Page 28 - bon-dia-aruba-20220221

A28 u.s. news
Dialuna 21 Februari 2022

1 police officer dead, 1 hurt in offshore helicopter crash

(AP) — Authorities were veteran with the police de- clear who was the pilot.
investigating Sunday the partment, died in the crash,
cause of a police helicop- Police Chief Eric Parra said The National Transporta-
ter crash off the Southern at a Saturday night news tion Safety Board and the
California coast that left conference. He leaves be- Orange County Sheriff’s
one officer dead and an- hind behind a wife and Department are investigat-
other hospitalized with daughter. ing the crash.
critical injuries.
Vella “was truly dedicated to A witness told KCAL-TV he
The Huntington Beach of- his job and was doing what saw the helicopter struggling
ficers were responding to a he loved doing,” the chief moments before the crash.
disturbance in the neighbor- said. “We were driving over here
ing city of Newport Beach “This is a difficult night for and we heard the pitch of
around 6:30 p.m. Saturday all of us and I would ask for the helicopter and it sound-
when the helicopter hit a your prayers and support ed like the helicopter was in
narrow strip of water be- as we support our officers’ distress,” said the witness
tween Lido Isle and the Bal- families.” who spoke to the station
boa Peninsula. Witnesses on condition of anonymity.
said boaters who saw the The second officer, who is a “When we looked at the he-
helicopter go down rushed 16-year veteran with the de- licopter it was out of control.
to the wreckage to pull the partment, was taken to the It was obvious the helicopter
officers out. hospital in critical condition was gonna go down. It did
“but he is feeling OK,” Parra go down, and almost imme-
Nicholas Vella, 44, a 14-year said. It wasn’t immediately diately sunk.”

Income-tax phaseout up for debate in long-poor Mississippi

(AP) — Mississippi is ac- ... get on a bus to Mississippi Nine states don’t have an in-
customed to being first and move down here — it’s come tax and one more, New
in worsts: It’s one of the just laughable on its face,” Hampshire, only taxes inter-
poorest, unhealthiest Bryan said. Mississippi’s est and dividends, according
states in the nation, with population has dwindled in to the National Conference
public schools that are the past decade, even as other of State Legislatures. Oppo-
chronically underfunded. Sun Belt states are bustling nents of repealing the Missis-
Some Republican leaders with new residents. Tax-cut sippi income tax point to Re-
say a good way to boost proposals are a direct effort publican-led Kansas, which
the state’s fortunes would to compete with states that enacted big tax cuts in 2012
be to phase out its income don’t tax earnings, including and 2013 but repealed many
tax. Texas, Florida and Tennes- of them in 2017 after large
see — places to which many and persistent budget short-
“There is no downside to young Mississippians are falls.
putting money back into moving for fatter paychecks.
the pockets of Mississippi- Mississippi Republican Gov.
ans,” said Republican House Married couple Les and Tate Reeves is wholeheart- in Mississippi’s 7% sales tax tween thriving and struggling
Speaker Philip Gunn, one of Amanda Jordan live near the edly behind the income-tax on groceries. The House school districts. Legislators
the main sponsors of a tax south Mississippi town of elimination. would increase the sales tax consistently shortchange the
cut bill advancing in the Leg- Summit. He’s a retired pub- “We can throw out the wel- on most items other than state’s school funding formu-
islature. lic school administrator and come mat for the dreamers groceries, from 7% to 8.5%, la by hundreds of millions of
she’s a retired nurse practi- and the visionaries,” Reeves while the Senate would not dollars a year.
Opponents say erasing the tioner. Both worked for the said. “We can have more change the rate. LaShauna Fortenberry, a for-
income tax is a terrible idea state. Amanda Jordan said tax money circulating in our Increasing the sales tax mer public school teacher,
because it would mean even rates could influence young economy. And it can lead to would have a disproportion- said eliminating the state in-
less money for schools, health people’s decisions about more wealth for all Missis- ally larger impact on people come tax and increasing the
care, roads and other ser- where to live. The couple has sippians.” with modest incomes. The sales tax are bad ideas.
vices, especially hurting poor a grandson in Texas, one of poorest residents would see
and working-class residents. the states without an income Republicans control the Mis- no gain from eliminating the Fortenberry, who is Black,
The Mississippi income tax tax. sissippi House and Senate by income tax because they are said schools already have ag-
accounts for 34% of state rev- Les Jordan said he’s torn. wide margins, but the income not paying it now. ing buildings and textbooks.
enue. Wealthy people would tax elimination is not guaran- She said a brother who is 18
see the biggest financial boost “On first hearing about it — teed. A proposal died in 2021 According to the Mississippi years younger than her is us-
from eliminating the income oh, great, we’d have more because of Senate leaders’ Department of Revenue, ing one of the very same text-
tax, because they’re the ones money,” he said. “On the concerns that it would un- people with incomes of at books she had. How does she
paying the most now. other hand, we’re such a dermine funding for schools least $100,000 a year make know? Her signature appears
Democratic state Sen. Hob poor state. How would it af- and other services. up 14% of those who pay inside it.
Bryan said people don’t fect those who are less fortu- “People expect us to edu- state income tax, and their
choose where to live because nate?” cate our children. That’s the payments bring in 56% of Fortenberry now works for
of tax policy but because of A single person with no de- future of Mississippi,” said the income tax revenue. The an agency that provides in-
family ties and quality of life. pendents in Mississippi cur- Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert department says people with home care for older people in
He said people live in high- rently pays no tax on the Hosemann, who presides incomes below $30,000 make Columbia, Mississippi. She
tax New York, for example, first $12,300 of income, and over the Senate, where he up 49% of those who pay said when she taught from
because the city offers oppor- because of tax cuts approved and other leaders are propos- Mississippi income tax, and 2005 to 2013, she routinely
tunities. years ago the tax-free amount ing a separate plan that would their payments bring in 5% used her own money to buy
will increase to $13,300 after reduce the income tax but of the income tax revenue. classroom supplies “trying to
“The notion that if the peo- this year. The state has a 4% not eliminate it. make sure that the kids had
ple in Manhattan only found tax on the next $5,000 of in- Mississippi is burdened by everything that they needed
out that Mississippi did not come and a 5% tax on all in- The House and Senate are a history of racism that still to be able to learn.” She said
have an income tax, they’d all come above that. both proposing a reduction shows up in disparities be- teachers still do that.