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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

Social media reacts to a series of funny faces of George W. Bush during the inauguration of Trump, when Barack Obama jokes that “he could barely behave

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5 Ways Barack Obama and George W. Bush Are Pretty Much The Same

Former President Barack Obama jokingly told the reporter that former President George W. Bush “barely” behaved during the inauguration of President Donald Trump on Monday.

When there have been presidents and other noteworthy VIP guests waited for the USA ceremony to sit in the US Capitol, a member of the staff asked 78-year-old Bush if he “behaved” and 63-year-old Obama at the back to answer on behalf of Bush with “No”.

5 ways of Barack Obama and George W. Bush are almost the same

A brief, viral clip shows briefly looking around the Capitol and smiling at the members of the audience during the inauguration, which the viewers considered funny.

When Obama left the American Capitol Rotunda after the ceremony, the same post reporter quickly asked Obama if Bush behaved and Obama replied: “barely” during a smile.

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The viewers had a day in the field with many Bush faces. One person joked: “Bro was beyond his mind”

The secular behavior of former presidents was, unlike incorrect boos imposed on Obama by Trump’s supporters watching the ceremony from the rally at the Capital One Arena in the center of Washington. Bill and Hillary Clinton and former Vice President Trump Mike Pence was also not spared heavy Boos.

The first lady Michelle Obama was noticeably missing amongst the chosen group of former residents of the White House, who confirmed that she wouldn’t participate on the days before the inauguration.

About her absence, unidentified source he said People: “There is no exaggeration of her feelings about (Trump). She is not one of the plasters on a pleasant face and she pretended that the Michelle protocol does nothing, because she is expected, protocol or its tradition.”

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The source said that Michelle “no longer feels the need to be public” and added that the verbal attacks of Trump on Obama and his offensive rhetoric addressed to colourful people could even be a factor wherein she decided to skip.

In addition to Michelle, every living former president and the first lady was present, including former President Joe Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden, George W. Bush and Laura Bush, in addition to Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Trump’s swearing in the US Capitol for the first time in 40 years, the presidential inauguration took place, ignoring the customary configuration outside the Capitol, wherein 1000’s normally observe from the national shopping mall.

Officials stated that the polar vortex, which brought dangerously low temperatures to the part of the eastern coast, was the most important reason why the ceremony was moved inside.

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The last time the inauguration was moved in the room, when former President Ronald Reagan was sworn in for his second term in 1985.

(Tagstranslate) Barack Obama

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Governor Illinois Governor Julian Stratton will make us official in the Senate, slammed Trump “Crisis and Chaos” in the video start – Essence

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Governor Illinois Lieutenant Juliana Stratton has officially made the USA that Trump

Photo: Cook County Demes

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Lieutenant Governor Illinois Juliana Stratton Movement for the next office. On Thursday, she announced her offer to the US Senate, only at some point after the Dick Durbin Senator for a few years – which he had been in this place for nearly three many years – he presented that he wouldn’t search for re -election in 2026.

“I am Juliana Stratton and I run for the United States Senate,” she said in a two -minute film published on social media.

On Friday morning she received serious support from the Governor Illinois JB Pritzker.

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“At this dangerous moment in Washington, the spirit of Juliana’s struggle and commitment to improving life are exactly a kind of Illinoisans representation and I am proud that I support her for the United States Senate,” said Pritzker in an announcement by Stratton’s campaign, Reports.

In her starter, Stratton didn’t waste time on applying rates. She formulated her candidacy as a direct response to former President Donald Trump and GOP emphasis on deep cuts of expenses and economic policy, which, he claims, will not be in contact with on a regular basis Americans.

“I am applying for the Senate, because the only way out of this mess is to introduce new energy, new voices and new leaders who understand the lives of working people,” said Stratton. “Join our campaign and together we can stop Trump and stand up for Illinois.”

Stratton didn’t mention the words about “chaos”, which she sees in Washington.

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“Since Donald Trump took power, they were non-stop messages, non-stop chaos and non-stop crisis is not accidental,” she said. She also called on former president and billionaire Elon Musk for working on “distracted” American public opinion and “creating such a mess that we don’t even know where to start.” In her opinion, “the old textbook does not work”.

Instead, she pointed to her recorder’s recorder’s record, emphasizing her partnership with Pritzker as evidence of what effective leadership could appear like.

“While Trump and the Republicans in DC proposed a limitation of almost billions of dollars in healthcare in Illinois, we removed the medical debt. While their reckless tariffs make the prices increase rapidly, we eliminated the food tax for families in Illinois,” she said.

Stratton also shared her personal journey – developing on the southern side of Chicago as a navy teacher and veteran, raising 4 children and taking care of the mother after the diagnosis of Alzheimer.

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“My story is not a typical senator. On the other hand, typical is not what we need now,” she said. “My journey to public service was inspired by the function of my mother’s main guardian when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer.”

She said that her decision to make a policy was called by the then Gova. Bruce Rauner’s attempts limit health look after seniors like her mother.

“So I decided to apply for a representative of the state and won,” said Stratton. “I took the votes of working families with me.”

She also distinguished key achievements during her office – from increasing the minimum wage to USD 15 per hour and creating jobs through serious investments in infrastructure, to adopting provisions regarding the safety of weapons and rights to abortion.

