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  • Commentary consisting of my feelings and thoughts on issues I want to relay to the President.

    2 Topics
    2 Posts
    e henryE
    Dr. Mr. President, I just wanted to let you know that I am very impressed with your ability to stay calm in the face of adversity. You behaved with aplomb and honor when confronted by tyrannical bullies. You are an inspiration to leaders around the world. You inspire and awe many including myself. I am sure the people of your country are proud to call you their President. I only wish other world leaders had the courage and tenacity to fight for their country and convictions the way that you do. Your bravery distinguishes you from your peers. Ukraine is lucky to have you as their leader. Please continue to inspire, A Western Ally

  • Breaking News

    10 Topics
    11 Posts
    e henryE
    The U.S. Department of Treasury just ended a rule that was used to register and document the use of shell companies, sometimes used to cover up money laundering, illegal business practices, hiding assets or income used to influence elections, etc. The rule will only be enforced for foreign business holders. The rule which put in place the Beneficial Ownership Information reporting (BOI) which required all businesses to register their business or businesses on a website with the owners name; date of birth; address; and identification number from a state issued drivers license, ID or a passport. Rolling back regulation and ending enforcement of this rule could lead to an increase in: illegal money flooding into our elections, domestic drug trafficking, or other nefarious business practices, by affording them less red tape and accountability. Another problem, it could embolden U.S. citizens acting on behalf of a foreign person, government, or criminal, to open a shell corporation. (Also, if you were not aware, approximately 80% of Fentanyl that comes over our border was transported by U.S. citizens). The Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessant, put out a statement in regard to the rollback of this rule, “The Treasury Department is announcing today that, with respect to the Corporate Transparency Act, not only will it not enforce any penalties or fines associated with the beneficial ownership information reporting rule under the existing regulatory deadlines, but it will further not enforce any penalties or fines against U.S. citizens or domestic reporting companies or their beneficial owners after the forthcoming rule changes take effect either. The Treasury Department will further be issuing a proposed rulemaking that will narrow the scope of the rule to foreign reporting companies only. Treasury takes this step in the interest of supporting hard-working American taxpayers and small businesses and ensuring that the rule is appropriately tailored to advance the public interest. “This is a victory for common sense,” said U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Today’s action is part of President Trump’s bold agenda to unleash American prosperity by reining in burdensome regulations, in particular for small businesses that are the backbone of the American economy.”” The rules came amidst the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and our ramped up sanctions on Russia, a country known for using shell corporations to hide its assets in Western countries. Shell Corporation’s are legal but they have been used for illegal activities and this rule helped in combating money laundering; which is not just a foreign business problem. When the bill, The Corporate Transparency Act was proposed in 2019 it got bipartisan support and passed in December of 2020. When the BOI rule was introduced, “The Treasury Department said it was moving to create a database that will contain personal information on the owners of at least 32 million U.S. businesses as part of an effort to combat illicit finance. Treasury officials said the new rule represents a sea change in the world of corporate transparency.” According to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) website (who regulates BOI under the Treasury Department), “The mission of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is to safeguard the financial system from illicit activity, counter money laundering and the financing of terrorism, and promote national security through strategic use of financial authorities and the collection, analysis, and dissemination of financial intelligence.” The ending of the enforcement of this rule seems counterintuitive to the fight against crime to ensure America's safety. https://apnews.com/article/treasury-beneficial-ownership-database-finance-bessent-trump-a903100907851cca1930511f96e9686d https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0038 https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-politics-business-bc1631f23fe2f14273dcaed6fbd3883b https://www.fincen.gov/boi https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2015 https://www.uschamber.com/co/start/strategy/small-business-corporate-transparency-act https://www.fincen.gov/about/mission#:~:text=The mission of the Financial,analysis%2C and dissemination of financial https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/us-congress-bans-anonymous-shell-companies-2020-12-11/ https://campaignlegal.org/update/secret-election-spending-proliferates-through-shell-companies https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/quick-facts/Fentanyl_FY21.pdf https://www.cato.org/blog/us-citizens-were-80-crossers-fentanyl-ports-entry-2019-2024 https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/2513

