Ethics – R&R – Reachout and Rebuild

New York: Most Unequal State in the Nation!

David Posnett — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 22:18:11 +0000

A new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) recently found that New York State is home to the highest concentration of extreme wealth in the United States. New York State also has the greatest income inequality in the United States. By both of these measures, New York is the most unequal state in the nation.

The Fiscal Policy Institute’s latest brief, Inequality in New York and Options for Progressive Tax Reform, details ITEP’s findings as they apply to New York State, reviews additional research and data on New York State’s income and wealth inequality, and lays out their implications for New York State tax policy.

Key findings include:

New Yorkers worth over $30 million collectively own $6.7 trillion in wealth. These ultra-rich New Yorkers are just 0.4 percent of the state population.

New York’s ultra-rich also hold about one-fifth of the total wealth held by all ultra-rich Americans — the highest concentration of wealth in any state.

Of the $6.7 trillion held by ultra-rich New Yorkers, ITEP estimates that $3.1 trillion consists of unrealized capital gains. Much of this wealth will never be taxed under current law.

New York State tax implications include:

New York’s current tax system, taken as a whole, is regressive: the wealthy pay about the same combined state and local tax rate as the bottom 40 percent.

Because of the substantial overlap between high income earners and owners of extreme wealth, increasing the progressivity of the existing Personal Income Tax would help to address extreme inequality.

At a minimum, the state should not allow the current PIT rates on high earners to expire, as they are currently set to, in 2027.

New York can further address extreme inequality, and increase the overall progressivity of its tax system, through a number of tax policy options, including:

Increasing tax rates on long-term capital gains for high-income taxpayers

Taxing unrealized capital gains on a mark-to-market basis for wealthy taxpayers

Increasing taxes on business profits, such as those earned through pass-through entities such as LLCs, and targeting the profit-shifting of multinational corporations

Taxing inherited wealth, or fixing the estate tax by lowering the exemption threshold and eliminating step-up in basis

Revising the state constitution to permit a direct wealth tax

This will be relevant after December 6, 2022, when “Invest in Our New York” establishes its strategy/agenda for the legislative session.

Geraldine R. Maslanka

Sowed Discord

David Posnett — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 15:01:42 +0000

Trump ‘s lackey boy, Lee Zeldin

Springs
August 24, 2020

Dear David:

The past three and a half years have been a master class in the havoc that can be wrought when a president is constrained by neither truth nor decency. Starting with the size of his inauguration crowd, it’s been brazen lie after brazen lie (20,000 and counting), and a never-ending assault on the rule of law.

He has sought to end health-care coverage for millions of Americans (and continues to do so during a pandemic), encouraged violence against journalists and political opponents, attempted to extort the president of Ukraine, re-tweeted preposterous and vile QAnon conspiracy theories, actively sown discord whenever he thinks it’s to his political advantage, and most recently he installed an unqualified lackey to sabotage the U.S. Postal Service. The list goes on and on.

But Trump couldn’t have inflicted so much damage on his own; he needed help from those willing to excuse his corruption and incompetence, and in that respect, our congressional representative, Lee Zeldin, has been a standout. Parroting any number of the president’s ridiculous talking points — from how confessed felon General Flynn has been treated unfairly to decrying that Lt. Col. Vindman “is no martyr” (No, he’s a Purple Heart recipient who served his country for 20 years and came forward when he witnessed wrongdoing), to lauding the president’s “phenomenal” handling of the coronavirus. Zeldin is an embarrassment.

Nancy Goroff, a distinguished scientist with years of experience tackling difficult problems and finding solutions, is running against Zeldin in November. The choice is ours. Do we want a sycophant who has spent the better part of his last two terms supporting the worst instincts of a dangerous president, or a woman who will represent and fight for the interests of her constituents with dignity and intelligence?

