WH: Tax Cuts and Tax Relief Will Put the American Economy in High-Gear
Press release issued 10/ 27/ 17
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/10/27/tax-cuts-and-tax-relief-will-put-american-economy-high-gear
“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to pass tax reform that is pro-growth, pro-jobs, pro-worker, pro-family, and pro-American.” – President Donald J. Trump
CURRENT TAX SYSTEM HOLDS AMERICA BACK: Without tax cuts and tax relief, the American economy will be stuck with low economic growth and depressed wage growth.
• For the last decade, annual growth in U.S. GDP has been stuck below its post-WWII average of about 3 percent.
• Without new economic policies, like the Unified Framework, the United States economy will likely continue to be stuck with low growth rates.
o The Congressional Budget Office projects that our Nation’s current economic policies will continue to keep our economy stuck at less than a 2 percent average growth rate for the next ten years.
• Wages and corporate profits used to grow at nearly the same rate, but that is no longer the case. In the last eight years, real wage growth has stagnated while real corporate profits increased by an average of 11 percent per year, according to an analysis by the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA).
o Wage growth has failed to keep pace with corporate profits as corporate tax rates in the United States have become increasingly uncompetitive.
o The economic consensus is that workers bear a sizable share of the corporate tax burden. An analysis from the Congressional Budget Office indicates more than 70 percent of the corporate tax burden falls on Americans workers.
• In the last five years, new equipment and capital investments detracted from the productivity growth of the American worker, for the first and only time since World War II.
CUTTING TAXES MEANS HIGHER GROWTH AND HIGHER WAGES: The Unified Framework for Fixing Our Broken Tax Code supported by President Donald J. Trump will cut corporate taxes and allow capital investments to be written off, jumpstarting America’s economic engine.
• Cutting the top Federal corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent and allowing businesses to write off the full cost of non-structure capital investments immediately would mean faster economic growth and higher wages, according to the CEA.
o GDP could increase by between 3 and 5 percent in the long term.
o American annual household income could increase by an average of $4,000.
• The corporate tax cuts and relief in the Unified Framework could mean a boost to the economy.
o 3 to 5 percent increase in GDP over ten years could represent an additional $700 billion to $1.2 trillion in economic output, based on CEA’s calculations and CBO’s baseline.
o Corporate tax reform could spur investment and reverse the trend of American workers losing productivity growth from new equipment and capital investment.
o Just cutting the corporate tax rate to 20 percent is estimated to increase long-run GDP by 3.1 percent, according to the Tax Foundation.
• Developed countries that have lowered their effective corporate tax rates have experienced wage growth across skill levels.
o Wages for American workers of all skill levels would increase after corporate taxes are cut.
o Developed countries with the low corporate tax rates have seen significantly higher wage growth compared with developed countries with higher rates.
• The United Kingdom shows how not to do corporate tax reform: despite the perception that they were a tax cut, the U.K. changes after 2007 resulted in a net tax rate increase. But changes on the corporate tax side of the Unified Framework lower taxes.
AN AMERICAN MODEL FOR AMERICAN JOBS: The Unified Framework will end the “offshoring model” as companies will bring profits back and invest in American workers.
• A reduction in the corporate tax rate will keep more money and investment in the United States, while reducing the incentive for companies to shift profits abroad, according to an analysis by the CEA.
o In 2016, a Federal corporate tax rate of 20 percent could have brought up to $140 billion in corporate profits back to America, according to CEA estimates.
o Those profits could have raised the incomes of U.S. households.
• Our current uncompetitive corporate tax rate encourages U.S. firms to keep profits offshore.
o The United States has the highest statutory corporate income tax rate among the 35 industrialized Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.
o The U.S. statutory corporate tax rate has been higher than the OECD average for almost 20 years.
• Last year, more than 70 percent of foreign profits earned by U.S. firms were kept offshore, up from 42 percent in 1984, according to an analysis by the CEA.
o Companies hold an estimated $2.8 trillion in earnings offshore, according to Audit Analytics.
