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Gov. Brian Kemp wants to lower the tax rate for 2024 — but experts say the current tax code is ‘rooted in anti-blackness’

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Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp wants the state Legislature to consider lowering the income tax rate in 2024, citing an enormous surplus in the state’s 2023 budget.

Before 2024, households were taxed under a graduated system in which higher earners paid higher tax rates, but changes to the tax code that were scheduled to go into effect this 12 months – signed by Governor Kemp in 2022 – can be postponed to the flat rate tax model. Under the recent policy, all Georgia residents are expected to pay a general tax rate of 5.49% in 2024, with that quantity expected to decrease by an extra 0.1% every year until it reaches 4.99% in 2029.

For many, this implies exponential growth; most households earning lower than $250,000 a 12 months currently pay lower than 5.49 percent in state income taxes; according to the 2020 U.S. Census, only the top 5 percent of Georgia households earn greater than $233,979. Previously, Georgia’s highest earners paid up to 5.75 percent, while those that brought home the least paid just 1 percent.

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Citing a big state budget surplus again in 2023, Governor Kemp’s office wants the Legislature to consider accelerating the reduction to 5.39%. this 12 months – a level that was previously expected to be reached in 2025.

House Bill 1015, which accelerates interest rate cuts, is currently moving through the state Senate and passed the House by a 165-0 majority.

“Cutting taxes and returning more money to taxpayers continues to be a priority for the Georgia House of Representatives, and today’s passage of HB 1015, HB 1019 and HB 1021 will help return over a billion dollars to Georgia families, homeowners and taxpayers,” House Speaker Jon said in an announcement Burns, R-Newington. “These priorities will provide significant relief to taxpayers across the state, put more money back in their pockets, and continue to propel our economy as the best state in the nation to live, work, and raise a family – and I look forward to the Senate’s early retirement and Governor (Brian) Kemp’s signature.”

Income equality advocates say the plan deepens inequality and places an unfair share of the tax burden on those that need assistance most.

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Hope Wollensack, executive director of the Georgia Resilience and Opportunity Fund, says the proposed tax cuts “are not proportional to the burden of costs and expenses that low-income households bear” and argues that “a much larger share of those savings should go to households “This should bring the greatest savings.”

Politics ‘rooted in anti-blackness’

Wollensack points out that these households are also more than likely to feel the long-term effects of a blanket tax cut; on condition that public education and health care are already severely underfunded in the state — and that the lowest-income residents are likely to have poorer schools and fewer access to quality health care — she says residents needs to be concerned about how the proposed cuts will affect state revenues .

“For the average person who works every day, what they probably care most about is what they can personally save,” she told Atlanta Black Star. “Our public policies determine who has access to certain resources… and that often determines who gets to the top.”

“We have a extremely ingrained belief that individuals in the top 1 to 10 percent (of income) deserve this. They’ve worked hard, they’ve pulled themselves up by their bootstraps, and so they deserve more advantages than those at the bottom who didn’t work as hard to get there,” Wollensack said, adding that this idea of meritocracy ignores the embedded structural mechanisms of racism that historically exist in tax code.

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They are also “rooted in anti-Blackness that is as old as this country,” Wollensack said.

How can tax policy be racist?

How can tax policy be racist? When we trace the history of taxation back to the founding of this country and property taxation – and do not forget that in the South, enslaved people were considered property – it becomes just a little clearer.

“Tax policy is not race neutral,” says Alex Camardelle, a former senior analyst at the Georgia Budget Priorities Initiative who now serves as vice chairman of policy and research at the Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative. “The history of the tax code is rooted in white supremacy, given its long-standing ties to property ownership (including people as property). I don’t think we necessarily took that into account. “Whenever we think about changes to the tax code and their consequences for Black people, who constitute the lowest wealth households in the country, we must consider race.”

“I think that’s one of the reasons a flat tax isn’t ideal, because it doesn’t do enough to recover taxes on losses from the wealthy who also benefit from tax breaks and other loopholes that can be exploited on income,” he said. Black Star of Atlanta.

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Both Wollensack and Camaradelle agree that the tax code is intentionally complex and designed to be misunderstood, but those with greater resources are in a greater position to hire professionals to help them discover and exploit potential loopholes. that reduce their tax liabilities.

A posh system of tax cuts and loopholes are “blunt instruments that can be used to deepen inequality,” Camaradelle said.

“Our tax code is incredibly complex, so once you take into account all the deductions and tax credits in the code, it can be difficult to follow,” Wollensack said. “For the average person who works every day, they probably care most about what they can personally save (but)… I think we need to start asking and demanding more.”

Moving in a greater direction

Georgia is certainly one of 20 states that doesn’t offer a state-level earned income tax credit, a tax credit offered to low- and moderate-income people to lower their taxable income and help them keep more of their earnings in their household.

