Disclaimer: I am a trainee chartered accountant who works in large tax firm. My specialty is a very specific area of corporation tax; I do not prepare tax returns in my job, and I don't work with personal tax. I live and work in the European Union, but the tax issues are high-level principles, and in general I think the conclusions aren't really affected by the specificities of the US tax code. Nothing in this post should be taken as tax or legal advice in any context. I wanted to try and put down some thoughts on the Trump tax return revelations in order to achieve some kind of catharsis in the face of what I think is a lot of misinformation and misunderstandings. I'll include headings for each issue on my mind and hopefully people can either gain some insight or engage with me to help me to understand better. Tax Planning, Avoidance and Evasion First, let me explain with examples what each of these terms refer to. Tax Planning is the use of tax incentives to minimize a tax bill which are contemplated by the drafter of the tax code. An example is a scheme that would allow you to pay your gym membership using your pre-tax pay: when you pay the sum out of the gross amount, you won't suffer tax on the amount paid, and as such you will pay less tax. The idea is that by incentivising the population to spend on a certain outcome, the benefits of the outcome (healthier people) will be more efficient for the system as a whole (healthcare or mental health or whatever).1 Tax Avoidance is the implementation of aggressive or inventive tax structures in order to reduce a tax bill in a manner which is either legal or illegal, characterised by the lack of contemplation on the part of the drafter of the tax code. In other words, it means you are finding a "tax loophole" that doesn't necessarily generate value otherwise for the state and taking advantage of it to reduce your tax bill. A famous example of this is the "Dutch Sandwich": large corporations took advantage of the relationship between different international treaties in order to shift profits to a low tax jurisdiction such as Bermuda.2 Tax Evasion is illegal tax avoidance. Let's say you rent a property and ask your tenant to pay you in cash. You then do not declare this cash as rental income, thus avoiding having to pay tax on your rental income. This is illegal because you haven't presented a fair and true set of information of your taxable income/expenses for the tax year, so you are evading the payment of tax. You could, for example, claim a tax refund to which you are not entitled.3 With regard to Trump, tax avoidance alone with respect to his personal affairs should constitute a black mark on his record as a public servant. It ought to be a huge scandal that a politician avoided tax, no matter how elusive and clever the scheme, because tax avoidance results in a deficit in the year's tax revenues that has to be made up for by the taxes paid by the public. If even a comedian has enough shame to apologise and roll back his tax avoidance arrangements, a presidential candidate should do it in a heartbeat.4 Carry-forward Losses Carry-forward losses are a technically complicated area of taxation, and I am not at all privy to the rules in the US. This doesn't matter though, because in principle the implementation is extremely understable. It means that when you have a business venture, and you make a loss in a given year, you can use that loss in future years to avoid paying tax on the profits. Let's take a super short example: Let's say I have income in Year 1 of 100 and expenses of 120, so I make a loss of 20. I don't pay tax on my loss. Let's say I have income in Year 2 of 100 and expenses of 80, so I make a profit of 20. The previous year's loss cancels out my profit this year, and I don't pay any tax. The result is that you consider the entire business venture in its entirety, because it would be unfair (and unproductive) to force a business to suffer tax on its profitable years but to ignore the years it made a loss. For me, carry-forward losses do not come close to avoiding a tax burden for 11 of 18 years, as per the NYT article. Perhaps the layout of his taxes paid is bizarre (he could have had a huge tax bill in a single year which means the lack of tax paid in the other years is explained). The reason that this is telling is in the opening paragraphs of the NYT article:5
He had paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years — largely because he reported losing much more money than he made.
"Largely because he reported losing much more money than he made." This is the idea you have to grip in your head: if Trump were an investment machine, you would put a dollar in and get back 30 cents. These facts outline the financial profile of a business operative whose extreme incompetence and lack of self control has resulted in losses for the shareholders of the businesses for which he is responsible. A capable member of management has literally one job: make money for the company's shareholders, and it is clear that in the aggregate Trump has not been able to succeed in doing this. The article outlines further that the only area in which Trump was successful was in his capacity as a performer in the context of shows like The Apprentice6 or ads for Oreos7 or Domino's pizza.8 His only successful venture is playing the part of a caricature of the businessman he pretends to be in his professional life, whereas in reality he was a total failure. Trump's only successful business investments are companies in which he did not perform a management role: those where he invested capital and the business was ran by someone else. Quick Fire TL:DR Round
The bulky tax refund that Trump used to reduce the majority of his tax bill is the subject of an audit by the IRS. I don't know anything about this audit, and you don't either.
Trump has personally guaranteed loans (I have never encountered this and it is an immensely foolish thing to do in any business context).
Trump has large amounts of concerning debt, the principal (the amount he originally borrowed and has to pay back) is coming due in his second term.
Trump has deducted questionable expenses against his taxable income (either for avoidance or embarrassment reasons), such as certain residences, aircraft and the $70,000 in hair styling.
Something really interesting: the Trump Organisation has paid Ivanka Trump as a consultant in a manner which reduced the family's overall tax bill. This is a red flag for auditors, as the sum paid could be engineered to reduce their taxable income as the parties involved in the transaction are related.
Not even close. Again, Amazon was a company with negative net income and worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Is that also a failed business? Amazon and Trump seem to be employing the same strategy - using their free cash flow to maximize future earning potential. All Trump's tax returns tell us is that he is trying to "maximize present value of future cash flows" - exactly what Amazon does.
This is intensely misleading and doesn't take into account the stark differences between Trump's area of operations and Amazon. Moreover, the correct comparison isn't the entity Amazon, it's Bezos, and the taxes he paid as the leader of a large & successful conglomerate over the course of 11 years or so. In certain industries, it's common to sustain heavy losses in early operational years in order to prepare for years when you expect your business venture to generate revenues. Take a pharmaceutical company: during the years when you are researching and developing your drug, you can't sell it, so you make losses on that specific venture: but when you finally start to actually get people paying for your product, you can often command a price high enough to recuperate whatever losses you made. In the case of Amazon, Jeff Bezos devoted the company's strategy to building a robust and near-monopolistic infrastructure where Amazon inhabits so many areas of consumers' lives that they turn to it without thinking for everyday products, subscriptions etc. The question I would love to grill this commenter on is super simple: when your businesses are casinos, golf courses and hotels, what exactly is the event or change you are expecting to take place in the future that will suddenly "maximise your future cash flows"? What is the future investment that Trump's ventures are sustaining net losses on that are going to be profitable in the future? Why are Trump's competitors in these sectors generally able to run their businesses with enough alacrity to generate a profit? If Trump were an able businessman, there is no reason he shouldn't be able to run these businesses successfully. Questions If anybody is curious about anything above and wants to discuss it, or just ask me to explain/give my impressions on any of this stuff, feel free to ask and if I think I understand it it would be fun to discuss. For anyone who understands the US tax system better than I do: one issue I can't wrap my head around at all is how people keep talking about "depreciation" in the context of these revelations. If you think you understand it, can you explain to me how Trump or others think depreciation has anything to do with the information revealed in the NYT article? Depreciation, as a rule, shouldn't affect taxable income because it's an accounting entry and not a deductible/relevant tax expense. 1https://www.unionen.se/rad-och-stod/friskvardsbidrag-fran-arbetsgivaren, for example. 2https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Sandwich. 3https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesley_Snipes#Income_tax_conviction. 4https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carr#2012_tax_avoidance_controversy. 5https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/27/us/donald-trump-taxes.html. 6https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/29/trump-tax-returns-the-apprentice-empire. 7https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIRtruagdPc. 8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouG9cVhjPds; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEROWjPdCNU. 9 The use of this phrase in this context is total nonsense. "Net present value" is an investment evaluation technique that takes into account the time value of money for future investment flows. What the commenter means, I think, is effective working capital management: based on the facts in the article, Trump is an atrocious working capital steward as the losses he sustains through his businesses will have to be supplemented with additional capital in the business, either from his own pocket or shareholders he can convince to invest.
