#Hawaii tax relief

[taxreliefservices]

HAWAII TAX PROBLEMS?

No National Mainland Firm Can Actually Help You Even If They Say They Can‼️😱

Hawaii Department of Taxation Basics

Some Need to Know things about Hawaii Tax Issues

I want to provide you with some basic information about common Hawaii taxes.

Again, let me stress the basics. As with all tax situations, it generally depends upon the facts and circumstances of the situation.

Never filed your Hawaii tax return!

If you never file a tax return, there is no time frame for them to pursue you, regardless of what type of Hawaii tax your are talking about.

How far back will they go?

If Hawaii determines you should have filed a tax return, they can and do routinely go back 8 to 10 years, but they can go back further, it is at their discretion.

Is this a problem?

I don’t know about you but most normal people do not have or keep records going back that far!

That can be a real problem! Especially if you don’t have business records or job related expenses or mortgage interest statements etc.

You may be ble to reconstruct your records and the Hawaii Department of Taxation may allow it.

Why does Hawaii wait so long to contact you?

In short, Because they can! They generally have no obligation to tell you and they generally don’t contact you until it’s to late and you are being Audited or if you owe they may have levied your bank account or garnished your wages.

The Hawaii DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION probably knows you need to file but they just don’t have the personnel to go after everyone who has not filed, but eventually they will get around to coming after you! It is only a mater of time.

What if you don’t file?

You must be a gambler because you are rolling the dice. While it doesn’t happen often, Just the lack of filing and paying over the tax is enough for Hawaii to actually come after you and prosecute you. Check the news archives, you will find someone they have come after and made an example of. Generally they don’t prosecute but they can!

What will I owe?

Many times is is not the Tax tax you owe, but the penalty and compounded interest that is due. The interest rate they charge is 8%. I don’t know anyone charging 8% or paying you 8% on a savings account. Manybe not as bad as credit card but it must be a close second. Imagine the interest ona 8 or 10 year old tax liability.

What kind of taxes might you owe?

The most common Hawaii tax is the Hawaii income taxes. The second most common and the one more likely to be overlooked is General Excise Tax. In simple terms general excise taxes are what are called a gross income tax. It is based upon the gross income regardless of expenses. The GE tax applies to almost all forms of self-employment income, Uber, Lyft, multi-level marketing, Turo, consulting income, rental income, commissions, royalties etc. Seem like it applies to almost everything, because it does!

Doesn’t sound fair,well it is probably not!

GE taxes can range from .5% to 4.5%.

Have a rental property?

If you rent short-term, less than 30 days at a time you better know about “Transient Accommodation Tax” with a rate of 10.25%

Use VRBO or AirBnB or something similar, you should be filing and paying TAT. Talk about a communist state, this may take the cake. Think you are free to do what you want?

Rental Vehicle Tax

If you are doing Turo, you May be liable for additional taxes. Do some research if this applies to you.

Can you Deal with the Hawaii Department of Tax Yourself?

You could, but I wouldn’t recommend it! I am not just saying that. They are one of the most difficult agencies to work and deal with and if you miss or ignore the time to take action, you will have an uphill battle.

Try dealing with the HAWAII Department of Taxation on your own and let me know how it goes!

My team and I have been dealing with the Hawaii Department of tax for over 21 years and have been very successful.

Hawaii tax Policy and Law

The Department of generally has very little written tax policy. There are laws on the books but much of what the department of tax does will have no clear policy. Very little of there policy is available for review. Most things they do are based on there discretion. That makes it very hard if not impossible to deal with them.

On many occasions I have asked the same question to different auditors or collectors and get several different answers. The reason this can happen is because there is not written policy that they publish or that they are required to follow. Many of the laws are vague or leave it to their discretion; how do you challenge rules or policies in those situations. Very carefully!

There are ways to beat the Hawaii Department of Taxation. That is why you need a qualified, experienced and trained Tax Professional who has been dealing with the Department of Taxation for over a 21 years.

I have only touched on some of the basics. Every situation is different and is based on facts and circumstances.

Always consult you own Tax, Legal or Financial advisor or do your own research and due diligence.

As I stated this is just the basics. Do Not rely upon it with out doing your own research.

The State of Hawaii does offer penalty waivers, payment plans, audit reconsideration, amended tax returns, board of review appeals, formal appeals and legal proceedings. These are the most common options available to you.

The State does have a statute of limitations.

A statute of limitations is an amount of time that they must take action or do something. If they don’t, the law stops them from taking an action. Such as auditing your tax return or collecting back taxes.

If I have made your head spin, now you know what I go through on a daily basis.

If dealing with the Hawaii Department of Taxation was so easy, everyone would be doing it.

Try finding someone to help you with Hawaii Tax Problems. Good Luck 🍀

Our team may make it look easy, but it’s not. We just have the education, training and experience that almost no one else in Hawaii has. I can assure you no Mainland company will be able to provide the help you need.

Hawaii Tax Knowledge is Power!

GET THE POWER WITH

WWW.TAXRELIEFSERVICES.COM

[adarinas]

(WIP) Resources Masterlist

*Note: a lot of these are geared toward American and/or English-speaking populations, my apologies, but plenty of them are global!