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Wollensack said that if government officials really wanted to help the most vulnerable population, they’d consider introducing a loan that will profit the 3.5 million Georgians who need the help the most.

She also advocates redirecting a few of the state’s excess revenue into direct money payments directly to families, which might disproportionately affect black families in the state.

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was amongst a bunch of mayors across the country who advocated for a guaranteed income program to just do that.

While it failed to gain statewide traction or the funding needed to sustain the program, the Georgia Resilience and Opportunity Fund is currently overseeing a pilot guaranteed income program that gives $850 to $1,000 a month to residents, a lot of whom are black women.

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They found that food insecurity decreased by about 20 percent, families’ ability to pay medical bills increased by 14 percent, and college enrollment doubled. Mental health has also improved significantly, with many individuals seeing their savings double, which overall improves their position when it comes to managing their household needs.

“There could be many scenarios where the $16 billion (surplus) is actually concentrated on the bottom half of Georgians — not just people in poverty, but the middle class,” Wollensack says.

Camaradelle says it is important that tax policy is intentional about the way it generates revenue for the state and addresses inequalities which have existed for generations. The current policy, which subtracts $1 billion annually from state revenues, “will ultimately limit our revenue growth potential (and will have) a long-term impact on all publicly funded state resources,” e.g., he added, that education, health care and other investments in infrastructure are possible.

His ideal policy “recovers and addresses the undertaxation of ultra-high-net-worth individuals who do not pay their fair share.” He points to states like California and New York which have introduced property taxes to try to spread the burden more evenly.

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“When we think about taxes and who benefits from them and who doesn’t, Black people…feel the burden of not raising taxes, and through other means as well,” Camaradelle said.

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Politics and Current

Viral photo of Trump’s “White Farmer” – comes from Congo, not South Africa

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President Donald Trump created a very spectacle through the Wednesday oval meeting of the office with the President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphos, attempting to strengthen his claim for the white “genocide” on this country. However, some of Trump’s evidence presented proved to be false.

Trump issued many printed articles and played almost 5-minute video assembly to reporters within the White House, which, he claimed, proved that white African farmers were victims of genocide in South Africa.

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“Death, death, death,” said Trump, when he was holding one printed article after the opposite after restoring the film about what, he claimed, were “funeral places” “over a thousand” white farmers who were murdered by the presumably black inhabitants of South Africa. However, Factcheck.org He determined that the video actually showed an indication at 2020 – not the burial place – to attract attention to the death of farmers of all breeds, not just white farmers.

President Trump also showed an image of what, he claimed, were bags with white farmers who were murdered in South Africa; However, Reuters Reported that the painting was humanitarian employees who bury the organs within the Democratic Republic of Congo. Outlet said that the image was a screen printing of Reuters in February after deadly battles against rebels supported by Rwandy who captured town of Goma.

Trump’s emphasis on white genocide going down in South Africa occurs after years of conspiracy theories from far -right groups. He was strengthened by the billionaire Elon Musk, born in South Africa, who’s a detailed advisor to the president and runs the Department of the White House.

While crime in South Africa is high, the information show that almost all of the victims of the murder within the country – over 26,000 in 2024 – was actually black. As for the farmers themselves, only 44 murders were related to farmers. Only 7 of these murders were white.

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In the middle of an actual conflict with farmers in South Africa there’s a disproportionate amount of land belonging to white African farmers, consequently of a ten -year Apartheid system in a rustic that shared and deprived of civil rights of Black South African Africa. Although they constitute only 7% of the population, they’ve 75% of arable land.

The act signed by President Cyril Ramaphos in January was geared toward starting the legislative process to repair the inequalities of land. It mainly allows the federal government to take over private land. President Trump has repeatedly pointed to the fitting as proof that they’re the goal of white farmers. However, the federal government of South Africa stated that no land was taken over. The government also said that as an alternative he tried to encourage white farmers to sell his land willingly, says Reuters.

The first group of 49 white inhabitants of South Africa goes to the USA after Trump offered them refugee status

Trump’s fascination on pushing lies about South Africa and treating white farmers was criticized by activists as an try and push the white policy of Greivance, which reflects the policy of Trump’s anti-dei-dei policy within the United States.

He continued: “As a master of racists, he knows well that black resistance and black perfection must be fully gutted to realize the global vision of Trump of the uncontrollable rule of” white “.

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(Tagstranslate) Donald Trump

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Politics and Current

Trump removes truck drivers who don’t speak English

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Truck Driver, Arrest, Crime, Decapitating Woman


Truck drivers can have to pass the CDL exam and test that they will speak English. According to the Secretary for Transport, Sean Duffy signed a directive enabling the American Department of Transport To remove truck drivers who are usually not fluent in English. The transfer of Duffya directly responds to the ordinance of President Donald Trump on April 28.

