Salute to those who serve
To the Editor,
Since the election last November, Americans are experiencing, with more frequency, encounters with people who have extremely different opinions from their own. However, when it comes to the men and women who valiantly serve our country, there is rarely disagreement that they deserve our support for the sacrifices they and their loved ones make to defend our country and the principles on which it was built.
It is more important than ever that we stand steadfast as a nation to support military personnel during and after their service, and it was almost 100 years ago this November, in 1918, when the events of World War I provided the basis for what is now known as Veterans Day.
Noting the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, an agreement to cease fire was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in Compiegne, France, bringing an end to the Great War. Originally known as Armistice Day in recognition of this interruption in the war, the observance was formally declared a federal holiday in the United States in 1938. Extending the holiday to honor all military men and women after World War II and the Korean War, it was officially renamed Veterans Day in 1954.
As we celebrate Veterans Day this year, I hope you will join me and express gratitude to our service women and men who dedicate themselves on our behalf to protect our great country. It is because of our confidence in them that we live without the fear of invasion or harm to our families as we go about our daily lives. To all of you who serve, you have my thanks and appreciation. I salute you and hope you stay safe.
Bill Monning
California State Senator
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Homeownership incentives deserve full support
To the Editor,
There’s a reason homeownership is still considered the “American Dream.” A home is a place to create memories, a means for building wealth, and a pathway to strength and stability in the communities we all call home.
Here in Pajaro Valley, things are no different, and that’s something for lawmakers to remember as Congress embarks on an effort for comprehensive tax reform.
Middle-class families have built wealth for centuries through homeownership and real estate investment. Homeownership allows families to protect themselves against rising rents and inflation, while offering an opportunity to build equity over time.
Let’s face it: most families can’t get a loan to purchase stocks or invest in a mutual fund, but they can get a safe mortgage product at competitive rates to invest in a home. It’s a tremendous mechanism for building wealth that shouldn’t be taken away.
Best of all, homeowners aren’t the only ones who benefit. For every two homes sold, a job is created. In all, home sales support an average of more than 2.5 million private-sector jobs every year. At almost $3 trillion, real estate accounts for more than 16 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). At the state level it accounts for more than 20 percent of the GDP.
That’s a big part of why, for over a century, the American tax code has incentivized homeowners. The country’s leaders acknowledge that a strong, stable housing market is good for everyone, which is why it deserves support.
Important tax incentives such as the mortgage interest deduction and the state and local tax deduction are a part of the tax code to ensure all creditworthy families have a fighting chance at the American Dream.
If those incentives went away, homebuyers would see their dream pushed further out of reach, while current homeowners would have the welcome mat pulled right out from under them.
Comprehensive tax reform is a worthy goal, and lawmakers should be applauded for their ambitious approach.
As Congress continues working through this process, however, the incentives that put homeownership within reach for millions of Americans deserve full support from both sides of the aisle.
Roberta Annett
2017 President,
Pajaro Valley Association of REALTORS
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Crooks one and all
To the Editor,
Most of us old enough to remember Watergate also probably remember when they personally decided it was curtains for the then-president. For me it was the infamous “crook” speech Nixon gave, to wit:
“The American people are entitled to know whether their president is a crook. Well, I am not a crook.”
“Yes, you are a crook,” I remember thinking.
And so it is now, but a slightly different denial style.
“Why aren’t they looking at crooked Hillary?” the liar-in-chief opines.
But we will not be diverted anymore with your asinine tweets, Mr. President. Your boy Paul Manafort may wear a $10,000 toupee, but it will be rendered useless as a prop to hide behind.
Hopefully the American people will get a nice big gift for Christmas, and no I am not referring to a huge tax cut for the wealthy, as proposed. You don’t need (or use) an anemometer to know which way the wind is blowing. When my favorite crook is under indictment, will they be able to get by with just a fake laugh? Then there are the other principals involved, newly appointed swampsters. Crooks one and all, now and always.
John Kaza
Salinas