GENERAL

End Global Genocides Master Document | Another Master Doc | Tumblr Post - Links to Informational Articles/Websites

Donations: Fundraisers - Gaza, Sudan, Congo, and more | Doctors Without Borders | Care.org | World Central Kitchen | Operation Olive Branch | Islamic Relief USA

Discord: Global Strikes Against Genocide Discord Server

SUDAN

Eyes on Sudan | Sudan Solidarity Collective | Linktree - Sudanese Diaspora Network

Info: 500 days of war... | Sudan War Explained - Interview

Petitions/Letters: Stop Sudan War | Justice for Human Rights Abuse Victims in Chad and Sudan | Stop Arming Saudi Arabia and the UAE to stop the Sudan genocide

Donations: Sudan Funds | Tumblr Masterpost - Sudan Orgs/Fundraisers | Water for South Sudan

ROHINGYA

Free Rohingya Coalition

Info: CNN - Hundreds of Rohingya face drone strikes / ethnic cleansing in Myanmar

Spotify - Rohingya Culture Interview

Petitions:

Donations: Mutual Emergency Aid 4 Rohingya | Emergency Aid for Rohingya Orphans and Disabled Families

TIGRAY

Tigray Action Committee

Info: Omna Tigray - What's happening in Tigray? | Tghat News | UN Article from Sept 2023

Petitions/Letters: Petition - Demand Aid to Tigray | Stop the Tigray Genocide

Donations: Places to Donate for Tigray Tumblr Post | Ahwatna Relief

DRC

Friends of the Congo | Focus Congo | Congo Resources Tumblr Post

Info: DRC: Inside the world's forgotten war | Congo Genocide Explained - Interview

Petitions: No Tax Dollars to Fund Congo Genocide | Halt the Ongoing Genocide in Congo

Donations: SOS Congo (organized by Goma Actif) | IRC in Congo | Action Kivu

KASHMIR

Stand with Kashmir | Kashmir Masterlist Tumblr Post

Info: Kashmir - Paradise Lost (BBC)

Petitions/Letters: Stop Arming Indian Occupation of Kashmir

Donations: KASHMER

EAST TURKESTAN

Campaign for Uyghurs | Uyghur Truth Project | Camp Album Project

Info: Persecution of Uyghurs in China - Wikipedia

Petitions/Letters: Change.org - Uyghur Muslims

PALESTINE

Jewish Voice for Peace | USPCR Stop Gaza Genocide Toolkit

Info: Wizard Bisan, a Palestinian journalist

Petitions/Letters: Not Another Bomb | Amnesty - Demand a Ceasefire | Tumblr Post with Petitions | Ceasefire Now | (JVP) Tell Congress - Arms Embargo Now

Donations: Gaza Funds | Low on Funds Palestinians Fundraisers | Vetted Gaza Evacuation Fundraisers | Arab.org Daily Click | Middle East Children's Alliance

ARMENIA

Learn for Artsakh | Help Armenians Carrd | Artsakh Genocide Action Toolkit

Info: Denying Your History - Armenian Genocide

Petitions/Letters: Petition - Stop Erasing Armenian Culture | International Recognition of Artsakh

Donations: Fund for Armenian Relief | Armenia Fund | CARITAS Armenia | ARS of Eastern USA inc.

INDIGENOUS AMERICANS

MMIWG2S | Indigenous Action | NDN Collective

Petitions/Letters: Stop sterilizing Indigenous women without consent | Free Leonard Peltier

HAWAII

Info: Tourism's Negative Impact on Native Hawaiians | Noho Hewa Film (2008)

Donations: Hawaii Community Foundation

HAITI

Haiti Liberation Google Doc

Donations: Hands Together for Haitians | Haiti Outreach | Hope for Haiti | Twitter Thread of GoFundMes/Donation Links

WEST PAPUA

Free West Papua Website | West Papua Resources/Info Tumblr Post | We Need to Talk about Papua Carrd (last updated 2021 but has good info)

Info: United Nations - Indonesia: Shocking abuses against indigenous Papuans | Twitter Thread of Helpful Articles

Petitions/Letters:

ALSO:

The Kurdish Project

KEEP BOYCOTTING, PROTESTING, AND DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN! FREE ALL OPPRESSED PEOPLES OF THE WORLD!

If you can't donate, share!

If you have any concerns with the links I've posted, please share! I tried my best to verify everything but please let me know if you are doubtful of something! Also, please please share other resources from people who are directly impacted by these genocides!!

LAST UPDATED SEPTEMBER 16 2024.

[frankcmcclanahaniii]