Not Financial Advice (NFA) Warning: Wall of Text. If you hate reading just skim through the bolded/italicized Ever since I publicized my findings on DKNG, the stock has underperformed & probably has fucked a lot of people here, especially given the overly bullish stance back in June. Unless you took my advice & got into Puts then, congrats, welcome to tendie town. For the ADHD retards, here’s what the next wall of text is going to summarize: I believe at the current price of ~$30, the stock is oversold. A tech-focused, high-growth Company that has made sports betting easy to understand with an aesthetically pleasing interface similar to how Robinhood has neatly laid out stock market gimmicks so even high-schoolers can make sense of it I believe, is underpriced at these levels. Let’s get into some details as to why the stock has underperformed: First off, the news slate revolving sports with the rumored delay/cancellation of the MLB season & the NFL watching from the sidelines is in my view, just a part of why the stock has underperformed. We’ll revisit this later in this post, but I want to focus on the drivers of the stock’s recent underperformance, & why these factors are now in the rearview mirror. Part I – The Past Has Passed – SPAC-related Equity Dilution History lesson first: DKNG went public via a SPAC merger, which has exploded in popularity recently. Anyone serious about analyzing stocks going forward needs to do their homework on this, Google is your friend. A feature of most SPAC merger to public listings that creates a headwind to near-term share prices are embedded equity dilution events, usually in the form of earn-outs (stock bonuses to execs, the SPAC sponsor) & conversion of Warrants. On 5/24, the earn-outs were triggered, adding 6m shares to the share count. On 6/26, 16.3m warrants converted to DKNG, netting them ~$188m of cash. Stepping back a little, in addition to the above, on 6/18 DKNG launched a follow-on equity offering of 16M shares @ $40/Share [1], receiving $621M in proceeds. The last part is tricky to understand from a dilution perspective. To simplify, historically it’s almost a coin toss whether a Company’s shares outperform on the onset of an equity offering. While issuing shares does dilute the existing shareholder base, it theoretically shouldn’t, if the proceeds from the offering are earmarked for investments/projects that yield outsized returns. This is the reality for the long term, theory for the short-term. For the short-term, the ‘reality’ isn’t that the proceeds will be used for investments/projects that yield outsized returns, it is more about how convincing management is to investors that the investments they intend to pursue with the proceeds will outweigh the dilutive effects of issuing incremental shares. That’s a mouthful, but hopefully you get what I’m trying to convey. All of this stuff put together – the Company has increased its share count by ~39M, but now has a whopping ~$1.4Bn of cash [2]. More on this in the next section. Part II – MLB News Should Not Fucking Matter & DKNG Is Positioned As the Leading Online/Mobile Sports Platform DKNG should not be so tied to MLB news or any of this shit as the ongoing success of the NBA/NHL season + Soccer in Europe has effectively created a blueprint on how to regulate player behavior so that they maintain professionalism amidst the pandemic. I’m going out on a whim here, but I truly think the MLB threatening a cancellation of the season is pure posturing to get these fuckers to behave appropriately. Maybe a ‘bubble’ is what it takes to get these players to focus on their jobs instead of going out & contracting COVID, but I argue that isn’t necessarily required given Soccer in Europe. So there’s already a proven path here without the need for a bubble in Soccer, so MLB/NFL should be fine, and execs need to study how they got it done in Europe. Okay, back to some facts. Anecdotally, I’ve kept in touch with a handful of sports bookies from California to New York & even internationally about what they’re seeing – all of them say that since the NBA season started on 7/30 & since Soccer (especially the Premier League) resumed in June, along with other leagues like La Liga & Serie A, they’ve seen massive increases in betting. These numbers are also showing up in the official data [3]:
Average % increase in sports betting handle from April 2020 to June 2020 (handle is the total $ wagered in sports bets) from the states that reported up to June 2020 (NJ, PA, MS, RI, WV, IA, IN, NH) of +258%!
Note: NV is left out due to the site I sourced showing a weirdly negative number – so I dug into the official filings & show specifically, Sports Mobile betting growth from June since April has growing by at least +73% [4]
REMEMBER: This is for June only! No NBA, No NHL, No MLB, just Soccer, Golf, NASCAR & UFC. The data clearly shows that there was a ton of pent-up sports betting demand, which leads one Wall St. analyst to think that betting on the NBA/NHL could ABSORB the MLB’s sports betting handle (handle = total $ size of sports bet) [5]. Remember, the MLB season is still ongoing, with games being played. The entire focus is on the Miami Marlins & St. Louis Cardinals. Fucking retards. Additionally, I want to remind everyone that DraftKings.com is the #1 Fantasy sports website in the U.S. [6]. Also, since April 2020 site visitations are up +86% [7] & Google Search Trends for “Draft Kings” is up ~3xcompared to PRE-COVID levels [8]. What does this mean? They are piquing more people’s curiosity than prior to COVID/ongoing slate of sports. This is important because remember that ~$1.4Bn chest full of cash I mentioned DKNG had assembled earlier? Well, that money is being put to work & results are already coming in, which is exactly what DKNG intended to do with it. Part III – Legalization of Sports Betting in the U.S. I could write a fucking bible on this topic alone, but for now we’ll stick to some basics. Due to COVID, it’s easy to understand that each State’s financial situation is clearly in shit. Because of this, you better believe that these guys are going to start taking a hard look at how they can extract additional tax revenues, & what’s one of the easiest ways to do this? Legalization & taxation of gambling. The big players: CA, TX, FL & NY. First, CA pushing its legislation out to 2023 was fucked up, but here’s a twist I want to add to this: Anything that has to do with gambling in CA you better believe is lobbied against by not just the Tribal casino owners in CA, but by the deep pockets of Las Vegas money. Similar thing can be said for FL, but let’s take a look at some actions by LV/nationwide gambling companies that are starting to align financial incentives with guys like DKNG.
MGM / GVC Holdings JV in BetMGM - $450m total invested
PENN invests $163m into BS Sports
Caesars has a 20% stake in William Hill plus partnership deals with The Stars Group (TSG) & our winner DKNG for operating its sports books
So it’s safe to say going forward, nationwide legalization of sports betting will reap rewards for everyone involved, & no longer be something LV money is completely focused on safeguarding. Let’s also not forget that DKNG didn’t become the Company they are today because of their fancy app, but because their management team has a HISTORY of navigating the U.S.’s legal framework to get what they want out of it.
The Crown Jewel – The Internet Gambling Prohibition & Enforcement Act: I said it in a previous post, but I want to emphasize that them getting Fantasy Sports to be labeled a ‘game of skill’ by FEDERAL Law as opposed to gambling is just something for the history books. Fucking genius shit. When this happened I bet every casino from LV to every Indian Tribe that has one was against it, yet DKNG & other DFS providers won.
There’s more, but more recently: Getting into IL:
In IL, there’s an 18-month ‘penalty box’ for Companies that offer DFS to offer sports betting. Our guys at DKNG created a workaround to this situation with their partnership with Casino Queen [9]. DKNG being savvy again.
THE PATH OF SETTING UP THE ONLINE CASINO Casino businesses are one of the best money-making industry across the world. There are lots of brick and mortar casinos, bookmakers, online casinos, and gaming arcades across the globe. It cannot be denied that gambling business is a profitable business that many entrepreneurs are seeking to involve in this industry. Gambling businesses are usually owned by many leading and well-known organisations. Therefore, most of the entrepreneurs who involve in casino industry are always including in the Forbes lists in some regions. However, you can find that casino business is strictly regulated by many terms and conditions, therefore operators have to go through many process and paths to achieving the license. In addition, the competition within gambling industry is extremely high that you probably challenge one of the top leading company in the world, and certainly one of the ‘money-burning’ challenges. This article will mainly taking ‘online’ casino platform as the topic for further discussion in licensing, website, software, marketing, technical support, and others which include in an online casino business. Drawing specifically from the online casino business, this article is attempting to take a closer look on how to set-up an online casino platforms and how much would cost for the business.
HFIVE5 – The Top Leading Online Casino In Singapore
https://hfive555.com/en/home Before going through the details of setting-up the online betting business, herewith the recommendation of the best and reliable online casino website which operated in Singapore. The recommendations are coming from the local gambling community and also based on the reviews from internet within betting community. As hfive555.com offers variety of casino games with best graphic and responsive speed to the players, and players would guarantee to experience the remarkable experiences while playing on Hfive5 online betting website. Live casino are also include in hfive555.com, where players can actually interact with the croupiers virtually through their screens. All of the croupiers are highly trained by the local gambling authority before entering to the job, therefore players could definitely worry-free with hfive555.com services. Hfive5 guarantees that its professionalism would definitely satisfy their players and gamblers can safely enjoy any of their favour games with the reliable and licenses online casino in Singapore, Hfive5. As above-mentioned, online gambling platform is one of the most competitive industry across the world, therefore it can be strongly believe that the leading online betting platform, Hfive5 is actually well-known and popular in Singapore.
What to Include or Prepare Before Starting-Up an Online Casino?
