Saturday, 18 May 2024

Register

Community

Posted On

With this year’s April 15 tax filing deadline approaching, Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, reminds taxpayers of two key benefits they may take advantage of to ensure they get back any money they earned.

Those benefits are:

• Free preparation assistance is available from California’s Franchise Tax Board’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program and a Tax Counseling for the Elderly program to help individuals with limited incomes complete their tax returns.

• And families should apply for the California Earned Income Tax Credit, a benefit worth thousands of dollars for working people who earn low or moderate incomes. Starting this year, Cal EITC has expanded eligibility to low-income workers aged 18-24 and individuals 65 and up.

“I want to make sure every eligible person is able to receive the benefits provided by the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit, which I was proud to help create,” Sen. Dodd said. “It’s easy to become lost in the maze of forms and rules when you are filing your taxes. Fortunately, there are teams of qualified volunteers out there ready to help.”

People seeking help with their taxes can visit https://www.ftb.ca.gov/help/free-tax-help/index.html.

Assistance is available through April 15 and is limited to full-year residents. The VITA program specializes in assisting disabled taxpayers, those with low to limited income and non-English speaking taxpayers.

The TCE program provides free income tax assistance for middle- or low-income taxpayers, giving special attention to those 60 and older.

The Cal EITC program can be a game-changer for many low-income families. Those who are eligible may also be eligible for other programs including Medi-Cal, CalFresh and CalWORKS.

Find an online calculator to determine your benefit here.

In addition, the IRS has its Taxpayer Advocate Service, which provides an independent system to ensure unresolved tax problems are handled promptly and fairly.

Free tax preparation programs are also supported by nonprofit groups like the United Way.
Posted On

California’s need for a structured and coordinated response to labor trafficking has increased in recent years, the Little Hoover Commission concluded in a new report.

The commission released a follow-up report, “Implementation Review: California’s Response to Labor Trafficking,” evaluating the degree to which commission recommendations from three initial reports on the topic, issued in 2020, have been implemented.

The report concludes that of the 10 recommendations made by the commission, two have been partially implemented. There has been no progress on the other eight, including the recommendation to create an Anti-Human Trafficking Council that would coordinate and assess the state’s efforts.

“These crimes continue to fall under the radar and often occur in our most vulnerable communities,” said Commission Chairman Pedro Nava. “California must take a stronger position against labor trafficking and ensure the health and safety of workers across the state.”

In its initial reports, released in the summer and fall of 2020, the commission found that the state largely focused on the trafficking of people for sexual exploitation, rather than labor exploitation.

Each report featured recommendations to help the state develop an organized, statewide response to trafficking, and outlined strategies to support survivors and bring traffickers to justice.

Last fall, the commission conducted a comprehensive review of the implementation of its past recommendations on the issue, including a public hearing featuring testimony from experts and written requests to state agencies for additional information.

This latest report assesses each previous recommendation and reviews any passed or attempted legislation that has been introduced to help strengthen the state’s response to labor trafficking.

The Little Hoover Commission is America’s only permanent, independent citizens commission working to improve state government. A nonpartisan oversight agency created in 1962, the Commission includes 13 Commissioners appointed by the Governor and legislative leaders. The commission’s mission is to investigate state operations and promote efficiency, economy and improved service.
Posted On

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Water Resources reported that Aeroflite Tactical Training CL415 will be occurring on Clear Lake between March 12 and 22.

During this training time, expect to see the scooper aircraft “practicing” their descent, scoop and ascent from various areas around Clear Lake.

Training is not expected to take place every day.

For more information call Water Resources at 707-263-2344.
Blog Left ad
Posted On

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office is reminding community members that it’s important to return documents related to signature verification by month’s end in order to complete the certification of the March 5 presidential primary election.

All voters who received a “Signature Verification Statement” or an “Unsigned Ballot Envelope Statement” from the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office have until 5 p.m. March 28 to return the completed forms either by fax, email or in person.

The elections office cannot count a voter’s vote-by-mail or provisional ballot if the completed and signed statement is not returned by the deadline.

The registrar’s goal is to certify the election by April 2.

For additional information call 707-263-2372 or toll-free at 888-235-6730.
Posted On

Sprawl development built far from city centers carries direct and indirect costs that pull resources away from existing neighborhoods, harming communities and natural habitats, according to a new report published today by the Center for Biological Diversity.