CALIFORNIA DREAMING

California is an extraordinary state. Not only is it the most populous state in the United States, but also the richest, with an economy that would be the fifth largest in the world if it were an independent nation. Perhaps, merely because of its size, it also leads the nation in many undesirable characteristics such as poverty, homelessness, drug abuse, addiction and welfare costs. Others, not related to size, include high taxes, high housing costs and other costs of living, extremely high pension costs, high gas prices and high out-migration, especially of highly successful individuals and businesses. A year or two ago, California had a large budget surplus. Currently, it carries one of the largest, if not the largest budget deficit of any American State. It is, like several other states, a one-party state, so the party in power can claim full credit for everything that goes well and deserves to be held accountable for everything that goes badly. But, in fact, that is not what happens. The party in power does claim full credit for anything going well (or even can spun to do so) but denies all responsibility for everything that goes badly. This approach is not peculiar to California. Most, if not all one-party states do the same thing. Divided states do too, just blaming the opposition. But being so prominent, when good or bad news plays out in California, it attracts more attention. California has now been in drought for several years. Drought is very common in California and can be persistent. Around 1200 years ago California endured a drought that lasted 200 years. That one was of course not related to fossil fuels, but just happened naturally. The recent drought was attributed by most Californians (and their state government) to climate change, and the burning of fossil fuels. Some of the California remedies to this alleged root cause included banning the sale of gas-powered vehicles, gas stoves, the use of two-cycle engines in yard equipment and mandating heat pumps as replacements for fossil fuel HVAC systems. Before most of these bans (and other green initiatives) took full effect, the winter of 2022-2023 arrived. The rain and snowfall from that wet season was extraordinarily abundant, due to what were identified as multiple “atmospheric rivers” that brought waves of precipitation from the Pacific Ocean into California. Many people in the rest of the country were unfamiliar with the term “atmospheric rivers” and were told they too, like droughts, were brought by climate change. Californians should know better. A 2013 Scientific American article (by two California academics, Dettinger and Ingram) demonstrated that these storms (including a disastrous one in 1861-1862 that completely submerged the city of Sacramento) have occurred at least every 200 years, with less drastic versions occurring more frequently. Indeed, these storms have long been referred to as The Pineapple Express, because the precipitation commences in the Pacific near Hawaii. The point of these observations is that while climate change may affect both the intensity and frequency of the storms, it is not the cause, since they have been documented (through sediment studies) as early as the year 212, and at least one every 200 years after that. Perhaps the 1862 mega flood was affected by fossil fuels, but none of the ones before that were, and yet they happened anyway. I fully expect that the state of California will be requesting relief from the rest of the country when the snowmelt from the current Pineapple Express results in even more flooding than has occurred so far. They will doubtless assert that the current emergency is caused by climate change, and not any of the acts or omissions of state policies. I have no aversion to helping another state in an emergency, but not one whose own policies have created or aggravated their problem. My gas-powered tools, automobiles. stove and HVAC system had might have slightly contributed to climate change, but essentially had nothing to do with California’s current problem. Their unsustainable development policies, antediluvian water policies, lack of preparation, mismanagement and woke, green virtue signaling as a substitute for all the foregoing failures is their own problem to fix (which should be easy in a one-party state). Anyway, here is a cheerfully cynical contrarian sonnet on the subject. PINEAPPLE EXPRESS PROVES CLIMATE CHANGE Now Californians have the rain To slake their latest, driest drought Lakes overflow. It’s not about Failure to plan, but climate change. They blame us now for floods of pain And we should pay to bail them out. It’s all our fault they loudly shout And not their still unfinished train To nowhere. Reparations. Woke. They need our money now, again. But if we pay what they won’t spend They will be spending more, still broke. For virtue signals all they do And we, who don’t, must pay them to. © 2023 frankcmcclanahaniii

[sarkos]

The states where the relief checks do not have to be reported by taxpayers are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. That also applies to supplementary energy relief payments in Alaska that were in addition to the annual Permanent Fund Dividend, the IRS said. In addition, many taxpayers in Georgia, Massachusetts, South Carolina and Virginia also avoid federal taxes on state payments if they meet certain requirements, the IRS said.

The IRS updates its guidance for taxpayers who got state relief checks : NPR

[scipozoa]

This is blatant disinformation. All likely in order to dissuade people from voting for him in 2024. Putin desperately wants Trump back in office as that will effectively allow him to improve the Russian situation. And I'm not telling you to vote for Biden because he's not trump, I'm telling you to vote for him because he is a great president. Don't believe me, keep reading. I will go over the truth below:

1) Biden did not sign any executive order about Israel aid as far as I know. He did sign one in aid of Native Americans. Here is the federal register of executive orders: https://www.federalregister.gov/presidential-documents/executive-orders/joe-biden/2023

2) He did what he could via abortion access, such as funding abortions for veterans. src:

https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-lloyd-austin-government-and-politics-dc6a0317775596ffc7945acc79b7559e

3) He has made several inroads into student loans. He's been getting people relief over predatory loans. In addition, he attempted a $10000-$20000 student loan forgiveness program that got struck down by the Trump supreme court(let's not repeat 2016, please). He also improved the system to give borrowers more help. (He is still attempting student loan relief via congress, but that will take quite some time). src:

https://thehill.com/homenews/education/4370297-biden-student-loans-debt-relief-2023-whiplash/

https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief-announcement

4) He did several executive orders on COVID, 8 in 2021 and 1 in 2023, for various issues. He put in mandatory federal vaccinations, as well as COVID relief. Not to mention, one of the first acts, that he passed as president was the third COVID stimulus. src:

https://www.federalregister.gov/presidential-documents/executive-orders/joe-biden/2021

https://www.federalregister.gov/presidential-documents/executive-orders/joe-biden/2023

5) His Build Back Better plan which passed as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 literally is working towards making the country use clean energy. Here are some good quotes from the bill:

"In addition, the act provides funding to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for loans and grants. The loans and grants must fund projects that address affordable housing and climate change issues."

"The act modifies and extends through 2024 the tax credit for producing electricity from renewable resources, specifically wind, biomass, geothermal and solar, landfill gas, trash, qualified hydropower, and marine and hydrokinetic resources."

src: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5376

6) Here's a whole page on Biden's efforts to improve the lives of black americans: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/10/19/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-administration-advances-equity-and-opportunity-for-black-people-and-communities-across-the-country/

7) Biden has been attempting to curb school shootings during his presidency. here are some articles:

https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/biden-credits-school-shooting-survivors-as-he-creates-gun-violence-prevention-office/2023/09

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/05/18/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-five-years-since-the-shooting-at-santa-fe-high-school/

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-call-end-epidemic-gun-violence-year-after/story?id=99560777

8) Hawaii was provided aid by Biden during and after the wildfires. src:

https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20230817/biden-harris-administration-provides-38-million-assistance-hawaii-residents

Now for some extra stuff, you might not have heard.

9) Biden did away with the prepay pension funding policy for USPS workers, as well as improving working conditions. Here's an article from the USPS union: https://apwu.org/postal-service-reform-act-2022 And here's the act itself: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3076

10) Biden having worked with rail unions to get them paid sick days. src:

https://www.ibew.org/media-center/Articles/23Daily/2306/230620_IBEWandPaid

Ultimately, Biden is only 1 person. He can't do everything himself. We have to act too. We have to vote. It doesn't matter who the president is, if the courts, and congress are against him.

