Your morning jolt: John Lewis asks IRS to ease off flood victims
Every member of Georgia’s congressional delegation has made sure he’s been seen doing everything he can up in Washington for those in metro Atlanta who have lost their homes to the flood.
But there are constituent services, and then there are constituent services.
U.S. Rep. John Lewis might have made the biggest impression with this letter to Douglas Shulman, commissioner of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service:
I am hopeful that, upon declaration by the President of a state of emergency, the IRS will act quickly to postpone certain tax filing and payment deadlines and waive certain deposit penalties for taxpayers who reside or have businesses in the affected areas.
I am concerned that affected taxpayers may have payroll tax deposits or income tax returns that are due in the next few weeks. In addition, I request that the IRS provide some guidance on what taxpayers should do if they have suffered a casualty loss for property that was damaged or destroyed.
Jack Hill, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, says the impact of the weekend deluge on the state budget won’t be known for several weeks, but he doubts that any losses will be big enough to require a special session of the Legislature.
“We’ve got more questions than we do answers,” the Reidsville lawmaker said. “We won’t know what the emergency declaration will bring until it actually happens. There’s no guess as to what we actually might get. So there are more unknowns than there are knowns right now.”
Ironically, the more federal money that comes down, the bigger impact it will have on state spending, Hill said.
“The state will have a percentage to pay, and I think it’s normally 75-25, if we do get the declaration. The bigger the total amount, the bigger the state’s obligation. Now, the 25 percent – as I understand it — is the local-state share. Whether the state will pick up all that, or expect Cobb County, for example, to pick up part – I don’t know that.”
But the state will be obligated to pony up the cash to match any federal money, Hill said. “If there are federal funds coming in and a match is required, then we’ll have to fund that. Those things get pushed to the top and they have to be done. In a year like this, it will just have to come from somewhere else,” he said.
One possible outcome is even fewer projects tackled by an already under-funded state Department of Transportation, as money is shifted to flood repair. Which means that, because it rained this September, you could be sitting in traffic well into the next decade.
At Saporta Report, Maria Saporta reports that at Wednesday’s meeting of the Atlanta Regional Commission, three men declared that they wanted to replace Sam Olens as chairman of the 10-county planning agency.
She identified them as Charles Bannister, chairman of the Gwinnett County Commission; Tad Leithead, a former executive with Cousins Properties who is now has his own public policy and lobbying firm; and Jack Smith, the chairman of the Fayette County Commission.
Olens, who is also chairman of the Cobb County Commission, leaves the post at the end of the year, in order to concentrate on his statewide Republican campaign for attorney general.
From down in south Georgia, Sid Cottingham points out that Grady Memorial Hospital has become the New York Times poster child for the difficult questions wrapped up in health care reform:
If Grady Memorial Hospital succeeds in closing its outpatient dialysis clinic, Tadesse A. Amdago, a 69-year-old immigrant from Ethiopia, said he would begin “counting the days until I die.” Rosa Lira, 78, a permanent resident from Mexico, said she also assumed she “would just die.” Another woman, a 32-year-old illegal immigrant from Honduras, said she could only hope to make it “back to my country to die.”
….The dialysis unit on Grady’s ninth floor might as well be ground zero for the national health care debate. It is there that many of the ills afflicting American health care intersect: the struggle of the uninsured, the strain of providing uncompensated care, the inadequacy of government support, and the dilemma posed by treating illegal immigrants.
While you ponder that, consider these items found while perusing this morning’s ajc.com:
Sewage plant fixed, discharges into Chattahoochee halted. More than 14,000 flood-related claims filed in Atlanta area. Borders revisits property tax remarks. Georgia state parks free on Saturday. Evander Holyfield plans solar energy farm in Fayette County. Post Properties will sell stock to repay mortgage debt.
Some opinion:
Kyle Wingfield thinks facts are cooling off climate alarmism. We need to return to the basics for health reform. Detention debate falsely depicted.