• Cutting corporate tax rates will encourage firms to invest back in the United States, creating well-paying jobs for hardworking Americans.
o After President Bush’s 2003 tax cuts, the economy created 7.8 million jobs over five years, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
o After President Reagan’s 1981 tax cuts, the economy created 14.8 million jobs over five years based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
o After President Kennedy’s tax cuts, the economy created 12.0 million new jobs over five years based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
FROM OUR GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE
Summit on gangs to connect communities across Washington
From the Governor's blog page posted 10/ 26/ 17
https://medium.com/wagovernor/summit-on-gangs-to-connect-communities-across-washington-9cf6970dd1ea
Community leaders, educators, police to discuss prevention, intervention and suppression of gang violence
Gang activity is a problem in many cities, with gangs trafficking drugs and people through networks that crisscross the state.
That’s why better communication between communities is crucial to fighting the problem — and the Joint Summit on Gang Prevention and Intervention in Tacoma on Wednesday aims to strengthen those efforts.
The summit will host state and national experts on gang activity, including Eileen Garry, acting administrator of the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, to share best practices and increase collaboration statewide. The event is intended for state, local and tribal community leaders, law enforcement, prosecutors, educators, providers of services for youth involved in gang activity and policymakers.
Gov. Jay Inslee had a similar discussion with local leaders earlier this month in Yakima, which is estimated to have the highest per capita rate of gang homicides in the state. The escalation in gang violence prompted Yakima officials to seek state funds for gang suppression and policing efforts in addition to the pursuit of prevention initiatives such as youth-engagement programs.
“The level of gang violence in Yakima and other parts of the state is unacceptable,” Inslee said. “While there is an obvious need for assistance for law enforcement, we know we also need preventive services. We need to out-recruit the gangs and connect our youth to something positive rather than a life that is dangerous to them and the community.”
Intervention and prevention models have had some success in cities around the state, including Spokane.
The Eastern Washington city of about 215,000 residents has about 200 known gangs, said Pastor Shon Davis, a member of the Kingdom Fellowship Church Alliance. The organization is composed of about 20 churches in the Spokane area and partners with schools to provide mediation, family outreach, mentorship and other services to gang-affected youth.
‘I survived it by the grace of God’
Davis can truly relate to the struggles facing the kids he serves. Born and raised in Compton, Calif., in the wake of the 1965 race riots, he joined a gang in his youth. Because of gang involvement, he was shot twice and two of his brothers were killed.
“Being a product of that environment, I say that I survived it by the grace of God,” Davis said.
He escaped that life and has been involved in gang-prevention programs since 1988. He became a pastor and moved to Spokane in 1994.
The following year, he started God’s Gym, a midnight basketball program for gang-affected youth. It gave young people something productive to do at night and got them off the streets. It also connected them with job and education services, as well as with help with navigating the criminal justice system.
For a young person who feels discouraged about their prospects in life, a gang can appear to offer a sense of belonging, identity and protection, Davis said.
A gang may also offer financial stability beyond anything a youth may have ever known, he said. For example, a mother might be on welfare, yet a gang is offering her child thousands of dollars to sell drugs or act as a lookout.
“How do you get them to say no to that?” he said. “My initial message to a lot of them is there are three ways out: You have prison, you have the grave and you have God. … We try to instill that spiritual side of their life. When you really know who you are and understand the meaning behind why you’re here, it gives you that self-confidence and self-worth about your future.”
While the church alliance still hosts the occasional midnight basketball game, it has shifted its efforts to two successful programs: the Police Activity League and the Youth Police Initiative.
The Police Activity League brings members of law enforcement and kids together for positive activities, such as flag football and learning programs, so youth can build good relationships with police. The Youth Police Initiative brings police officers into schools for honest dialogue with at-risk high school students about the students’ values and experiences.
Inslee’s office organized Monday’s summit in collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office, the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, the Washington State Association of Counties, the Association of Washington Cities and the Washington State Partnership Council on Juvenile Justice.
Davis, who plans to attend the summit, said he hopes the event unites cities across the state, “instead of everyone working in their own silos.” He also hopes to increase awareness about gang culture and empower state agencies to focus on more prevention strategies.
Law enforcement
Brad Richmond, president of the Northwest Gang Investigators Association, said collaboration across the state is vital to gang suppression. The organization trains law enforcement officers on how to disrupt and dismantle criminal-enterprise organizations and encourages police to work with community partners to prevent gang activity.
Crimes committed by gangs cover a broad spectrum, including violent crime, drug trafficking and sex trafficking. The criminal networks created by gangs span the state and the region, and infiltrate other parts of the country, Richmond said.