Licensing
Casino license is the most pivotal part and the most significant steps for those who planning to run a legitimate online betting platforms. Without doubt, ‘license’ is the document that allow the owner of casino to legally run an online betting platforms in some regions. There are different license providers are available across the globe, therefore the owners can choose particulars licenses provider in order to operate their online casino businesses in specific regions. For instances, there are some popular countries that provides casino licenses for the businesses, such as Curacao, Malta, Philippines, United Kingdom, Montenegro and other nations. Without business license, the online betting platforms would seem as illegal operates and it will be strongly condemned or even taking into the custody by the local authority. A license from offshore state such as Curacao or Alderney would be the best options for the person who seek for cheaper cost license, because of the low taxation within the states. On the other hand, those who need a reputable and higher status license, it is strongly recommended to opt for Swiss or UK licenses.
Benefits of having an online casino license
Once the organisation achieve the license to operate online casino is particular states, the company will possibly attract lots of well-known software providers. Most of the time, quality and popular software providers would not collaborate with fraud organisations which would probably ruin their business reputation.
Online Casino’s Website
Website is the most important and major platform for the businesses who involve in online casino industry. The website cannot be simply organised and managed because all of the revenue are coming from the websites. Therefore, the website should be well develop in order to bring the site to a perfect details. For instance, those stages below-mentioned would be the necessarily steps for person who want to run a perfect website, such as the design & layout, programming & developing front-end web, offline & online marketing promotion, SEO & SEM, and integrating the site’s software.
Marketing
Importantly, giant networks such as Facebook, Instagram, and Google usually not allow gambling advertisement, thus it is strongly recommended organisations should fully understand the rules and restrictions of the social media. Additionally, organisations is strongly recommended to hire an expert who is very familiar with marketing and legal requirements in the ‘sensitive’ industry. In conclusions, the above statements have generally stated the most pivotal part while any person who decide to involve in online gambling industry. There are many steps and procedures involved, thus it is strongly recommended the person who interested in gambling industry should take serious consideration in initial steps before entering to the online casino industry, also could refer to hfive555.com as a perfect example.
Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic response impacts on City Budget
For Immediate Release April 21, 2020 Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic response impacts on City Budget BRANTFORD, ON: Municipal budget decisions have a profound impact on the daily lives of our residents. From how the City responds to an emergency such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, to essential services such as garbage collection, public transit and the safety of our neighbourhoods, city budgets sit at the heart of a community’s development and residents’ quality of life. Strong fiscal management and financial stewardship guide the City’s decisions and actions as we continually renew and develop our community to keep pace with the needs of a growing population. In recent years, Brantford has seen the largest construction and investment plan in its history. Upgrades and repairs to the City’s infrastructure and assets such as our Transit System are essential as redevelopment ensures we are using the latest technology and knowledge to make improvements in a sustainable manner. “Building a great city demands financial stewardship and leadership”, said Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis. “While this sometimes requires tough fiscal decisions to be made on behalf of the citizens we serve, our goal is that this process always occurs in an open and transparent way. Holding the public’s trust though inclusive, responsible, financial management, superior service delivery, and open, effective communications continue to be our hallmarks of good governance, especially during challenging times.” Municipalities present balanced budgets on a yearly basis. The net expenditure (expenses less all available revenues) required to operate the City for the year is determined and used to determine a tax rate. This tax rate is levied on all properties to raise the net expenditures required and is set at the beginning of the year during the budget process. Unlike other levels of government that can run a deficit, municipalities are not able to run a deficit and cannot borrow money to fund operating expenses. Mandated Essential Services It is important to note that nearly 80% of The City of Brantford’s expenditures are invested in legislated and/or required essential municipal/business functions. The City of Brantford holds the least amount of discretionary reserves per household amongst its comparators as provided by a recent KMPG analysis. Discretionary reserves are funds that have no specified use and are held to cover unexpected expenditure as the City cannot raise more revenues during the year. These reserves are the difference between the Budget Net Expenditures and the Actual year end results. The City has traditionally set budgets that are extremely close to the yearly actual expenditures and in fact, most years, the surplus has been below 1% of the approved net budget expenditure. This implies that the rate of taxation is very close to the amount required and over-taxation has not occurred. It is also important to note that the City of Brantford has the third highest residential home values (Current Value Assessment) of its comparators, as also noted in a recent KPMG analysis of City services. Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on City Finances The City of Brantford obtains revenue from few sources including, property taxes, grants, transit fares and user fees for recreational services. In a concerted effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community, in the past several weeks, the City has closed City Hall and all recreation centres, as well as cancelled all camps, and most fee generating programming. Furthermore, the Province has closed the Elements Casino in Brantford reducing revenues to the City by $100,000 per week. Invariably, these closures will have a significant impact on the City’s revenue stream and on the various community organizations and reserves that benefit from the Casino Legacy Fund. Additionally, financial markets have experienced turbulence in the past six weeks with interest rates seeing a large decrease, thus reducing investment income that the City had built into its original 2020 budgeted revenue stream. City staff have reviewed the financial position of the City with respect to the significant impact that our response to the COVID 19 pandemic is having on revenues and expenses and will provide a comprehensive report of this review to City Council on April 28th. 2020. Various mitigation measures to address these revenue shortfalls will be taken. To help manage the potential financial downfall, the City will be reviewing all service offerings. As a result, thus far, 380 City of Brantford staff have been placed on unpaid leave. Relief provided to date To help mitigate the negative financial impact of the current crisis the City has provided tax and ratepayers relief as follows: 120-day deferrals of water, sewer and miscellaneous Accounts Receivable payments with no late payment fees Waiving of late payments and penalties on taxes until further notice Opportunity to extend due dates and waive rent and interest on real property leases Mitigation Efforts The City will continue to monitor this dynamically fluid situation to look at the most effective and efficient ways of delivering essential services and deploying staff in the most effective way possible based on current situation conditions. More information regarding additional revisions recommendations to the City’s 2020 operating expenditures and further mitigation efforts will be shared publicly in tandem with the budget report that Brantford City Council will consider on April 28th, 2020.
The author of this bill absolutely butchered the formatting to the point where I could only do so much to fix it without redoing the entire bill. In the future, bills like this will be more carefully scrutinized and rejected.
The Sierra Gambling Legalization Act
Whereas, legalized gambling was a primary source of income for the former state of Nevada, who is now part of Sierra Whereas, gambling income can be used to provide additional benefits for the taxpayers of Sierra Whereas, legalized gambling can allow for growth of business Be it Enacted by the General Assembly of the Western State: Definitions
A. Card Games is defined by any game that uses playing cards as its primary device. Dealers shall be defined as those employees of casino that facilitate any game on a casino floor. B. Slot Machines shall be defined as any game that operates by putting either legal currency or casino currency inside the device that requires the users to press a button or pull a lever to operate the game. C. Sports Book shall be defined as a location inside a casino where one can place bets on approve athletic games. D. Horse Racing Books shall be defined as a location inside a casino where one can place bets on sanction horse races. E. E-Gaming shall be defined as any game that is played on a video game console approved by both the Sierra Gaming Commission and the Casino F. Bingo and Keno are both defined as number games on a card. Each style of game may vary depending on the casino.
2.Sierra Gaming Commission
A . The Sierra Gaming Commission shall approve and maintain all establishments in the state that have legalized gambling
The Gaming Commission shall maintain a public record for all establishments that allow gambling
B. The Sierra Gaming Commission shall be responsible for licensing
I. All ‘Card’ Games must be approved by the Sierra Gaming Commission to be played in the state II .All ‘Dealers’ of the ‘Card’ Games must be licensed by the Sierra Gaming Commission III. All ‘slot machines’ that are used at an establishment IV. All ‘Sports Books’ that are used at an establishment V. All ‘Horse Racing Books’ that are used at an establishment VI. All ‘E-gaming’ that are used at an establishment VII. All ‘Bingo’ or ‘Keno’ games that are used at an establishment VIII. Any other form of gambling that is not mentioned above, is subject to licensing approval by the Sierra Gaming Commission
C. The Sierra Gaming Commission shall be tasked with reporting to the Sierra Department of the Treasury to ensure all Tax protocols are being followed
Section 3 Gaming A. Gambling will be allowed at any establishment approved by the Sierra Gaming Commission B.The age to legal gamble shall be 21 years of age C. Sports Books shall be allowed to take bets for the following sports I. NFL II. College Football III. Canadian Football IV. Australian Rules Football V. Rugby VI. NBA VII. College Basketball VIII.Baseball (All competitions) IX. Soccer (All competitions) X. Boxing XI. Mixed Martial Arts XII. Auto Racing XIII. Cycling XIV. Tennis XV. Golf XVI. Esports XVII. Horse Racing D. Any sports not mentioned in Section 2(c) can be added by the Sierra Gaming Commission Section 4 Taxation
A. Casinos I.Establishments that have 15 or more ‘slot machines’ present at their location shall pay an annual tax of $250 on each unit plus a $20 licensing fee each quarter II. Establishments that have ‘Sports Books’ present at their location shall pay an annual tax of $5,000 plus a $500 licensing fee each quarter III.A 6.75% gross revenue monthly tax shall be levied IV.Gaming Revenue shall be directed to the states General Fund unless its an exception made in Section 5(a) of this bill
"Section 5 Addiction Prevention** A. Approximately 15% of the taxes and licensing fees collection from Section 4(a) of this bill shall be designated to provide resources for gambling addiction B. The Sierra Gaming Commission shall be tasked with providing programs to curb gambling addiction mentioned in 5(a) Section 6 Repeal
A. Sierra Penal Code §330 shall be repealed B. Sierra Bus and Prof Code BPC § 19400 shall be repealed C. Sierra Government Code § 98001 shall be repealed
Section 7 Implementation
A. This bill shall take effect 90 days after its passage
Two amendments passed and are in the bill. The author of this bill absolutely butchered the formatting to the point where I could only do so much to fix it without redoing the entire bill. In the future, bills like this will be more carefully scrutinized and rejected.