[timomaraus]

April 16, 2024

Washington Post Hikers kept climbing Hawaii's 'Stairway to Heaven.' Now it'll be removed. (Editor's Note: Given the state of things in the world, the 'Stairway to Heaven' is quite possibly being replaced by a 'Highway to Hell.')

CNN US expects 'limited scope' Israeli response against Iran, sources say (Editor's Note: Yes, I'm sure the administration feels reassured, given the 'limited scope' response Israel has shown in Gaza.)

CNN Colorado funeral home owners accused of mishandling 190 bodies charged with Covid-19 relief loan fraud, officials say (Editor's Note: This is a very curious headline. Were the funeral home owners accused of Covid-19 fraud? What did they do, prop the bodies up in the office and say they were employees? Or was it the 190 deceased people that were charged with relief loan fraud, and if so, isn't that trial going to be a real snoozer?)

Washington Post Could you be an impartial juror on Donald Trump's trial (Editor's Note: Not on the guilt/innocence phase. But if I tried extremely hard, I think I could be impartial on the capital punishment phase.)

Washington Post What colors fit you best? These apps help you decide your season (Editor's Note: We need apps to tell us what season it is now? What are we teaching kids in school these days anyway?)

NY Times After Decades of Delay, U.S. Will Limit Deadly Mine Dust (Editor's Note: Ordinary mine dust will still be allowed.)

NY Times Biden heads to Pennsylvania to Talk Taxes and Hit Trump (Editor's Note: Someone please tell the president that Trump is in New York right now. Although he has a very effective left jab, Biden's reach isn't long enough to cross state lines.)

NY Times The N.B.A. Postseason Is Beginning. Here's What to Know. (Editor's Note: The most important thing to know is that it will be over sometime in mid-June, so no reason to stress about it for a while.)

NY Times Caitlin Clark and the Best-Dressed Stars at the W.N.B.A. Draft (Editor's Note: Really, NY Times? What's the implication here, that Caitlin Clark wasn't best-dressed, or that the other "star" draftees don't deserve to be mentioned by name?)

NY Times A 3-Ingredient Roasted Cauliflower Soup That Is Practical Magic (Editor's Note: Personally, I think practicality kind of ruins the entire concept of magic.)

NY Times Compostable Bags for Food Scraps May Do More Harm Than Good (Editor's Note: As they say, no good deed goes unpunished. Thanks for that cheery story, NYT.)

CNN Mussolini's wartime bunker opens to the public in Rome (Editor's Note: If this doesn't work out, they can always convert it to an AirBnB for those seeking to avoid Rome's tourist rat race.)

CNN Courtney Love thinks Taylor Swift is 'not important' and has some thoughts about Beyoncé Lana Del Rey and Madonna, too (Editor's Note: A perfectly acceptable alternative headline would have been "Courtney Love is really, really desperate for attention.")

[numbersquadtax]

🔥 Good news, self-employed folks! Tax deadlines pushed to Aug 7 for Hawaii wildfire victims. Take a breather and catch up on your taxes. Stay strong! 💪

[howl224tgeundying]

Legitimately, what in your mind was so bad about Trump's presidency? Because under Biden we have had -Record Inflation -Funding of 2 wars -Barely any relief for Hawaii after it burned to the ground -Highest gas prices since Bush -Covid mandate bullshit -Leaving millions worth of military equipment in the middle east -Record number of illegal migrants

and there's more that's just what comes to mind off the top of my head.

You cannot sit there with a straight face and tell me Biden's presidency has been better than Trump's. If you say "he tried to overthrow the capitol" then you are a moron, January 6 was a fucking clown show and anyone who actually watched the videos can see that.

I'm not even really a Trump supporter because I hate both sides, but the nation was objectively better when he was president. We became exporters of oil and now we're energy dependent on other nations, we used to have a growing economy and now we're being strangled with inflation, we were pulling out of foreign affairs and now we're funding Ukraine and Israel.

Why don't you want Trump in office? Why is he so bad in your mind? How can you even begin to think Biden is superior in anyway? I can't think of anything that's better under Biden, I legitimately can't except that oil corporations are posting the highest profits in a long time as we pay top dollar since we aren't producing our own, or that pfizer got paid millions if not billions of tax payer dollars to fund the vaccine "for free". Only rich corporations have benefited under Biden.

@sundrenched-smilez I'd like and actual answer, please tell me how Biden is better than Trump and how 2020-2024 has been better than 2016-2020

something for everyone who is like "you have GOT to vote for biden or else we'll have trump as a president again!!!!", you're basically saying "as long as republicans remain as morally reprehensible and evil as they are, democrats don't need to be held accountable for anything because they're the 'better' option"

[akamaiwealthmanagementhawaii]

Honolulu City Council OKs property tax relief measures - Honolulu Star-Advertiser || #HawaiiBreakingNews Courtesy of Free Financial and Financial Risk Consultation with Akamai Wealth Management for all Hawaii Residents Whether You're Retiring or Searching for More Income Text or Call 808.464.5292

ICYMI: http://dlvr.it/Ss5mCp

[shop-korea]

Reaction

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[insideusnet]

Hawaii Lawmakers Return With Vows to Help Working Families : Inside US

HONOLULU (AP) — Lawmakers opened a new session of the Hawaii State Legislature on Wednesday with proposals to provide more tax relief to working families and impose fees on travelers using popular state parks and trails. Lawmakers also vowed to hold hearings on ethics reform bills after two former lawmakers last year pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in office in exchange for influencing…

[owengrantham]

These are all well respected people.

