California has Run Amuck with no end insight. Your Governor Jerry Brown has increased the fuel tax. On November 1st the Gas Tax was raised .12c per gallon on gasoline and .20c per gallon on Diesel. California residents are now paying the highest fuel tax in the nation. You will now fork out .65c tax on Gas and .79c tax on Diesel. To top that on January 1st your vehicle registration fees will increase up to $175. This is a blatant attack upon hard working middle class family's that have to travel for their jobs, grocery's, and medical care. Seniors that live on fixed incomes and small mom & pop businesses that depend on these people will be hit the hardest. Add this to the recent legislation coming out of Sacramento and wonder if you still can afford to live in California. Have you had enough yet and want out? The State of Jefferson is sounding better all the time. We want to add a star to the flag. You can express your support towards creating the new State by sending donations to:
State of Jefferson Formation
PO Box 751
Palo Cedro CA 96073
The Trump Regime's “tax reform†is both a sham and a scam. (You can find the “Unified Framework for Fixing Our Broken Tax Code†at https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Documents/Tax-Framework.pdf.) There are so many things wrong with it, but here I will only address the “Zero Tax Bracketâ€, which deals with the deductions and exemptions for individuals and families.
The plan is to “simplify†the tax code by increasing the standard deduction to $12,000 for single filers and $24,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly. This is an increase from the current $6,300 and $12,600, respectively. The “Framework†states that this will “[eliminate] taxes on the first $24,000 of income earned by a married couple and $12,000 earned by a single individualâ€.
However, the “Framework†leaves out a very, very important word: “onlyâ€. It should state that it will “[eliminate] taxes on only the first $24,000…and $12,000…†In reality, for many citizens, the amount they will be able to deduct from income will decrease, rather than increase.
Let me explain. What the Trump Regime's plan will do is “consolidate†the current standard deductions and personal exemptions into this new deduction amount. That's fine, perhaps, if the filer is only a single person or a married couple, because the current personal exemption of $4,050 per person, added to the current standard deduction, would be less than the new combined deduction. However, add one more exemption to either single or married, and the new deduction amount is less than what it would have been. And, for ever personal exemption added, even more ground is lost.
For example, if we still had all four of our children as dependents, our total deductible amount under the current tax rules would be $36,900 ($12,600 standard deduction for a married couple, plus $4,050 personal exemptions for 6 people). Under the Trump Regime's “Frameworkâ€, with only a deduction of $24,000, we would lose $12,900 in deductions, which would have a significant impact on taxes. Based on our income for 2016, our taxes would have increased by $1,935, an increase of over 28%.
Additionally, with a higher standard deduction, itemizing expenses would become problematic, if not impossible, for the “average†taxpayer, since a much higher bar would have to be reached for itemized deductions to be greater than the new standard deduction. Again, based on our 2016 income, with only the two of us filing, we would have seen our taxes increase, though not as drastically, due to an inability to itemize. And, to make itemizing deductions even more difficult, the “Framework†will eliminate most itemized deductions, except for home mortgage interest and charitable contributions. This means, presumably, that deductions for health care costs and local and state taxes will be eliminated — precisely the deductions that impact the “average†taxpayer the most — while those deductions that benefit people with enough money to purchase property or to give away would be retained.
Finally, let it be noted that our so-called representative, Doug LaMalfa, is fully on board with this tax plan that promises only disaster for the “average†citizen. In his weekly e-mail of October 1, he stated, “On [September 27], House Leadership unveiled the framework to reform our nation's broken tax code — which I fully support †(emphasis mine). Even though he would tell you otherwise (parroting the Trump Regime mantra), LaMalfa has now taken a stand against the economic well-being of the people he is supposed to represent, just as he has previously taken stands against our health care and against our environmental health. In other words, he has declared himself both a shammer and a scammer.
Paul Guffin
Downieville
Dear Editor
Could it be true that the Sierra County Boards of Supervisors would not pass a resolution to keep Sierra County from a Sanctuary County? Could it be that the West side three, which includes a former Sierra County Sheriff, receiving a huge retirement, feels it is more important to protect criminals instead of the victims? Could it be that for whatever reasons the three have to please the failed Governor that cannot protect the people either. He turns prisoners out of prison, he has failed to assure that the Oroville Dam has safe spillways, and his fire prevention has been a failure. But yet the Sierra County Board continues to play follow the leader right off the bridge. It seems the three do not know better, but really they are not the end of the problem, the voters that voted them in are the problem! Washoe County, our neighbor to the east is one of the fastest growing counties in the country, While we in Sierra County are probably the slowest or totally no growth. Washoe has jobs, services and health care, thank god for them or what would failed Sierra County be? I hope the voters look past the good old boys and elect people that care for Sierra County, not their own wallets, egos and political ambitions.
Thomas A. Dotta
Letter to the Editor: Just Asking, I think not!
He's said he just asking, NO, his letter to the editor as seen in the Sierra Booster October 19th 2017 is nothing less than blatant accusations in another attempt to blame Republicans and gun owners for everything up to and including not passing more gun control/legislation as a direct result of a most recent heinous/odious act. Being the liberal/socialist Democrat that he is living in a nearby community has finely achieved new heights in an all-time low for his behavior in an inhumane act even by California standards in his comments to those who lost their life as he tries to capitalize on the misfortune of others in his attempt to persuade you the reader that legal gun owner/owners and Republicans were responsible for the shooting that took place in Las Vegas.
Nothing could be further from the truth in his entire letter to the editor and they are so irresponsible in nature and at the expense of those who lost their lives, to those still recovering and the families still grieving from this act to which at this time it appears to have been perpetrated and executed by one individual during that event, there is far too many questions yet to be answered. Does one really have to remind this vacuum of endless dribble of what takes place in Chicago, Washington D.C. , San Francisco, Los Angles to name a few and other cesspool cities governed by liberal Democrats in their endless gun control and anti-gun policies as the Democrats want you disarmed.
So evident is his lack of knowledge, lackluster comments and un-truths in what is taking place in real gun legislation or his comment about legalizing “cop killer bullets†and “gun silencers†to which he is clueless, taking his lead from the usual liberal media sources and the Democratic playbook, I have neither time or patience to engage in such incompetent rhetoric on his part and maybe he should back off the CSI programs just a bit.
As to “President Trump modifying the law in allowing mentally in-competent people to own guns,†he is referring to a ban so sweeping in nature was Obamas executive gun ban directed at you the senior citizen, moreover to anyone on Social Security Disability Benefits, NOT an attempt, but intent to take away you're Second Amendment right if you were deemed to be unable to manage your own affairs for a multitude of reasons from age, “subnormal intelligence, mental illness, incompetency in whatever form they deemed, unspecified illness or medical condition or disease and to which this is a very broad area and a very large arena of medical innuendos that Obama wanted incorporated into his executive gun control ban. YES, the Social Security Administration was tasked to put together these rules for how/when to enforce the ban. As you well know the Social Security Administration dictates how much you have earned and what you will receive in benefits, BUT, they would also be rendering medical opinions/decisions in writing these rules like your doctor and also acting as if they were a psychiatrist, how frightening is that! This law was focused on you the senior citizen receiving social security disability benefits as they examined you're competence and ability to take care of yourself stripping you of your dignity.
Don't think for one minute had the Democrats won the White House, knowing how Hillary Clinton and the Democrats work through incrementalism, getting that foot in the door so to speak on this policy they would not have stopped until those who receive social security benefits regardless of what status you receive benefits would be scrutinized as to your competence/ability to take care of yourself.
On a serious note to you veterans, buried deep within tha