  • A place to talk about whatever you want

    5 Topics
    7 Posts
    e henryE
    I would like to address something that I have previously briefly touched on, the supposed “Fake News” phenomenon. First, I would like to say that like other professions, the Media has an internal or peer based review system. If journalists or media companies don’t do their due diligence tracking down the facts and details of a story they will get checked or a rival will steal the story by presenting the facts and details. Journalist and the Media even have awards for their work so it pays to get the story right and put as much information and detail into their work. They are an important part of our information network; they are our conduit to information. We need them to make informed decisions about our government and our lives. They are also not just about informing us on political matters; think about natural disasters, food recalls, the weather, local information, world information, etc. Now, there is a newer branch of media “news” that I think we should all be careful when listening to or reading. It is called opinion news and it is filled with biases. I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinion but we should all be wary when listening to another person’s even if it aligns with our own way of thinking. Opinions are not facts and confusing them can be detrimental to your ability to discern the truth. It is normal and commonplace to have a natural skepticism about information, but problems arise when we don’t heed that niggling doubt; when we believe something just based on the first thing we hear about it. This is how gossip is spread and how people’s lives get upended. We should all approach information with a bit of skepticism and explore it by getting multiple view points and sources. When I was a child my father told me that I should believe only half of what I see and none of what I hear. He was instructing me to be less gullible and to use my critical thinking skills to seek out the facts. That changed my life and my perspective on viewing the world. I am unfortunately or fortunately still somewhat naïve but I heed my inner voice and I use my brain to make sure no one will fool me without at least giving myself a fighting chance to get to the truth. Finally, I would like to say don’t just believe something because someone told you about it or you read it on social media or you heard it from someone in authority. Do your due diligence and seek the truth; search out multiple sources; investigate. The world has more information available today than it ever had before, so utilize that computer in your pocket. Don’t let anyone make a fool of you. Knowledge is Power. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_media_awards

  • Got a question? Ask away!

    1 Topics
    2 Posts
    e henryE
    @Russ Hopefully this makes a positive difference. Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.

  • Blog posts from my perspective

    9 Topics
    9 Posts
    e henryE
    Dear Congress, We the People are unhappy with you, the Congress, and your lack of backbone and your constant finger pointing. In case you are unaware, 43% of voting Americans identify as Independent, 56% are divided equally among Democrat and Republican. The status quo has created a toxic environment for public, personal, and business relationships for anyone associated with your two parties. It is motivating voters to disaffiliate with both parties. You are adults, start acting like it. We are disgusted by the chicanery, the petty name calling, and exaggeration of culture war issues by using anecdotal examples, the undermining of the media, the grand standing, and showboating. Just a reminder, you represent all of your constituents, not just the ones who voted for you. And to my knowledge none of you won 100% of the vote in your state or district. The people want policies that work for everyone not just a small faction of one party. Collaborate and focus, after all we are supposed to be united. You seem to have forgotten that you took an oath to the Constitution (in case you have forgotten, it represents the fundamental law of our land). An oath is sacred and should not be taken lightly. It is imperative that you take your oath seriously for the continued success of our country. Sitting on your hands waiting for the Judicial branch to hold the line while the Executive branch dismantles our Government will not be well received. Your duty demands you to act, your conscience should guide you to safeguard the core principles that our democracy has cemented into the fabric of our country and what that represents to the world. The cost to the American people by your neglect and nonsense legislation is illuminating the fact that we (the people) don’t need you. When a government doesn’t work for the masses it becomes irrelevant. Our Constitution was created to eliminate the elitism and pomp; instead it put forth representation that works for common people. Lest you forget, we were rebelling against a monarchy. It’s the Republicans who hold the majority in both chambers but you wouldn’t know it; the Democrats need to be in on the drafting and negotiations. Republicans your lackadaisical approach has been noted as has your continued failure at leadership. We are starting to draw our own conclusions about your motives for ceding control of your congressional duties and allowing an unelected bureaucrat and the President to run roughshod on the Federal Government. So you may want to commence your duties by checking the overreach of the President and working on solutions to real issues and prudent no-nonsense laws that benefit us all (affordability, accessibility, equal opportunities, safety and well-being). Also, defunding Libraries, the Arts and shuttering the Department of Education will not make America Smart Again. It will in fact make it harder for Americans to thrive and prosper. Thank you for your time, We the People P.S. Without DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) congress would be: white, male, likely slave owners.