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And when an area is already cazadora vaquera tommy hilfiger dry, droughts worsen because warmer air takes more water out of the ground, like "levying a larger tax on the plants and soil moisture," Arndt said.. The clans of the northern hills come with him bikes btt usadas on their shaggy runtish horses. “Get the sealing wax.” Before I change my mind. The only thing that troubled her was that her father might curse her. He attained this object. Some newer games even like Left 4 Dead 2 also play well, but for the most part, it is underpowered for Eyefinity resolutions.. Put in the ceramic plate, then the grill rack. 12666 72nd Ave. One bikes btt usadas more step toward completing the American Dream. That was very nice of him, and I liked him for it. And the season is over. “My father’s grandmother was a Flint of the mountains, on his mother’s side,” Jon told her. Suzuki has also sharpened the styling and improved equipment levels. Hey Angry Driver, get some continuing education for starters, focus on grammar and basic arithmetic, then perhaps you can also acquire better reading skills, which will enable you to actually do a bit of research before commenting on current events. More importantly, this component will be on the best selling LEAP jet engine, being developed by CFM International, a joint company of GE and Snecma (SAFRAN) of France and will mark the first time such a complex component will be manufactured using additive technology. It remains to be seen just how practical the Iconia 6120 touch interface is going to be: the Toshiba Libretto W100 was released largely as a limited edition curiosity, and Toshiba tried pushing its utility by being able to hold it like a book and manipulate it that way.. At least he did not dream.

[bm2ab]

Arrivals & Departures 04 August 1961 Barack Hussein Obama II

Barack Hussein Obama II (/bəˈrɑːk huːˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/ (listen) bə-RAHK hoo-SAYN oh-BAH-mə) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the United States. He previously served as a U.S. senator from Illinois from 2005 to 2008 and as an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004.

Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. After graduating from Columbia University in 1983, he worked as a community organizer in Chicago. In 1988, he enrolled in Harvard Law School, where he was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. After graduating, he became a civil rights attorney and an academic, teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. Turning to elective politics, he represented the 13th district in the Illinois Senate from 1997 until 2004, when he ran for the U.S. Senate. Obama received national attention in 2004 with his March Senate primary win, his well-received July Democratic National Convention keynote address, and his landslide November election to the Senate. In 2008, a year after beginning his campaign, and after a close primary campaign against Hillary Clinton, he was nominated by the Democratic Party for president. Obama was elected over Republican nominee John McCain in the general election and was inaugurated alongside his running mate, Joe Biden, on January 20, 2009. Nine months later, he was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Obama signed many landmark bills into law during his first two years in office. The main reforms include: the Affordable Care Act (ACA or "Obamacare"), although without a public health insurance option; the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; and the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 served as economic stimuli amidst the Great Recession. After a lengthy debate over the national debt limit, he signed the Budget Control and the American Taxpayer Relief Acts. In foreign policy, he increased U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan, reduced nuclear weapons with the United States–Russia New START treaty, and ended military involvement in the Iraq War. He ordered military involvement in Libya for the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1973, contributing to the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi. He also ordered the military operation that resulted in the killing of Osama bin Laden.

After winning re-election by defeating Republican opponent Mitt Romney, Obama was sworn in for a second term in 2013. During this term, he promoted inclusion for LGBT Americans. His administration filed briefs that urged the Supreme Court to strike down same-sex marriage bans as unconstitutional (United States v. Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges); same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide in 2015 after the Court ruled so in Obergefell. He advocated for gun control in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, indicating support for a ban on assault weapons, and issued wide-ranging executive actions concerning global warming and immigration. In foreign policy, he ordered successful military interventions in Iraq and Syria in response to gains made by ISIL after the 2011 withdrawal from Iraq, promoted discussions that led to the 2015 Paris Agreement on global climate change, continued the process of ending U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan in 2016, initiated sanctions against Russia following the invasion in Ukraine and again after interference in the 2016 U.S. elections, brokered the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal with Iran, and normalized U.S. relations with Cuba. Obama nominated three justices to the Supreme Court: Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan were confirmed as justices, while Merrick Garland faced partisan obstruction from the Republican-majority Senate led by Mitch McConnell, which never held hearings or a vote on the nomination. Obama left office in January 2017 and continues to reside in Washington, D.C.

During Obama's terms as President, the United States' reputation abroad, as well as the American economy, significantly improved. Obama's presidency has generally been regarded favorably, and evaluations of his presidency among historians, political scientists, and the general public frequently place him among the upper tier of American presidents.

[dayseternal-blog]

Just fyi, & happy “Independence” day

If you guys see a post about a Change.org petition against Mark Zuckerberg to stop him from suing Native Hawaiians for land on Kaua‘i island, like, IT’S A WEIRD SORT OF MISINFORMATION.

I saw it 2x on my dashboard, and thought, huh?  This sounds really familiar, didn’t this happen awhile ago?  (Spoiler: 4 years ago, but the petition was made a week ago?!).  Please don’t reblog that useless petition, or delete it if you already did.

Here’s why this whole business makes me feel like 🤮:

1. Sometime in 2016, the Facebook guy was looking at his Kauai property and thought, hm, I need to own the beach over there, too (you know, how greedy rich people are).

2. He filed a bunch of quiet lawsuits to figure out who owns the land surrounding him and bid them out.  Turns out the property is owned by hundreds of different people, some Native Hawaiians since The Great Mahele (Kuleana Act & disastrous Alien Land Ownership Act) in 1850, but most of the owners were descended from one Portuguese plantation “worker” (must’ve been high up in the chain of command to be able to buy so much land back then).

3. Turns out only one descendent was paying taxes on and taking care of the land, some descendents knew about this private beach and used it, still other “family” members didn’t even know about their 0.5% parcel of land until they got notice of the lawsuit.

