Latest news with #FranklinDelanoRoosevelt
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'Good deal' budget bill offers smart tax policy and relief for Ohio families
As the state's operating budget works its way through the General Assembly, I want to bring to your attention legislation that I've reintroduced with my colleague from Cleveland, Sen. Kent Smith. Senate Bill 190 is a mini-budget bill entitled "A Good Deal for Ohio." It's named in honor of two past presidents and the work they did while in office: Theodore Roosevelt and the "Square Deal"; and Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the "New Deal." This effort is bipartisan and reflects what we believe would be a great budget. The bill is roughly $2 billion in revenues and expenditures and is, of course, balanced. It raises revenue by revising our tax code to close some overly generous tax loopholes and align other taxes with those of similar states. For example, the business income deduction has been in place for well over a decade. The first $250,000 of business income is tax-free, and it is taxed at a flat 3% above that level. For reference, Ohio's top income tax rate is 3.5%. This tax policy costs the state about $1.2 billion every year. The change we've made is to simply say that to receive this benefit, you need to materially participate in the business and employ at least one non-owner employee. In other words, you have to create jobs and not be a passive investor. This saves the state hundreds of millions per year and is consistent with many Ohio tax incentives that have a job creation requirement. Alaska, North Dakota and Texas have either no income tax or a very low income tax. They also have some of the highest severance taxes in the country − a severance tax is a tax on oil and gas extraction. Ohio's severance tax is one of the lowest in the country, and we have a thriving oil and gas industry. These high taxes haven't hampered Alaska, North Dakota and Texas; they're all red states, and their tax regimes exist with at least the tacit approval of Republicans. Moreover, John Kasich tried to increase the severance tax to underwrite an income tax cut. To simply do what these three states are doing will not destroy the oil and gas industry, and it would raise $500 million per year. There are many other changes on the revenue side, but let's talk about the expenditure side. Consistent with what we've heard from the electorate, the bill would deliver $900 million per year in property tax relief. It would do this by paying for the entirety of bipartisan, property tax "circuit-breaker" legislation: SB 22. It is means-tested, and goes to renters and homeowners alike, irrespective of age. It holds local political subdivisions harmless and is the only property tax relief legislation to earn the support of OASBO, which represents school treasurers. You should make up your mind on the proposal, but briefly here are the other elements: a refundable earned income tax credit (EITC); universal school breakfast and lunch; a major boost to the Ohio Housing Trust Fund; increases to the local government and public library funds; and an increase to 200% of FPL for initial eligibility for publicly funded childcare. What has made America and Ohio truly exceptional, and what this legislation supports, is a large and vibrant middle class combined with world-class social mobility. Though the chances of this legislation passing in its entirety are slim, that's not the point. It is to demonstrate what you could have, and serve as a blueprint for the future. To show that this makes better economic sense, as it will drive demand from the poor and middle classes, which will in turn drive business activity to meet that demand, all while strengthening our social safety net. And, finally, to restore faith in our public institutions that, while imperfect, are often the only entities in our corner when we fall on tough times. Louis W. Blessing III, R-Colerain Township, is serving his second term in the Ohio Senate. He currently represents Ohio's 8th Senate District, which encompasses a portion of Hamilton County. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio's budget can be balanced and bold | Opinion
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
East Lake Library reopening after being closed for 4 years in Birmingham
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Four years after being closed due to a defunct HVAC system, East Lake Library will soon reopen. The library, which closed its doors 'indefinitely' back in the summer of 2021, will reopen at 10 a.m. Monday at 5 Oporto Madrid Boulevard. The library first opened in 1914 on the second floor of the former East Lake Fire Station before finding its own space along Oporto Madrid in 1928. For generations, the 'Storybook Mural' has been a fixture of the library, painted by artist Carrie Hill and placed in East Lake in 1937 as part of the Works Progress Administration under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. 'This week, East Lake Library is reopening its doors — and I couldn't be prouder,' Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said in a statement Wednesday. 