From elsewhere in Georgia:
Southern Political Report: FEMA contract with Georgia homebuilder could reach $3.2 billion. ABC: King & Spalding opens Paris office.
And beyond:
Miami Herald: They’re torturing me, Honduras’ Manuel Zelaya claims. WP: Environmentalists seek to wipe out plush toilet paper. NYT: Timothy Egan on the way we die now. For instant updates, follow me on Twitter.
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40 comments Add your comment
Hhmmm
September 24th, 2009
10:09 am
Let me get this right . . . in Obamacare there will be no illegal immigrants getting healthcare, but the “32 year old female illegal immigrant” who is currently getting free healthcare and will continue to get free healthcare, could only hope to “make it back to my country to die”. BE ADVISED PEOPLE tax paying legal citizens of this country are paying for illegal alien’s healthcare now and will pay even more under Obamacare, so maybe the Senator from South Carolina wasn’t so wrong . . . out of line mayber but certainly not wrong!
SMH
September 24th, 2009
10:25 am
Where are your facts to back up that claim, Hhmmm? If illegals cannot get subsidized healthcare that is being proposed, they are getting it free now anyway, how are we paying more under the proposal (s)?
Taxpayer Funded Option, NOT!
September 24th, 2009
10:36 am
Typical, let someone else take care of the tax burden. How many Katrina “victims” are still on the public dollar, years later? Charity begins at home, with family, church, community, NOT the government.
Mike
September 24th, 2009
10:39 am
Enter youDenying healthcare isn’t the solution, border control is. We don’t care about border control because when illegals come to the border they don’t even have to speak in, they just pay in most cases. These same “right-wing” folks who claim they want to protect the border will take a payoff in return for letting illegals come in. My question is this: I don’t care if you’re for or against national healthcare, as a human, what would you say we do with a bleeding illegal? Check his ID or service him?
r comments here
Taxpayer Funded Option, NOT!
September 24th, 2009
10:39 am
SMH, you aren’t serious, are you? You know the illegals are getting the benefits now and would continue to until we send the home.
BTW, the tooth fairy, Easter Bunny and Santa send their best.
Birther or Bust
September 24th, 2009
10:42 am
Mike, I say we patch them up, send them home and bill them or their government.
MIKE II
September 24th, 2009
10:43 am
Put a band aid on him and throw him back over the border!
SMH
September 24th, 2009
10:47 am
Taxypayer, my apologies. I was paraphrasing what Hhmmm wrote and I forgot to use my quotation marks. Am I forgiven? You think illegals are getting the benefits? I know for a fact that the children, born on American soil, are receiving the benefits. I have proof of that. I have no proof that the illegals are, except for those using fake papers.
Taxpayer Funded Option, NOT!
September 24th, 2009
10:53 am
SMH, it depends on what you consider “benefits” If they are here illegally, I doubt that they are paying taxes on the pay they receive, so yes, they are getting a “benefit”. I know I’d like to get cash for my work and not pay any taxes, and yet continue to use the services taxes pay for.
Do there children go to school, if so, there’s another “free” benefit.
Need I go on?
Kemosabe
September 24th, 2009
10:57 am
Charlie Rangell must have been in Georgia during the flooding.
David
September 24th, 2009
11:21 am
John Lewis’ request to the IRS is admirable. However, this is just another reason in a long list of reasons why the “FAIR TAX” would be best for the Country. The problems created by the flood would not affect the tax status under the Fair Tax. For those complaining about Illegal Immigrants, the Fair Tax would make sure to take taxes from anyone in this Country, so here legally or not at a minimum, we are getting everyone’s fair share.
SMH
September 24th, 2009
11:22 am
Taxpayer, I am not your enemy, I’m just merely asking a question, seeking answers. I think if the majority of us made an attempt to seek the truth for ourselves, the vileness would be kept to a minimum.
But, if the children are American citizens, being born on American soil, aren’t they entitled to the free benefit of going to public school? I’m just asking.
