Archive for the ‘English’ Category

EL PRESIDENTE: Señora Presidenta de la Cámara de Representantes, Vicepresidente Biden, miembros del Congreso, distinguidos invitados y conciudadanos: 

Nuestra Constitución declara que, cada cierto tiempo, el Presidente debe proporcionarle al Congreso información sobre el estado de nuestra nación. Durante doscientos veinte años, nuestros líderes han cumplido con este deber. Lo han hecho durante tiempos de prosperidad y tranquilidad. Y lo han hecho en tiempos de guerra y depresión, en tiempos de gran discordia y gran pugna.  

Es tentador hacer una retrospectiva de esos tiempos y suponer que nuestro progreso fue inevitable, que Estados Unidos siempre estuvo destinado a tener éxito. Pero después de la derrota de la Unión en la Batalla de Bull Run y del desembarco inicial de los Aliados en playa Omaha, el desenlace estaba muy en duda. Cuando el mercado colapsó el Martes Negro y quienes marcharon por derechos civiles fueron golpeados el Domingo Sangriento, el futuro no tenía nada de cierto. Esos fueron tiempos que sometieron a prueba la valentía de nuestras convicciones, y la fortaleza de nuestra nación. Y a pesar de todas nuestras divisiones y desacuerdos; nuestras dudas y nuestros temores; Estados Unidos prevaleció porque optamos por avanzar como una nación y un pueblo.  

Nuevamente, nos hemos visto sometidos a prueba. Y nuevamente, debemos responder al llamado de la historia.  

Hace un año, asumí la presidencia en medio de dos guerras, una economía conmocionada por una severa recesión, un sistema financiero al borde del colapso y un gobierno sumamente endeudado. Expertos de todo el espectro político advirtieron que si no hacíamos algo al respecto, posiblemente enfrentaríamos una segunda depresión. Por lo tanto, actuamos inmediata y enérgicamente. Y un año más tarde, lo peor de la tormenta ya pasó.  

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WASHINGTON — An expanded Earned Income Tax Credit means larger families will qualify for a larger credit, offering greater relief for people who struggled through difficult financial times last year, the Internal Revenue Service said today.

“The IRS understands that 2009 was a difficult year for many families. EITC has been expanded to help people as part of the economic recovery efforts,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. “Today, more than ever, hard-working individuals and families can use a little extra help. EITC can make the lives of working people a little easier.”

Projects Will Help Create Construction Jobs, Revitalize U.S. Manufacturing Sector

“Through the Recovery Act, we are making the largest investment in infrastructure since the Interstate Highway System was created, putting Americans to work rebuilding our roads, bridges, and waterways for the future,” said President Obama.

"Right now when many of us are helping with donations to bring relief to earthquake victims in Haiti, it is very important to know what is allowed under the federal tax law."

Washington D.C. – The American Immigration Council applauds today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision ensuring that immigrants facing deportation have fair process in the review of their cases. The Court ruled that individuals who seek to reopen their deportation orders have the right to appeal to the federal courts if the immigration court refuses to hear the appeal. The Court’s decision protects immigrants’ access to federal court review and affirms the role of the courts in our system of checks and balances on government power.

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is looking for taxpayers who are due to receive a combined $2,3 million in the form of 2,009 refund checks that were returned to the IRS by the U.S. Postal Service due to mailing address errors.

“The money that has not been claimed could greatly benefit its rightful owner.” Said Joe Munoz, IRS Spokesperson. “All a taxpayer has to do is update his or her address once.”

 The IRS will then send out all checks due. Undeliverable refund checks average $1,181 this year.

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(COLUMBUS) — Ohio Department of Insurance Director Mary Jo Hudson and Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray would like to warn Ohio seniors about operations known as “Trust Mills” that prey on the elderly and often convince seniors to purchase inappropriate estate planning documents and financial products.  

Trust mill operators typically solicit senior citizens by mail or by telephone and offer “free” information about trusts, wills and taxes.   In order to provide seniors with a sense that they are a legitimate business enterprise, they will often hold seminars or programs at senior centers, assisted living centers or churches.

Washington, DC—NCLR (National Council of La Raza), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, is deeply troubled that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has entered into agreements with several local law enforcement agencies allowing local law enforcement officials to enforce complex immigration laws.  NCLR has consistently stated that these agreements, authorized under the 287(g) program, are ineffective, subject to abuse, and responsible for creating an environment of fear in communities.  

“For some time we have been concerned about abuse of authority under 287(g) agreements. NCLR has long argued that enforcement of our immigration laws must be conducted in a way that maximizes effectiveness without undercutting our values as a nation,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. 

Ferndale, Michigan (September 25, 2009) – Eloquest Healthcare^®, Inc., a specialty company that focuses on improving dermal outcomes for the acute care market, has announced the donation of more than a dozen medical procedure visual aids, known as “overlays”, which work in combination with special medical dolls to enable hospital staff to reduce parents’ and children’s anxieties prior to certain medical treatments and procedures.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich.—The Great Depression had a silver lining: During that hard time, U.S. life expectancy actually increased by 6.2 years, according to a University of Michigan study published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

 Life expectancy rose from 57.1 in 1929 to 63.3 years in 1932, according to the analysis by U-M researchers José A. Tapia Granados and Ana Diez Roux.  The increase occurred for both men and women, and for whites and non-whites.

 “The finding is strong and counterintuitive,” says Tapia Granados, the lead author of the study and a researcher at the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR).  “Most people assume that periods of high unemployment are harmful to health.”

 For the study, the researchers used historical life expectancy and mortality data to examine associations between economic growth and population health for the period between 1920 and 1940.  They found that while population health generally improved during the four years of the Great Depression and during recessions in 1921 and 1938, mortality increased and life expectancy declined during periods of strong economic expansion, such as 1923, 1926, 1929, and 1936-1937.

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