CAW 57 - ICE Raids Put Immigrants on Pins and Needles

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continued on page 3

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FREE A D.B.A. OF I.Q. INC. ISSUE 57 VOLUME 15

BY CAW EDITORS

BY VANDELL PARK

continued on page 5

Brian Figeroux, Esq.

Taxes, Immigration & Newly-Married Couples

FREE CONSULTATIONS: Tax Audits & IRSRepresentation

Call 718-222-3155.

Are You at Risk of Losing Your Home?... see page 9Dangerous Heights: When Your Job Kills You ... see page 23

Tax Tips for Small Businesses... see page 6

The Case For Bernie Sanders

HOTTOPICS:


Jamaica’s Climate Change Fight... page 2

Taking Guns Out of the WrongHands ...see page 10

2016: Year of Romance... see page 19

2015: Year of Keith Rowley...see page 5

Civil Rights: Still a Dream...see page 4

An Advocate for the RestaurantIndustry ... see page 18

ICE Raids Put Immigrants onPins and Needles

Immigration Options for Victims of Crime ... see page 14

Democratic Presidential CandidateBernie Sanders is making head-way as a catalyst for radical

change from the status quo of politicalestablishment within the DemocraticParty, and his fire for change has beenignited here in New York City. Alreadyhe has reportedly captured the support oftwo prominent Black New York StateSenators in Senator James Sanders of FarRockaway Queens and Senator BillPerkins of Harlem, NYS 30th District.Both senators are reported to have open-

ly endorsed Bernie Sanders as the 2016Democratic Presidential Candidate, eventhough Mr. Sanders is a far way off fromsecuring the delegates required for thenomination.

Caribbean American Weekly in anattempt to find out why the prominentand influential senators endorsed BernieSanders, was unable to secure a commentfrom Senator Bill Perkins, but success-fully gleaned the thoughts of SenatorJames Sanders on this subject. In a tele-phone interview, Senator Sanders said

Whether recently married oranxiously counting the daysuntil you tie the knot, there

are some important tax implicationsthat you and your spouse can't afford tooverlook.

"In between the flurry of weddingplanning, dress shopping and bridalshowers, few engaged couples stop tothink about how getting married willaffect their income taxes," explainedShaunna Morgan. "While it's importantto understand the tax consequences, continued on page 7

Bernie Sanders

Photo by Steve Rhodes

Afew months ago, the WashingtonPost reported that theDepartment of Homeland

Security had begun preparing for a seriesof raids that would target for deportationhundreds of families who have flocked tothe United States since the start of lastyear.

According to an article in the NYTimes, the rumors had been flying in theNew York area: Officials fromImmigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE) had swooped into churches andpublic schools, dragged away an undocu-

mented family at the Staten Island Mall,pulled over drivers on the Southern StateParkway and set up blockades in SunsetPark, Brooklyn, and at the Staten IslandFerry. None of it appeared to be true.

But, in the wake of the Department ofHomeland Security’s (DHS) announce-ment that it had started deporting fami-lies, particularly those from CentralAmerica who had entered the UnitedStates illegally in the last 18 months, no

How to Prepare for AnICE Raid... see page 11


NEWSBRIEFS2Caribbean Consulates

Anguilla845 Third AvenueNew York, N.Y. 10022Tel: 212-745-0200

Antigua & Barbuda305 East 47th Street, Suite 6ANew York, N.Y. 10020Tel: 212-541-4117

The Bahamas231 East 46th StreetNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-421-6420

Barbados820 Second Avenue, 5th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-551-4325

Belize675 Third Avenue, Suite 1911New York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-593-0999

Dominica800 Second Avenue, Suite 400HNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-949-0853

Dominican Republic1500 Broadway, Suite 410New York, N.Y. 10036Tel: 212-599-8478

Grenada 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400KNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-599-0301

Guyana 308 West 38th StreetNew York, N.Y. 10018Tel: 212-947-5119

Haiti 815 Second Avenue,6th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-697-9767

Jamaica 767 Third Avenue, 2nd FloorNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-935-9000

Martinique 444 Madison Avenue, 16th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10022Tel: 212-838-6887

Montserrat845 Third AvenueNew York, N.Y. 10022Tel: 212-745-0200

Panama1212 Avenue of the Americas, 20th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10036Tel: 212-840-2450

St. Kitts & Nevis414 East 75th Street, 5th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10021Tel: 212-535-5521

St. Lucia 800 Second Avenue, 9th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10007Tel: 212-697-9360

St. Maarten675 Third Avenue, Suite 1807New York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 800-786-2278

St. Vincent & The Grenadines801 Second Avenue, 21st FloorNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-687-4981

Trinidad & Tobago125 Maiden Lane, 4th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10038Tel: 212-682-7272

For more Consulate information go towww.cawnyc.com/directory

Jamaica’s Climate Change Fight GetsBig Financial Injection

Jamaica’s efforts to strengthenresilience against climate change arebeing assisted through implementa-

tion of the J$829.3 million (US$6.8 mil-lion) Improving Climate Data andInformation Management Project(ICDIMP).

The project, which comprises phasetwo of the Pilot Programme for ClimateResilience (PPCR II), is being rolled outby the Planning Institute of Jamaica(PIOJ), with grant support from theWorld Bank through the ClimateInvestment Fund (CIF).

It is one of five projects underJamaica’s Strategic Programme forClimate Resilience (SPCR), and aims toimprove the quality of data collected andused by public and private sector stake-holders at the local and national levels.

It involves climate resilient planning

and hydromet information servicesdevelopment at a cost of approximatelyJ$168.3 million (US$1.38 million); a cli-mate change public education and aware-ness campaign, targeting behaviouralchange at a cost of J$88.4 million(US$725,000); and project managementand evaluation to cost approximately

J$82.9 million (US$680,000).One of the primary beneficiaries is the

Meteorological Service (Met Service),which is slated to receive a new Dopplerweather radar at a cost of approximatelyJ$487.8 million (US$4 million).

The new radar, which is expected to beacquired during the 2016/17 fiscal year,will replace the existing equipment at theMet Cooper’s Hill, St. Andrew division,which the agency has utilized for the past16 years.

Head of the Met Service’s WeatherBranch, Evan Thompson, welcomed theinitiative, describing it as “an excitingmoment for us” and, by extension, “all(of) our partner agencies.”

He noted that the Division is poised forincreased capacity “to deliver on many ofour objectives in addressing resilience toclimate change.”l

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowleyhas given the assurance that jobswill be created through

Government’s public housing projectsand the agriculture sector.

He said Government will also workwith the private sector to stimulateinvestment activity which will generateemployment.

The PM spoke about the country’sunemployment levels, which had beenincreasing in the last few weeks, during arecent interview.

Rowley said some jobs losses were asa result of decisions taken by companieswith head offices abroad.

“We cannot fool ourselves, our revenueearners are not earning across the board,oil gas and commodities—they are alldown in price. That has brought onissues of foreign exchange shortages andjob losses. There is a reducing in the flowof foreign exchange. So why should any-body be surprised that there is not asmuch foreign exchange, as there wasbefore?”While there was some foreign exchange

in savings, Rowley said there was a dan-ger in spending all of it trying to meetcurrent demands.

He said if the Government mishandlesthis issue it can become a “chronic dev-

astating problem. Right now it is a chal-lenge that requires a certain amount oflevel-headed and firm decision and thatwill be made.”

In going forward, Rowley said, thecountry would have to adjust in order tosustain the economy. l

EvanThompson

Rowley: Country will have to Adjust

Trinidad &Tobago’s

PrimeMinister,

Hon.Dr KeithRowley


EDITORIAL 3TEAM

PublisherI.Q. INC.

Managing Editor & Editor-in-ChiefPearl Phillip

Senior EditorColin Moore, Esq.

Legal AdvisorBrian Figeroux, Esq.

Assistant EditorMarilyn Silverman

Graphic & Website DesignersPraim SamsoondarAndrew Parnell

ContributorsVandell ParkJanet HowardBob Livingstone, LCSWTanya SomanaderWalter EwingDr. Charles ModlinAtlas DIYDavid Launders

Email:[email protected]

Website:www.cawnyc.com

My people are destroyed forlack of knowledge. —Hosea 4:6

Visitwww.cawnyc.com

For Caribbean News & Updates

Take your business to

the next level! Join your island

chamber of commerce.Visit

www.chambercoalition.orgtoday and sign up!

that his reason for going with BernieSanders is because his political messageis more inclusive and signals a ray ofhope for the Black cause here inAmerica. Senator James Sanders had thisto say about his endorsement of BernieSanders: “Robert Brice the formerTreasury secretary said it best when hesaid: “If you believe a system is workingwell then you need a manager, andHillary Clinton would be a worthy man-ager. But if you believe it is not workingwell for you then you need a BernieSaunders, because he is talking about apolitical revolution. I’ve looked at the sit-uation of the people of African descent inthis country and I say, between 2008 and2012 we lost fifty percent (50%) of theentire wealth that we have generatedsince slavery, in the market meltdownthat took place between those years.Before the 2008 market meltdown it wasprojected that we would have gottenequality in America in about 100 yearsafter slavery, but with the meltdown atthis rate, it will now take us about 250years, so under those conditions youneed some drastic change. There is noway we can win in this game. We need anew deal and that is Bernie Sanders.”