Sincerely,

CAROL DEISTLER

SPLC under attack

David Posnett — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 17:28:53 +0000

This past weekend, the Republican National Committee caved to white supremacist and other hate groups by adopting a resolution titled Refuting the Legitimacy of the Southern Poverty Law Center to Identify Hate Groups.

https://www.splcenter.org/what-we-do

The focus of the resolution is that “the SPLC is a radical organization” that harms conservative organizations and voices through our hate group designations.

This attack on our work is an attempt to excuse the Trump administration’s pattern and practice of working with individuals and organizations that malign entire groups of people — immigrants, Muslims and the LGBTQ community — while promoting policies that undermine their very existence. It comes from the same vein as Trump’s claim that there were “very fine people” on both sides of the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville.

Simply put, it’s an audacious attempt by Trump and the GOP to paper over the bigotry and racism that has been allowed to infect their policies.

This resolution comes at a moment when Trump will argue at the Republican National Convention that he will combat hate and bigotry, despite welcoming the support of QAnon. It also comes days after the indictment of Stephen Bannon, reminding us that Bannon was once the White House chief strategist and senior counselor and CEO of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. And it comes just after our special investigation shined a light on One America News Network’s Jack Posobiec, a reporter at Trump’s favorite network who is aligned with white supremacy and has used his platform to further hate speech and propaganda.

Trump should sever these ties to hate groups and extremists instead of doubling down through this RNC resolution.

The Trump administration has filled its ranks and consulted with alumni and allies from the Federation for American Immigration Reform, an anti-immigrant hate group that has ties to white supremacist groups and eugenicists. They include Julie Kirchner, Kris Kobach, Jeff Sessions and, most notably, Stephen Miller.

The Trump administration has worked with hate groups like the Family Research Council (FRC) to roll back LGBTQ rights. FRC was designated an anti-LGBTQ hate group for decades of demonizing LGBTQ people and spreading harmful pseudoscience about them. Over the years, the organization has published books, reports and brochures that have linked being LGBTQ to pedophilia, claimed that LGBTQ people are dangerous to children and claimed that LGBTQ people are promiscuous and violent.

Anti-Muslim groups have also been welcomed into the administration, including the Center for Security Policy (CSP). Fred Fleitz, a longtime staffer, was appointed the executive secretary and chief of staff of the National Security Council. For decades, CSP has peddled absurd accusations that shadowy Muslim Brotherhood operatives have infiltrated all levels of government.

These extremists are seeking a license to continue spreading their bigotry and will do anything to undermine those — like the SPLC, which tracks and monitors hate groups — who expose their extremist views and oppose their attacks on communities. With this resolution, Trump and members of the GOP (including Lee ZELDIN*) have shown the extent to which they will carry their water.

This past weekend, the RNC also released a resolution titled Resolution to Conserve History and Combat Prejudice – Christopher Columbus. It’s a remarkably transparent statement that hate and bigotry stem from Black Lives Matter protesters. The RNC and Trump did not denounce organizations that promote antisemitism, Islamophobia, neo-Nazis, anti-LGBTQ sentiment or racism. It only criticized the SPLC for challenging those groups.

Outraged? Here are two ways to take action today:

Sign up for our next Power Hour Virtual Phone Bank on August 27. We’ll be calling likely unregistered voters of color in Georgia to share information on how they can register to vote.
Listen and subscribe to our new podcast, Sounds Like Hate. Episode 2 is about the connections between extremists and the Trump administration.

Onward,

Margaret Huang
SPLC President & CEO

added by D. Posnett

Protest in Commack drawing criticism

David Posnett — Sun, 31 May 2020 20:29:29 +0000

Some insightful letters to Newsday:

The behavior of a few unruly demonstrators at the recent Commack protest was shameful [“Trump cheers LI protesters,” News, May 17]. If these few were, say, 4% of the
demonstrators, the other 96% could have and should have shouted them down. That
small group was aggressive, inconsiderate of others, and shameful. They think guns
and shouting and flags and MAGA hats combine to show they are correct. Where were the others with similar opinions who could discredit the shameful actions of those few? Why aren’t President Donald Trump and Fox News condemning what those few did? I hope other readers will react the same way, and I hope Newsday publishes their condemnation of those few.
Jan Huml, Bohemia

