Sunday, August 21, 2016
Candidate Trump:
NY Times: Trump’s Empire: A Maze of Debts and Opaque Ties
"On the campaign trail, Donald J. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, has sold himself as a businessman who has made billions of dollars and is beholden to no one. But an investigation by The New York Times into the financial maze of Mr. Trump’s real estate holdings in the United States reveals that companies he owns have at least $650 million in debt — twice the amount than can be gleaned from public filings he has made as part of his bid for the White House. The Times’s inquiry also found that Mr. Trump’s fortunes depend deeply on a wide array of financial backers, including one he has cited in attacks during his campaign. For example, an office building on Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan, of which Mr. Trump is part owner, carries a $950 million loan. Among the lenders: the Bank of China, one of the largest banks in a country that Mr. Trump has railed against as an economic foe of the United States, and Goldman Sachs, a financial institution he has said controls Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, after it paid her $675,000 in speaking fees... ...Beyond finding that companies owned by Mr. Trump had debts of at least $650 million, The Times discovered that a substantial portion of his wealth is tied up in three passive partnerships that owe an additional $2 billion to a string of lenders, including those that hold the loan on the Avenue of the Americas building..."
NY Times: Trump’s Empire: A Maze of Debts and Opaque Ties
"On the campaign trail, Donald J. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, has sold himself as a businessman who has made billions of dollars and is beholden to no one. But an investigation by The New York Times into the financial maze of Mr. Trump’s real estate holdings in the United States reveals that companies he owns have at least $650 million in debt — twice the amount than can be gleaned from public filings he has made as part of his bid for the White House. The Times’s inquiry also found that Mr. Trump’s fortunes depend deeply on a wide array of financial backers, including one he has cited in attacks during his campaign. For example, an office building on Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan, of which Mr. Trump is part owner, carries a $950 million loan. Among the lenders: the Bank of China, one of the largest banks in a country that Mr. Trump has railed against as an economic foe of the United States, and Goldman Sachs, a financial institution he has said controls Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, after it paid her $675,000 in speaking fees... ...Beyond finding that companies owned by Mr. Trump had debts of at least $650 million, The Times discovered that a substantial portion of his wealth is tied up in three passive partnerships that owe an additional $2 billion to a string of lenders, including those that hold the loan on the Avenue of the Americas building..."
Thursday, August 04, 2016
Obstinate GOP Thwarting the Will of the People
When a bill passes BOTH Houses of Congress and is quietly stripped of an approved amendment that advances VA patient pain management safety, something is very, very broken...
Alicia Wallace: Fight continues in Congress over allowing VA doctors to discuss medical marijuana with patients
"Congressman Earl Blumenauer is continuing a push to allow Veterans Affairs doctors to discuss medical marijuana with their patients after a legislative measure on the topic was axed in the “dead of night.” Rep. Blumenauer, D-Ore., on Wednesday published an open letter to Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., requesting he change course and support the proposal...
Dear Senator Kirk:
“I don’t think we have too few high veterans out there.” These were your words about my proposal making it easier for qualified veterans to access state-legal medical marijuana programs. Our veterans are returning home with injuries that are both visible and unseen—experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, brain injuries, chronic pain, and more. These wounded warriors should be treated with dignity, respect, and concern, and we should be helping them access the care they need. It is simply unconscionable that instead, you disparage them as drug addicts. Your statement is not only inappropriate, but dismissive of the serious issues faced by our veterans. We are in crisis mode as opioid addiction and abuse are on the rise, and the risk is higher for veterans, who are frequently prescribed opioids. Of the nearly 1 million veterans who receive opioid treatment for pain, over half continue to consume those pills beyond 90 days. They are dying of opiate overdoses at nearly double the national average. In many cases, medical marijuana can be a safer, more effective alternative to these highly addictive prescription opioids in treating certain conditions. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), however, prohibits its medical providers from completing forms allowing a qualified veteran to participate in a state medical marijuana program. This outdated and out of touch policy is forcing our veterans outside of the VA system to seek a recommendation for medical marijuana as a possible treatment option in states where it is legal, like Illinois. The proposal you spoke out against was passed by both the House and Senate with bipartisan votes. It strikes this policy down to allow veterans to consult with their personal VA physician, who know their medical history best, about medical marijuana as a possible treatment option. The proposal in no way requires a VA provider to recommend medical marijuana, but rather makes a conversation on all treatment options between doctor and patient more accessible. Instead of standing up and fighting for veterans in Illinois and around the country, you, however, introduce unwelcome mockery into the debate. Are you really opposed to giving doctors more options to treat our nation’s veterans? Where is your courage? Where is your sense of moral obligation to help those who served to protect us?
I implore you to show compassion, change course, and support this bipartisan effort. Sincerely,
Earl Blumenauer Member of Congress"
When a bill passes BOTH Houses of Congress and is quietly stripped of an approved amendment that advances VA patient pain management safety, something is very, very broken...
Alicia Wallace: Fight continues in Congress over allowing VA doctors to discuss medical marijuana with patients
"Congressman Earl Blumenauer is continuing a push to allow Veterans Affairs doctors to discuss medical marijuana with their patients after a legislative measure on the topic was axed in the “dead of night.” Rep. Blumenauer, D-Ore., on Wednesday published an open letter to Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., requesting he change course and support the proposal...
Dear Senator Kirk:
“I don’t think we have too few high veterans out there.” These were your words about my proposal making it easier for qualified veterans to access state-legal medical marijuana programs. Our veterans are returning home with injuries that are both visible and unseen—experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, brain injuries, chronic pain, and more. These wounded warriors should be treated with dignity, respect, and concern, and we should be helping them access the care they need. It is simply unconscionable that instead, you disparage them as drug addicts. Your statement is not only inappropriate, but dismissive of the serious issues faced by our veterans. We are in crisis mode as opioid addiction and abuse are on the rise, and the risk is higher for veterans, who are frequently prescribed opioids. Of the nearly 1 million veterans who receive opioid treatment for pain, over half continue to consume those pills beyond 90 days. They are dying of opiate overdoses at nearly double the national average. In many cases, medical marijuana can be a safer, more effective alternative to these highly addictive prescription opioids in treating certain conditions. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), however, prohibits its medical providers from completing forms allowing a qualified veteran to participate in a state medical marijuana program. This outdated and out of touch policy is forcing our veterans outside of the VA system to seek a recommendation for medical marijuana as a possible treatment option in states where it is legal, like Illinois. The proposal you spoke out against was passed by both the House and Senate with bipartisan votes. It strikes this policy down to allow veterans to consult with their personal VA physician, who know their medical history best, about medical marijuana as a possible treatment option. The proposal in no way requires a VA provider to recommend medical marijuana, but rather makes a conversation on all treatment options between doctor and patient more accessible. Instead of standing up and fighting for veterans in Illinois and around the country, you, however, introduce unwelcome mockery into the debate. Are you really opposed to giving doctors more options to treat our nation’s veterans? Where is your courage? Where is your sense of moral obligation to help those who served to protect us?
I implore you to show compassion, change course, and support this bipartisan effort. Sincerely,
Earl Blumenauer Member of Congress"