Senator Sanders however, quicklymade known that Hillary Clinton is agreat candidate but he would prefer to gowith Bernie Sanders primarily because ofthe political message and his track recordof associating with working class people.He noted: “Let’s be clear, I will go withany of the Democrats, whoever the nom-inee is. Any of the Democrats is muchbetter that what’s coming at us from theRepublicans as we watch their party dis-solve into the bigoted, factious soundingParty, so any Democrat is better thanthat stuff. However, there is a differencebetween treading water and making surethat you do not drown by getting into aboat. So my point of view is that the poli-cies of Hillary would at best be having ustread water, and we need something rad-ical to move us to a place where we canbe participants in America. BernieSanders speaks of doing a real stimulusprogram where he wants to rebuild ourinfrastructure. Let’s be clear, the placeswhich have the worse and crumblinginfrastructures are the inner cities, thecommunities of color, and he is talking ofhiring local people to do it, and we willbe an extreme beneficiary of this type ofprogram, (a) assuming it happens and(b)that we were able to use local people

to do it. I have every indication that he isserious of making it happen, and if that isthe only one then that’s worthy, but hehas lots of other programs too. It is veryinsulting when people say that Clinton isthe first black president. Mass incarcera-tion started with Clinton, so I don’t seewhat we owe this group, but, whoever wego with, we should have some demands,we should not lose our minds. We shouldhave some community demands. I haveevery intention of bringing BernieSanders to Queens and campaigningwith him.”

Senator Sanders says he was one of thefirst New York senators to have endorsedBarack Obama in 2008 and he will againbe a leader in the quest for change bythrowing his support behind BernieSanders.

Caribbean American Weekly is alsoendorsing Bernie Sanders as theDemocratic Presidential Candidate forthe 2016 national elections. While thepublication believes the Democrats Partyis the wiser choice for leading the coun-try, it opines that Sanders with his moreliberal agenda stands to achieve more forthe country and in particular people ofcolor. Sanders is making political wavesacross the country as he flaunts a vibrantsocialist agenda which promises a levelplaying field for all of America. Many

young Americans, and in particular blackyouths are buying into the ideas of freeuniversity education and more livablepaying jobs for people of all strata of thesociety.

CEO and Publisher of the CaribbeanAmerican Weekly, Brian Figeroux, Esq.comments on his publication endorse-ment of Bernie Sanders: “BernieSanders, I believe is the best qualifiedperson for the Presidency because of hislong and faithful career in pursuit forsocial justice, for empowering those inpoverty, for a fair tax system across theboard, one that does not favor the 1%above the 99% of the citizenry of thiscountry so that we can achieve economicequality. Most importantly, I think hisappeal to the young generation; youngvoters in this country who need hope,who need their voices to be heard, whosedemands are not unreasonable, whetherit be a free college education, jobs in themanufacturing industry, his proposal toforgive student loans, if at all achievable.Basically the younger generation is notasking for much since they are simplyasking for things enjoyed by the mucholder generation such as a free collegeeducation, and this I believe BernieSaunders is capable of providing once hebecomes the next President of this coun-try.” l

A Case for BernieSanders/continued from page 1

“Bernie Sanders, I believe is the best qualified person forthe Presidency because of his long and faithful career inpursuit for social justice, for empowering those in poverty,for a fair tax system across the board...”

- Brian Figeroux, EsqCEO and Publisher of Caribbean American Weekly


CIVIL RIGHTS4

Civil Rights: Still A Dream for Many

When Thomas Jefferson wrotethe Declaration ofIndependence in 1776, he

thoughtfully penned the following wordsin the declaration which became the hall-mark for many battles and triumphs inthe history of the people of the UnitedStates of America. He boldly declared:“We hold these truths to be self-evident,that all men are created equal, that theyare endowed by their Creator with cer-tain unalienable Rights, that amongthese are Life, Liberty and the pursuit ofhappiness”.

While those words prevailed in theUnited States White population argumentto win their freedom from Great Britain,they apparently, were never meant forother ethnic groups occupying the veryland space as those Caucasians whosought freedom from their colonialrulers, since, after independence waswon, life for other ethnic groups, partic-ularly the Black man, remains a pursuitfor equality, unalienable rights, civil lib-erty and equal justice some 240 yearsafter they were enshrined as the mantrafor the people of the United States ofAmerica.

It appears as though the expression ofall men “created equal” by Jefferson, wasmeant to be realized in stages for otherraces living in this country which pridesitself in the term: “Land of the Free. It

took 87 years, a civil war and a boldwhite Republican President in AbrahamLincoln to force the hands of WhiteAmerica to allow the Black man-a slavein a free country, to be declared free.President Lincoln signed theEmancipation Proclamation in 1863, thuspaving the way for the words ofJefferson to bear a resemblance of reali-ty. Yes, it took more than 80 years forthose words to be added to theConstitution of this great Land of theFree and the Home of the Brave, when acompromise was reached following a

deadly battle between the South and theNorth, before the 13th Amendment (theonly place in the U.S. Constitution whereslavery is mentioned) abolished slavery,the 14th Amendment that equalizedeveryone born in the United States ofAmerica as citizens, banned individualStates from limiting the rights of citizens,from denying people equal protectionunder the law, and from depriving them“of life, liberty, or property, without dueprocess of law.” Finally, the 15thAmendment outlawed denying anyonethe right to vote on the grounds of race or

color.Yet, in spite of these amendments being

enshrined in the Constitution, it tookanother 101 years, numerous legal battlessuch as Brown vs. Board of Education in1954 the banning of school segregation,the Supreme Court ruling in the Heart ofAtlanta Motel, Inc. vs. United States ofAmerica which challenged the 1964 CivilRights Act of Human equality inAmerica; the civil disobedience of RosaParks in 1955 that sparked the famouscivil rights movement of bus boycotts inMontgomery, Alabama; the 1957 block-age of nine black students known as the“Little Rock Nine” from entering the for-merly all-white Central High School inLittle Rock Arkansas; and PresidentEisenhower’s Troop deployment to stemthe racial tide of protest followingGovernor Orval Faubus executive orderfor schools integration; the 1963Birmingham, Alabama Civil rights strug-gles which led to the arrest of Civil rightsicon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the mur-der of four black girls (Denise McNair,Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson andAddie Mae Collings) while attendingSunday School; the assignation ofPresident John Kennedy; and the unwa-vering determination of President LindenB. Johnson who bulldozed his way tosigning the Civil Rights Law of 1964, forthe words of Jefferson and the addition of

BY JANET HOWARD

continued on next page

I refuse to accept the viewthat mankind is so

tragically bound to thestarless midnight of racismand war that the brightdaybreak of peace andbrotherhood can neverbecome a reality...

I believe that unarmedtruth and unconditionallove will have the final

word.

Martin Luther King, Jr.


HOT TOPIC 5

the 13th, 14th, and 15th, Amendments tobe partially materialized.

On January 18, 2016, Americaobserved Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 87birthday, a day set aside on the 3rdMonday of January every year, to honor,reflect on and preserve the legacy of hissacrifice, even to the point of his death,for the cause of equality among the peo-ples of the United States of America.However, even as plans and programs areafoot for the observance of his achieve-ments in the cause of Civil Rights here inthe U.S.A., minorities, Blacks,Hispanics, Latinos, Asians and othernon-Caucasian people, are still experi-encing the numbing realities of inequali-ty, injustice and White supremacy in thevarying spectrums of life here inAmerica. Even in the wake of this greatcelebration of Civil Rights achievements,white police officers in Cleveland, Ohio,Missouri, and even in our own NewYork, continue to murder Black youthsand get away with it due to a judicial sys-tem that is still under the control of thewhite majority who uses legal loopholesto manipulate their freedom.

The call therefore, in honor of Dr.Martin Luther King Jr., beyond the cele-brations is one for action by whites,blacks and other non-white ethnic groupsliving in the United States of America, tomake his work and martyrdom for civilliberties and equal rights and justice, tobe practiced in its entirety. The usual cha-rade of lip service must become a mean-ingful message for diversity and equality,integration and cooperation, acceptanceand humanly practiced lifestyles acrossthis “Land of the Free, and the Home ofthe Brave.” Instead of chants of Blacklives matter through our streets, thereneeds to be thundering chants of “Alllives matter,” as black and whites unitehand in hand in marches for the fullimplementation of Civil Rights for allAmerican citizens. From Congress toCourts, White House to StateGovernments, City Halls to Civilianmeetings, Churches to Community gath-erings, the words of Thomas Jefferson:“We hold these truths to be self-evident,that all men are created equal, that theyare endowed by their Creator with cer-tain unalienable Rights, that amongthese are Life, Liberty and the pursuit ofhappiness” must be echoed with a gen-uine conscience, and practiced daily,knowing that they provide protection andpeace, comradery and an abiding senseof brotherhood and sisterhood. l

I have a dream that my

four little children will one

day live in a nation where

they will not be judged by

the color of their skin, but

by the content of their

character.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

A Dream Still for Many/continued from previous page

one — not even immigration lawyers —could separate fact from fiction. “We’reall a little spooked,” said Araceli, 45,who asked to be identified by only hergiven name because of her fear of depor-tation.