'Not just because it's another win for our neighborhoods, but because it reflects what we believe: access to knowledge should never be up for debate.' At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic while libraries across Birmingham were closed, staff noticed issues with the building air conditioning unit, closing the library in June 2021, according to The Birmingham Times. At the time, the library was listed as being closed 'indefinitely' with no opening date in sight. While the library remains one of the oldest in the city, its circulation serves a small but loyal base. According to the Jefferson County Library Cooperative, East Lake and the now-defunct Ensley library had a combined book loan of over 1,500 books in 2021. In his proposed budget for the city, Woodfin has asked that nearly $16.4 million be allocated for the Birmingham Public Library. The reopening will include a ceremony and light refreshments. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Opinion - A sacrifice upon the altar of freedom
On a wall in my mother's home, beneath a glassed frame, there hangs a memorial certificate which, along with a Purple Heart, was posthumously awarded to the uncle I never met. On it is the inscription of powerful and solemn words authored by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The words are as true today — especially on this day — as they ever were, and they read as follows: 'He stands in the unbroken line of patriots who have dared to die that freedom might live and grow and increase its blessings. Freedom lives, and through it he lives — in a way that humbles the undertakings of most men.' The year was 1944, and my mother was at work in a Chicago office building when the call came. It was short, her sister's voice serious, and the message simple: Get home immediately. She didn't ask questions. When you're 16 years old, your country's at war and a call like that comes in, you get home. The Army chaplain had just been to the home to inform my beloved grandmother that her only son had been killed in action. By all accounts, my grandmother skipped the crying and went directly to the screaming. Serving as a sergeant in Co. A, 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division, he died at the battle of Gathemo, just weeks after landing in Normandy, France. His name was Bernard Frank Rossi and he was 23 years old. He died 13 years before I was even born, but there was never a moment when memories of him were far removed from the conversations of my grandparents, my mother or her two sisters. As a kid, I remember having questions about 'Ben,' about what kind of person he was, and what kind of uncle he'd have been to the six nephews and five nieces he would have lived to know. In spite of my curiosity, there's still so much that remains a mystery. Did my grandparents cry tears of joy when their only son was born to these Italian immigrants over two decades prior? How could they have ever known their only son would later die — one of 416,800 other brave Americans who lost their lives in World War Two? Although I'm certain I know the answer, was there anything that could have ever prepared them for that visit from that Army chaplain? Years later, at the age of 12, while going home at night in a crowded Buick after a celebration of my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary, I remember listening to my parents' quiet conversation. My dad mentioned to my mother how subdued my grandfather seemed throughout the night. She told him, 'I think he was missing Ben.' Silence followed. Sometimes there are no words. I remember in that instant feeling angst for my grandparents, my mother and her sisters. Looking back on my younger self, I'm sure my 12-year-old mind could not have fully comprehended the multitudes of hearts that have, over our country's history, been broken with inconsolable anguish, the oceans of tears that have been shed, or the terrible cost of freedom. Now, at the age of 98, my mother is the last survivor of a Gold Star family that was forever changed by the loss of a brother and a son. A family that, as Abraham Lincoln wrote in a letter to Gold Star mother Mrs. Bixby during the Civil War, 'laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.' Lately, malcontents within our society seem hell bent on fanning the flames of division. Their attempts at silencing dissenting opinions betray their revulsion of our American values. These efforts have manifested themselves in various forms of division, censorship, lies, greed and corruption in our highest levels of our government. On behalf of our fallen, we mustn't let them succeed. Because if there's one thing we all share, it's the freedom borne of the sacrifices made by those who gave so much throughout our history. Who died serving this country. This Memorial Day, as with all the others, it is fitting to solemnly remember those heroes who lost their lives fighting and dying in defense of the things we cherish most: our freedoms, our Constitution and our way of life. Are we a country so divided by religious, political, economic and cultural divides that we can't stop and take time to appreciate the freedoms purchased by the blood and treasure of so many American lives? Personally, I hope and pray that's not the case. Because, throughout the nasty, contentious bickering and disagreements we will continue to have over the years, there's one thing we should understand, and it is this: The freedom to do so is not despite the sacrifices made by those brave heroes. Rather, it is because of them. Dave Del Camp is a retired merchant marine engineer and part time blogger. He resides in Portland, Maine. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