Friends from out of state were calling me and asking what’s wrong with the people here who harassed a TV reporter at a rally in Commack. I’m embarrassed by the sheer ignorance and arrogance of these people who don’t care about the coronavirus or who dies from it. Salons, gyms and nonessential business closings were the only thing that kept this virus from even more tragic consequences. These screaming people need to get a clue. As for me, I don’t care if you’re not smart enough to do the right thing. Go catch
the virus but keep it in your own circle. You shouldn’t be allowed to spread it to those
of us who abide by the state mandates.
Carol Galati, Ridge

We read how President Donald Trump worked his magic and people who had apologized for their appalling behavior were suddenly not at all sorry. That’s the president’s special sauce -— bring out the worst in people. On May 15, Trump tweeted, “Fake news is not essential,” with a video retweet of the ‘Setauket Patriots’ protest. The next day, he
tweeted that the TV reporter was an “enemy of the people.” Although the group had
apologized two days before, blaming a “few idiots” and “outsiders unaffiliated with the group” for harassing him, once they got the presidential nod, they reverted back to form, tweeting, “Thank You President Trump.” In November, it’s up to us to send Trump and his enablers packing.
Carol Deistler, Springs

The protesters who want to rush into opening Long Island with no precautions are like Typhoid Mary, who argued she should be free to live her life even if she infected others because she wasn’t sick herself [“We’re all Typhoid Mary now,” News, May 17]. We all want to resume a normal life, but most of us want to proceed with caution to lower the risk for the vulnerable. You can’t do that if you have a herd of people who don’t care if they are infected or if they infect others. Some, egged on by the Rush Limbaughs of the world, think it is no big deal if we cull the herd of the elderly, the sick and the poor. I am
most appalled by those protesters who call themselves Christians. Jesus did not tell his followers to turn their backs on the vulnerable. It is the exact opposite of what he said.
Bill Bence, East Meadow

Newsday’s editorial about the protesters who harassed that News 12 reporter got me
angry all over again [“Protesters behaving badly,” May 19]. To me, this small band of
haters in no way represents the larger majority of Long Islanders, and yet we now
seem to be singled out by President Donald Trump as being his supporters. I’m even
more upset by my local Republican representatives who now choose to just stand by
and do nothing to admonish the president or the protesters for their actions. I need to
remind them that we, the voting public, have very long memories and come November
will hold them accountable for their actions. I was and had been a conservative
Republican for 50 years — but not anymore.
Frank Socci, West Babylon

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said in “Trump cheers LI protesters” [News,
May 17], responding to the president’s tweets, that he did not want “to get into any
kind of back and forth on what the president may be saying.” We understand Bellone’s
position as a politician in a county hard hit by COVID-19. President Donald Trump’s remarks aren’t overtly subversive, but I see them that way. He is really calling those who harassed News 12 Long Island reporter Kevin Vesey “great people,” showing Trump supports a fanatical base, the more fanatical the better. When he tweets, “Fake news is not essential,” he shows he understands the power of a free press and will actively undermine it at every turn. We must conclude that his concept of governing is antithetical to our representative, democratic ideals. I have only one question: President Trump, have you read the First Amendment, which guarantees the right to peaceably assemble — and a free press? It’s only 45 words, Mr. President, and it’s a good read.
Katherine Curcio-Payne, Seaford

Trump thinks we are gullible!

David Posnett — Sat, 09 Nov 2019 15:14:35 +0000

No Charitable Thought for Donald Trump (NY TIMES, NOV 8 2019)

Fined $2 million after admitting his foundation was his piggy bank, the president shows he always comes first.

By The Editorial Board

Credit…Illustration by Nicholas Konrad; photograph by Doug Mills/The New York Times

On Monday, President Trump will kick off the 100th New York City Veterans Day Parade, at which he is likely to boast, as is his wont, of his devotion to the men and women who have served in the military.

