Caesar and Tax Reform - Bill Wilson -
Both the House and the Senate have passed tax reform bills. The Senate finally got its act together and did something, albeit by a slim 51-49 party-line vote with one Republican defecting. It would appear on the surface that these bills are good for America, but that depends on your political leanings. If you are socialist-minded, you may be well disappointed in this legislation. If you believe tax cuts stimulate the economy, create jobs, and allow people to make their own decisions about their hard-earned money, you may be mildly optimistic. It is not perfect legislation. There are people on both sides of the political spectrum who will be highly critical. Next step, reconciliation between the House and the Senate.
The House legislation reduces the number of tax brackets from seven to four-12% for $45,000 and under; 25% for $45-200,000; 35% for $200-500,00 and 39.6% for over $500,000 in income. Married people get a little better break by paying 12% for up to $90,000 in income. The standard deduction increases from $6,350 to $12,000 for singles and from $12,700 to $24,000 for married taxpayers. The personal exemption is eliminated. Mortgage interest is only deductible on $500,000 and existing loans are grandfathered under the old rules. Real estate taxes are allowable deductions up to $10,000. The estate tax exemption is essentially doubled, and eliminated entirely after 2023. The corporate tax rate is reduced from 35% to 20%.
The Senate bill keeps the tax brackets at seven, ranging from 10% to 38.5%. Married people making between $77,400-140,000 will pay 22%. The standard deduction is the same as in the House bill. The Senate bill also eliminates the personal exemption. The House and Senate bills both eliminate state and local income tax deductions and allow real estate deductions up to $10,000. The Senate bill allows a $2,000 per child tax credit where the House bill allows $1,600. It keeps the mortgage interest rate deduction as is. Estate taxes remain the same. The corporate tax rate is the same as the House bill. The big difference between the House and Senate bills is that the Senate repealed the individual mandate of socialist healthcare which forced people to buy health insurance or pay a tax penalty.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the tax on those who refused to participate in socialist healthcare cost nearly $33 BILLION a year. In short, those who refused to participate in socialist healthcare imploded the system at a tremendous cost to the government. I remember those who justified paying into forced government healthcare quoting Jesus in Mark 12:17, "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's." In America, there is no Caesar. No dictator. We have a say. Sometimes it takes endurance, but hats off to those who remained steadfast to their Christian principles and didn't participate in this socialist mandate. We at least won a victory in the Senate. Maybe more.
Sea of change in immigration policy - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com
There is a verse in the Jeremiah 51 that says, "Surely I will fill thee with men, as with locusts, and they shall lift up a battle cry against you." This is about Babylon falling to invaders as judgment for how Babylon treated God's people. Today, the United States faces a similar situation as did Babylon-invaders who will lift a battle cry against us. It is a self-inflicted condition because of past presidents allowing immigration and even colonization of our country by those who would violently overthrow it. All in the name of political correctness, even the false narrative that Islam is the religion of peace-basically the most violent religion known to mankind. That is all changing under the current President.
There are several actions that President Donald Trump has taken to curb the security of threats to America that the immediate past "president" actually encouraged and aggressively aided. First, Trump issued a temporary ban on immigration from countries known to be violent threats to America. The Democratic Party and its emissaries in the lower courts, of course, opposed this. On Monday, the Supreme Court put an end to this nonsense that questioned the President's authority to protect the nation from malevolent people. The Court by a 7-2 margin (leftist justices Ginsberg and Sotomayor dissented) stayed the lower courts injunction against Trump's "travel ban" pending the appeals process.
Trump also pulled out of a major United Nations New York Declarations of Refugees and Migrants, which called for encouraging refugees and migrants to relocate to other countries, and included language that the host nations should provide them homes, income and education. It was a global governance pact of international migration. UN Ambassador Nikki Haley said, "...our decisions on immigration policies must always be made by Americans and Americans alone. We will decide how best to control our borders and who will be allowed to enter our country. The global approach in the New York Declaration is simply not compatible with U.S. sovereignty."
The Bible also says in Leviticus 24:22 and in several other places, "You shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country." We are not to treat sojourners poorly or unfairly. Ambassador Haley emphasized this Biblical principal in pulling out of the UN accord, "America is proud of our immigrant heritage and our long-standing moral leadership in providing support to migrant and refugee populations across the globe. No country has done more than the United States, and our generosity will continue." But there is a balance required in navigating the rough waters of treating strangers well, legal entry, and national security. It has been out of balance during the past decade. A sea change is occurring now. May we regain our balance.