One important strategy, then, is increasing the information and data collected and shared by all levels of law enforcement, he said.
“Sharing of intelligence and collaboration is a huge asset to fighting gangs within our communities,” said Richmond, who is also a detective with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.
Law enforcement agencies have found success in cracking down on gangs through the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force program, which brings federal, state and local resources together to conduct long-term investigations of the most violent and prolific gangs in a community, Richmond said.
Another effective tactic has been working with the Washington State Department of Corrections to gather intelligence about gang activity from inside the prisons, he said. Police and probation officers also work together to catch incarcerated gang members who reoffend.
Richmond said, however, that to prevent gang violence long term, leaders and policymakers must get to the root of the problem: helping at-risk kids and supporting struggling families.
I’m hoping that we come to some collective agreement on how we can do that statewide,” Richmond said about the summit.
OUR HEALTH & FITNESS
NEWS FROM THE FDA:
Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., on the Trump Administration’s important efforts to address the opioid crisis
News release issued 10/ 26/ 17
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm582424.htm
Today the Administration took a historic step to direct additional resources to help address the staggering human and economic toll created by the epidemic of opioid addiction. We thank President Trump for his leadership in further empowering public and private parties around the country to do everything possible to more forcefully address this complex public health crisis. We are committed to taking additional steps under the new declaration of a public health emergency to more forcefully confront this immense national tragedy. This includes taking aggressive steps to prevent new addictions and opioid-related deaths, and help those currently addicted regain control and restore them to their communities.
Since becoming FDA Commissioner, I’ve made it one of my highest priorities to work on multiple fronts to reduce the scope of the opioid epidemic that’s devastating our nation and destroying individual lives and families. In particular, we believe the FDA has a vital role to play in curbing new addiction, reframing how we look at the benefits and risks of opioids as part of our pre- and post-market efforts, and keeping as many people as possible from experiencing the serious adverse effects associated with these medications. The agency is also focused on promoting the development of opioids that are harder to manipulate and abuse, and non-opioid pain treatments; supporting important efforts to increase the use of and access to the potentially life-saving antidote naloxone; encouraging the safe adoption and more widespread use of FDA-approved medically-assisted treatments to help combat addiction; and working with federal and international partners to stop the flow of heroin and extremely potent, and often deadly, synthetic drugs like illicitly made fentanyl. I also announced this week that the FDA will use our platform to join efforts to break the stigma associated with addiction and the use of medications that can help people live lives of sobriety.
In order to properly address this crisis, we know it requires an all-of-the-above approach that will require each of us to work together ‒ the FDA and other government agencies, health care providers, the medical products industry, policy makers, patients and their families. At the FDA, we remain steadfast in using all facets of our regulatory authority to change the trajectory of this epidemic and stand ready to work with the Administration on these critical efforts.
Remarks from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., as prepared for oral testimony before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Hearing, “Federal Efforts to Combat the Opioid Crisis: A Status Update on CARA and Other Initiatives
Press release issued 10/ 25/ 17
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm582031.htm
Chairman Walden and Ranking Member Pallone, thank you for the opportunity to testify today before the full committee.
The epidemic of opioid addiction that’s devastating our nation is the biggest crisis facing public health officials, FDA included.
As this crisis grew, many of us didn’t recognize the consequence of this threat. We missed opportunities to stem its spread. So we find ourselves at a tragic crossroad.
We have a crisis of such massive proportion that the actions we need to take are going to be hard.
We’ll need to touch clinical practice in ways that may make certain parties uncomfortable. This may include such steps as restrictions on prescribing, or mandatory education on providers. Long ago, we ran out of straightforward options.
At FDA, we’re working across the full scope of our regulatory obligations to impact this crisis.
That means updating and extending the risk management plans and educational requirements that we impose on sponsors as a condition of a product’s approval.
CDC: Getting Ahead of the Next Pandemic: Is the World Ready?
Press release issued 10/ 26/ 17
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1026-world-ready.html
When a deadly mystery illness was detected in Liberia in April 2017, first responders were on the ground within 24 hours. Through the Ministry of Health’s quick action and collaboration with global partners, the cause of the outbreak was identified as meningococcal disease and contained with only 31 cases and 13 deaths. In stark contrast, when Ebola struck Liberia just three years ago, it took the country months to mount an effective response; thousands of lives were lost as responders raced to control the growing epidemic.
