Page 5 - Florida Sentinel 5-31-19

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Riding With ‘The SIX’
L ast night (Thursday) the NBA finals tipped-off. And while I have no idea who won the game, considering I'm writing this on Wednesday, I believe the Toronto Raptors will end up winning the series. Right now I'm sure there are a lot of people, who just read that prediction, who are thinking to themselves, "C. Barr must have lost his damn mind?! There's no way Toronto can beat the Golden State Warriors in a seven
game series?"
Maybe those individuals
are right as far as my sanity goes. But, if there's one thing I've learned over the years is that there's no such thing as easy money. And the idea of everyone, from your Uber driver to your grandmother, being able to simply lay down some coins on one of the most dominant squads in NBA his- tory, playing a team that everyone expects them to beat, and being able to walk away with a substantial profit is one of those things that falls squarely into the too-good-to- be-true category.
Like I've said on numerous occasions before, Vegas isn't in the business of giving away free cash. And I can't imagine them suddenly becoming gen- erous.
With everyone rushing to get behind a rested Golden State team that just swept the
Portland Trailblazers, this is the perfect time for one of Vegas' classic slight of the hand tricks. The one that gets everyone to buy into the sure thing before having the rug pulled from under them.
This happens with almost every big game or, in this case, series. What people seem to never realize is that things typ- ically never turn out the way they think.
And that's exactly how casinos in Nevada can afford to blow up and then rebuild every 10 or 12 years.... They use financing that comes al- most exclusively from suckers.
Of course, this isn't the only reason why I'm going with Toronto. They also hap- pen to have a player on their team who I believe could be Golden State's kryptonite... Kawhi "The Claw" Leonard.
The last time Kawhi faced Golden State in the playoffs, when he was with the San An- tonio Spurs, Golden State did- n't seem to have an answer for him. And it was only when he left the game, after being in- jured on a dirty play, that the Warriors were able to secure a victory.
With Kawhi facing that exact same Golden State team, it's hard to believe that he won't be looking for a little payback. And with the one person who could possibly
guard him, Kevin Durant, out of the line up, you have to wonder who's going to be able to keep such a force in check?
Someone will probably suggest that Golden State will use the same strategy on Kawhi that was so effective against LeBron James. And that wouldn't be a bad idea. The difference this time around, though, is that Kawhi has a much better sup- porting cast than LeBron ever had in Cleveland, includ- ing players like Marc Gasol and Kyle Lowry, who've never played in a champi- onship game and who are probably more than desperate to win a title.
With everything I just mentioned, along with the fact that Toronto seems to be a team of destiny that's also hungrier, more driven and more determined, the Raptors present the kind of threat that can't be overlooked. And it doesn't matter how good a team is, how great their star player can shoot from beyond the 3-point line or how many rings they've collected, it's no easy task to overcome an op- ponent who brings so much to the table.
For all of these reasons, I can't help but feel confident in the fact that Toronto will be lifting the trophy in "The Six" in seven. When it happens, I just hope they have enough tissue on stand-by for their team mascot, Drake, to wipe away his happy tears...
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Com- pany. You can contact Mr. Barr at: cbar- ronice@gmail.com.
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C. Blythe Andrews 1901-1977 (1945)
C. Blythe Andrews, Jr. 1930-2010 (1977)
Corporate Tax Welfare
ary and Joe earned just a little over $60,000, last
year. After completing their 2018 taxes, they found out that they owed nearly $3,000 in additional taxes. Joe was livid when he discovered some corporations, billion- aires, and six-figure wage earners paid no taxes, or may have been eligible for huge refunds.
In 2018, at least 60 Fortune 500 large companies paid no taxes on a total of $79 billion of profits earned in 2018. Moreover, even though the tax rate for companies was just 21 percent, those corporations received a net tax rebate of $4.3 billion. That’s right. They paid no taxes and then got a refund.
We don’t know about you, but many of our taxpayer friends would love to pay no taxes and get a hefty refund paid for by people who make less money. You say that wouldn’t be fair.
Well, guess what, that is exactly what many companies do, and we have been the fleeced sheep.” Under the new tax law which dropped the federal tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, companies were supposed to be able to compete globally,” spur innovation,” and “pay for themselves.”
Contrary to the “tax cut bridge Americans were sold, the nation’s deficit grew larger and the rich grew richer, pock- eting nearly $17 billion that Americans could have used to serve the elderly, children, veterans and disabled.
Moreover, just as many companies didn’t pay taxes at the 35 percent tax rate either.
So, the next time you get a prescription filled, buy gas, buy a car, take an airline trip, buy tires for your car, buy a washer, computer, dryer or refrigerator, or rent a movie, you just might want to check to see if the maker of what you are using or buying has paid any income tax.
Indeed, pharmaceutical, technology companies, auto- mobile makers, airlines, communication companies and some manufacturers paid not one copper penny in taxes. We wait for the day when American tax-paying-sheep refuse to be fleeced. Don’t forget Mary and Joe.
Stand Up And Fight
“There are no pleas- ures in a fight but some of my fights have been a pleasure to win.”
-Muhammad Ali Empowered Greetings.
Today, I just want to stir
you up and bring to the forefront of your mind that a parallel shift is about to take place. As a people, we had bet- ter wake up and begin to fight like never before.
I am not talking about arming yourselves with weapons because there is al- ready too much bloodshed within our community. There are battles going on in our communities, in our educa- tional system, in our judicial system and in the economic system that we are on the verge of losing.
It’s time for us to rise up and make our voices heard. We must pursue, overtake and recover everything that our adversary has taken or tried to withhold from us.
As a people, we are no strangers to struggles and fights. We had to fight to be free from slavery, although some of us are still bound in the mind. We had to fight to be counted as more than three fifths of a person.
We had to fight against the Jim Crow Laws of the south. We had to fight for the right to vote. We had to fight for equal- ity.
We had to fight for our Civil Rights. We had to fight against the ideas and practices of overt racism.
Now, we have to fight against the ideas and practices
of covert or hidden racism. I say that if it’s a fight they want, then it’s a fight we ought to give them.
Stop fighting each other and join forces so that we can win the silent war that has been waged against us.
Now is the time to stand up and fight. Can you feel me?
Email me your thought on the matter to: the- queenofsuccess@yahoo.c
om. About Selphenia Selphenia Nichols Sim- mons is hailed as “The Queen of Success.” As a Life and Busi- ness Success Coach, she in- spires Christian women and entrepreneurs to go from being a mess to making mas-
sive profits.
To request Selphenia to
speak or train at your upcom- ing event, call (813) 603-0088. Get connected. Join Selphenia on Social Media for some daily motivation. Facebook: Selphenia Nichols Success Coach To Women; Instagram: Selphenia; and Twitter:
queenodsuccess1.
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FRIDAY, MAY 31, 2019 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 5-A