But a legal settlement announced on Thursday reveals that for Donald Trump, personal interest outranks even the needs of veterans. Under the agreement, a New York judge ordered the president to pay $2 million in damages after Mr. Trump admitted that his now-defunct Donald J. Trump Foundation largely benefited Donald J. Trump….

More here: Judge rules that Donald Trump must pay $2 million to charities. Published Nov 8th by Michael Collins Dennis Wagner Kevin McCoy in USA TODAY

The lawsuit, filed last year by then-New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood, outlined a wide array of mismanagement by Trump and his three eldest children.

Chief among them: allowing Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign to orchestrate a televised fundraiser in Des Moines, Iowa, for the foundation, which then distributed $2.8 million to veterans’ charities that were also chosen by the campaign.

Charities are prohibited by New York law from supporting political candidates or campaigns.

Trump staged the fundraiser on Jan. 28, 2016, days before the Iowa caucuses, rather than participate in a Republican presidential debate.

According to the lawsuit, Trump’s campaign staff, not the foundation, chose the veterans’ groups that would get the money. That violated New York’s charity laws.

The Attorney General’s Office and the Trump Foundation reached an agreement last year to dissolve the foundation and distribute its remaining $1.8 million in assets to a variety of charities, including the Army Relief Fund and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

And this:

The Trump Foundation was a sham.

By Dylan Matthews @dylanmatt dylan@vox.com Nov 8, 2019, 9:40am EST

The New York State attorney general’s case against the Trump Foundation — Donald Trump’s nonprofit that a court shut down earlier this year — has concluded. The Trumps have agreed to pay a $2 million fine, the attorney general’s office said in a press release on Thursday.

The deal follows years of incredible, careful reporting by a number of reporters but most of all the Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold. As Fahrenthold discovered, the Trump Foundation often operated as a slush fund for the Trump family and Trump’s businesses. It bought Trump an autographed Tim Tebow helmet, a portrait of himself, and money for various lawsuit settlements. Less entertainingly but perhaps more importantly, he also used a foundation fundraiser, which was nationally televised a few days before the Iowa caucuses, to promote his presidential bid in 2016.

I would be mad as hell as a veteran…

See more here:

Inside Trump’s VA – Investigating Trump’s Promises to America’s Veterans

Bombing Hospitals in Syria: a Crime against Humanity

David Posnett — Sun, 13 Oct 2019 19:06:58 +0000

I just saw a documentary on a Syrian underground hospital: The Cave. It should be compulsory viewing for everyone. INCLUDING Rep. Lee Zeldin. He too lived thru a period where his premature born twin girls where in the NICU. Might he identify with the story of a 30 year old pediatrician running an underground hospital in northern Syria under horrendous conditions and constant bombardment? I have spoken with Lee Zeldin, and he is aware of how lucky his family was.

Here is a review of The CAVE: https://www.thewrap.com/the-cave-film-review-syrian-documentary-goes-underground-to-find-a-new-face-of-tragedy/

And here is the trailer: https://www.firstshowing.net/2019/official-trailer-for-the-cave-doc-film-about-a-hidden-syrian-hospital/

If you have any doubt about the culprits, read more in the NY Times (Oct. 13). There is an 8 min video attached to the article and it contains ample proof of Russian planes specifically targeting hospitals. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/13/world/middleeast/russia-bombing-syrian-hospitals.html

In my book this is a crime against humanity. It should be prosecuted at The Hague. And the prime suspects/culprits are Syrian President Assad and Russian President Putin.

This all is relevant to our most recent national disaster in foreign policy: inviting Turkey to invade parts of northern Syria, where our previous allies, the Kurds, live. The bombs have started falling as reported today. The players are likely to have blood on their hands. Erdogan? Donald Trump? And Lee Zeldin ? He habitually supports Trump, irrespective of common sense.

The Truth About Lee Zeldin’s Record

David Posnett — Fri, 26 Oct 2018 14:37:35 +0000

October 1, 2018 by Jacquelyn Gavron and Amy Turner

You deserve the facts about your representative, but you won’t get them from Lee Zeldin. Here’s the truth about his record.