According to the order, Trump directed a seek for testing of proficiency in English and law enforcement policy. In 2016, under the rule of former President Barack Obama, the Federal Safety Administration of a motor carrier (FMCS) removed the penalty for putting drivers for serving for violation of federal proficiency in English. Obama’s administration softened punishment for a quote.

However, Trump’s executive order changes him back to forcing drivers from the road.

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“The policy of my administration is the support of American trucks and protecting our roads by enforcing the joint English language requirement in English and removing unnecessary regulatory loads that undermine the working conditions of American truck drivers.” Trump states in his executive orderadding that “it will help to provide a safe, safe and efficient car carrier industry.”

Fears of truck drivers who speak English because the second language

American Truck Association He praised Trump for a brand new punishment In accordance with the order within the statement.

“Thank you to Trump’s administration for the response to our fears regarding the uneven application of this existing regulation, and we are waiting for cooperation with FMCS and the law enforcement authorities at the objective, coherent and effective standard of enforcement.”

However, others are afraid that the brand new guidelines will result in discrimination on the road, because law enforcement agencies resolve who to stop to perform an proficiency test in English.

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According to data from the Transport Department, almost 4% of CDL owners are limited in English proficiency. It is estimated that 16% discover as immigrants.

“Is it someone who has an accent, or maybe someone who wears a turban?” Mannirmal Kur, senior federal policy manager at Sikh Coalition, said: “An order outside the service may be potentially unemployment for a truck driver … With a potentially limited appeal.”

(Tagstranslate) Trump Administration

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This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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Politics and Current

The mayor of Newark Ras Baraka released after arrest in protests at the Immigration Center: “I did nothing bad” – essence

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The mayor of Newark Ras Baraka dismissed after the arrest in the protest at the Immigration Center:

Photo of Ken Betancur/AFP by Getty Images

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The mayor of Newark, New Jersey, Barak Ras, passed free on Friday evening after spending hours in federal detention after arrest in a controversial immigration detention in Delaney Hall – an object that fought to refrain from opening in his city.

Barak was arrested during the protest in the newly opened ice retention site, which, as with other critics, has no appropriate permits and inspections, According to CNN. Standing in front of the crowd of fans after releasing it, he simplified: “In fact I did nothing wrong.”

Although he did not take details about the arrest – legal advice – the mayor clearly stated that he was standing in Solidarity with the community, including immigrants, which, he claims, are unfairly targeted.

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“Everyone here, each of us, does not care what origin you come from, what nationality, what language you speak,” he said. “At some point we have to stop these people from causing the division between us.”

The barrack, which in 2025 is applying after the replacing the governor Phil Murphy, was open in his opposition to the private penal complex of 1000 led by the Geo Group. He claims that he should never open, pointing to unsolved fears regarding security and the lack of appropriate permits to the city.

The mayor’s wife, Linda Barak, accused the federal government of aiming at her husband. “They didn’t arrest anyone else. They didn’t ask anyone to leave. They wanted to make an example from the mayor,” she said.

According to ABC News, there was a barrack accused of entering– Depot, which results in 30 days in prison and a advantageous of USD 500. He was released without Bond after a brief speech before judge Andre Espinos.

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Federal officials claim that the mayor ignored the repetitive warnings about leaving the rooms. USE temporary lawyer Alina Habba published on X this barrack “He decided to ignore the law.” But the video from the stage shows that the barraka was arrested after returning to public property outside the gate.

He wasn’t alone. It was joined by members of the Congress Delegation in New Jersey – including representatives of Bonnie Watson Coleman, Lamonica Mciver and Rob Menendez Jr. – who said they were “pushed”, “pushed” and “managed” by federal agents who tried to accompany the mayor.

“They just caught and took him,” said Watson Coleman, adding ABC News, adding that there was no clear explanation at that point.

Mciver, who said that she and others were physically treated during the try to de -escallion, called the unacceptable situation.

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“We were simply rough handling-doses,” she said. “Nobody raised his fists to hit us, but they pushed us, pushed us and removed us to get to the mayor.”

The Internal Security Department adopted a unique view by accusing the members of the Congress of “storming” the object. Deputy Secretary Tric McLaughlin said in an announcement that if a visit was asked, it might be awarded.

Governor Phil Murphy called the arrest of the barracks “unfair”, noting that the state has already banned private immigration centers – and that the Murphy administration is fighting to take care of this right in court.

“The mayor of Barak is an exemplary official who has always defended our most sensitive neighbors,” said Murphy. “I call on his immediate release by federal law enforcement agencies.”

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US Senator Cory Booker, who once took place as a mayor, called the arrest “a disturbing, unnecessary and indicating tactics undermining the safety and safety of our communities.”

Regardless of whether the case is moving forward in court, critics say that it was not about an immigration plant – it was about sending a message. And they consider that the mayor was directed to stand up.

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This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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