From my experience, illegals pay as less as possible in income taxes. I’ve seen them fill out G4 and W4 papers and claim up to 7 dependents. What can you do? I can’t go into their house and actually count the dependents. Most business DON’T use the e-verify system, so as long as they present you the only documentation that’s required, you move on with the process. There is a loophole there that needs to close. E-verify is a great way to do that but somehow it’s not being made mandatory.
Taxpayer Funded Option, NOT!
September 24th, 2009
11:34 am
The children don’t have to be American citizens to use the school. My position is, if you’re here illegally you should either be in jail – those taxes I’ll gladly pay – or sent back to your country, at that country’s expense, PERIOD.
SMH
September 24th, 2009
11:41 am
Taxpayer, I am in agreement with you. If you are here illegally, then you are breaking the law. We have close loopholes and secure our borders. I am in total agreement with you.
What if a child is born to illegal immigrant parents, the law should state that that child cannot become, automatically a US citizen and must take the citizenship of the birth mother?
budman
September 24th, 2009
11:46 am
When the employers are held accountable for hiring illegals things will change. I would rather have 5 illegals @$5.00 an hour than one worthless union worker. I don’t think E-verify will ever be used…it is way to accurate. Yes, I have filled out I-9 forms on people I knew were illegal..but just treat them like a spark plug run them hard until they burn out, then screw in a fresh one.
Edgewood Adam
September 24th, 2009
11:46 am
Well Taxpayer Funded are you going to start working in the kitchens or digging ditches? Its a job that somebody has got to do. If taxes are not being paid by ilegals, that is on the AMERICAN employer. Every immigrant worker in our shipping department pays taxes. They all have paperwork some real or some fake. Bottom like, they all pay taxes and provide a work forsce that we would otherwise not have.
Sonny Clumps
September 24th, 2009
11:50 am
Exactly SMH, we need to get rid of the anchor baby rule that would honestly be much better. The Libertarian party is against both Republican and Democrats idea of health care.
Hmmmmmmm
September 24th, 2009
11:57 am
The fact that Obama is a politician makes him a lying scum bag, just like every other scum bag politician in Washington! It doesn’t matter what side of the isle “repub” or “dem” this country’s government is broken. It is PAST time to fix the problem, we as a country must come together and vote EVERYONE out of office!
Keith
September 24th, 2009
11:58 am
Should we claim racism like the morons in New Orleans tried to do?
SMH
September 24th, 2009
12:02 pm
Edgewood, they pay taxes, just not that much. I had one employee come to me one time and tell me the taxes being taken out of her paycheck was too much. I told her, sorry, in this country you have to pay taxes! They know to claim as many dependents as they can so the taxes withheld is little to nothing. So, I’m saying they pay taxes BUT my question is, is it their fair share?
Budman, I’ve hired them, knowing they are probably illegal but when they present the necessary documentation as stipulated on the Federal I-9 form, what can you say/do?
Taxpayer Funded Option, NOT!
September 24th, 2009
12:04 pm
Edgewood Adam, LEGAL immigrants won’t do those jobs? Hmmm. How about the unemployed, under educated, yourself? Your logic is whacked. Because no one will do the low scale jobs, we might as well let illegals? Jeeze!
Edgewood Adam
September 24th, 2009
12:10 pm
The unemployed with college degrees are going to dig ditches? The other unemployed do not want to work. Have you ever been on a job site before? Mexicans/Hispanics are not hired because they are cheaper, they are hired becasue they do a better job and dont bitch all day. Illegals just need to be taxed properly. That is on us.
Taxpayer Funded Option, NOT!
September 24th, 2009
12:14 pm
Edgewood Adam, college degree or not, if you’re unemployed and NO income coming in (stop the welfare), you’re damn wrong, they will do it.
You conviently left out the LEGAL immigrants could do it. And Illegals need to be sent back home, not taxed, PERIOD.
Edgewood Adam
September 24th, 2009
12:17 pm
Legal immigrants had money in the countries they came from. How do you think they got over here. That’s a pipe dream
Edgewood Adam
September 24th, 2009
12:19 pm
This country will be a much better place when all the baby boomers with their antiquated ideas, racist tendancies, and backwards logic begin to die off.