26-05-2025
- General
- The Hill
A sacrifice upon the altar of freedom
On a wall in my mother's home, beneath a glassed frame, there hangs a memorial certificate which, along with a Purple Heart, was posthumously awarded to the uncle I never met. On it is the inscription of powerful and solemn words authored by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The words are as true today — especially on this day — as they ever were, and they read as follows: 'He stands in the unbroken line of patriots who have dared to die that freedom might live and grow and increase its blessings. Freedom lives, and through it he lives — in a way that humbles the undertakings of most men.' The year was 1944, and my mother was at work in a Chicago office building when the call came. It was short, her sister's voice serious, and the message simple: Get home immediately. She didn't ask questions. When you're 16 years old, your country's at war and a call like that comes in, you get home. The Army chaplain had just been to the home to inform my beloved grandmother that her only son had been killed in action. By all accounts, my grandmother skipped the crying and went directly to the screaming. Serving as a sergeant in Co. A, 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division, he died at the battle of Gathemo, just weeks after landing in Normandy, France. His name was Bernard Frank Rossi and he was 23 years old. He died 13 years before I was even born, but there was never a moment when memories of him were far removed from the conversations of my grandparents, my mother or her two sisters. As a kid, I remember having questions about 'Ben,' about what kind of person he was, and what kind of uncle he'd have been to the six nephews and five nieces he would have lived to know. In spite of my curiosity, there's still so much that remains a mystery. Did my grandparents cry tears of joy when their only son was born to these Italian immigrants over two decades prior? How could they have ever known their only son would later die — one of 416,800 other brave Americans who lost their lives in World War Two? Although I'm certain I know the answer, was there anything that could have ever prepared them for that visit from that Army chaplain? Years later, at the age of 12, while going home at night in a crowded Buick after a celebration of my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary, I remember listening to my parents' quiet conversation. My dad mentioned to my mother how subdued my grandfather seemed throughout the night. She told him, 'I think he was missing Ben.' Silence followed. Sometimes there are no words. I remember in that instant feeling angst for my grandparents, my mother and her sisters. Looking back on my younger self, I'm sure my 12-year-old mind could not have fully comprehended the multitudes of hearts that have, over our country's history, been broken with inconsolable anguish, the oceans of tears that have been shed, or the terrible cost of freedom. Now, at the age of 98, my mother is the last survivor of a Gold Star family that was forever changed by the loss of a brother and a son. A family that, as Abraham Lincoln wrote in a letter to Gold Star mother Mrs. Bixby during the Civil War, 'laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.' Lately, malcontents within our society seem hell bent on fanning the flames of division. Their attempts at silencing dissenting opinions betray their revulsion of our American values. These efforts have manifested themselves in various forms of division, censorship, lies, greed and corruption in our highest levels of our government. On behalf of our fallen, we mustn't let them succeed. Because if there's one thing we all share, it's the freedom borne of the sacrifices made by those who gave so much throughout our history. Who died serving this country. This Memorial Day, as with all the others, it is fitting to solemnly remember those heroes who lost their lives fighting and dying in defense of the things we cherish most: our freedoms, our Constitution and our way of life. Are we a country so divided by religious, political, economic and cultural divides that we can't stop and take time to appreciate the freedoms purchased by the blood and treasure of so many American lives? Personally, I hope and pray that's not the case. Because, throughout the nasty, contentious bickering and disagreements we will continue to have over the years, there's one thing we should understand, and it is this: The freedom to do so is not despite the sacrifices made by those brave heroes. Rather, it is because of them. Dave Del Camp is a retired merchant marine engineer and part time blogger. He resides in Portland, Maine.