The Sierra Gambling Legalization Act
Whereas, legalized gambling was a primary source of income for the former state of Nevada, who is now part of Sierra Whereas, gambling income can be used to provide additional benefits for the taxpayers of Sierra Whereas, legalized gambling can allow for growth of business Be it Enacted by the General Assembly of the Western State: Definitions
A. Card Games is defined by any game that uses playing cards as its primary device. Dealers shall be defined as those employees of casino that facilitate any game on a casino floor. B. Slot Machines shall be defined as any game that operates by putting either legal currency or casino currency inside the device that requires the users to press a button or pull a lever to operate the game. C. Sports Book shall be defined as a location inside a casino where one can place bets on approve athletic games. D. Horse Racing Books shall be defined as a location inside a casino where one can place bets on sanction horse races. E. E-Gaming shall be defined as any game that is played on a video game console approved by both the Sierra Gaming Commission and the Casino F. Bingo and Keno are both defined as number games on a card. Each style of game may vary depending on the casino.
2.Sierra Gaming Commission
A . The Sierra Gaming Commission shall approve and maintain all establishments in the state that have legalized gambling
The Gaming Commission shall maintain a public record for all establishments that allow gambling
B. The Sierra Gaming Commission shall be responsible for licensing
I. All ‘Card’ Games must be approved by the Sierra Gaming Commission to be played in the state II .All ‘Dealers’ of the ‘Card’ Games must be licensed by the Sierra Gaming Commission III. All ‘slot machines’ that are used at an establishment IV. All ‘Sports Books’ that are used at an establishment V. All ‘Horse Racing Books’ that are used at an establishment VI. All ‘E-gaming’ that are used at an establishment VII. All ‘Bingo’ or ‘Keno’ games that are used at an establishment VIII. Any other form of gambling that is not mentioned above, is subject to licensing approval by the Sierra Gaming Commission
C. The Sierra Gaming Commission shall be tasked with reporting to the Sierra Department of the Treasury to ensure all Tax protocols are being followed
Section 3 Gaming A. Gambling will be allowed at any establishment approved by the Sierra Gaming Commission B.The age to legal gamble shall be 21 years of age C. Sports Books shall be allowed to take bets for the following sports I. NFL II. College Football III. Canadian Football IV. Australian Rules Football V. Rugby VI. NBA VII. College Basketball VIII.Baseball (All competitions) IX. Soccer (All competitions) X. Boxing XI. Mixed Martial Arts XII. Auto Racing XIII. Cycling XIV. Tennis XV. Golf XVI. Esports XVII. Horse Racing D. Any sports not mentioned in Section 2(c) can be added by the Sierra Gaming Commission Section 4 Taxation
A. Casinos I. Establishments that have *7* or more 'slot machines' present at their location shall pay an annual tax of *$200* on each unit *in addition to* a *$15* licensing fee each quarter.** II. Establishments that have ‘Sports Books’ present at their location shall pay an annual tax of $5,000 plus a $500 licensing fee each quarter III.A 6.75% gross revenue monthly tax shall be levied IV.Gaming Revenue shall be directed to the states General Fund unless its an exception made in Section 5(a) of this bill
Section 5 Addiction Prevention
A. 15% of the taxes and licensing fees accrued from Section 4(A) of this bill shall be designated to provide resources to prevent gambling addiction. B. The Sierra Gaming Commission shall be tasked with providing programs to curb gambling addiction mentioned in 5(A). C. The Sierra Gaming Commission shall report an itemized list of programs, along with funds used from Section 4(A), that were created and/or utilized to curb the gambling addiction. This report shall be presented annually to the Sierran State Assembly, and shall be electronically reported monthly."
Section 6 Repeal
A. Sierra Penal Code §330 shall be repealed B. Sierra Bus and Prof Code BPC § 19400 shall be repealed C. Sierra Government Code § 98001 shall be repealed
Section 7 Implementation
A. This bill shall take effect 90 days after its passage
The amendments are reflected here and not in the bill due to formatting. Please vote on each separately. AMENDMENT 1
I propose that Section 4 Taxation, I. to read: "I. Establishments that have 7 or more 'slot machines' present at their location shall pay an annual tax of $200 on each unit in addition to a $15 licensing fee each quarter.
AMENDMENT 2
Secondly, I believe that there needs to be some legislative oversight over the 'Sierra Gaming Commission' to ensure that they are doing everything within their means to prevent "addiction prevention." I propose an amendment to: Section 5 Addiction Prevention to read as follows: Section 5 Addiction Prevention A. 15% of the taxes and licensing fees accrued from Section 4(A) of this bill shall be designated to provide resources to prevent gambling addiction. B. The Sierra Gaming Commission shall be tasked with providing programs to curb gambling addiction mentioned in 5(A). C. The Sierra Gaming Commission shall report an itemized list of programs, along with funds used from Section 4(A), that were created and/or utilized to curb the gambling addiction. This report shall be presented annually to the Sierran State Assembly, and shall be electronically reported monthly."
The author of this bill absolutely butchered the formatting to the point where I could only do so much to fix it without redoing the entire bill. In the future, bills like this will be more carefully scrutinized and rejected.
The Sierra Gambling Legalization Act
Whereas, legalized gambling was a primary source of income for the former state of Nevada, who is now part of Sierra Whereas, gambling income can be used to provide additional benefits for the taxpayers of Sierra Whereas, legalized gambling can allow for growth of business Be it Enacted by the General Assembly of the Western State: Definitions
A. Card Games is defined by any game that uses playing cards as its primary device. Dealers shall be defined as those employees of casino that facilitate any game on a casino floor. B. Slot Machines shall be defined as any game that operates by putting either legal currency or casino currency inside the device that requires the users to press a button or pull a lever to operate the game. C. Sports Book shall be defined as a location inside a casino where one can place bets on approve athletic games. D. Horse Racing Books shall be defined as a location inside a casino where one can place bets on sanction horse races. E. E-Gaming shall be defined as any game that is played on a video game console approved by both the Sierra Gaming Commission and the Casino F. Bingo and Keno are both defined as number games on a card. Each style of game may vary depending on the casino.