Across the region, immigrants who areundocumented and even those who havelegal status have been paralyzed by fear.People stayed home from work orrefused to leave the house even to buymilk. Some kept their children homefrom school or stayed in other people’shomes, afraid that a raid could happenanywhere, anytime.

From the reports we’ve received so far,these vulnerable families pose no threatto our national security or the integrity ofour borders and yet, DHS has calledthem “enforcement priorities”. It appearsDHS is targeting families who, despitelanguage barriers, despite complicatedasylum laws, despite every obstacle putin their way, appeared in court to pursuetheir claims for protection. But, DHS hasprovided almost no information abouttheir cases or the processes that led totheir removal orders — and despite manyrequests, ICE refuses to cooperate andprovide us with this basic information.Instead, moving way too fast, ICE isrushing children and mothers out of thiscountry and back to lives where extreme-ly dangerous conditions will once againbe a part of their every day lives.

Immigration agents now have to getconsent to enter a private residence, andif that consent is refused, they cannot useforce to enter. Maria who has been grant-ed asylum is fearful. Speaking to the NYTimes, she said: ”We are afraid to go

out,” Maria said. “The fear,” she added,patting her chest, “has affected myheart.”

An ICE official, speaking to on the con-dition of anonymity because the agencydoes not discuss its actions publicly, said:“at this time, we are not conducting thefamily enforcement action in New York.”But the ICE official did say that the NewYork field office was conducting its usualoperations. “We have fugitive teams inNew York tasked with final orders ofremoval.”

The Immigrant’s Journal Legal &Educational Fund, Inc., (IJLEF) based inBrooklyn, NY an immigrant empower-ment, organization based in Brooklyn,New York joins the Coalition forHumane Immigrant Rights of LosAngeles (CHIRLA), an immigrant rightsorganization based in California, rightsorganization here in Brooklyn, New Yorkdenounced plans by the ObamaAdministration and the Department ofHomeland Security (DHS) to beginlarge-scale actions to deport CentralAmerican families, women and childrenwho have sought refuge in the U.S. afterfleeing persecution, violence, and unsta-ble social conditions in the home coun-tries.

IJLEF supports the statement ofAngelica Salas, Executive Director forCHIRLA:

"Plans to deport Central Americanfamilies, whether initial, in progress, orfinal, are horrendous, mean-spirited, anda slap in the face to everything Americastands for, including justice, due process,and the pursuit of life, liberty, and happi-ness.

These Central American families, intheir majority women and children, arefleeing persecution and violence in thecountries of origin. These women andchildren represent but a tiny sample of aglobal phenomenon called migration.These human beings beseech our nation'sprotection, mercy, and support. Instead,our government violates their dueprocess, denies almost all of them anopportunity for a better life, and nowplans to deport them en masse regardlessof whether they will live or die thereafter.

We call on the Obama Administrationand DHS to halt all plans to deportCentral American families and to offerinstead humane, just, and merciful solu-tions. Even the mere suggestion of possi-ble ICE raids induces terror and chaos inthe community and nation at large. Intheir haste to return the migrants home,the U.S. government has failed to ensureCentral American migrants have properrepresentation in court, and as a result,many have been wrongly denied asylumand/or deported in absentia. This is notthe system of justice we value and defendin America.

We are putting the White House, DHS,and Congress that our community willenergetically mobilize to oppose thisobscene and inhumane plan.

Starting today until such a time whenwe hear other news, we ask the public toflood the White House with calls by dial-ing (202) 456-1111, and/or to write post-cards to President Obama at the WhiteHouse, Washington, DC, and ask him togive the gift of family. Protection formigrants, not deportation."

It’s time for the campaign against

Maria who has been

granted asylum is

fearful. Speaking to the

NY Times, she said:

”We are afraid to go

out,” Maria said.

“The fear,” she added,

patting her chest, “has

affected my heart.”

ICE Raids Put Immigrants on Pins & Needles/continued from page 1


TAX MATTERS6

Whether you file as a corpora-tion or sole proprietor here'swhat business owners need to

know about tax changes for 2015.

Standard Mileage Rates The standard mileage rates in 2015 are asfollows: 57.5 cents per business miledriven, 23 cents per mile driven for med-ical or moving purposes, and 14 cents permile driven in service of charitableorganizations.

Health Care Tax Credit for SmallBusinesses Small business employers who pay atleast half the premiums for single healthinsurance coverage for their employeesmay be eligible for the Small BusinessHealth Care Tax Credit as long as theyemploy fewer than the equivalent of 25full-time workers and average annualwages do not exceed $51,600 (adjustedfor inflation).

In 2015 (as in 2014), the tax credit isworth up to 50 percent of your contribu-tion toward employees' premium costs(up to 35 percent for tax-exempt employ-ers). For tax years 2010 through 2013,the maximum credit was 35 percent forsmall business employers and 25 percentfor small tax-exempt employers such ascharities.

Section 179 Expensing An extension for increased limitationsfor Section 179 expensing along with anextension of the bonus depreciation wasincluded in HR 5771, Tax IncreasePrevention Act of 2014, which wassigned into law last year, on December31, 2014 but expired at the end of 2014and has not been extended.

As such, in 2015 the maximum Section179 expense deduction for equipmentpurchases is $25,000 of the first$200,000 of certain business propertyplaced in service during the year. Thebonus depreciation of 50 percent forqualified property that exceeds thethreshold amount is no longer available.

Please call us at 718-222-3155, if youhave any questions about Section 179expensing and the bonus depreciation.

Work Opportunity Tax Credit(WOTC)An extension for the WOTC was includ-ed in HR 5771, Tax Increase PreventionAct of 2014, but expired at the end of2014 and has not been extended.

SIMPLE IRA Plan ContributionsContribution limits for SIMPLE IRAplans increased to $12,500 for personsunder age 50 and $15,500 for personsage 50 or older in 2015. The maximumcompensation used to determine contri-butions increases to $265,000.

Please contact the office, at 718-222-3155, if you need help understandingwhich deductions and tax credits you areentitled to for your business, also bringyour past three years business and indi-vidual tax returns at the consultation. Theconsultation fee is $100, if you retain theLaw Firm of Figeroux & Associates foryour tax audit or preparatiom; that con-sultation fee will be credited to yourretainer.

For more tax news and to schedule anappointment online click here:www.311tax.com.l

Are youdrowning in student

loans?

Join us for a FREE seminar

Location: 26 Court Street, Suite 701,

downtown Brooklyn.

Registration and details at: www.chambercoalition.org

Call 718-722-9217

2015 Tax Provisions forBusinesses: A Review


7TAX MATTERS

keep in mind that you can still do yourown taxes.”

Name changesYour name(s) and Social Security num-ber(s) are critical elements of your taxreturn. Both identifiers must exactlymatch the information the SocialSecurity Administration (SSA) has onfile. That means if you legally changeyour name after you get married, theSSA needs to know about it.

To get a Social Security card with yournew name, you'll need to provide proofof identity, such as a marriage certificate,fill out an application and either mail it ordeliver it in person to your local SSAoffice.

You'll want to do this long before youfile your income tax return.

New addressIf you're moving, remember to reportyour new address to the Internal RevenueService (IRS). The fastest way to makethe change is to complete Form 8822available on the agency website atwww.irs.gov.

New filing statusOnce you've said, "I do," you'll have theoption to claim one of two filing statuseson your tax return: married filing jointlyor married filing separately. If you and

your spouse each earn an income, youmight consider running the numbers todetermine if you have a lower combinedtax by filing one way versus the other.Some tax software packages do the cal-culations for you so it's easier to make aninformed decision when selecting a filingstatus. For many couples, married filingjointly results in lower income tax liabil-ity.

Keep in mind that no matter when inthe year you get married, you are consid-ered married for the full year. Even ifyour big day was December 31, you willhave a married status in the eyes of theIRS for the entirety of that tax year.