4. Facebook guy and tax-paying guy sorta kinda team up, the other cousins are outraged.  Facebook guy eventually drops out of this lawsuit/family dispute due to local public outcry HELLO OKAY YOU SEE HOW THIS IS OLD NEWS NOW?, but then tax-paying guy is still like, Yeah, I need to consolidate the parcels under only my ownership, let’s continue this lawsuit.  It’s in everyone’s best interests that I own the land.   (...So family drama wasn’t over.  I don’t know how the story ended, but whatever.)

Moral of the story: Zuckerberg still a poop-blazing example of a truly complete, total haole who doesn’t understand the significance of kuleana lands.  

And also importantly, a lot of that disputed land was privately owned by a Portuguese man, who bought it using money earned from working the plantations, yes, oh the strange irony in that due to the fact that it was the plantation businessmen who overthrew Queen Lili‘uokalani, and brought the unconstitutional end of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893.  This is just an example of how super rich people like the Facebook guy exacerbate and contribute to the continued systemic oppression of Native Hawaiians, how stupid laws and the Facebook guy got local, even native, families fighting against each other over land piece by piece, and how the State of Hawaii is in fact COLONIZED stolen land in the first place (happy independence day for who now?).

Initially what annoyed me so much is the false premise of the petition, whoever posted it barely looked into the background behind it (I mean, it’s 3-4 years old news, why make a petition now). 

But then I got myself worked up thinking about how this whole story in itself reads as some kind of...mockery?...of Native Hawaiian issues, how the person who posted it obviously doesn’t actually care about understanding the history and importance of native lands and just wanted to point a finger at this Facebook dude since he’s trending.  And how there’s hundreds of thousands of people just joining in on this ignorance, signing that totally useless petition without knowing any better (like petitions are great, but this one is just....so misguided).

Anyway, instead of signing that petition for a lawsuit that’s no longer even happening, there are other better ways to show allyship with indigenous people.

Donate to:

Aloha ‘Aina Support Fund (Protect Mauna Kea, yeah, the TMT protest is still happening)

Polynesian Voyaging Society (practically single-handedly started the Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance, also, they inspired the movie Moana👍🏼)

Hale ‘Opio Kaua‘i - Youth Development & Treatment, specifically Kaua‘i island.

Malama Pono Health Services - specifically Kaua‘i island.

University of Hawaii - Native Hawaiian Student Services Aid Fund

Women in Need Hawaii - specifically Kaua‘i and Oahu islands.

Kumu’s Cupboard - School Supplies for Kaua‘i Educators

Even better is allyship for an indigenous nation near you:

Fundraiser for Navajo & Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief

Dr. Michelle Tom’s Cause for Navajo Nation to fight COVID-19

American Indian College Fund

National Indian Council on Aging

Native American Heritage Association - Food Security & Necessities on Reservations in South Dakota and Wyoming

Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska

Or if you have no money to give, just please keep in mind and maybe tell someone else that July 4th celebrates the independence of white Americans from Britain, all while these white Americans were simultaneously colonizing stolen land and causing 

genocide of indigenous people, culturally and literally, to today.

Celebrate the freedom to criticize the USA’s hypocrisy at its very roots 🇺🇸

Oh.  And this shouldn’t have to be said, but before reblogging petitions, donation accounts, etc., please make sure they’re legit?  Native issues get run over and forgotten about all the time by Mainland America, no need to rub it in with something wrong and useless like that petition.

[disillusioned41]

In late-night votes just hours after nearly 5,600 pages of legislative text were released, the U.S. Congress on Monday approved trillions of dollars worth of government funding and coronavirus relief that will temporarily avert a catastrophic expiration of key benefits, send $600 direct payments to many Americans, and provide billions of dollars in handouts to the rich.

The entire Senate Democratic caucus and every Republican but six voted for the roughly $900 billion coronavirus relief legislation, which was paired with a $1.4 trillion spending package that will fund the federal government through next September. Just two House Democrats—Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii)—voted against the coronavirus relief portion of the sprawling package (pdf), which President Donald Trump is expected to sign.

"I voted against the latest Covid-19 relief legislation because it is woefully inadequate in addressing the needs of people," Tlaib said in a statement late Monday. "I have watched as many of my colleagues rush to provide billions to corporations and wealthy individuals, while admonishing the needs of the majority of families."

"I have watched as many of my colleagues rush to provide billions to corporations and wealthy individuals, while admonishing the needs of the majority of families." —Rep. Rashida Tlaib

"Republicans continue to do all they can do to poison our society further with corporate greed, while abandoning the very people they are supposed to be working for," Tlaib added. "This is evident by the inclusion of the 'three martini lunch' tax giveaway."

The tax deduction for business meals was one of several giveaways to wealthy Americans stuffed in the mammoth legislative package, which was made available to read Monday afternoon after reported computer issues delayed its release. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) was one of several lawmakers who publicly expressed outrage at the lack of time lawmakers were given to read the bill before voting on it.

"Members of Congress have not read this bill. It's over 5,000 pages, arrived at 2 pm today, and we are told to expect a vote on it in two hours," tweeted Ocasio-Cortez, who voted against a rule paving the way for speedy passage but ultimately voted yes on the coronavirus aid portion of the package. "This isn't governance. It's hostage-taking."

While the contents of the measure are still being combed, progressives noted and denounced the inclusion of billions of dollars in gifts to wealthy Americans—benefits made more obscene by the bill's inadequate relief for people who are hungry, sick, unemployed, and facing eviction.

"Pathetic," said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), pointing to the bill's $120 billion handout to rich business owners and other provisions that will disproportionately benefit the wealthiest people in the country during the most unequal recession in modern U.S. history.