2.Sierra Gaming Commission
A . The Sierra Gaming Commission shall approve and maintain all establishments in the state that have legalized gambling
The Gaming Commission shall maintain a public record for all establishments that allow gambling
B. The Sierra Gaming Commission shall be responsible for licensing
I. All ‘Card’ Games must be approved by the Sierra Gaming Commission to be played in the state II .All ‘Dealers’ of the ‘Card’ Games must be licensed by the Sierra Gaming Commission III. All ‘slot machines’ that are used at an establishment IV. All ‘Sports Books’ that are used at an establishment V. All ‘Horse Racing Books’ that are used at an establishment VI. All ‘E-gaming’ that are used at an establishment VII. All ‘Bingo’ or ‘Keno’ games that are used at an establishment VIII. Any other form of gambling that is not mentioned above, is subject to licensing approval by the Sierra Gaming Commission
C. The Sierra Gaming Commission shall be tasked with reporting to the Sierra Department of the Treasury to ensure all Tax protocols are being followed
Section 3 Gaming A. Gambling will be allowed at any establishment approved by the Sierra Gaming Commission B.The age to legal gamble shall be 21 years of age C. Sports Books shall be allowed to take bets for the following sports I. NFL II. College Football III. Canadian Football IV. Australian Rules Football V. Rugby VI. NBA VII. College Basketball VIII.Baseball (All competitions) IX. Soccer (All competitions) X. Boxing XI. Mixed Martial Arts XII. Auto Racing XIII. Cycling XIV. Tennis XV. Golf XVI. Esports XVII. Horse Racing D. Any sports not mentioned in Section 2(c) can be added by the Sierra Gaming Commission Section 4 Taxation
A. Casinos I.Establishments that have 15 or more ‘slot machines’ present at their location shall pay an annual tax of $250 on each unit plus a $20 licensing fee each quarter II. Establishments that have ‘Sports Books’ present at their location shall pay an annual tax of $5,000 plus a $500 licensing fee each quarter III.A 6.75% gross revenue monthly tax shall be levied IV.Gaming Revenue shall be directed to the states General Fund unless its an exception made in Section 5(a) of this bill
"Section 5 Addiction Prevention** A. Approximately 15% of the taxes and licensing fees collection from Section 4(a) of this bill shall be designated to provide resources for gambling addiction B. The Sierra Gaming Commission shall be tasked with providing programs to curb gambling addiction mentioned in 5(a) Section 6 Repeal
A. Sierra Penal Code §330 shall be repealed B. Sierra Bus and Prof Code BPC § 19400 shall be repealed C. Sierra Government Code § 98001 shall be repealed
Section 7 Implementation
A. This bill shall take effect 90 days after its passage
Donald Trump STILL isn't the alternative to Bernie Sanders. (Revised and updated with Donald Trump's newest long held beliefs.)
This post was originally written for those users of /SandersForPresident who saw Donald Trump as a viable alternative to the Senator. Many people saw that both Senator Sanders and Mr. Trump were running without the benefit of big donors, or that they both opposed Free Trade, or even that they were both dismissed by their respective party's establishment politicians, and assumed that the two candidates must have much in common. The two candidates do not have much in common. I'd like to outline here just how far apart the two candidates stand on the issues that really matter.
On why he opposed PIPA and SOPA, Senator Sanders had this to say:
“While I believe that online piracy is a serious issue, it is absolutely essential that the Internet remain open and free of censorship or the chilling effects that result in self-censorship. I will not support legislation that results in censorship or self censorship on the Internet."
The Fairness Doctrine was a policy of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), introduced in 1949, that required the holders of broadcast licenses both to present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was—in the Commission's view—honest, equitable, and balanced. The FCC eliminated the Doctrine in 1987, and in August 2011 the FCC formally removed the language that implemented the Doctrine.(Source)
He later clarified that he didn't mean closing down American parts of the internet, just Iraq and Syria. [As an editorial note: For better or for worse, the internet was a crucial tool in the success of the Arab Spring. Shutting down the internet in Iraq and Syria wouldn't just hurt ISIS, but also groups trying to organize against them.] There was no mention of internet privacy on Donald Trump's official website, save their Privacy Policy.
On encryption, specifically regarding the unlocking of the San Bernadino shooter's iPhone, Donald Trump had this to say:
The only mention on encryption on the official DonaldJTrump.com website is from the blog post A little touch of Trump, in which he describes the safety measures put on campaign related harddrives. There is no mention of policy regarding encryption. Senator Sanders supports privacy rights and has fought against SOPA, PIPA, The Patriot Act, and the renewal of the Patriot act. Due to the lack of specific information on Donald Trump's website, we have to look at his statments, which would seem to indicate that he is opposed to encryption, opposed to net neutrality, and that he is willing to shut down portions of the internet in the name of national security.
Trump sued his ex-wife, Ivana Trump, for $25 million in 1992–because she talked too much.
In 2006, Trump threatened to sue Rosie O’Donnell, then a co-host on The View, after she said he was bankrupt.
In 2011, rapper Mac Miller released a song called “Donald Trump,” which included the lyrics, “Take over the world when I’m on my Donald Trump shit; Look at all this money, ain’t that some shit?” Trump Tweeted at Miller to threaten a lawsuit: “Now I’m going to teach you a big boy lesson about lawsuits and finance.”
That same year [2011], Trump threatened to sue MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell for suggesting he was worth less than $1 billion.
In 2012, Trump sued Miss USA contestant Sheena Monnin after she claimed in a Facebook post that the pageant was “rigged,” because the five finalists were chosen before the pageant took place.
In 2013, after Trump said he would donate $5 million to charity if President Obama would release his long form birth certificate to the public, Bill Maher joked that he would give Trump $5 million if he could prove that his father was not an orangutan. Trump sent Maher a copy of his birth certificate. When Maher didn’t pay up, Trump sued him for the $5 million.
The same year [2013], Trump threatened legal action against Angelo Carusone, who had organized a petition to force Macy’s to stop selling Trump-branded products.
In 1984, Trump sued the Chicago Tribune for $500 million after the publication’s architecture critic wrote an item suggesting Chicago’s Sears Tower, then the world’s tallest building, would remain as such, despite Trump’s plan to build a taller structure in downtown Manhattan.
Trump threatened to sue ABC in 2005, after he learned the network was planning to produce a two-hour biopic about him and his family.
In 2006, Trump sued New York Times reporter Timothy L. O’Brien for saying Trump is worth $150 million to $250 million when Trump claimed, at the time, he was worth $2.7 billion.
In 2014, Trump sued Trump Entertainment Resorts, which he holds a 10 percent stake in, to remove his name from the Trump Taj Mahal and Trump Plaza casinos in Atlantic City, which he said did not live up to his standard of quality.
No Disparagement. During the term of your service and at all times thereafter you hereby promise and agree not to demean or disparage publicly the Company, Mr. Trump, any Trump Company, any Family Member, or any Family Member Company or any asset any of the foregoing own, or product or service any of the foregoing offer, in each case by or in any of the Restricted Means and Contexts and to prevent your employees from doing so.
No Competitive Services. Until the Non-Compete Cutoff Date you promise and agree not to assist or counsel, directly or indirectly, for compensation or as a volunteer, any person that is a candidate or exploring candidacy for President of the United States other than Mr. Trump and to prevent your employees from doing so.
Theoretically these restrictions could be in place until 2024, or the end of Donald Trump's Presidency.
It should be noted that the "protections" Donald Trump speaks of are part of Freedom of the Press as defined by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Also of note is the fact that that a private citizen can already sue a publisher for libel, so long as they can prove that the news organization knowingly published false information with malicious intent, this was decided in the 1964 Supreme Court Case of New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. Donald Trump does not need to add, remove, amend, or abridge any law to be able to sue a publisher, that is already the legal right of all American citizens. Senator Sanders has fought for freedom of speech his entire career, even going so far as being arrested during demonstrations and protests. Donald Trump, on the other hand, has filed numerous lawsuits attempting to silence his critics, and as President plans to make it easier to sue the press for unflattering commentary.
No family will have to pay the death tax. [The Death Tax, more commonly known as the estate tax, currently only applies to estates worth $5,000,000.00 or more, and as such only effects the wealthiest of Americans.]
The analysis of Donald Trump's tax plan was performed by the nonpartisan Tax Policy center. Until what time as Donald Trump tells the nation what loopholes he would close, what tax deductions he would end, and which federal programs he would cut, the above analysis is the best information we have available. Far from Senator Sanders plan, Donald Trump's tax policy would significantly cut federal revenue, increase deficits, and grow the national debt. As far as the minimum wage is concerned, Senator Sanders wants to raise it to $15/hour over the next several years, Donald Trump is content with allowing it to remain at the same rate it has been since 2009, $7.25/hour.
On ending the war in Afghanistan he had this to say:
"This year alone [2011], we will spend about $100 billion on that war. In my view, it is time for the people of Afghanistan to take full responsibility for waging the war against the Taliban. While we cannot withdraw all of our troops immediately, we must bring them home as soon as possible. I appreciate the president’s announcement, but I believe that the withdrawal should occur at significantly faster speed and greater scope."
Move away from a policy of unilateral military action, and toward a policy of emphasizing diplomacy, and ensuring the decision to go to war is a last resort.
Ensure that any military action we do engage in has clear goals, is limited in scope, and whenever possible provides support to our allies in the region.
Close Guantanamo Bay, rein in the National Security Agency, abolish the use of torture, and remember what truly makes America exceptional: our values.
Expand our global influence by promoting fair trade, addressing global climate change, providing humanitarian relief and economic assistance, defending the rule of law, and promoting human rights.
Senator Sanders wants to end America's role as "policemen of the world," prefering diplomacy and influence over regieme change and warfare.
Trump:
(Follow the UPDATES link at the bottom of this post for Donald Trump's post-primary positions on civilian casualties in war, torture, and Muslim immigration.)