“The True Cost of Sprawl” analyzed the environmental harms — including pollution, wildfire risks and public health threats — that come with poor land-use decisions.

It found that suburban and exurban housing developments increase per capita infrastructure costs by 50%, pulling public funds from schools, parks, public transportation and other needs in existing communities for things like new roads and sewer systems.

“Fueling more sprawl is lucrative for developers, but it levies a hefty price tag for the rest of us,” said Elizabeth Reid-Wainscoat, a campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The disturbing trend of policymakers approving more exurban projects that exacerbate the climate emergency can be reversed with a few bold policy changes. Failing to address the true costs of sprawl will mean more land-use mistakes that lock us into a future of more smog, congestion and wildfire risk.”

Despite the harmful consequences, elected officials across California keep approving low-density housing far from existing communities as new sprawl developments are proposed.

In Solano County, a proposal to build a new city called California Forever would pave over wildlife habitat, threaten local water supply and increase air pollution in the region with tens of thousands of new commuters. The sprawling Centennial project, which was approved by Los Angeles County but rejected in court, would increase wildfire risk, destroy native grasslands and significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions. These developments would contribute to the extinction crisis by paving over natural areas while providing little affordable housing.

The report makes the following recommendations to policymakers:

• Protect and restore open space while directing development to urban infill areas.
• Permanently protect current affordable housing and set legally binding anti-displacement policies.
• Build development in areas free from toxic pollutants and away from flood and wildfire zones.
• Invest in public transit and affordable housing with climate-resilient features such as rooftop solar and drought-tolerant landscaping in the urban core.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
Posted On

Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, has introduced a resolution designating March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month in an effort to bring attention to an addiction affecting more than a million Californians and connect people with treatment.

“For anyone struggling with addiction — and that includes those facing gambling problems — awareness and access to services are critical,” said Sen. Dodd. “Problem gambling is not only an addiction, it’s a serious public health concern. So we must promote a better understanding and prompt people struggling with problem gambling to seek help.”

Sen. Dodd introduced Senate Resolution 67, creating California's month-long awareness campaign.

National Problem Gambling Awareness Month was established in 1972 by the National Council on Problem Gambling. Gambling disorder is classified by the American Psychiatric Association as an addiction that is similar to alcohol and drug dependence in many of the causes and consequences. The disorder is not only an addiction, but can include co-occurring physical and mental health issues.

“More than a million Californians will experience a gambling problem in their lifetimes,” said Robert Jacobson, the executive director of the California Council on Problem Gambling.

“Gambling addiction is a disease of the brain which can result in severely harmful financial, mental and even physical consequences to the gambler, and can also cause harms to individuals close to them – including their family, friends, and others who care about them,” Jacobson said. “We call it the hidden disease, because there are so few outward signs, which makes it all the more important to raise awareness about the help and prevention services available — at no cost — for those who have been harmed by their own, or someone else’s gambling.”

The Office of Problem Gambling and the UCLA Gambling Studies Program operate the California Gambling Education and Treatment Services, which has provided treatment for more than 17,000 problem gamblers and people with gambling disorder since 2009. The collaborative offers a wide array of services, including self-help workbooks, telephone counseling and outpatient and residential care.

Call the confidential, 24-hour problem gambling helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER (426-2537). Or visit the website at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPG/Pages/opg-landing.aspx

Dodd represents the Third Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Solano, Yolo, Sonoma, Contra Costa and Sacramento counties.

Upcoming Calendar

18May
05.18.2024 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Land Trust benefit
21May
05.21.2024 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Farmers' Market at Library Park
22May
05.22.2024 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Lake Leadership Forum
25May
05.25.2024 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Farmers' Market at the Mercantile
27May
05.27.2024
Memorial Day
28May
05.28.2024 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Farmers' Market at Library Park
1Jun
06.01.2024 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Farmers' Market at the Mercantile
4Jun
06.04.2024 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Farmers' Market at Library Park

Mini Calendar

loader

LCNews

Award winning journalism on the shores of Clear Lake. 

 

Newsletter

Enter your email here to make sure you get the daily headlines.

You'll receive one daily headline email and breaking news alerts.
No spam.

Search