On this day, May 5, 1903, James Beard, US culinary expert, author (Delights & Prejudices), was born in Portland, Ore.
Also on this day, May 5, 1945, A Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon, killing Mrs. Elsie Mitchell, the pregnant wife of a minister, and five children after they attempted to drag it out the woods in Lakeview, Oregon. The balloon was armed, and exploded soon after they began tampering with it. They became the 1st and only known American civilians to be killed in the continental US during World War II.
Also on this day, May 5, 1945, Bly minister Archie Mitchell, his pregnant wife Elsie, and five children from Mitchell's Sunday school class were on a Saturday morning picnic. Thirteen miles northeast of Bly, or about sixty miles northeast of Klamath Falls, Mitchell parked the car, and Elsie and the children headed to Leonard Creek. Mitchell later remembered: "As I got out of the car to bring the lunch, the others were not far away and called to me they had found something that looked like a balloon. I heard of Japanese balloons so I shouted a warning not to touch it. But just then there was a big explosion. I ran up there--and they were all dead." It was a Japanese balloon bomb. They were 70 feet tall with a 33-foot diameter paper canopy connected to the main device by shroud lines. Balloons inflated with hydrogen followed the jet stream at an altitude of 30,000 feet.
Democrats hold hostage a bill to return it to them
Today marks the deadline for Oregonians to file their income taxes. This year, money that was meant to give people relief during the depths of the pandemic will now end up in the hands of Democrats who control the government.
According to an analysis from the Legislative Revenue Office, approximately 870,000 middle-class Oregonians will be sending an estimated $160 million of their stimulus checks to the state. An average family of four could see their income taxes increase by nearly $300 because of the loophole, instead of it going to pay the bills.
“Tax Day is here and Democrats are coming for your stimulus checks.
SB 842 would exempt stimulus checks from taxes, but it appears it is being held for ransom. We must move quickly to pass this bill to return this money to where it belongs: Oregonians’ pockets,†Senator Anderson (R-Lincoln City), author of the legislation, said.
Under
SB 842, the Department of Revenue would send refund checks to affected Oregonians for the amount of excess taxes they paid for simply receiving a stimulus check in the 2020 tax year. It would also exempt the most recent $1,400 stimulus payment and any future ones from 2021 taxes by creating a tax credit.
SB 842 is currently sitting in the Senate Finance and Revenue Committee where it is being blocked by Senate Democrats. After an initial public hearing, Senate Democrats have signaled that they are holding the bill hostage as a negotiating tool with Republicans, despite holding supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature.
“Good bills should pass. Oregonians deserve to keep all their stimulus checks. With Oregon swimming in federal bailout money, there is no reason to be ‘nickel and diming’ working Oregonians.
“This bill has bipartisan support. Congressman DeFazio supports exempting stimulus checks from taxes, but Governor Brown and the Democrats want the money to fund their extreme Portland agenda. It is not right to be using Oregonians' stimulus money as leverage for political gain,†Anderson said.
--Staff Reports| Post Date: 2021-05-17 15:41:08 | Last Update: 2021-05-17 15:44:55 |