Due to the conflicting nature of his comments it is unclear whether Donald Trump believes that the Bush Administration lied about WMDs, as he stated on February 13th, or if he believes that the Administration could have been speaking truthfully, as he stated on February 19th.
On Afghanistan:
On October 6th, 2015, Donald Trump had this to say about Afghanistan:
Due to the conflicting nature of his comments it is unclear whether Donald Trump believes that the war in Afghanistan was a mistake, as he stated on October 6th, or if he never said it was a mistake, as he stated on October 20th.
Due to the conflicting nature of his comments it is unclear whether Donald Trump believes that we should allow Syrian refugees into this country, as he stated on September 9th, if they aren't a cause for concern, as he stated on September 10th, or if he'll deport them back to the warzone in Syria, as he stated on October 3rd.
Senator Sanders supports less military intervention in wars that don't directly involve us, preferring instead to support our allies, and work within military coalitions, as compared to Donald Trump, who may or may not agree with Senator Sanders depending on when you ask him. Currently all we know about Donald Trump's foreign policy for certain is that he wants to build a wall, limit legal and illegal immigration, bomb ISIS, and bomb their families.
Unfortunately, beyond loving campaign finance reform, he hasn't explained his plan to achieve reform, nor has he cited any specific policy positions on the matter.
Fortunately there is no statistical evidence to support the theory that in-person voter fraud is a significant problem in the United States. I was unable to find any specific policy positions on the matter of election reform from Trump. There is no information regarding Trump's position on gerrymandering, campaign finance reform, electoral reform, voting reform, or the DISCLOSE Act. This is in stark contrast to Senator Sanders, who not only has the same desire for reform that Donald Trump proclaims, but also has specific policy positions that he supports, in addition to a plan for their implementation.
"The plan will cost $13.8 trillion over the next ten years and that the seven tax increases Sen. Sanders proposes would raise $13.9 trillion."
Employers would save over $9,000 annually for an employee who earns $50,000 per year.
A family of 4, with an income of $50,000 per year, would save over $5,000 annually.
Health care coverage would extend to 100% of Americans.
Senator Sanders' "Medicare for All" plan would would be fully funded, save employers money, save families money, extend coverage to 100% of Americans, and allow the American worker the freedom of no longer being chained to their employer provided insurance, all while maintaining and expanding the comsumer protections enacted in the ACA.
In short: Senator Sanders' healthcare proposal would expand coverage and shrink spending, Donald Trump's healthcare proposal would shrink coverage and expand spending, while also repealing consumer protections put in place by the ACA. So if not Trump, then who? My opinion on the matter.
Six months ago I posted this for the first time, today I post it for the last: Donald Trump is not the alternative to Senator Sanders, and you need to know why.
I wrote this six months ago, but it feels like years. Longest election ever.
On why he opposed PIPA and SOPA, Senator Sanders had this to say:
“While I believe that online piracy is a serious issue, it is absolutely essential that the Internet remain open and free of censorship or the chilling effects that result in self-censorship. I will not support legislation that results in censorship or self censorship on the Internet."
The Fairness Doctrine was a policy of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), introduced in 1949, that required the holders of broadcast licenses both to present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was—in the Commission's view—honest, equitable, and balanced. The FCC eliminated the Doctrine in 1987, and in August 2011 the FCC formally removed the language that implemented the Doctrine.(Source)
He later clarified that he didn't mean closing down American parts of the internet, just Iraq and Syria. [As an editorial note: For better or for worse, the internet was a crucial tool in the success of the Arab Spring. Shutting down the internet in Iraq and Syria wouldn't just hurt ISIS, but also groups trying to organize against them.] There was no mention of internet privacy on Donald Trump's official website, save their Privacy Policy.
On encryption, specifically regarding the unlocking of the San Bernadino shooter's iPhone, Donald Trump had this to say:
The only mention on encryption on the official DonaldJTrump.com website is from the blog post A little touch of Trump, in which he describes the safety measures put on campaign related harddrives. There is no mention of policy regarding encryption. Senator Sanders supports privacy rights and has fought against SOPA, PIPA, The Patriot Act, and the renewal of the Patriot act. Due to the lack of specific information on Donald Trump's website, we have to look at his statments, which would seem to indicate that he is opposed to encryption, opposed to net neutrality, and that he is willing to shut down portions of the internet in the name of national security.
Trump sued his ex-wife, Ivana Trump, for $25 million in 1992–because she talked too much.
In 2006, Trump threatened to sue Rosie O’Donnell, then a co-host on The View, after she said he was bankrupt.
In 2011, rapper Mac Miller released a song called “Donald Trump,” which included the lyrics, “Take over the world when I’m on my Donald Trump shit; Look at all this money, ain’t that some shit?” Trump Tweeted at Miller to threaten a lawsuit: “Now I’m going to teach you a big boy lesson about lawsuits and finance.”
That same year [2011], Trump threatened to sue MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell for suggesting he was worth less than $1 billion.
In 2012, Trump sued Miss USA contestant Sheena Monnin after she claimed in a Facebook post that the pageant was “rigged,” because the five finalists were chosen before the pageant took place.
In 2013, after Trump said he would donate $5 million to charity if President Obama would release his long form birth certificate to the public, Bill Maher joked that he would give Trump $5 million if he could prove that his father was not an orangutan. Trump sent Maher a copy of his birth certificate. When Maher didn’t pay up, Trump sued him for the $5 million.
The same year [2013], Trump threatened legal action against Angelo Carusone, who had organized a petition to force Macy’s to stop selling Trump-branded products.
In 1984, Trump sued the Chicago Tribune for $500 million after the publication’s architecture critic wrote an item suggesting Chicago’s Sears Tower, then the world’s tallest building, would remain as such, despite Trump’s plan to build a taller structure in downtown Manhattan.
Trump threatened to sue ABC in 2005, after he learned the network was planning to produce a two-hour biopic about him and his family.
In 2006, Trump sued New York Times reporter Timothy L. O’Brien for saying Trump is worth $150 million to $250 million when Trump claimed, at the time, he was worth $2.7 billion.
In 2014, Trump sued Trump Entertainment Resorts, which he holds a 10 percent stake in, to remove his name from the Trump Taj Mahal and Trump Plaza casinos in Atlantic City, which he said did not live up to his standard of quality.
No Disparagement. During the term of your service and at all times thereafter you hereby promise and agree not to demean or disparage publicly the Company, Mr. Trump, any Trump Company, any Family Member, or any Family Member Company or any asset any of the foregoing own, or product or service any of the foregoing offer, in each case by or in any of the Restricted Means and Contexts and to prevent your employees from doing so.
No Competitive Services. Until the Non-Compete Cutoff Date you promise and agree not to assist or counsel, directly or indirectly, for compensation or as a volunteer, any person that is a candidate or exploring candidacy for President of the United States other than Mr. Trump and to prevent your employees from doing so.
Theoretically these restrictions could be in place until 2024, or the end of Donald Trump's Presidency.
It should be noted that the "protections" Donald Trump speaks of are part of Freedom of the Press as defined by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Also of note is the fact that that a private citizen can already sue a publisher for libel, so long as they can prove that the news organization knowingly published false information with malicious intent, this was decided in the 1964 Supreme Court Case of New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. Donald Trump does not need to add, remove, amend, or abridge any law to be able to sue a publisher, that is already the legal right of all American citizens. Senator Sanders has fought for freedom of speech his entire career, even going so far as being arrested during demonstrations and protests. Donald Trump, on the other hand, has filed numerous lawsuits attempting to silence his critics, and as President plans to make it easier to sue the press for unflattering commentary.
No family will have to pay the death tax. [The Death Tax, more commonly known as the estate tax, currently only applies to estates worth $5,000,000.00 or more, and as such only effects the wealthiest of Americans.]
The analysis of Donald Trump's tax plan was performed by the nonpartisan Tax Policy center. Until what time as Donald Trump tells the nation what loopholes he would close, what tax deductions he would end, and which federal programs he would cut, the above analysis is the best information we have available. Far from Senator Sanders plan, Donald Trump's tax policy would significantly cut federal revenue, increase deficits, and grow the national debt. As far as the minimum wage is concerned, Senator Sanders wants to raise it to $15/hour over the next several years, Donald Trump is content with allowing it to remain at the same rate it has been since 2009, $7.25/hour.
On ending the war in Afghanistan he had this to say:
"This year alone [2011], we will spend about $100 billion on that war. In my view, it is time for the people of Afghanistan to take full responsibility for waging the war against the Taliban. While we cannot withdraw all of our troops immediately, we must bring them home as soon as possible. I appreciate the president’s announcement, but I believe that the withdrawal should occur at significantly faster speed and greater scope."