Immigrants & TaxesAccording to the IRS, if at the end ofyour tax year, you are married and onespouse is a U.S. citizen or a resident alien

and the other is an o n r e s i d e n talien, you canchoose to treatthe nonresidentas a U.S. resi-dent. Thisincludes situa-tions in whichone of you is anonresident alienat the beginningof the tax year,but a residentalien at the endof the year, andthe other is anonresident alien

at the end of the year.If you make this choice, the following

rules apply:•You and your spouse are treated, for fed-eral income tax purposes, as residents forall tax years that the choice is in effect.You and your spouse are treated as resi-dents for your entire tax year for the pur-pose of your federal individual incometax return, and for the purpose of with-holding federal income tax from yourwages. However, you may still be treatedas a nonresident alien for the purpose ofwithholding Social Security andMedicare tax. Refer to Aliens Employedin the U.S. – Social Security Taxes •You must file a joint income tax returnfor the year you make the choice (but youand your spouse can file joint or separatereturns in later years), and •Each spouse must report his or her entire

worldwide income on the joint incometax return.•Generally, neither you nor your spousecan claim tax treaty benefits as a residentof a foreign country for a tax year forwhich the choice is in effect. However,the exception to the saving clause of aparticular tax treaty might allow a resi-dent alien to claim a tax treaty benefiton certain specified income.

Example:Pat Smith has been a U.S. citizen formany years. She is married to Norman, anonresident alien. Pat and Norman makethe choice to treat Norman as a residentalien by attaching a statement to theirjoint return. Pat and Norman must reporttheir worldwide income for the year theymake the choice and for all later yearsunless, the choice is ended or suspended.Although Pat and Norman must file ajoint return for the year they make thechoice, as long as one spouse is a U.S.citizen or resident, they can file eitherjoint or separate returns for later years.

CAUTION! If you file a joint returnunder this provision, the special instruc-tions and restrictions for dual-status tax-payers do not apply to you.

FREE Tax ConsultationFor more information about the tax

impact of marriage, call 718-834-0190for a FREE tax consultation. Rememberit is easier to get rid of bed bugs than theIRS!l

Tax Tips for Newly-Married Couples/continued from page 1


AMERICAN DREAM810 Things to Consider Before BuyingYour First Home

Owning a home has long been apart of the American dream. Butis it the right move for you right

now?You've landed your dream job and

dreamier spouse/partner/whatever.Suddenly, you find yourself thinkingabout putting down roots, moving out ofyour noisy apartment and buying ahouse. Slow down just a bit. It's a hugestep. Taking on a house usually means anincrease in your monthly outlay for mort-gage, utilities and maintenance, plus atime commitment for keeping the yard inshape.

Still, it's the American dream — to goalong with the job and spouse. Beforeyou find yourself mired in a nightmare,read through our list of things to keep inmind to help make the dream that muchsweeter.

10: The MarketSince the advent of the Great Recessionin 2008, the real estate market hasbounced back and forth between abuyer's and a seller's market in manyareas.

A buyer's market is when there aremore houses for sale than there are buy-

ers for them. That happened early in therecession when, after the boom in newhome sales, suddenly there were morenew homes than builders could sell. Thebuyer's market continued as the recessionlingered, people lost their jobs, foreclo-sures peaked and housing prices tanked.

The opposite, a seller's market, occurswhen fewer houses are on the marketthan there are buyers.

9: The ProcessBuying a house is not like buying gro-ceries — or even a car. It can be a com-plicated process involving a lot of paper-work that often makes little sense. Hereare some of the general steps (specificsvary by state) that you will need to takeas you prepare to sign on the dotted line.

Before you look:•Save your money. •Get prequalified for a loan to learn howmuch house you can afford.

Once you're under contract:•Apply for a loan. •Have the house inspected. •Gather your funds for closing.

8: Type of HouseDo you have visions of living in a tradi-tional home in the suburbs, one with abig yard and a houseful of kids and pets?Maybe your spouse likes the idea of in-town living, a condo within walking dis-tance of shops and restaurants. Whatabout two or more stories vs. a single-level home? Do you envision a basementor garage where you could have a work-shop or space for a home office?

You may not be able to afford every-thing on your wish list, but it's importantto talk with both your partner and yourreal estate agent about the things thatmight be deal breakers for you.

7: AffordabilityJust because you've been preapprovedfor a certain amount doesn't mean youhave to max out that loan with your firsthome. In fact, you may not want to spendevery penny on your home loan everymonth. When considering how muchhouse you can afford, here are someother costs to be aware of:•Mortgage payments •Closing costs•Neighborhood or a homeowners associ-ation with required monthly or annualdues.

Keep all of these expenses in mind asyou're shopping for a new home, and talkto your real estate agent and lender aboutany other unexpected expenses to expect.

6: Credit ScoreBefore you begin shopping for a house,get a copy of your credit report. Yourcredit score will play a large part indetermining the interest rate you are ableto get on your loan. The higher yourcredit score, the more likely you'll beable to get a loan to buy a house at alower interest rate.

5: Down PaymentThe down payment, which is the moneyyou pay up front for your home, can varyfrom 0 to 20 percent or more depending

on the loan type and your credit rating.Do your research and talk to lenders inyour area about how much you will haveto put down.

4: JobThere are a couple of things related toyour job that are important when you'rethinking of buying a house. First, howstable is it? Have you had your job for atleast a year? Do you see yourself stayingwith the job for the next few years?These are things a lender will look at andtalk to you about before making a loan.

The second thing to consider is yourcommute. Does it matter to you how longit is? Does it matter to your partner? Ifyou choose a house close to work andthen either lose your job or take a job ina different area, is that still a place you'dbe happy to live? Maybe you work fromhome.

3: Home Repairs and MaintenanceSome of the hidden costs of home own-ership are in repairs and maintenance.When thinking about how much houseyou can afford, consider these costsbefore you commit to a monthly paymentthat will take your entire budget.

If you're handy, you might considerbuying a house that needs some work.You can probably get it for much lessthan a perfect home, and then you can putin what's commonly called "sweat equi-ty."

2: ChildrenDo you have or are you planning to havechildren? If so, you'll want to considerthe school district and neighborhoodbefore buying. In fact, even if you don'thave children, it's smart to consider theschool district.

Also, take a look at the neighborhood.Is it family friendly? Does the street havea lot of traffic? Is there a playground? Aswimming pool? Are there sidewalks?What about other kids? Keep all of this inmind if you're planning to raise a familyin your new home.

1: RootsAre you up for a promotion that wouldsend you halfway across the country?Have always wanted to live in a grass huton the beach halfway around the world?If either of these is the case in your life,now may not be the time to buy.

The bottom line is this: Even if you livein a buyer's market now, you may not beable to make much money if you try tosell your house within the first few years.On the other hand, if everyone from yourgreat-grandparents on down has lived inthe same neighborhood and you aren'tabout to break with tradition, now maybe a great time to buy a house. Look fora home that can grow with your family –or at least accommodate all the familymembers in the neighborhood who willbe dropping by.l

BY KAREN KIRKPATRICK


AMERICAN DREAM 9

Are You at Risk of Losing Your Home?

FREE BANKRUPTCY CONSULTATION

Documents Required:*List of debts*Your most recent tax returns*Correspondence from creditors*Lawsuit documents*Social Security and ID*List of assets

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Filing a Chapter 7, 11 or 13 bankruptcy may be your only choice!!!

Get the legal help you need NOW! Call 718-834-0190!

The Law Offices of Figeroux & Associates, 26 Court Street, Suite 701, Brooklyn, NY. Visit www.figeroux.com

Creditors’ Harassments!Lawsuits! Foreclosures!

Simply, foreclosure is the process bywhich a homeowner’s rights to aproperty are forfeited because of

failure to pay the mortgage. If the ownercannot pay off the outstanding debt orsell it via short sale, the property thengoes to a foreclosure auction. If the prop-erty does not sell at auction, it becomesthe property of the lending institution.

It helps to remember that the word“homeowner” in this case is actually amisnomer – they are actually borrowers.When someone buys a home, they sign athick packet of papers – one of which isthe mortgage, or deed of trust. This doc-ument puts a lien on the purchased prop-erty, making the loan a “secured loan.”

Foreclosure doesn’t happen overnight.Ponder these questions: Have you missedyour house payment? Haven't missed ahouse payment yet, but afraid you might?Has your financial situation changed dueto a mortgage payment increase, loss ofjob, divorce, medical expenses, increasein taxes or other reasons? Is your creditcard debt becoming unmanageable? Areyou using your credit cards to buy gro-ceries? Is it becoming difficult to pay allyour monthly bills on time? If youanswered yes to all or more of thesequestions, more than likely you are nearor in foreclosure.

Few people think they will lose theirhome; they think they have more time.