The Vermont senator voted for the relief legislation, noting that "the average family of four will receive a direct payment of $2,400."

"While including these direct payments ultimately improved this bill, given the enormous economic desperation that so many working families across this country are now experiencing, there is no question but that this legislation did not go anywhere near far enough," Sanders said in a statement.

The $900 billion coronavirus relief package is a far cry from what economists say is necessary to bring the faltering U.S. economy out of recession and provide meaningful relief to the increasingly desperate public amid rising poverty and a major hunger crisis. Some economists are calling for a roughly $4 trillion package, warning that anything less would result in "permanent damage" to families and the economy.

On top of the paltry direct payments—for which millions of vulnerable people will not be eligible—the newly passed bill provides a non-retroactive $300-per-week federal boost to unemployment insurance and an 11-week extension of UI benefits, an extension accompanied by more burdensome documentation requirements for applicants who are already struggling to navigate rickety state systems.

"Mitch McConnell and his Republican colleagues have stonewalled state and local aid, along with survival checks that meets the scale of the crisis. This is a collective failure in helping Americans in their time of need."—Rep. Ilhan Omar

"States will be asked to implement a significant number of new rules for these programs for a law that will only last 11 weeks," noted Andrew Stettner, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation. "In reality, many workers won't receive the benefits until well into this short period—and at that point, the states will be forced to cut it off once again. Worst of all, Congress will be setting itself up for another 10 million-plus worker benefit cut off that will start in mid-March, before the new administration and Congress can be reasonably expected to pass another round of relief."

"Congress has given itself little choice but to immediately get to work on the next economic stimulus package as soon as President Biden and the 117th Congress take office," Stettner added. "That package must build on the CARES Act and include key reforms to make sure benefits are available as long as the economy remains constrained by this disastrous pandemic."

Robert Greenstein, president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, also raised concerns about the too-short duration of relief and pointed to the bill's inadequate sick and family leave provisions. "While the agreement continues the tax credits for employers established under the Families First Act for providing coronavirus-related sick days and family leave," Greenstein said in a statement, "it doesn't extend workers' right to take that time off, leaving that to employers' discretion."

"A likely result," Greenstein warned, "is that a substantial number of workers will be unable to stay home when they are quarantined or ill or will be unable to balance work and family care-giving needs when schools are closed or a family member has Covid-19."

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who voted for the final relief package, said late Monday that she is glad the legislation will provide direct payments that were not originally on the table as well as billions of dollars in funding for schools.

"But that doesn't mean this package is anything close to enough," said Omar. "Six hundred dollars is not close to sufficient to cover eight months of lost wages, food, or rent expenses...  Mitch McConnell and his Republican colleagues have stonewalled state and local aid, along with survival checks that meet the scale of the crisis. This is a collective failure in helping Americans in their time of need."

[dr-archeville]

Welcome to Friday, everyone.  Let’s do some headlines.

1. The president brought some classy friends to the White House Wednesday.

That would be Kid Rock, Sarah Palin, and Ted Nugent, mocking the official portrait of Hillary Clinton.

The New York Times has the tick-tock:

“We were there for four hours, man!” Mr. Nugent, a 68-year-old Detroit native, said in a telephone interview on Thursday, using a four-letter expletive to signal his amazement at Mr. Trump’s willingness to spend so much time with his three casually dressed visitors.

“He gave us a wonderful personal tour of every room and talked about the origins of every carpet and every painting — there was a Monet — and then we had dinner,” said Mr. Nugent, who has referred to former President Barack Obama as a “mongrel” and to Hillary Clinton with an array of unflattering epithets. 

About those “epithets”: 

As recently as January, he called for both Obama and Clinton to “be tried for treason & hung.”  (Just months later, Trump would find himself mired in controversy over a comment widely interpreted as a barely veiled, violent threat against Clinton.)

And in years past, Nugent has told President Obama (who he has dubbed a “piece of shit” and a “subhuman mongrel”) to “suck my tiger dick,” and to also “suck on my machine gun.”

“Hey Hillary [Clinton], you might want to ride one of these [guns] into the sunset, you worthless bitch," he added for good measure during that same infamous mid-concert rant in 2007. 

2. We’re headed for a budget showdown over the border wall.

The White House is insisting that money for the border wall be included in the budget.  This is obviously a nonstarter for Democrats.

From The Washington Post:

White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said Thursday that he hopes to use negotiations to keep the government open past April 28 in an effort to force Democrats to back some funding for creating a new wall along the U.S.-Mexico border — a risky move that could provoke a spending showdown with congressional Democrats next week.

Mulvaney said the White House would be open to funding some of the Democrats’ priorities — such as paying insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act — if Democrats agree to fund some of the more controversial parts of President Trump’s agenda, notably the border wall. 

It’s likely that not paying those subsidies would basically eviscerate the health insurance market, which would be politically disastrous for the Trump administration.  And, at least on this front, it’s not clear that the Trump administration has the upper hand, despite unified control of government. 

Republican leaders and members of the House and Senate appropriations committees had hoped to avoid a spending confrontation early in Trump’s administration by negotiating directly with Democrats, whose votes will be necessary to pass any spending bill. Republicans hold a slim 52-to-48 advantage in the Senate, meaning they will need at least eight Democrats to reach the 60 votes required to pass spending measures in that chamber. 

3. Attorney General Jeff Sessions may not be aware that Hawaii is a state.

Sessions, a racist who lied under oath during his confirmation hearing about his contacts with Russia during the campaign, went on Mark Levin’s radio show earlier this week and expressed dismay that a judge “sitting on an island in the Pacific” could halt Trump’s unconstitutional travel ban.