Buzz Feed
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
65 Extremely Rare And Fascinating Pictures From American History That Will Completely And Totally Change Your Perspective On The Past
Before he died, Abraham Lincoln had a "life mask" made of his face. This is what it looked like: This one is from 1860, before he became President. This is the last meal Richard Nixon ate in the White House before he resigned. Pineapple, cottage cheese, and a glass of milk: Pineapple, cottage cheese, and a glass of milk. Before it became that iconic sign all us sign-heads know and love, the Hollywood sign read "Hollywoodland": "LAND" was removed in 1949. This is what Mount Saint Helens looked like before and after its 1980 eruption: A bit different. These are the contestants for the 1924 Miss America pageant: The competition started in 1921. This is a picture of the spectators, including alleged mobsters, covering their faces with hats to avoid recognition during Al Capone's trial in October 1931: Poor form by the guy in the front row to the right. You hate to see it. This is what a typical children's playground looked like in 1908: This is from New York City's Tompkins Square Park. Ladders and poles, folks, get yer ladders and poles. This is what the Oval Office looks like completely empty: This was in 2001 while it was being renovated. And here's what it looks like with all that stuff back in it: This is investor Walter Thornton trying to sell his car for $100 directly after the United States' stock market crash in 1929: Thornton actually ran a successful modeling agency after all this. This is the Thanksgiving menu that was served at the Plaza Hotel in 1899: What are you going for? Might be partridge and orange jelly tarts for me. Huntington Beach in California used to have a bunch of oil derricks on top of it: They were there until the '80s. This is what a float from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade looked like in the 1930s: Uncle Sam seems OVER it. Before it found its home in New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty's head was on display at the 1878 Paris World's Fair: And here's what Lady Lib looked like while it was being packed up to be shipped to the US: How much do you think shipping cost on that? Recognize these big ol' rocks? This is Mount Rushmore before the presidential heads were carved into it: Construction on Mount Rushmore started in 1927 and was finished in 1941. This is Lemuel Cook, maybe the oldest living veteran of the American Revolutionary War, photographed in the mid-1800s: This guy literally saw the British coming. Respect. This is the foldout bed George Washington slept on during the Revolutionary War: You'll notice it folds into a trunk. Only the finest for old George. This is what Franklin Delano Roosevelt looked like at the start of his first term as President in 1933... And this is the last picture of Franklin Delano Roosevelt ever taken, snapped just one day before his death: He was 63 years old in this picture. This is how football helmets were tested in the early 1950s: Can't say I'd be too pleased about this job. This was the scene aboard the ship The Queen Elizabeth as it brought soldiers back home to New York after World War II ended: One panel of glass survived the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11. This is it: This is what the FBI's fingerprint files looked like in 1942: Endless. This is Charles Ponzi, the infamous scammer ponzi schemes got their name from: He was actually born in Italy. This picture was taken shortly after David Scott and Neil Armstrong's Gemini 8 space capsule landed in the Pacific Ocean: Some cool-looking extra-terrestrial dudes. Here's the 1930 "Queen Of The Vineyards" Wilma Smith buried head to toe in a bunch of grapes: Congrats, Wilma. This is the first aerial photo ever taken, captured by James Wallace Black from a hot-air balloon high above Boston: This picture, from 1860, is called "Boston, as the Eagle and the Wild Goose See It." This is what a ticket to the opening day of Disneyland looked like: $4.75... bit too rich for my blood. Over 80,000 people attended the 1921 heavyweight championship boxing match between Georges Carpentier and Jack Dempsey: It was held at a place called Boyle's Thirty Acres in Jersey City, New Jersey. Dempsey won. This is the Dale Creek Bridge, an bridge built in Wyoming in the 1800s that was so rickety that trains had to slow down to 4 miles per hour to cross it safely: No thanks! In 1964, Randy Gardner, pictured here, set the world record for the longest time without sleeping after staying awake 264 hours: Those items next to him are objects he would identify throughout the experiment to show he was still lucid. This is the 107th US Colored Infantry, pictured here in 1865: This is the top hat Abraham Lincoln was wearing the night he was assassinated: This is what an authentic, mint condition Woodstock 1969 ticket looks like: $6! This is