Here's how it happens:nFirst month missed payment – yourlender will contact you by letter orphone. A housing counselor can help.

nSecond month missed payment – yourlender is likely to begin calling you todiscuss why you have not made yourpayments. It is important that you taketheir phone calls. Talk to your lender andexplain your situation and what you aretrying to do to resolve it. At this time,you still may be able to make one pay-ment to prevent yourself from fallingthree months behind.

nThird month missed payment after thethird payment is missed, you will receive

a letter from your lender stating theamount you are delinquent, and that youhave 30 days to bring your mortgage cur-rent. This is called a "Demand Letter" or"Notice to Accelerate." If you do not paythe specified amount or make some typeof arrangements by the given date, thelender may begin foreclosure proceed-ings. They are unlikely to accept lessthan the total due without arrangementsbeing made if you receive this letter. Youstill have time to work something outwith your lender.

nFourth month missed payment – nowyou are nearing the end of time allowedin your Demand or Notice to AccelerateLetter. When the 30 days ends, if you

have not paid the full amount or workedour arrangements you will be referred toyour lender's attorneys. You will incur allattorney fees as part of your delinquency.

nSheriff's or Public Trustee's Sale – theattorney will schedule a Sale. This is theactual day of foreclosure. You may benotified of the date by mail, a notice istaped to your door, and the Sale may beadvertised in a local paper. The timebetween the Demand or Notice toAccelerate Letter and the actual Salevaries by state. In some states it can be asquick as 2-3 months. This is not themove-out date, but the end is near. Youhave until the date of Sale to makearrangements with your lender, or paythe total amount owed, including attor-ney fees.

nRedemption Period – after the saledate, you may enter a redemption period.You will be notified of your time frameon the same notice that your state usesfor your Sheriff's or Public Trustee'sSale.

Important: Stay in contact with yourlender, and get assistance as early as pos-sible. All dates are estimated and varyaccording to your state and your mort-gage company.l

Source: hud.gov


NEWS OBAMA ADMINISTRATION10

Columbine. Blacksburg. Newtown.Aurora. Tucson. Oak Creek.Charleston. San Bernardino. Too

many communities across the country arestill suffering from the heartbreakingconsequences of a gun in the wronghands. In the past decade, more than100,000 people have died as a result ofgun violence. Many of these crimes werecommitted by people who never shouldhave been able to purchase a gun in thefirst place.

Gun violence has taken a heartbreakingtoll on too many communities across thecountry. Over the past decade inAmerica, more than 100,000 people havebeen killed as a result of gun violence—and millions more have been the victimof assaults, robberies, and other crimesinvolving a gun. Many of these crimeswere committed by people who nevershould have been able to purchase a gunin the first place. Over the same period,hundreds of thousands of other people inour communities committed suicide witha gun and nearly half a million peoplesuffered other gun injuries. Hundreds oflaw enforcement officers have been shotto death protecting their communities.And too many children are killed orinjured by firearms every year, often byaccident. The vast majority ofAmericans—including the vast majorityof gun owners—believe we must take

sensible steps to address these horribletragedies.

The President and Vice President arecommitted to using every tool at theAdministration’s disposal to reduce gunviolence. Some of the gaps in our coun-try’s gun laws can only be fixed throughlegislation, which is why the Presidentcontinues to call on Congress to pass thekind of commonsense gun safety reformssupported by a majority of the Americanpeople. Sympathy is not enough to stopgun violence. And while Congress hasrepeatedly failed to take action and passlaws that would expand backgroundchecks and reduce gun violence, now,

building on the significant steps that havealready been taken over the past severalyears, the Administration is announcing aseries of commonsense executive actionsdesigned to:

1. Keep guns out of the wrong handsthrough background checks.The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is mak-ing clear that it doesn’t matter where youconduct your business—from a store, atgun shows, or over the Internet: If you’rein the business of selling firearms, youmust get a license and conduct back-ground checks.

ATF is finalizing a rule to require back-ground checks for people trying to buysome of the most dangerous weapons andother items through a trust, corporation,or other legal entity.

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch hassent a letter to States highlighting theimportance of receiving complete crimi-nal history.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) is overhauling the backgroundcheck system to make it more effectiveand efficient. The envisioned improve-ments include processing backgroundchecks 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,and improving notification of localauthorities when certain prohibited per-sons unlawfully attempt to buy a gun.The FBI will hire more than 230 addi-tional examiners and other staff to helpprocess these background checks.

2. Make our communities safer fromgun violence.The Attorney General convened a callwith U.S. Attorneys around the countryto direct federal prosecutors to continueto focus on smart and effective enforce-ment of our gun laws.

The President’s FY2017 budget willinclude funding for 200 new ATF agentsand investigators to help enforce our gunlaws.

Taking Guns Out of the Wrong HandsBY TANYA SOMANADER, WHITE HOUSE DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL RAPID RESPONSE

conitnued on page 14

President Barack Obama tears up as he delivers remarks to announce steps that theadministration is taking to reduce gun violence, in the East Room of the White(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)


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Since the publication of theWashington Post article detailingallegations of a plan by

Department of Homeland Security(DHS) to conduct massive raids startingin early January of 2016, rumors havebeen rampant.

Information received on January 1st2016, confirms that these raids did in facttake place.

Likely to get deported: People withfinal removal orders issued by an immi-gration judge and possibly families whohave fled violence in Central Americaand arrived in the U.S. since January2014. The estimated number that couldbe affected is approximately 100,000families.

We do not know what if any states DHSplans to target or the number of immi-grants to be deported. Nor do we knowwhere they plan to conduct their raids –according to the Washington Post, “[t]headults and children would be detainedwherever they can be found and immedi-ately deported. The number targeted isexpected tobe in the hundreds and possi-bly greater.”

In an abundance of caution, we havebegun to mobilize and engage in raid pre-paredness. While we want to avoid creat-ing panic in our communities, it is alsoimportant that we be prepared and

informed. The following informationshould help you respond if ICE conductsraids in your community.

What is happening?n Immigration and CustomsEnforcement (ICE) has started to deportimmigrants who are in the country with-out papers. This includes immigrantswith criminal history, immigrants withold orders of removal, and immigrantswho have applied for and been deniedimmigration status.

nICE has begun raids at people’s homes,at work, and also at public places likemalls.

How to prepare yourselfnFind a lawyer or community-basedorganization that you know or trust andmake sure they have a copy of yourname, a telephone number, date of birth,and emergency contact information. Alsoshare this information with a familymember or friend who does not live withyou.

nWhen walking around do NOT carryany documents from your home countrywith you. If you do not have any US gov-ernment IDs and live in New York, weadvise you to get an IDNYC as soon aspossible. You can get information aboutthe IDNYC by calling 311.

nWrite down and carry these numberswith you:United We Dream Immigration RaidHotline (National): 844-363-1423

The Immigrant’s Journal Legal &Educational Fund, Inc (NYC based) 718-243-9431

What are your rights?nYou have the right to ask ICE for a war-rant before they enter your house, youhave the right to ask to speak to a lawyerand you have the right to remain silent.

nUnfortunately, ICE has been known toenter homes even without a warrant andeven if you ask them not to. Rights arebeing violated. So it is important to beprepared.

If a raid happensnState your rights by asking for a war-rant and to speak with your lawyer

n Do NOT answer any questions or signanything without a lawyer

nIf you or anyone in your house is abletake photographs, recordings on yourphone and/or write down officers namesand badge numbers.

nCall one of the hotline numbers aboveto report the raid.

nCall your attorney/community organi-zation FIRST THING in the morning toget information on what you can do next.

This is not the America we believe in.We are here together. Stay strong. l

BY ATLAS DIY

How to Prepare for An ICE Raid


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Foreign Students Add Hundreds ofThousands of Jobs to the U.S. Economy

Most people don’t think of for-eign students as an economicresource, yet that is precisely

what they are. Each year, students fromother countries spend billions of dollarsin the U.S. economy, pumping moneynot only into the colleges and universitiesthey attend, but the surrounding busi-nesses as well. In addition, many foreignstudents go on to become highly innova-tive scientists, engineers, and entrepre-neurs who add value to the U.S. economyin myriad ways that are often difficult toquantify. Given the economic value ofthe education they receive in U.S. univer-sities, it is unfortunate that so many for-eign students are forced by our nonsensi-cal immigration policies to return to theirhome countries rather than putting theirknowledge to use in this country.

According to a newly releasedInternational Student Economic ValueTool from NAFSA: Association ofInternational Educators, internationalstudents and their dependents con-tributed roughly $30.5 billion to the U.S.economy during the 2014-2015 academ-ic year. This spending supported morethan 373,000 U.S. jobs. Spending by stu-dents and their dependents amounted to:$4.6 billion (sustaining 52,624 jobs) inCalifornia, $3.7 billion (43,865 jobs) in

New York, $2.2 billion (29,009 jobs) inMassachusetts $1.7 billion (21,524 jobs)in Texas, $1.6 billion (22,565 jobs) inPennsylvania, and $1.4 billion (20,881jobs) in Illinois.

However, the NAFSA estimate doesn’tcapture the contributions which manyforeign students go on to make as part ofthe high-skilled U.S. workforce and theU.S. business community. For instance,among doctorate holders, the NationalScience Board estimates that in 2010,immigrants accounted for 56.3 percent ofall engineers, 51.5 percent of computer

scientists, 47.1 percent of biologists, and41.9 percent of physicists.