Move away from a policy of unilateral military action, and toward a policy of emphasizing diplomacy, and ensuring the decision to go to war is a last resort.
Ensure that any military action we do engage in has clear goals, is limited in scope, and whenever possible provides support to our allies in the region.
Close Guantanamo Bay, rein in the National Security Agency, abolish the use of torture, and remember what truly makes America exceptional: our values.
Expand our global influence by promoting fair trade, addressing global climate change, providing humanitarian relief and economic assistance, defending the rule of law, and promoting human rights.
Senator Sanders wants to end America's role as "policemen of the world," prefering diplomacy and influence over regieme change and warfare.
Trump:
(Follow the UPDATES link at the bottom of this post for Donald Trump's post-primary positions on civilian casualties in war, torture, and Muslim immigration.)
Due to the conflicting nature of his comments it is unclear whether Donald Trump believes that the Bush Administration lied about WMDs, as he stated on February 13th, or if he believes that the Administration could have been speaking truthfully, as he stated on February 19th.
On Afghanistan:
On October 6th, 2015, Donald Trump had this to say about Afghanistan:
Due to the conflicting nature of his comments it is unclear whether Donald Trump believes that the war in Afghanistan was a mistake, as he stated on October 6th, or if he never said it was a mistake, as he stated on October 20th.
Due to the conflicting nature of his comments it is unclear whether Donald Trump believes that we should allow Syrian refugees into this country, as he stated on September 9th, if they aren't a cause for concern, as he stated on September 10th, or if he'll deport them back to the warzone in Syria, as he stated on October 3rd.
Senator Sanders supports less military intervention in wars that don't directly involve us, preferring instead to support our allies, and work within military coalitions, as compared to Donald Trump, who may or may not agree with Senator Sanders depending on when you ask him. Currently all we know about Donald Trump's foreign policy for certain is that he wants to build a wall, limit legal and illegal immigration, bomb ISIS, and bomb their families.
Unfortunately, beyond loving campaign finance reform, he hasn't explained his plan to achieve reform, nor has he cited any specific policy positions on the matter.
Fortunately there is no statistical evidence to support the theory that in-person voter fraud is a significant problem in the United States. I was unable to find any specific policy positions on the matter of election reform from Trump. There is no information regarding Trump's position on gerrymandering, campaign finance reform, electoral reform, voting reform, or the DISCLOSE Act. This is in stark contrast to Senator Sanders, who not only has the same desire for reform that Donald Trump proclaims, but also has specific policy positions that he supports, in addition to a plan for their implementation.
"The plan will cost $13.8 trillion over the next ten years and that the seven tax increases Sen. Sanders proposes would raise $13.9 trillion."
Employers would save over $9,000 annually for an employee who earns $50,000 per year.
A family of 4, with an income of $50,000 per year, would save over $5,000 annually.
Health care coverage would extend to 100% of Americans.
Senator Sanders' "Medicare for All" plan would would be fully funded, save employers money, save families money, extend coverage to 100% of Americans, and allow the American worker the freedom of no longer being chained to their employer provided insurance, all while maintaining and expanding the comsumer protections enacted in the ACA.
In short: Senator Sanders' healthcare proposal would expand coverage and shrink spending, Donald Trump's healthcare proposal would shrink coverage and expand spending, while also repealing consumer protections put in place by the ACA. 40,000 characters just isn't enough for a full post, it's a trumpspiracy I tell ya'! I couldn't say this when I originally wrote the post. I was leaving it to the reader to make their own choice who to support if Bernie lost the primary, but I can't do that any more, there is only one choice: Hillary Clinton. Bernie said so himself.
[EVENT] Ring-a-ding-ding! Siem Reap, City of Paradise.
Introduction
The Ministry of Labor, along with the Council of People's Commissars, has analyzed the city of Siem Reap, it's economic value and how it generates it's revenue for the state. The Premier has proposed the creation of a 23rd Special Economic Zone called the Siem Reap SEZ. A Commission of Gambling has been formed and it's chairman has been selected as Meang Chamroeun - a prominent business owner and a member of the board of directors in the Bank of Cambodia, he is a newcomer to the Communist Party of Kampuchea but has proved his management skills by protecting the Cambodian economy as much as he could through austerity measures in the bank. A reunion of the owners of the 75 casinos that operate in Cambodia was executed 12 days before this announcement, they agreed to collaborate with the Ministry of Labor and have been suitably compensated for giving their casinos to the People's Republic of Kampuchea. The accumulated value of all the casinos was calculated to be in $4.8 billion dollars.
Reviewing of Kampuchean Laws
The Supreme People's Senate has passed a series of measures to ease the transition and construction of the new Siem Reap. Although not allowed on other parts of the country, in the Siem Reap SEZ - the 1996 Law on Suppression of Gambling is replaced by the 2032 Law on Regulamentation and Management of Gambling, headed and reviewed by the Commission of Gambling, the law allows and encourages gambling on the 23rd SEZ. Permits and taxations for casinos are reduced by 5% for the first year. The 2008 Cambodian Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation has also been reviewed by the Ministry of Labor, although most of the principles and articles in the law has remained, the main change is the legalization of prostitution under state-owned escort houses and harsher measures to stop prostitution in the rest of the People's Republic of Kampuchea.
Proposed buildings, renovations and expansions
The main focus of the new Siem Reap is the Angkor Winds Casino, located at the center of Siem Reap. The planned construction is going to be managed by Comin Asia, collaborating together with the Ministry of Labor - we extend our hands in invitation to construction companies from the PRoV, Russia, India and China of course. The Casino is planned to have 2,500 suites, 1000 gaming tables, 1400 slot machines and a Sky Park which is large enough to fit 4 A380 Jumbo Jets. The estimate for the completion of the Angkor Winds Casino is 4 years, in 2036. Although that will not be the only attraction, it will certainly be the biggest one in Cambodian history of entertainment. The cost of this operation has been estimated into $5.5 billion dollars, which of course shall be paid by our own money. Siem Reap's downtown area will be reorganized into a strip called "Heartbeat Strip". Which will feature Angkor Winds, minor casinos and 5 escort houses. Privately owned nightclubs and other contributions to the nightlife of Siem Reap shall be encouraged through the relaxation of tariffs and minor bloated bureaucratic regulations. The Siem Reap Int. Airport will be expanded and renovated, spending $1 billion into the renovation and expansion. The NR6, a highway that connects Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, will be renovated and also expanded for the faster traveling of automobiles. The companies that are to be contacted for the reorganization of Siem Reap include:
Borey Peng Huoth Group (Property Developer)
Triple Gem Assets Co., Ltd (Property Developer)
Urbanland Asia (Property Developer)
National Bank of Cambodia (Development Bank)
Comin Asia (Construction)
Telecom Cambodia (Telecommunications)
Ministry of Labor will handle the minuscious details and the remaining duties that are required in the development.
The People's Republic of Kampuchea desires to invite it's neighbors and other parties, such as China, Vietnam, Russia, Indonesia and India to collaborate and invest into the construction of the casino and Siem Reap in general. We would like to propose further ties with India through it's airlines, as to bring further tourism to Angkor Wat and Siem Reap in general. We extend the offer to all of the other nations of course.
Donald Trump STILL isn't the alternative to Senator Sanders, and you need to know why. [Revised and updated.][Removed from S4P for "endorsing" Donald Trump.]
Much has happened in the world of politics since I wrote version 1 of this post two months ago. Considering the recent proposed debate between Senator Sanders and Donald Trump (as well as several polite requests) I felt that now was a good time to bring this post up to date. I originally posted this to /SandersForPresident, but it was removed because:
It was caught in the spam filter but rightfully so as does not directly pertain to electing Bernie, but an opposer. We in the subreddit endorse no candidate for president other than Senator Sanders.
As such, once again, /Self gets the benefits of my efforts. As in the initial post, I have included links and direct quotes where ever possible in an effort allow for your own personal fact checking and for context.
On why he opposed PIPA and SOPA, Senator Sanders had this to say:
“While I believe that online piracy is a serious issue, it is absolutely essential that the Internet remain open and free of censorship or the chilling effects that result in self-censorship. I will not support legislation that results in censorship or self censorship on the Internet."
The Fairness Doctrine was a policy of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), introduced in 1949, that required the holders of broadcast licenses both to present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was—in the Commission's view—honest, equitable, and balanced. The FCC eliminated the Doctrine in 1987, and in August 2011 the FCC formally removed the language that implemented the Doctrine.(Source)
He later clarified that he didn't mean closing down American parts of the internet, just Iraq and Syria. [As an editorial note: For better or for worse, the internet was a crucial tool in the success of the Arab Spring. Shutting down the internet in Iraq and Syria wouldn't just hurt ISIS, but also groups trying to organize against them.] There was no mention of internet privacy on Donald Trump's official website, save their Privacy Policy.