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While Stratton has long been seen as a probable claimant to take a seat Durbine, he’s now officially the first one who jumped into the race. Her candidacy is historical: if she is elected, she could join the Lisa Blunt Rochester Senators from Delaware and Angel Alsobrooks from Maryland – and mark three black women in the Senate at the same time.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Experts warn that Trump Cuts to Federal Grants will make black communities less safe and prosperous

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Black communities and leaders who work to ensure their safety and prosperously behave in front of the stream of monetary cuts issued by Trump’s administration in recent days.

Cutting, a part of the goal of President Donald Trump, to significantly reduce the dimensions and scope of the federal government budget over $ 6 trillion, included the elimination of billions of dollars in financing programs of subsidies created to reduce weapons within the case of weapons in black and brown communities, and even developing the subsequent generation of black and brown leaders working on final social damage, reminiscent of Homelessness, hunger and even close education.

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Over the past week, the Department of Justice of the Trump Administration canceled Hundreds of hundreds of thousands of dollars of subsidies have concluded contracts with organizations working in communities so as to put the tip of violence in the neighborhood, including violence using weapons and domestic violence. The Education Department canceled $ 1 billion at college similarly Mental health subsidieswhich were used to implement intervention experts in schools, hospitals and other hotspots to prevent rapid ends in communities.

“These programs are particularly effective in black communities,” said Anesa McMillan, spokeswoman Giffords, and organizing violence within the matter of weapons, founded by the previous congression of Gabby Giffords, who survived the attempt to kill in 2011.

“These are people who came from the community (I) who knew people involved in many conflicts. This was critical, especially because violence does not receive, say, shooting at school,” she said.

By announcing restrictions on subsidies for interventions in the sector of community, the Prosecutor General Pam Bondi said he was a part of the goal, because it was, because it was a discount in waste. However, supporters indicate this The data show that bilateral investments (financed by the President’s Act Joe Biden 2022 Safer Communities) actually operate. In 2023 and 2024, the murder of weapons and violence from weapons rates cut.

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Trump, weapon violence, protest, cuts, thegrio.com
Washington, DC – September 25: students of Chicago Christopher Robinson, Jachi Lewis and London Strong images of victims of violence on weapons, that are a part of the face, not forgotten in the course of the national rally to end the violence on the western lawn of the US Capitol on September 25, 2019 in Washington. (Photo chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“These decisions should not apply to politics. It is about people who are actually influenced by violence from daily weapons and almost every hour … The cost of doing nothing to prevent violence using weapons, significantly exceeds the costs of these programs,” said Goodwin, who also founded the Community Justice Action Fund, a national organization of prevention of violence within the case of violence.

In addition to subsidies focused on violence and mental health, the one government agency focused on social service and volunteering, Americorps, saw 90% of the working force of the working force reduced by the Department of Trump’s government, led by the billionaire Elon Musk. This has already resulted in federal lawsuit Complex by the coalition of several dozen states and Washington

Financing included subsidies granted to long -term non -profit organizers, reminiscent of public allies who train and develop social youth leaders through practices to ultimately work on socio -economic challenges -from help related to disasters after community related to environmental justice, especially black and brown.

“When we have a dona of financing to support our schools and communities that have a level of disinvaluation in public education systems, especially in districts and communities that have the least available resources when we see the erosion of investment in things, such as flats and the development of new apartments at affordable prices, all these things disproportionately affect us,” said Jenise Terrell, CEO.

Harvard University cancels funds for black studies and other affinity group celebrations

“These are young people who in many cases earn less than USD 15 per hour, sometimes much less, who literally experience and bloom to payments, simply, so that they can devote their time and service,” said Terrell, who’s an align of a ten -year program.

Despite the loss of labor in the neighborhood, young leaders are most concerned about members of the community who will not use work and commitment.

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“They still come to the table worried about communities … They want to know who will look for young people in the program after school (for example),” said Terrell.

The Trump administration also associated lots of his cuts related to diversity, equality and inclusion, i.e. Dei, which President Trump created the predominant feature of his budget and politics frame. Instead of specializing in diversity or justice, Trump’s administration called for an approach based on “merits”, especially by way of employment and contractual orders.

Washington, DC – April 23: US President Donald Trump shows the signed executive order entitled “Reinstating Commonsense School discipline policy” in an oval office within the White House on April 23, 2025 in Washington. Seven executive orders were related to educational policy, including enforcing universities to disclose foreign gifts, artificial intelligence education and school disciplinary policy. (Photo chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“Our approach to merit is slightly different than the approach to the current administration,” said Terrell. “We believe that it is, in addition to what you have achieved, also includes experiences that you bring to the table. Experiences that provide insight, which is often lacking in solutions.”

Despite the attitude of the White House, supporters still hope that the administration may be convinced to the course of reversing the subsidies cuts. Some actively engage the members of the Congress, from each political parties on this matter.

Congress also introduces intensive negotiations within the Capitol Hill case, because they’re working on finalizing the budget for the budget 12 months 2026. Trump’s budget proposal requires $ 163 billion cuts from its discretionary budget value $ 1.7 trillion as well as to billions of dollars, which Doge has already lowered or frozen within the name of waste and fraud.

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The representative of the American Yvette Clarke, chairman of the Congress of the Black Club, called the brand new Trump budget “reckless” and argued that he would like to make mandatory cuts for necessary federal agencies than to work on “improving the economy, reducing the cost of living and making everyday needs at an affordable price.”

“This budget program imposes economic difficulties on everyday Americans, it makes our country is less safe, and our communities are more sensitive,” said Clarke. “We, CBC members, will not be a party to the destruction of our communities and people they chose to represent.”

(Tagstranslate) Donald Trump

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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