In short, $30.5 billion in spending is thetip of the iceberg when it comes to meas-uring the economic contributions of for-eign students. Given this fact, it is baf-fling that so many foreign students areforced to return home after completingtheir studies in U.S. universities. In manycases, the United States is training work-ers for its own economic competitors.And the nation does nothing for its inter-national reputation by kicking out stu-dents from other countries once theirstudies are complete. As NAFSA

Executive Director and CEO, MarleneM. Johnson has said, we need rationalimmigration policies “in order toimprove the face we show to the world,build more meaningful relationships withfuture generations of foreign leaders,and not lose out on the economic, aca-demic, and cultural contributions frominternational students.” A more enlight-ened immigration policy would encour-age foreign students to stay in the UnitedStates and put their knowledge to usestrengthening the U.S. economyl

BY WALTER EWING



NEWS IN THE COMMUNITY14

Immigration Options forVictims of Crimes

Taking Guns Out of theWrong Hands/continued from page 10

ATF has established an InternetInvestigation Center to track illegalonline firearms trafficking and is dedicat-ing $4 million and additional personnelto enhance the National IntegratedBallistics Information Network.

ATF is finalizing a rule to ensure thatdealers who ship firearms notify lawenforcement if their guns are lost orstolen in transit.

The Attorney General issued a memoencouraging every U.S. Attorney’sOffice to renew domestic violence out-reach efforts.

3. Increase mental health treatmentand reporting to the backgroundcheck system.The Administration is proposing a new$500 million investment to increaseaccess to mental health care.

The Social Security Administration hasindicated that it will begin the rulemak-ing process to include information in thebackground check system about benefi-ciaries who are prohibited from possess-ing a firearm for mental health reasons.

The Department of Health and HumanServices is finalizing a rule to removeunnecessary legal barriers preventingStates from reporting relevant informa-tion about people prohibited from pos-sessing a gun for specific mental healthreasons.

4. Shape the future of gun safety tech-nology.The President has directed theDepartments of Defense, Justice, andHomeland Security to conduct or sponsorresearch into gun safety technology.

The President has also directed thedepartments to review the availability ofsmart gun technology on a regular basis,and to explore potential ways to furtherits use and development to more broadlyimprove gun safety.Congress should support the President’s

request for resources for 200 new ATFagents and investigators to help enforceour gun laws, as well as a new $500 mil-lion investment to address mental healthissues.

Because we all must do our part to keepour communities safe, the Administrationis also calling on States and local govern-ments to do all they can to keep guns outof the wrong hands and reduce gun vio-lence. It is also calling on private-sectorleaders to follow the lead of other busi-nesses that have taken voluntary steps tomake it harder for dangerous individualsto get their hands on a gun. In the comingweeks, the Administration will engagewith manufacturers, retailers, and otherprivate-sector leaders to explore whatmore they can do.l

MORE THAN 30,000

AMERICANS ARE KILLED

BY GUNS EACH YEARSome immigrants may be afraid toreport acts of domestic violence tothe police or to seek other forms of

assistance. Such fear causes many immi-grants to remain in abusive relationships.

Victims of domestic violence who arethe child, parent, or current/formerspouse of a United States citizen or a per-manent resident (green card holder) andare abused by the citizen or permanentresident may be eligible to apply for agreen card themselves without needingthe abuser to file for immigration bene-fits on their behalf. This provision of thelaw was created under the ViolenceAgainst Women Act (VAWA).

Victims must establish that they:• Have or had a qualifying relationshipwith the abuser spouse, or, are the parentor child of the abuser,• Reside or resided with the abuser,• Have good moral character, and• Have been victims of battery or extremecruelty

VAWA provisions apply equally to menand women. Victims of domestic vio-lence, whether a spouse, child, or parentof the abuser, may self-petition.

U Nonimmigrant Status U nonimmigrant status (or U visa) offersimmigration protection for victims and isalso a tool for law enforcement. Toobtain U status, the victim must obtain acertification from law enforcement, how-ever, law enforce¬ment officials shouldnote that providing a certification doesnot grant a benefit—only USCIS has theauthority to grant or deny this benefit.

Victims are not required to be in legalimmigration status, but they must:• Be a victim of qualifying criminalactivity and have suffered substantialphysical or mental abuse as a result of thecrime,• Possess credible and reliable informa-tion about the qualifying criminal activi-ty,• Be, have been, or are likely to be help-ful to the investigation and/or prosecu-tion of that qualifying criminal activity,and• Be a victim of criminal activity that vio-lated a U.S. law.

T Nonimmigrant Status Trafficking in persons—also known as“human trafficking”—is a form of mod-ern-day slavery. Traffickers prey onmany types of people, often includingindividuals who are poor, unemployed,underemployed, or who lack the safety

and protection of strong social networks.Victims are often lured under the falsepretenses of good jobs and better lives,and then forced to work under brutal andinhumane conditions. Many believe thathuman trafficking is a problem that onlyoccurs in other countries—but humantrafficking also happens in the UnitedStates.

The T nonimmigrant status (or T visa)provides immigration protection to vic-tims of severe forms of trafficking in per-sons who assist law enforcement in theinvestigation and prosecution of humantrafficking cases.

Many immigrants are fearful of admit-ting that they have been a victim of acrime in part because they believe theywill be removed (deported) from theUnited States if they report the crime.l

Source: usics.gov

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Ahigh conflict divorce is a warbetween two separated ordivorced parents. This intense and

long-term battle of words consists of emo-tionally combustable weapons being firedat each other with their children becomingcollateral damage.

The children may become wounded tothe point where it becomes impossible forthem to recover.

Some of the effects of high conflictdivorce on children are:1.They learn how to respond to parentsexactly the way the adults want them to.They learn to do this as a means for avoid-ing conflict. Their goals are to give theparents what they want to hear in thatmoment without giving any thought abouthow they really feel or the longer-termconsequences of their reactive responses.

2.They learn to be conflict avoidersbecause they have no role models whoactually resolve conflicts. They witnessthe endless fighting of their parents thatonly enhances the hatred and bitternessthey feel towards each other. Their kidswant nothing of this ugly world and there-fore have developed strong mechanisms tomove away from any indication that con-flict is entering the picture.

3.They may become depressed, anxious,withdrawn, defiant and/or substance

abusers-addicts. Children of hostiledivorce parents have acute and chronicmental health risks that may be decreasedwith therapeutic intervention. However,the success of this intervention will belimited as long the parents intensely fighteach other.

4.The children may come to believe thedivorce is their fault and their job to fix it.They may also come to believe it is theirrole to comfort one or both of their parentsbecause they are so miserable much of thetime.

5.They may have decreased self-esteemand their confidence takes a huge hit.Their parents’ eternal fighting becometheir struggle. They feel all alone and aretoo ashamed to talk about how much painthey are in.

6.They learn to disguise their pain andappear to be happy, well-adjusted childrenwhen in truth they are frightened; unsurewhen the ground below will crumble.

What is the solution? Is forgiveness pos-sible?I have been a therapist in private practicefor over twenty-eight years and have spentmany hours working with children whohave high conflict divorce parents. Thechances of the children really recoveringfrom their parents’ upheaval remain slimand nil as long as the adults don’t move

High Conflict Divorce & Forgiveness

away from their position from despisingeach other.

Parents working with a professional par-enting coordinator can help resolve differ-ences regarding time sharing of the chil-dren, communication, vacations, haircuts,phone call rules and other tangible items.A parent coordinator is essential, but won’tget at the underlying reasons for the hostil-ity between the parents. Nor is it the coor-dinator’s role to take on this aspect of theconflict.

Sure, therapy can help kids feel like theyhave an advocate and learn skills to talkhonestly with their parents even if theydon’t feel totally safe when doing so.Therapists can teach kids how to problemsolve and make choices that will enhancetheir self-esteem.

Interventions that produce these positivechanges are important, but as long as thekids are faced with their parents’ loathingof each other, that evil energy in the airwill make it impossible for children totruly heal from their parents’ nasty verbal

sparring.This evil energy is obvious

to the children regardless ifthere is outright loud arguingin their kids’ presence or if theadults have done a good jobabout not fighting in front ofthe children. The children areaware of their parents’ disdaintowards each other even if theadults have stopped trashing

the other parent to them.This is why it is imperative for the par-

ents to authentically forgive each other. Aslong as their children are exposed to theparents’ hatred of each other, the kids willcreate walls and other obstacles towardsfeeling their own pain about the divorce. Ifthey cannot feel their own pain, they can-not heal the effects of high conflictdivorce that will remain.

As a therapist, I would probably be lessstressed out if I accepted that adults inhigh conflict divorces don’t have the will-ingness to forgive each other. I may sleepbetter at night if I accept it as fact thatmost people will never change, but Irefuse to accept this as truth.

The emotional lives of too many kids areat stake here, so I choose not to give uphope.l

Bob Livingstone is a Licensed ClinicalSocial Worker (LCS 11087) in privatepractice for 22 years in San Francisco,California.