The difference between these two outbreaks is just one example of the progress made since 2014 to advance the Global Health Security Agenda’s (GHSA) goal to strengthen countries’ response capacities. GHSA is a global effort to save lives and reduce the impact of disease threats – whether naturally occurring or manmade – by stopping them at their source.
CDC: New app helps parents track child’s developmental milestones
Press release issued 10/ 24/ 17
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1024-app-development-milestones.html
Is your child’s development on track for his or her age? Now you can find out with CDC’s new free Milestone Tracker app. The app makes it easy for parents to track, support, and celebrate their young child’s development.
“Skills like taking a first step, saying those first words, and waving ‘bye-bye’ are developmental milestones all parents anticipate and celebrate,” said CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D. “This CDC Milestone Tracker app gives parents tips to help their child learn and grow, a way to track developmental milestones, recognize delays, and the ability to share this information with their healthcare provider.”
The new app offers
Milestone checklists for children ages 2 months through 5 years, illustrated with photos and videos.
Tips and activities to help children learn and grow.
Information on when to act early and talk with a doctor about a developmental concern.
A personalized milestone summary that can be easily shared with the doctor and other care providers.
Reminders for appointments and developmental screening.
The Milestone Tracker app, available in iOS and Android, was developed by CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” program to help parents, early care and education providers, and healthcare providers track developmental milestones in young children. Through this app and its many other parent-friendly tools, the program aims to improve the early identification of children with developmental delays and disabilities, including autism, so children and families can get the support and services they need as early as possible.
DOJ: DEA Joins Local Law Enforcement Partners in Nationwide Take Back of Opioids and Other Prescription Drugs
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/dea-joins-local-law-enforcement-partners-nationwide-take-back-opioids-and-other-prescription
The Drug Enforcement Administration will join forces tomorrow with more than 4,000 local, tribal, and community partners at more than 5,000 collection sites to collect potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. The effort will help prevent these drugs, including opioids, from falling into the wrong hands and contributing to a lethal drug abuse epidemic in the United States.
On Saturday, Oct. 28, 2018, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. local time, individuals can take pills and other solid forms of medication at nearby collection sites (DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps), which can be located at www.DEATakeBack.com (link is external) or by calling 800-882-9539. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
The DEA action comes just days after President Donald J. Trump announced the mobilization of his entire Administration to address drug addiction and opioid abuse by directing the declaration of a Nationwide Public Health Emergency to address the opioids crisis.
“Today the United States is facing the worst drug crisis in our history, as more Americans are dying from drug overdoses than ever before,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “We lose one American life to drugs every nine minutes. This crisis affects every American, as it is filling up our emergency rooms, our foster homes, and our cemeteries.
AT THE STATE LEVEL
DOH: Flu activity picking up in Washington: protect yourself now
Press release issued 10/ 27/ 17
https://www.doh.wa.gov/Newsroom/2017NewsReleases/17152FluSeasonNewsRelease
OLYMPIA –State health officials are already seeing influenza cases across the state, and they expect the number to rise in the coming weeks. People are urged to get a flu shot now as the best line of defense against flu.
“The flu can, and does, make people really sick,” said Dr. Kathy Lofy, health officer for Washington State Department of Health. “Most healthy people who get the flu don’t need urgent medical care; however, people in a high-risk group and those who are very sick should contact their health care provider as soon as possible.”
Flu vaccine is recommended for everyone six months of age and up. Serious complications from influenza are more likely to occur in high-risk groups such as young children, people 65 and older, pregnant women, and people with certain medical conditions. Health care providers, and others in close contact with people in high-risk groups, should get a flu shot to protect themselves and the people in their care.
People who are sick should stay home so they don’t spread the flu to others. Antiviral medication may be prescribed to help reduce the severity and duration of flu illness.
Washington had 278 confirmed flu deaths in the past year, and medical facilities saw high numbers of patients seeking care for flu. While most people with the flu can be safely treated at home, there are some symptoms that should trigger immediate medical care. To find out what to do if you feel sick with flu-like symptoms read this guide from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.
Department of Health encourages everyone to knock out flu with an annual flu shot. Visit KnockOutFlu.org for places to get your flu shot, weekly flu updates, and more.