Althea Gibson, the first Black American to win a tennis Grand Slam title, celebrating at a parade honoring her: She won the French Open in 1956 and later won at Wimbledon and at the US Open. This is what in-flight entertainment looked like in the 1960s: My neck hurts just looking at this. This is a picture from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Can you spot Abe? I assure you, he's there. The picture, from 1930, shows what the Empire State Building looked like while it was under construction: It opened in 1931. This is how long it took to travel to different parts of the United States in 1800: Six weeks to Illinois! This is the aftermath of the Great Molasses Flood of 1919, a deadly event that claimed the lives of 21 people in Boston after a container holding over two million gallons of molasses burst, sending a wave of molasses several feet high through the city streets: It sounds like it's funny, but I assure you: it is not. This is what the cabin of a passenger plane looked like in the 1930s: This is the interior of a Handley Page Type W plane. This is a picture of the construction workers who built the Chase Manhattan Bank posing with their work: This is what they did before Happy Hour. This is what the grave site of President James Monroe looks like: It's in Richmond. This map, from 1507, is the first map to ever label America as "America": As you probably now, it was named in honor of Amerigo Vespucci and was "the first map to depict clearly a separate Western Hemisphere, with the Pacific as a separate ocean." This is what the control panel of the Spirit of Saint Louis, the plane Charles Lindbergh used on his historic flight across the Atlantic Ocean, looked like: And this is the chair Charles Lindbergh sat on for his entire 33 hour flight: While we're at it, here's a diagram of his entire plane, for reference: Looks... comfy! Before modern car washes were invented, one particularly wacky idea was for cars to drive around through water in a circle: It cost 25 cents but you can safely assume the memories lasted a lifetime. This is Emma Lilian Todd, the first woman to design an airplane: That is some contraption. This is a picture of a meeting of the New York chapter of the "Fat Men's Club" circa 1930: According to the photo's caption, pictured here are "A Rockwitz (312lbs), comedian Eddie Carvey (250lbs), David Burns (475lbs) and F C Kupper (351lbs)." Members had to be at least 200 pounds to join. Here is the oldest picture of the White House ever taken: It was taken in 1846. Right around the time when the sewage was probably killing everyone inside. This is Civil War veteran Jacob Miller, a man who was shot right between the eyes and lived for 17 more years: That can't feel good. Thomas Edison's last breath was captured and now resides in a museum: Interesting. One of the biggest fads of the 1950s was "phonebooth stuffing," where-in a bunch of people would, well, stuff themselves into a phonebooth: The world record at the time was 25 people stuffed into a phone booth. Truly an example of the triumph of the human spirit. These are the prices from a 107 years ago from a restaurant in Alabama: Lemme get the uh... pigs feet and orange juice. This is what New York City looked like from space on 9/11/2001: Captured from the ISS. This is what the dorm room of two college students looked like in the 1910s: BFFs. The Capitol lawn was mowed by a steam-powered lawnmower way back in 1903: Yet another thing I just find neat. This is what some of the first New York City tour buses looked like in 1904: No vibes. In 1984, a giant dinosaur replica was moved via a helicopter to the Boston Museum of Science: Never thought you'd see a dinosaur being airlifted, did you? This is what a traffic light looked like in New York City in 1929: Even traffic lights were art back in the day, back in the day being 1929, of course. This is Louisa Ann Swain, the first American woman to ever vote in a general election: The vote happened in 1870, five decades before the 19th Amendment granted voting rights to all American women. This is apparently an eighth-grade test from 1912. Are you passing it? Feel free to describe the heart in the comments. This is what the Panama canal looked like while under construction: This is President Lyndon B. Johnson driving a Amphicar, a, well, amphibious car designed to operate on land and sea: Imagine the spiders inside that thing. Before he retired from baseball, the legendary Lou Gerhig auditioned for the role of Tarzan. They made him carry and a spear and everything: Apparently, he didn't get the job because of his "massive legs." In 1933, A.L. Kahn caught a 5,000-pound manta ray off the coast of Florida: And then he brought it to New Jersey, naturally. And, finally, for two brief years, 1934-5, the United States issued a $100,000 bill with Woodrow Wilson's big ol' mug on it: It never circulated publicly but if it did I would use it to buy 100,000 Arizona iced teas.