OPPOSES GUN SAFETY

After Parkland, Zeldin said, “This tragedy could have and should’ve been prevented.” But he voted against bills to prevent them—background checks and assault rifle ban.
Zeldin’s received $61,181 from the NRA, more than any NY rep. No wonder he co-sponsored its pet “concealed carry” act overriding our laws and letting out-of-state guns flow into NY.
Zeldin voted against a bill banning firearms in airports and prohibiting terrorists on the FBI’s no-fly list to buy guns in the U.S.

ANTI-LGBTQ

Zeldin voted against preventing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity
Said he believes marriage is between a man and a woman and voted against the Marriage Equality Act of New York
Supported Trump’s rescinding Obama’s rule on transgender bathroom use and all but said he supported Trump’s ban on transgender people in the military.

DISHONORS VETERANS

Zeldin’s vote to repeal the ACA would leave 340,000 veterans covered by the Medicaid expansion without any health care coverage.
Did little to address equipment and infrastructure issues at Northport VA Medical Center, which serves approximately 30,000 of the 130,000 veterans on L.I.
Zeldin received $20,000 from Koch Industries, which has been funding VA privatization PACS including Concerned Veterans for America.

ETHICAL LAPSES

Zeldin was sworn in to the House on Jan. 6, 2015. That same day, he voted to limit the power of the House and Senate ethics committees to investigate members.
Zeldin repeatedly voted against investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election–
Although use of private jets for routine travel violates federal rules, Zeldin voted against protecting whistleblowers who disclose on improper use of aircrafts by government officials.

ANTI-IMMIGRATION

Supported Trump’s repeal of the DACA, or Dream Act, which protected from deportation those brought to the U.S. as children
Defended Trump’s comment about immigrants from “shithole countries” and voted to require state/local governments to comply with ICE requests to detain undocumented immigrants
Voted to block federal funding for states and localities with “sanctuary” laws on immigration.

Child Abuse (Human Rights Violation)

David Posnett — Sun, 17 Jun 2018 16:15:26 +0000

Submitted by James Ewing (Watermill):

IMAGES
We want you to imagine for a moment what this might be like for a child: to flee the place you have called your home because it is not safe to stay and then embark on a dangerous journey to an unknown destination, only to be ripped apart from your sole sense of security with no understanding of what just happened to you or if you will ever see your family again. And that the only thing you have done to deserve this, is to do what children do: stay close to the adults in their lives for security.

The zero-tolerance policy was announced on April 6.
Nationwide, nearly 2,000 minors were taken from their parents from April 19 through May 31, according to figures from the Department of Homeland Security.
“…the children will be taken care of — put into foster care or whatever.”
Donald Trump’s Chief of Staff John F. Kelly.

“At minimum, forced separation will cause these children extreme emotional distress…the sadness is not the thing that really matters here. What matters is this is a trauma to the developing nervous system.”
Nim Tottenham of Columbia University.
“Extreme emotional responses to separation from parents is part of evolution’s plan to keep those parents close — to break any parent’s heart, because throughout human evolution, an absent caregiver has meant almost certain death.
Megan Gunnar University of Minnesota.…

When faced with separation from loved ones, “we fight as if it’s a matter of life and death, because it is.”
Jude Cassidy University of Maryland.
“…little minds and hearts can maintain that level of distress only for so long before the children face a horrifying decision: Continue, through severe emotional pain, to call out for their parents, or proceed on the assumption that their parents are gone…
James Coan University of Virginia

We are all being made complicit in child abuse by this administration.

Comments added by David Posnett:

Here is Zeldin’s response:

(UAC: Unaccompanied Alien Children)

Lee Zeldin contact info: (202) 225 3826, (631) 289 1097. Congressmanzeldin1@mail.house.gov

I am sure he would like to hear from you!