BY BOB LIVINGSTONE, LCSW

Family Law PracticeSummarized

The lawyer you hire, does make a difference!nDIVORCE nSEPARATION nSUPPORT nCUSTODY

NEW YORK IS NOW A NO-FAULT DIVORCE STATE

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FAMILY MATTERS 15


NEWS DIASPORA CONCERNS16Task Force on Immigrant Health Seeksto Provide Access to Health Care for All

History books spanning centuries,document page after page, thegargantuan influx of immigrants

to our shores representing every nookand cranny of the globe and their impres-sive contributions to our nation’s her-itage. Yet, immigrants are not the benefi-ciaries of the our health care system.

According to Commissioner NishaAgarwal, Mayor’s Office of ImmigrantAffairs, this Task Force was started bythe Mayor “to think through what aresome of the barriers that immigrantsfaced in accessing health care and therecommendations that were put forwardin the report that was ultimately issuedby the Task Force included…improvingaccess to interpretation and translationservices in the health care setting …andenabling immigrant volunteers and com-munity health workers who have lan-guage skills, to make sure the immigrantcommunities have access to informationabout what resources are available tothem.”

The Task Force is a consortium of citygovernment agencies, health careproviders, immigrant advocates and pub-lic health experts who brainstormed so asto pinpoint the precise reasons why

immigrants face this dilemma. According to the Task Force, “New

York City has a moral duty to ensure thatall of its residents have…accessto…health care regardless of their immi-gration status…these barriers imposesignificant costs…in the form of avoid-able hospitalization …to treat conditionsthat could be managed through primaryand preventive care.” Going to your doc-tor when you’re illness-free, is the bestway to catch illness in its early stages.According to the Commissioner, “thebasic information immigrants need isthat the sooner you go to get care, thebetter for you to stay healthy rather than

waiting and waiting and somethingbecomes really bad…it will be reallyexpensive; in some cases it might be toolate. You don’t want that to happen.”Unfortunately, in their native countriesgoing to a doctor is not the first option.

It is of course highly commendablethat the mayor is spearheading this initia-tive but, nonetheless, it is inexplicableand deplorable and shameful that thusfar, immigrants are confronted with aplethora of barriers to access health carefor their families. How can a motherpossibly be expected to cross the thresh-old of a doctor’s office clasping the handof her ailing, crying child with a doctorwho is not fluent in her language? Howcan she possibly understand the diagno-sis and treatment? What is wrong withher child? What medicine will she need?How many doses a day? What type ofrestrictions will be required in her child’sdaily activities? As the Task Force stated,“Patients can best develop…trustingrelationship when providers speak theirlanguage and have an understanding oftheir cultural traditions.”

The Task Force concluded, via theirinvestigation, that immigrants are loatheto even make an appointment with a doc-tor because they are convinced the doctorwill not be able to communicate effec-tively with them. As CommissionerAgawal said, “One thing immigrant fam-ilies should know is that by law, healthcare providers are expected to provideinterpretation services and translationdocuments for individuals who don’tspeak English well. So that’s somethingthat they have a right to ask for when

they go to a health care provider…whatwe’re thinking about doing is reallyexpanding the resources available to thehealth care provider so that more inter-preters are available.”

Greg Mann, interim executive director,Grameen PrimaCare, one of the manydiverse organizations that was invited bythe mayor’s office to work on the TaskForce, said, “We have already incorpo-rated many similar recommendations inour recently launched pilotprogram…Vida Sana, meaning ‘healthylife’ in Spanish…our model involves ateam-based approach to healthcare…women from our members’ com-munities who are trained to work withpatients on health issues…in most casesthe health coach acts as a translator …forthose who do not speak English…one ofour core beliefs is that if we are not ableto communicate with the women seekingcare, we cannot help them improve theirhealth outcomes.”

An additional fear is that they will beconfronted with questions surroundingtheir immigration status which will putthem in jeopardy of deportation.According to Commissioner Agawal,“the city has executive orders in place toprotect immigration status information…should they be asked about their immi-gration status when they go to seekhealth care …folks should know thatthey’ll get access to care regardless.”The Commissioner sought to allay thefears of immigrants who fear the scenarioabout being confronted with questionsabout their immigration status by allud-ing to the city’s successful municipal IDprogram when the city said, “your immi-gration status won’t even be asked about.We don’t care about it. We don’t need toknow it and it will be protected and con-fidential.”

In order to educate and enlighten thetarget population—the city’s immigrantcommunities, who will now be able toaccess health care with no restrictionswhich they so richly deserve, the citywill utilize outreach efforts. Accordingto the Commissioner, we are “workingvery closely with community-basedorganizations that have the trust of theimmigrant communities.” l

BY MARILYN SILVERMAN


SMALL BUSINESS MATTERS 17Finance Your Business: Gather theInformation You’ll NeedWhile every loan program has

specific forms you need to fillout and documents you need

to submit, you will likely need to submitmuch of the same information for differ-ent loan packages. Before you startapplying for loans, you should get somebasic documentation together. The fol-lowing are typical items that will berequired for any small business loanapplication:

•Personal Background: Either as part ofthe loan application or as a separate doc-ument, you will probably be asked toprovide some personal background infor-mation, including previous addresses,names used, criminal record, educationalbackground, etc.

•Resumes: Some lenders require evi-dence of management or business experi-ence, particularly for loans that areintended to be used to start a new busi-ness.

•Business Plan: All loan programsrequire a sound business plan to be sub-mitted with the loan application. Thebusiness plan should include a completeset of projected financial statements,including profit and loss, cash flow and abalance sheet.

•Personal Credit Report: Your lenderwill obtain your personal credit report aspart of the application process. However,you should obtain a credit report from allthree major consumer credit rating agen-cies before submitting a loan applicationto the lender. Inaccuracies and blemisheson your credit report can hurt yourchances of getting a loan approved. It’scritical you try to clear these up beforebeginning the application process.

•Business Credit Report: If you arealready in business, you should be pre-pared to submit a credit report for yourbusiness. As with the personal creditreport, it is important to review yourbusiness’ credit report before beginningthe application process.

•Income Tax Returns: Most loan pro-grams require applicants to submit per-sonal and business income tax returns forthe previous 3 years.

•Financial Statements: Many loan pro-grams require owners with more than a20 percent stake in your business to sub-mit signed personal financial statements.You may also be required to provide pro-jected financial statements either as partof, or separate from, your business plan.It is a good idea to have these prepared

and ready in case a program for whichyou are applying requires these docu-ments to be submitted individually.

•Bank Statements: Many loan programsrequire one year of personal and businessbank statements to be submitted as partof a loan package.

•Collateral: Collateral requirementsvary greatly. Some loan programs do notrequire collateral. Loans involving high-er risk factors for default require substan-tial collateral. Strong business plans andfinancial statements can help you avoidputting up collateral. In any case, it is agood idea to prepare a collateral docu-ment that describes cost/value of person-al or business property that will be usedto secure a loan.

•Legal Documents: Depending on aloan’s specific requirements, your lendermay require you to submit one or morelegal documents. Make sure you have the

following items in order, if applicable:◦Business licenses and registrationsrequired for you to conduct business◦Articles of Incorporation◦Copies of contracts you have with anythird parties◦Franchise agreements◦Commercial leases

Questions Your Lender Will Ask YouForms vary by program and lendinginstitution, but they all ask for the sameinformation. You should be prepared toanswer the following questions. It’s agood idea to have this information pre-pared before you fill out the application:•Why are you applying for this loan?•How will the loan proceeds be used?•What assets need to be purchased, andwho are your suppliers?•What other business debt do you have,and who are your creditors?•Who are the members of your manage-ment team?lSource: www.sba.gov


NEWS SMALL BUSINESS MATTERS18

An Advocate for the Restaurant &Nightlife IndustryBY MARILYN SILVERMAN

Achampion and tireless crusaderfor the minority business com-munity, Anthony Herbert, has

just been appointed as the president ofthe New York Minority Restaurant andNightlife Association (NYMRNA), ajoint project of the New AmericanChamber of Commerce, the AfricanAmerican International Chamber ofCommerce and the Hispanic AmericanInternational Chamber of Commerce. AsHerbert stated, the NYMRNA has beenimplemented “under the guidance andwisdom of Brian Figeroux, Esq.…whohas been the brainchild behind a numberof the chambers that work with a lot ofbusiness owners…throughout our com-munities, particularly those who are newAmericans...he thought that we wouldpartner and create this atmosphere ofsupport…from business owners in therestaurant and nightlife industry thatspeak to owners of full -fledged restau-rants, cafes, Mom and Pop takeoutshops, nightclubs, bars, restaurants,cafes.”

The most important benefits of mem-bership involve “education about thebusiness in the industry they’re in, as it

relates to accessibility to resources andhaving advocates that can voice theirconcern for these laws and regulations.One of the things we pride ourselves on,is having the ability to identify workingcapital that is most important to all busi-nesses, because they need to keep theirdoors open.”

