions including soldiers, police, teachers and public servants, over alleged links with terrorist groups.
The national media really does work in a bubble, something that wasn’t true as recently as 2008. And the bubble is growing more extreme. Concentrated heavily along the coasts, the bubble is both geographic and political. If you’re a working journalist, odds aren’t just that you work in a pro-Clinton county—odds are that you reside in one of the nation’s most pro-Clinton counties. And you’ve got company: If you’re a typical reader of Politico, chances are you’re a citizen of bubbleville, too.
[…]
Where newspaper jobs are spread nationwide, internet jobs are not: Today, 73 percent of all internet publishing jobs are concentrated in either the Boston-New York-Washington-Richmond corridor or the West Coast crescent that runs from Seattle to San Diego and on to Phoenix. The Chicagoland area, a traditional media center, captures 5 percent of the jobs, with a paltry 22 percent going to the rest of the country. And almost all the real growth of internet publishing is happening outside the heartland, in just a few urban counties, all places that voted for Clinton. So when your conservative friends use “media” as a synonym for “coastal” and “liberal,” they’re not far off the mark.
The theoretical cause is fascinating.
But economists know something the internet evangelists have ignored: All else being equal, specialized industries like to cluster. Car companies didn’t arise in remote regions that needed cars—they arose in Detroit, which already had heavy industry, was near natural resources, boasted a skilled workforce and was home to a network of suppliers that could help car companies thrive. As industries grow, they bud and create spinoffs, the best example being the way Silicon Valley blossomed from just a handful of pioneering electronics firms in the 1960s. Seattle’s rise as a tech powerhouse was seeded by Microsoft, which moved to the area in 1979 and helped create the ecosystem that gave rise to companies like Amazon.
As Enrico Moretti, a University of California, Berkeley, economist who has studied the geography of job creation, points out, the tech entrepreneurs who drive internet publishing could locate their companies in low-rent, low-cost-of-living places like Cleveland, but they don’t. They need the most talented workers, who tend to move to the clusters, where demand drives wages higher. And it’s the clusters that host all the subsidiary industries a tech start-up craves—lawyers specializing in intellectual property and incorporation; hardware and software vendors; angel investors; and so on.
Allows pass-through rate for business owners: Instead of self-owned businesses being taxed at the personal income rate, business owners would have incomes from operations taxed at the 15% rate. So if you own your own business, income from that business would be taxed at the corporate rate. According to The Times, that could apply to the Trump Organization.
No border-adjustment tax:The tax on imports was favored by House GOP leaders such as Speaker Paul Ryan and Kevin Brady, the chair of the Ways and Means Committee. Mnuchin said the White House talked to Ryan and Brady but thought the tax did not “work in its current form.”
A slight adjustment to individual tax rates: White House officials said there will be three tax brackets with rates of 35%, 25%, and 10%, down from the current 7 brackets and the code would be “simplified.” Cohn told reporters that he did not have the exact incomes associated with the brackets.
Double the standard individual tax deduction: This would allow individual filers to deduct their first $12,700 in income from their taxes and $25,400 for joint filers, as opposed to the current $6,350 for individuals and $12,700 for joint filers.
A one-time repatriation tax: This would allow companies to bring back money from overseas to the US with a slightly lower, one-time tax. The White House did not clarify the rate at which this money would be taxed. President George Bush enacted a repatriation tax at a 5.25% rate in 2004, but studies show the money brought back mostly went to stock buybacks and dividends rather than hiring workers.
Eliminate the estate tax: This would eliminate a tax on assets being transferred via a will after someone dies.
A change in tax exemptions for the middle class: According to The Times, the plan will propose an increase in the standard deduction for individuals.
Eliminate itemized tax deductions other than charitable donations and mortgage payments: Mnuchin said this provision would close “loopholes” and offset the decrease in base tax rate for high income Americans.
Repeal 3.8% tax on net investment income: The tax was levied on “individuals, estates and trusts” with higher than a certain threshold in investment income. For instance, the threshold for an individual was $200,000 in investment income last year.
Repeal the alternative minimum tax: This requires some people that have large amounts of deductions to calculate their income tax under the normal tax rate and the alternative and pay the higher amount. According to the Tax Policy Center, this was originally designed to eliminate large deductions by wealthier individuals, but not applies to roughly 5 million people.
No infrastructure spending:Reports on Tuesday said Trump was considering including infrastructure spending in the plan to try to win over Democrats. Mnuchin denied the report in the speech, saying the proposal would be “just a tax plan.”
Of course, given Congress’ track record of getting any major legislation passed, we’ll see…
“Wisconsin is the best-kept secret in the Midwest,” Bauer said. “With our strong economy, we have something to sell.”
The overall labor force participation rate in Wisconsin is considered one of the best in the nation, with more employment now than at any other time in the state’s history.
Meanwhile, the Chicago metro had to deal with the second straight year of significant population loss: 19,570 people left in 2016, and 11,000 left in 2015. Those types of numbers are expected to continue in the near term, especially if nothing is done about the unemployment rate, the budget, high property taxes and crime.
And the bad news gets worse: Researchers say most people exiting Illinois are younger working-age adults who would have been potential long-term taxpayers.
“Illinois’ fiscal situation makes the state a walking time bomb that could explode at any time,” Bauer added.
Under Walker’s spending plan, teachers would be required to pay at least 12 percent of their health costs in order for a district to receive per-pupil aid increases of $200 in the first year of the budget and $204 in the second.
Remember that 12% is still FAR below the average for all workers. It’s even far less than the average for government workers. Here are the numbers:
Yep. And since there’s “more than enough,” can we refund the surplus in the form of a tax cut?
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said Monday there is “more than enough revenue” to fund transportation projects without increasing the gas tax or vehicle registration fees.
Reports last week indicated the governor might be willing to consider raising registration fees, but Walker told reporters at the Capitol he doesn’t have “any interest” in doing that. He said he has explicitly stated his opposition to a gas tax hike because lawmakers have raised the possibility.
“I don’t know of anyone in the Legislature who’s talking about vehicle registration fees,” Walker said. “For us, I think there is more than enough revenue out there. I’m willing to work with them.”