Trump officially recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital, orders embassy move for US
By Alex Pappas
Published December 06, 2017
President Trump on Wednesday formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, saying it's time to "acknowledge the obvious" as he ordered the State Department to begin moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
�I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,� the president said during a speech in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House.
The move fulfills a campaign promise made to religious conservatives. But it could also inflame tensions across the Middle East.
�This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality," Trump said. "It is also the right thing to do. It�s something that has to be done.�
'I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.'
Trump acknowledged the opposition from other countries in the Middle East to his decision, saying Vice President Mike Pence will be �traveling to the region� in the coming days.
�There will of course be disagreement and dissent regarding this announcement,� Trump said. �But we are confident that ultimately, as we work through these disagreements, we will arrive at a peace and place far greater in understanding and cooperation.�
During his remarks, Trump emphasized he is still committed to a peace deal between the two sides.
�This decision is not intended in any way to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement," he said. "We want an agreement that is a great deal for the Israelis and a great deal for the Palestinians.�
The U.S. would be the first country to move its embassy to Jerusalem, which is claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians. Other countries that have diplomatic relations with Israel keep their embassies in Tel Aviv.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told Fox News' "The Story with Martha MacCallum" that Trump's decision was "acknowledging something that�s common sense to everyone."
"The [Knesset] is there, the prime minister is there, the Supreme Court -- that is the capital," Haley said. "And by us putting the embassy there, that�s a U.S. decision."
But the embassy move would not be immediate and could take at least three or four years.
The U.S. officials said there are currently about 1,000 personnel in the embassy in Tel Aviv. They added that there is no facility in Jerusalem ready to serve as the embassy site, and it will take time to address security, design and cost concerns.
�This will immediately begin the process of hiring architects, engineers and planners so that a new embassy when completed will be a magnificent tribute to peace,� Trump said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a televised message, thanked Trump for what he called a �courageous and just� decision.
Jerusalem is why Trump's in the White House
By Erick Erickson
Published December 06, 2017
The capital of Israel is Jerusalem. Ask American politicians of either party and they will tell you that. Check the platform documents of the two major political parties and you will read that. Check with Congress and you will find a bipartisan resolution that passed declaring Jerusalem the eternal capital of Israel.
So it is fitting that President Trump would announce plans Wednesday to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and publicly refer to Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. After all, the political parties believe that, every major presidential candidate in the past few decades has said that, and Congress has declared it in bipartisan form.
Unfortunately, President Trump is committing the most grievance �sin� any politician in Washington can commit. He is walking the walk instead of just talking the talk. This is the behavior that is responsible for his election.
For decades, it has been perfectly convenient for politicians of both parties to fundraise in Jewish and Christian evangelical communities, declaring their support for Jerusalem as Israel�s capital.
This may be the first time in American history that a president is being attacked for keeping a promise made by the politicians who are attacking him.
It has been a great fundraising ploy to pledge support for moving the American embassy to Jerusalem. But few of the politicians have ever meant it. They could boldly claim to American audiences what they wanted to hear � while privately winking at Palestinians and others who were in on the joke.
President Trump, though, is not joking. So now some of the very same American politicians who have for years supported Jerusalem as Israel�s capital when addressing American audiences are now savaging the president for doing what they�ve long claimed they wanted.
This is all an exercise in mendacity that President Trump has no time for. He pledged to do something and he is going to do it.
This may be the first time in American history that a president is being attacked for keeping a promise made by the politicians who are attacking him.
Sadly, time and time again we see this even within the Republican Party. From calls for repealing ObamaCare to claims of being staunchly pro-life, the GOP has kept ObamaCare alive and fully operational and has kept funding Planned Parenthood.
The American people have become deeply cynical about American politics and deeply skeptical of political promises.
They took a radical chance by voting for Donald Trump and, where he can, they are seeing him keep promises other politicians made and never kept.
The reaction of Washington�s elite will only prove to Americans that the voters were right all along about the liars inside the Beltway.
That, in turn, will probably help re-elect the president in 2020
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