Taxpayer Funded Option, NOT!
September 24th, 2009
12:22 pm
Edgewood Adam ALL of them had money, every single one? Where do you get this stuff? Funny my grandparents didn’t have money when they came here, LEAGALLY. Just admit you’re wrong or uninformed and move on.
Edgewood Adam
September 24th, 2009
12:24 pm
Do you really think it was as dificult to come over here legally 100 years ago as it is now?
Taxpayer Funded Option, NOT!
September 24th, 2009
12:29 pm
Edgewood Adam, now you’re just grasping, and it’s sooooo sad to watch.
But here’s one for you. Joe Walsh said it “You can’t argue with a sick mind” so I will stop trying, and count you as “you can fool some of the people, ALL of the time”. Don’t bother replying, as I’m not wasting my time anymore on a defenseless opponent.
shaggy
September 24th, 2009
12:31 pm
One Mexican Question:
Why can’t US citizens buy Mexican land, and why do we allow Mexicans to buy US land????
Edgewood Adam
September 24th, 2009
12:31 pm
I bid you farwell sir. I will see you on the flipside the next time i roll through Canton or some other backwards thinking town.
Paul A
September 24th, 2009
12:36 pm
Wanna really fix the problem with illegals in this country.
It’s VERY simple.
Tax the Western Union MoneyGrams they send out of the country at a 50% rate. Half of everything they earn will stay in this country and contribute to the pie. Combine this with the sales taxes they can’t escape and their free ride is over.
Problem solved.
shaggy
September 24th, 2009
12:39 pm
Edgewood Adam,
Illegal alien means, well ILLEGAL!
You are insane if you think an illegal is hired because of quality workmanship. It’s cost, and any nitwit knows that to be true.
Yes, business sells American labor away everytime they hire an illegal, and you want to give them a free ride. Both the criminal employer and the ILLEGAL alien.
SMH
September 24th, 2009
1:01 pm
Shaggy, I must disagree with you. In MY experience, MY experience, their quality of work is much better IN CERTAIN JOB AREAS. Until there are mandatory verification measures put in place, ie E-verify, illegals will continue to be hired with fake paperwork.
tb
September 24th, 2009
1:53 pm
Shaggy, your house was built by illegal immigrants.
Edgewood Adam
September 24th, 2009
2:41 pm
Its not a free ride dear shaggy if they are paying the proper taxes.
amy
September 24th, 2009
3:18 pm
PaulA: You said to “Tax the Western Union MoneyGrams they send out of the country at a 50% rate. Half of everything they earn will stay in this country and contribute to the pie. Combine this with the sales taxes they can’t escape and their free ride is over”.
You are genious!!! Why don’t you run for governer?
ugaaccountant
September 24th, 2009
4:35 pm
I’d vote for a candidate with a platform of strict identity verification in all jobs even small businesses and farms, taxing outgoing money transfers, denial of health care services of any kind to illegal aliens, and denial of automatic citizenship and school for children of illegal aliens. Combine that with a fair immigration standard under a documented process that grants full citizenship over a few years of taxpaying residency in the country and I don’t think anyone could argue we weren’t being “fair” to immigrants.
And sorry, but no to the amnesty for those already here. Life is tough sometimes, but you broke the law and shouldn’t benefit for it.
emack06
September 24th, 2009
4:48 pm
Keith, you are the moron. Racism played a major role in the federal government’s response to Katrina.
emack06
September 24th, 2009
4:52 pm
Paul A, the problem is, everyone would be paying higher sales taxes, thus causing consumers to spend less, thus causing businesses to raise their prices or layoff employees, thus causing even more people spending less and collecting umemployment, thus causing higer payroll taxes to pay for unemployment benefits for those who still have a job.
ugaaccountant
September 24th, 2009
5:08 pm
emack06 – that is the most ignorant post I’ve read all week