It may be hard to credit, but there used to be a time when the public sphere wasn’t filled with squabbling about income tax rates. The familiar noise began 102 years ago today, when the 16th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, authorizing Congress to levy taxes on income. In its first two years, the tax was modest, affecting only a very few citizens and provided only a small part of the government’s total revenue. But the need to fund …
Month: February 2015
Phil Hart: Our Participation Makes Us
Wednesday January 28th, 2015 I went to the Vance County Board of Commissioners Annual Retreat. Home in Henderson was invited to attend as a media outlet to give our views of the past, present and future of Vance County from our organizations point of view. If I were given the invitation personally, the presentation may have been different, however it was fitting that the invitation first went to frequent contributor Michael Bobbitt. Michael is such a frequent contributor here and goes …
Health insurance workshop for Small Businesses to be held at VGCC
The Raleigh office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, in partnership with the Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center and the Leder Firm, will soon present a free workshop on health care enrollment. The event, which is open to any member of the community, is set for Wednesday, February 11, from 9 a.m. until noon, in room 7107 (Building 7) on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. Welcoming remarks and a presentation are scheduled to begin at 9:15 a.m., but …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Fighting to End Human Trafficking
Video of the Week: Earlier this week I spoke on the House floor about why it is so important that Congress address the heinous crime that is human trafficking. My bill, the Trafficking Awareness Training for Health Care Act of 2015, will train healthcare workers to identify and recognize signs of abuse so that they can intervene on the patients’ behalf early-on. I am thrilled to report that H.R. 398, my bill to fight human trafficking, passed the House …
VGCC History club elects officers
Vance-Granville Community College’s History Club has elected officers for the 2014-2015 academic year. They include, pictured above, from left, secretary Jessie Hartley of Oxford, president Jennifer Burns of Henderson, and vice president Morgan McFalls of Oxford. Not pictured are the club public information officer, Joseph Richardson, and the public information officer for South Campus, Brieanna Downey. Advisors for the club are VGCC History instructors Victoria Klesmith and Dr. Natasha Thompson. Membership in the VGCC History Club is open to any …
Kerr Lake Concerned Citizens Call Meeting to Address Excessive Trihalomethanes in Drinking Water February 9th, 2015
Henderson and Kerr Lake Area Concerned Citizens are meeting on Monday, February 9th, 2015 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at the Perry Memorial Library in Henderson in response to an alarming announcement that Henderson residents recently received with their water bills. “NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC:” “IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER. Henderson – Kerr Lake Regional Water System Has Levels of Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Above Drinking Water Standards. You may download a full copy of the letter here: 20150105_henderson_water.pdf The …
Senator Richard Burr: Keystone Pipeline, Innovation for Healthier Americans, No Child Left Behind
This week the Senate passed, 62-36, the Keystone XL pipeline legislation. I am proud that this job-creating legislation passed the Senate in a bipartisan manner that allowed for lengthy debate and votes on many amendments. This is how the Senate should run. It is my hope that the President does not ignore the wishes of the majority of Americans and signs this bill into law when it reaches his desk. During the amendment process, I introduced an amendment to permanently …
White House Weekly Address: A Path Towards a Thriving Middle Class
In this week’s address, the President described the progress our economy has made, laying a foundation for a future that prioritizes middle-class economics. This week, the President will send a budget to Congress centered on the idea that everyone who works hard should have the chance to get ahead. His plan will reverse harmful sequestration cuts and instead make paychecks go further, create good jobs here in the United States, and prepare hardworking Americans to earn higher wages. The President …
Monday Open Line
On this date in 1848, the United States and a defeated Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending their controversial war, which began in May 1846 after some mutual provocations. In the peace treaty, Mexico recognized America’s annexation of the Republic of Texas, with the Rio Grande being the border. In exchange for $15 million and other provisions, the U.S. obtained all or much of what are now six of our other southwestern states. Some 80,000 Mexicans were thereby …