Perry Gershon for Congress

𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐙𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐎𝐧 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝

Zeldin finally took a position on family separation at the border. As expected, he is supporting the cruel Trump policy. We need to replace Zeldin this November. Taking children away from their parents does not just apply to people attempting to cross the border without documentation. Our government is separating the children of asylum seekers too – these people with zero purported criminal activity. We cannot allow this to happen and be silent. And Zeldin cheers the policy. I pledge to fight this policy to all my ability if elected in November, and ask for your support on June 26 to help me get there.

If you want more color on the trump policy, this link describes it better. https://www.vox.com/2018/6/11/17443198/children-immigrant-families-separated-parents

The da Vinci Lode

David Posnett — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 23:37:57 +0000

The painting ‘Salvator Mundi’ by Leonardo da Vinci at Christie’s. Credit Drew Angerer/Getty Images

To the Editor:

“The da Vinci Lode” (NY Times editorial, Nov. 17) is an important warning. The idea that the obscenely rich see nothing untoward in parking hundreds of millions of dollars on a rare but unexceptional painting is not just lamentable; it is obscene as well.

The sale of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi” for $400 million, plus $50.3 million in commissions, should have everyone outraged. We have lost perspective. The concentration of wealth by the superrich highlights their indifference to the struggles of the rest of society.

The bubble will burst, and the result will be seismic. Doesn’t anyone feel the unmistakable rumbles?

STEVEN A. LUDSIN
EAST HAMPTON, N.Y.

EXCLUSIVE: Brookhaven Town Clerk Violates Ethics Code? (Part 3)

David Posnett — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 15:49:19 +0000

By J.Gavron and A.Turner

This Exclusive Report investigates Brookhaven Town Clerk, Donna Lent, who’s running for reelection on Nov. 7th. Get the facts on Lent before you vote.

Missed a Background Check? Part 1, Part 2

Did you know….

Donna Lent violated the clear language of Brookhaven’s Code of Ethics
Donna Lent used Brookhaven email for work on behalf of her other job

READ THE FULL REPORT

When Donna Lent says the Brookhaven Town Clerk is “frequently considered the center of town government,” she’s absolutely right. The Clerk is Public Relations Officer, Recording Secretary, Custodian of all Town records, Registrar of Vital Statistics, and FOIL Appeals Officer. Her office supports the Town Supervisor and Town Council. As Filing Officer, Lent maintains records of town ordinances, local laws, annual budgets, fiscal reports, subpoenas and court actions, zoning ordinances and maps. And she manages a staff of 35 employees, according to Newsday.

Although you won’t see it on her LinkedIn page, Lent has another job. Since 2011 she has been an officer of the National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC) and, since 2015, its President. Lent’s position carries significant responsibilities that include overseeing an eight-member board, local chapters in more than 25 states, and the NWPC Foundation.

Given Lent’s extensive responsibilities as National NWPC president, Background Check took a closer look at whether she was conducting NWPC business on the taxpayer’s dime (and time). Here’s what we found.

Donna Lent used Brookhaven Town computers and email servers to conduct NWPC business and in doing so appears to have violated the plain language of the Brookhaven’s Town Code of Ethics and Disclosure, section 28-8, which states the following:

“Town officers are prohibited from using “Town property, including . . . computers, internet, email, telephones, materials and any other town property, for personal convenience or profit.”

Here’s the evidence

Email #1: Lent instructed NWPC members to contact her at her Brookhaven Town Clerk email address.

Email #2: Lent sent an official NWPC tax document from her Brookhaven Town Clerk email address.

Email #3: Lent sent an email concerning a NWPC agreement from her Brookhaven Town Clerk email address.

Email #4: Donna Lent, as Chief Deputy Clerk, sent an email containing comments on a NWPC press release from her official Brookhaven email address.

Stay tuned. Background Check has filed a FOIL request seeking any other emails concerning NWPC business sent from Donna Lent’s official Brookhaven email address.

Here are our sources:

https://www.brookhavenny.gov/Departments/Town-Clerk

https://projects.newsday.com/payrolls/long-island/data/towns-city-payroll/

https://ecode360.com/8591561

In case you missed it, read Background Check: Donna Lent (Part 1)