On encryption, specifically regarding the unlocking of the San Bernadino shooter's iPhone, Donald Trump had this to say:
The only mention on encryption on the official DonaldJTrump.com website is from the blog post A little touch of Trump, in which he describes the safety measures put on campaign related harddrives. There is no mention of policy regarding encryption. Senator Sanders supports privacy rights and has fought against SOPA, PIPA, The Patriot Act, and the renewal of the Patriot act. Due to the lack of specific information on Donald Trump's website, we have to look at his statments, which would seem to indicate that he is opposed to encryption, opposed to net neutrality, and that he is willing to shut down portions of the internet in the name of national security.
Trump sued his ex-wife, Ivana Trump, for $25 million in 1992–because she talked too much.
In 2006, Trump threatened to sue Rosie O’Donnell, then a co-host on The View, after she said he was bankrupt.
In 2011, rapper Mac Miller released a song called “Donald Trump,” which included the lyrics, “Take over the world when I’m on my Donald Trump shit; Look at all this money, ain’t that some shit?” Trump Tweeted at Miller to threaten a lawsuit: “Now I’m going to teach you a big boy lesson about lawsuits and finance.”
That same year [2011], Trump threatened to sue MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell for suggesting he was worth less than $1 billion.
In 2012, Trump sued Miss USA contestant Sheena Monnin after she claimed in a Facebook post that the pageant was “rigged,” because the five finalists were chosen before the pageant took place.
In 2013, after Trump said he would donate $5 million to charity if President Obama would release his long form birth certificate to the public, Bill Maher joked that he would give Trump $5 million if he could prove that his father was not an orangutan. Trump sent Maher a copy of his birth certificate. When Maher didn’t pay up, Trump sued him for the $5 million.
The same year [2013], Trump threatened legal action against Angelo Carusone, who had organized a petition to force Macy’s to stop selling Trump-branded products.
In 1984, Trump sued the Chicago Tribune for $500 million after the publication’s architecture critic wrote an item suggesting Chicago’s Sears Tower, then the world’s tallest building, would remain as such, despite Trump’s plan to build a taller structure in downtown Manhattan.
Trump threatened to sue ABC in 2005, after he learned the network was planning to produce a two-hour biopic about him and his family.
In 2006, Trump sued New York Times reporter Timothy L. O’Brien for saying Trump is worth $150 million to $250 million when Trump claimed, at the time, he was worth $2.7 billion.
In 2014, Trump sued Trump Entertainment Resorts, which he holds a 10 percent stake in, to remove his name from the Trump Taj Mahal and Trump Plaza casinos in Atlantic City, which he said did not live up to his standard of quality.
No Disparagement. During the term of your service and at all times thereafter you hereby promise and agree not to demean or disparage publicly the Company, Mr. Trump, any Trump Company, any Family Member, or any Family Member Company or any asset any of the foregoing own, or product or service any of the foregoing offer, in each case by or in any of the Restricted Means and Contexts and to prevent your employees from doing so.
No Competitive Services. Until the Non-Compete Cutoff Date you promise and agree not to assist or counsel, directly or indirectly, for compensation or as a volunteer, any person that is a candidate or exploring candidacy for President of the United States other than Mr. Trump and to prevent your employees from doing so.
Theoretically these restrictions could be in place until 2024, or the end of Donald Trump's Presidency.
It should be noted that the "protections" Donald Trump speaks of are part of Freedom of the Press as defined by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Also of note is the fact that that a private citizen can already sue a publisher for libel, so long as they can prove that the news organization knowingly published false information with malicious intent, this was decided in the 1964 Supreme Court Case of New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. Donald Trump does not need to add, remove, amend, or abridge any law to be able to sue a publisher, that is already the legal right of all American citizens. Senator Sanders has fought for freedom of speech his entire career, even going so far as being arrested during demonstrations and protests. Donald Trump, on the other hand, has filed numerous lawsuits attempting to silence his critics, and as President plans to make it easier to sue the press for unflattering commentary.
No family will have to pay the death tax. [The Death Tax, more commonly known as the estate tax, currently only applies to estates worth $5,000,000.00 or more, and as such only effects the wealthiest of Americans.]
The analysis of Donald Trump's tax plan was performed by the nonpartisan Tax Policy center. Until what time as Donald Trump tells the nation what loopholes he would close, what tax deductions he would end, and which federal programs he would cut, the above analysis is the best information we have available. Far from Senator Sanders plan, Donald Trump's tax policy would significantly cut federal revenue, increase deficits, and grow the national debt. As far as the minimum wage is concerned, Senator Sanders wants to raise it to $15/hour over the next several years, Donald Trump is content with allowing it to remain at the same rate it has been since 2009, $7.25/hour.
On ending the war in Afghanistan he had this to say:
"This year alone [2011], we will spend about $100 billion on that war. In my view, it is time for the people of Afghanistan to take full responsibility for waging the war against the Taliban. While we cannot withdraw all of our troops immediately, we must bring them home as soon as possible. I appreciate the president’s announcement, but I believe that the withdrawal should occur at significantly faster speed and greater scope."
Move away from a policy of unilateral military action, and toward a policy of emphasizing diplomacy, and ensuring the decision to go to war is a last resort.
Ensure that any military action we do engage in has clear goals, is limited in scope, and whenever possible provides support to our allies in the region.
Close Guantanamo Bay, rein in the National Security Agency, abolish the use of torture, and remember what truly makes America exceptional: our values.
Expand our global influence by promoting fair trade, addressing global climate change, providing humanitarian relief and economic assistance, defending the rule of law, and promoting human rights.
Senator Sanders wants to end America's role as "policemen of the world," prefering diplomacy and influence over regieme change and warfare.
Trump:
(Follow the UPDATES link at the bottom of this post for Donald Trump's post-primary positions on civilian casualties in war, torture, and Muslim immigration.)
Due to the conflicting nature of his comments it is unclear whether Donald Trump believes that the Bush Administration lied about WMDs, as he stated on February 13th, or if he believes that the Administration could have been speaking truthfully, as he stated on February 19th.
On Afghanistan:
On October 6th, 2015, Donald Trump had this to say about Afghanistan:
Due to the conflicting nature of his comments it is unclear whether Donald Trump believes that the war in Afghanistan was a mistake, as he stated on October 6th, or if he never said it was a mistake, as he stated on October 20th.
Due to the conflicting nature of his comments it is unclear whether Donald Trump believes that we should allow Syrian refugees into this country, as he stated on September 9th, if they aren't a cause for concern, as he stated on September 10th, or if he'll deport them back to the warzone in Syria, as he stated on October 3rd.
Senator Sanders supports less military intervention in wars that don't directly involve us, preferring instead to support our allies, and work within military coalitions, as compared to Donald Trump, who may or may not agree with Senator Sanders depending on when you ask him. Currently all we know about Donald Trump's foreign policy for certain is that he wants to build a wall, limit legal and illegal immigration, bomb ISIS, and bomb their families.
Unfortunately, beyond loving campaign finance reform, he hasn't explained his plan to achieve reform, nor has he cited any specific policy positions on the matter.
Fortunately there is no statistical evidence to support the theory that in-person voter fraud is a significant problem in the United States. I was unable to find any specific policy positions on the matter of election reform from Trump. There is no information regarding Trump's position on gerrymandering, campaign finance reform, electoral reform, voting reform, or the DISCLOSE Act. This is in stark contrast to Senator Sanders, who not only has the same desire for reform that Donald Trump proclaims, but also has specific policy positions that he supports, in addition to a plan for their implementation.
"The plan will cost $13.8 trillion over the next ten years and that the seven tax increases Sen. Sanders proposes would raise $13.9 trillion."
Employers would save over $9,000 annually for an employee who earns $50,000 per year.
A family of 4, with an income of $50,000 per year, would save over $5,000 annually.
Health care coverage would extend to 100% of Americans.
Senator Sanders' "Medicare for All" plan would would be fully funded, save employers money, save families money, extend coverage to 100% of Americans, and allow the American worker the freedom of no longer being chained to their employer provided insurance, all while maintaining and expanding the comsumer protections enacted in the ACA.
In short: Senator Sanders' healthcare proposal would expand coverage and shrink spending, Donald Trump's healthcare proposal would shrink coverage and expand spending, while also repealing consumer protections put in place by the ACA. 40,000 characters just isn't enough for a full post, it's a trumpspiracy I tell ya'!
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