NEWS STORY COMMENTARY
POOL EXPANSION MAKES PERFECT SENSE
Ballot Proposition and Expansion Plans
http://www.williamshorepool.org/expansion-plans
Why we need to Expand and Renovate:
Increased demand: Usage has DOUBLED from 50,000 annual visits to over 100,000 visits since the Pool District first formed in 2009!
WE’VE OUTGROWN OUR POOL!
Pool facility was built in 1961 and has no major updates in locker rooms or pool area.
Expansion will provide new amenities and programs that will enhance services and increase revenue.
Facility upgrades will reduce costs and better accommodate future improvements.
ALMOST EVERYONE USES THE POOL!
Families
Kids Clubs
Swim Teams
School Districts
Coast Guard
Hospital
After School Care
Seniors and Adults
Feiro Marine Center
Home Schools
Proposed expansion will include:
Increased facility size: from 14,000 sq ft to 23,000 sq ft
Kids’ splash/play area with zero depth entry
Therapy/exercise pool
New locker rooms area with increased family/ADA change rooms
New steam room and dry sauna
Room for after school care
New entrance on the west side of the facility
48 new parking spaces with six ADA spaces
What is this going to cost?
The total renovation and expansion will cost $12 million. How were going to pay for this is:
Grants: $3 million
Existing Bond Capacity: $5.5 million
New Voted Bond Capacity: $3.5 million (Proposition 1)
What is the going to cost a homeowner will be for a $200,000 home?
New Voted Bond Capacity: $12.80 annually (Proposition 1)
Existing Bond Capacity: $18.00 annually
Proposition 1 will help us renovate and expand the pool to better serve our community!
Related news stories
PDN: Pool fees not linked to Port Angeles ballot measure
They had to run the above article because of a blunder article:
Fee increases are not linked to a Nov. 7 ballot measure that, if approved, would lead to a planned expansion of the William Shore Memorial Pool.A headline on a story on Page A1 Wednesday in the Clallam County edition incorrectly said that the pool is looking to raise fees and that a pool expansion would mean a 25-cent rate hike.
Editorial Comment: Despite the misinformation of the Peninsula Daily news on stories regarding the pool expansion, I voted in favor of the levy for pool expansion. The pool serves many of us who have limited mobility due to a disability, along with the elderly.
WORLD AND NATIONAL NEWS HEADLINES FROM REUTERS...
First Catalan poll gives slight lead to anti-independence parties
MADRID/BARCELONA (Reuters) - Political parties opposing a split by Catalonia from Spain had a small lead in an opinion poll published on Sunday, the first since Madrid called a regional election to try to resolve the crisis over Catalan demands for independence.
Rouhani says Iran will continue to produce missiles: TV
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran will continue to produce missiles for its defense and does not consider that a violation of international accords, President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday in a speech broadcast on state television.
Taiwan president arrives in Hawaii despite Chinese objections
HONOLULU (Reuters) - Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen landed in Honolulu on Saturday en route to the island’s diplomatic allies among Pacific nations and set off for a visit to a Pearl Harbor memorial, despite strong objections to the visit from China.
White nationalists stage anti-refugee protests in Tennessee
SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. (Reuters) - About 300 white nationalists and neo-Nazis held back-to-back rallies in two small Tennessee cities on Saturday to protest refugee resettlement in the state, which sued the federal government over the issue earlier this year.
Cuba to make it easier for Cuban Americans to visit
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Cuba will make it easier for its U.S.-based citizens to travel to the island, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said on Saturday, in a gesture to win support from Cuban Americans during a diplomatic crisis over allegations of mysterious health attacks.
Trump says will release nearly all JFK assassination files
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would release all documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy except those with the names and addresses of people who are still alive.
THE WEEK'S BIBLE STUDY
From Gospel Way: Bible Principles about Marriage and Sexual Relationships
Our society has become increasingly confused about the meaning of marriage. This confusion reflects itself in rampant violation of principles of sexual purity, which principles are based on the meaning of true marriage. In fact, it appears that efforts to confuse the meaning of marriage are often motivated by a desire to lower the standard of sexual conduct.
In order to emphasize the divine standard for marriage, let us summarize some basic teachings regarding marriage and the principles of sexual conduct that are based on marriage. But it must be emphasized that these teachings are revealed by the Creator and Ruler of the universe. All people are required to obey them and will be judged by them.
https://www.gospelway.com/topics/family/marriage-definition.php