From CNN:

"We've got cases moving in the very, very liberal Ninth Circuit, who, they've been hostile to the order," Sessions said.  "We won a case in Virginia recently that was a nicely-written order that just demolished, I thought, all the arguments that some of the other people have been making.  We are confident that the President will prevail on appeal and particularly in the Supreme Court, if not the Ninth Circuit.  So this is a huge matter.  I really am amazed that a judge sitting on an island in the Pacific can issue an order that stops the President of the United States from what appears to be clearly his statutory and Constitutional power."

Last month, a federal judge in Hawaii, Judge Derrick Watson, issued an order that blocked Trump's ban on travelers from several Muslim-majority countries.  The Department of Justice is currently appealing the decision. 

4. The N.C. Senate wants to direct economic incentives toward the state’s poorer counties.

The upshot is that metropolitan areas like the Triangle and Charlotte, which have benefited from these incentives in recent years, could suffer.  And the secretary of commerce is warning that the changes might not do those poorer counties very much good, either.

From The News & Observer:

A proposal to redirect state financial incentives – to encourage companies to move to poorer counties – passed a state Senate committee Thursday.  But some lawmakers and the N.C. secretary of commerce warned that the proposal, Senate Bill 660, would do little to help economically distressed counties and would instead undermine the ability of job-magnets like the Triangle and Charlotte to continue attracting high-paying jobs.

The legislation, called Economic Development Incentives Modifications, cleared the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday and now heads to the Senate Finance Committee.  The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Harry Brown from Jacksonville, said using incentives to reward not only job creation but also geographical selection would restore the original intent of incentives: to help poor counties compete for jobs. […]

Tony Copeland, secretary of the N.C. Department of Commerce, told lawmakers he agrees with their general goal but said incentives won’t produce magical results.  He said the primary considerations for job creation are the quality of the workforce and the quality of the infrastructure, such as access to airports, highways and natural gas lines.

“I’ve seen what companies look for, and without the talent they’re not going anywhere,” Copeland said. 

5. N.C. House Republicans want to add a right-to-work provision into the state Constitution.

It’s already embedded in state statute.

The N&O: 

The House Judiciary I Committee passed House Bill 819 in a 6-5 vote along party lines Thursday morning.  Several Republicans were absent from the meeting, and at one point Democrats nearly made up a majority of lawmakers present for the meeting.  House Speaker Tim Moore briefly appeared in the meeting to speak with the committee chairman, who delayed the vote until more GOP legislators arrived.

If the bill passes both the House and Senate, voters would decide in November 2018 if the state law governing union activity should be added to the constitution.  The law – and the constitutional amendment – bans employers from requiring their workers to join a labor organization or pay dues to a group. 

6. The House targets local governments’ billboard restrictions.

From WRAL: 

A pair of measures backed by state House leaders would supersede some local ordinances restricting the size and location of billboards and dramatically increase compensation for billboard owners who lose locations. State and local officials are opposing the measures.

House Bill 580, sponsored by House Rules Chairman Rep. David Lewis,R-Harnett, would make it easier for a billboard owner to find a new location for a billboard that has to be relocated due to road construction or development.  The owner could basically pick a new location as long as it's zoned the same as the old one. […]

But critics warned that, as written, the bill would allow billboards to proliferate, not just maintain their numbers.

"We believe that local governments should retain control of the placement of billboards in their community," Zebulon Mayor Bob Matheny, president of the North Carolina League of Municipalities, told lawmakers.  "We regulate other signage in our community."

House Bill 579, also sponsored by Lewis, would increase what billboard owners must be paid if their billboards are condemned and not relocated. Under current law, they're worth the cost of their materials, but the proposal would mean local and state officials would have to pay the "fair market value" of their business for years into the future.

7. Durham considers a tax-relief program for gentrifying neighborhoods.

The INDY’s Sarah Willets reports: 

Durham city officials are working on a loan program to help residents whose property taxes have gone up because of city-initiated revitalization, but it’s unclear still whether residents or the city would bear the costs of administering that program.

The idea sprang from a November city council work session in which longtime residents of the Southside neighborhood complained of an increase in their property taxes as a result of the city’s work to redevelop that area.  Residents there saw their tax bills go up $314 on average in 2016.

At a work session yesterday, Mayor Bill Bell pitched a deferred loan program in which residents would get a loan for the difference in their property tax obligation from the previous year.  They would only repay the zero-interest loan when they sold or transferred their home. Homeowners would be able to apply annually, but for no more than four years.  No vote was taken. 

8. Orange County moves ahead with light rail.

As the INDY has previously reported, the new financing plan calls for it to pick up a smaller share of the cost, with Durham paying more.

From the Herald-Sun.

A plan reducing Orange County’s share of the Durham-Orange Light-Rail plan’s $3.3 billion cost won support Thursday but also raised questions about the county’s options if something goes wrong. […]

Revised figures now show Orange County’s cash balance for the project hitting a low of $4.4 million in 2019.  The lowest cash balance for Durham County could be $3.4 million in 2027.  Durham County’s numbers also include a commuter rail line project with Wake County, Cole said.

Orange County could use any remaining money to buy more bus services, Deputy County Manager Travis Myren said.  County transit director Theo Letman has identified several Hillsborough and county routes that could be expanded.

If the counties don’t get the anticipated state or federal funding, the agreement requires them to meet with GoTriangle and consider other solutions.

“In the absence of federal funding, I would venture to say the project is not possible,” Myren said.  “In absence of state funding, it becomes very difficult or impossible.”

The plan goes before the Durham County Board of Commissioner Monday, then back to the Orange County commission next Thursday.

That’s all for today.  Have a great weekend.