A controversial rule has just beenpassed by the NYS Board of Health,whereby chain restaurants are required topost warnings on menu items that arehigh in sodium levels. They understand-ably recognize the detrimental impact

salt has on our diets. This sets a prece-dent, being the first in the nation to postsuch warnings on our food choices whenwe eat out. Our eating habits are increas-ingly going to be the responsibility of thegovernment as they try to keep ushealthy.

After being seated at that table by thewindow, when making a decision what toorder, we will now flip open the menuand see the image of a salt shakerencased in a black triangle next door tomenu items. The justification for postingthese warnings is very simple. “We areall cognizant of the fact that the inci-dence of such serious medical conditionsas high blood pressure, heart attacks andstroke are disproportionately attackingour families in the minority communitiesthat dot the landscape of our great multi-cultural city,” according to Dr. MaryBassett, NYC Health Commissioner.And excess salt consumption is the con-tributing factor. Something must be doneto stop this ASAP.

Herbert feels that “truth be told, whenyou speak of minorities and you speak ofsalt intake, it does come to mind thatthere should be some concern…by givingthe warning factors, by letting you knowthat this might by high in salt…that’s awin-win situation for everybody. Thatway, the consumer is not put in…the hos-pital. “

Concurrently with the introduction of

these new sodium warnings is a lawsuitinitiated by the National RestaurantAssociation (NRA). NRA has just filed alawsuit with the NYC Board of Healthchallenging this highly controversiallaw. These warnings would be posted onfood items possessing 2,300 milligramsof salt or a teaspoon or more of salt, onsuch food items as burgers, pizza and sal-ads. Those who opt to ignore the lawwill face a $200 fine. The NRA is of theopinion that this new regulation will mis-lead and confuse consumers into makingless healthy food choices. They alsoallege that it is in violation of restaurants’free speech rights by compelling them topost a warning they dispute .

It is not even clear that these newwarnings will have any effect on con-sumer behavior, according to a study justpublished by the journal, Health Affairs,that concluded that the percentage ofpeople who noticed and factored in calo-ries while making their choices at fast -food chains, declined with time. TheNRA is of the opinion that this will addcosts to eateries that are already copingwith Governor Andrew Cuomo’s effortsto implement a $15 minimum wage forfast-food workers.

The NRA insists that if the city wantsto implement this program, it needs to doso in a uniform manner that would offerconsumers nationwide the same informa-tion. Currently, only restaurants withmore than 15 locations are required topost these warnings. This controversiallaw represents the city’s latest battle in itscampaign to improve public health.

Herbert “would like to look more intothis law…again I can only speak to theadvantages of making sure that minori-ties are healthy… we have to get a betterunderstanding of what this lawsuitentails…and to make a better decision onwhat position to take, but I do supportbetter health for our community…I’mdefinitely concerned about high bloodpressure; that definitely pinches a nervefor me.”

For more information on membershipin the NYMRNA please visit


NEWSNEWS 19

nHEALTH nENTERTAINMENT nRELATIONSHIPS nRECIPES nSPORTS nHOROSCOPE

Kitchen Corner

"Heart health and protein in abowl! This recipe is an unexpectedkick of flavor with egg, red quinoa,avocado, and feta cheese! Very easyto make and a delicious start to theday."

Ingredients1/2 cup water 1/4 cup red quinoa 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil 2 eggs 1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 avocado, diced 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

BY ALISHA, ALLRECIPES.COM

Quinoa Avocado Breakfast Bowl

Directions1. Stir water and quinoa togeth-er in a rice cooker; cook untilquinoa is tender, about 15 min-utes.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet overmedium heat and cook eggs todesired doneness; season withseasoned salt and pepper

3.Combine quinoa and eggs in abowl; top with avocado and fetacheese.

• Prep:5 minutes• Cook: 20 minutes• Ready: 25 minutes• Calories: 372

Take a Trip: 2016 Year ofRomance in the Caribbean

Love is always in the air in theCaribbean. And, as we know, theCaribbean Tourism Organization

(CTO) declared 2016 The Year of Romancein the Caribbean — which celebrates every-thing romantic about the region. Throughthe campaign, CTO and its member coun-tries and hotels will highlight the Caribbeanas the leading choice for a romance vacationfor consumers and travel planners sellingthe region.

"With over 30 destinations to choosefrom, the Caribbean region provides theperfect backdrop for a romantic getawayhighlighted by pristine beaches, secludedaccommodations, an abundance of land andwater activities, top-notch spa services andpersonalized attention that meets the needs

of the most discerning traveler," said Hugh Riley, secretarygeneral of CTO. "The Year of Romance in the Caribbean willspotlight the romantic features of our region beyond the tradi-tional times of year such as Valentine's Day. A romantic themeis easily embraced by all of our member destinations 365 daysa year," Riley noted.

Innovative ideas will be developed around:

♥ First-time or second-time marriages and the renewal of vows♥ The most romantic locations to "pop the question" or to say"I do"♥ Inviting celebrity couples to get married in the Caribbean♥ Revisits by couples who were married or honeymooned inthe Caribbean♥ Couples celebrating milestone anniversaries♥ Gift registries of romantic vacations in the Caribbean

"We anticipate that in addition to the ideas we provide ourmembers, the countries and hotels will develop their own planof action for promoting romance in their individual destina-tions," said Riley adding: "The theme is inclusive of ourpartners, both public- and private-sector. Caribbean hotels,travel agents and tour operators are urged to create their ownromantic ideas or adopt ones being embraced by the destina-tions. We envision airline partners getting involved with theirown 'love is in the air' offers and recognizing bridal partiesonboard who are heading to a destination wedding in theCaribbean. We think video bloggers too will get involved infeaturing the winners of the most romantic ideas."

Go to the Caribbean. Fall in love. Get your groove backlike Stella. When you return to the United States,call 855-768-8845 for a FREE consultation to petition for that fiancevisa. l

Tips to Travel Like An Expert

Whether you're traveling forbusiness or pleasure, there's alot of opportunity for stress.

Flying, staying in hotels and navigatingyour destination can all be a hassle.Make jet-setting a little easier with thisinsider knowledge:

Complete a before-you-go checklistA few days in advance, make a checklistof all the important to-do items you'llneed to accomplish before you embarkon your travels.

Always carry-on if you canTake advantage of the ability to carry asmaller suitcase on the plane with you.

Innovate on your transportationWhen you finally arrive at your destina-

tion, the last thing you want to do is figure out how to getfrom A to B, especially at the airport. These days, smart-phones make getting a ride more convenient than ever.

Speak up about special occasionsWhen staying in a hotel, make sure to mention if you're cel-ebrating a special occasion at the front desk. Whether it's abirthday, anniversary or honeymoon, the hotel might justupgrade your accommodations.

Act like a local to stay safeWhen you're in an unfamiliar city, it's always important totake extra safety precautions. However, one of the bestways to make sure you don't become a target is to maintaina confident attitude. It's often the times when people areunsure, lost or stressed out when they run into trouble whiletraveling. Remain calm, cool and collected and alwayswalk like you know where you are, even if you don't.l


How to Break Up RespectfullyNEWS LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS20

In the beginning, it's exciting. Youcan't wait to see your BF or GF —and it feels amazing to know that he

or she feels the same way. The happinessand excitement of a new relationship canoverpower everything else.

Nothing stays new forever, though.Things change as couples get to knoweach other better. Some people settle intoa comfortable, close relationship. Othercouples drift apart.

There are lots of different reasons whypeople break up. Growing apart is one.You might find that your interests, ideas,values, and feelings aren't as wellmatched as you thought they were.Changing your mind or your feelingsabout the other person is another.Perhaps you just don't enjoy beingtogether. Maybe you argue or don't wantthe same thing. You might have devel-oped feelings for someone else. Ormaybe you've discovered you're just notinterested in having a serious relationshipright now.

Most people go through a break-up (orseveral break-ups) in their lives. If you'veever been through it, you know it can bepainful — even if it seems like it's for thebest.

Why Is Breaking Up So Hard to Do?If you're thinking of breaking up with

someone, you may have mixed feelingsabout it. After all, you got together for areason. So it's normal to wonder: "Willthings get better?" "Should I give itanother chance?" "Will I regret this deci-sion?" Breaking up isn't an easy decision.You may need to take time to think aboutit.

Even if you feel sure of your decision,breaking up means having an awkwardor difficult conversation. The personyou're breaking up with might feel hurt,disappointed, sad, rejected, or heartbro-ken. When you're the one ending the rela-tionship, you probably want to do it in away that is respectful and sensitive. Youdon't want the other person to be hurt —and you don't want to be upset either.

Avoid It? Or Get it Over With?Some people avoid the unpleasant task ofstarting a difficult conversation. Othershave a "just-get-it-over-with" attitude.But neither of these approaches is thebest one. Avoiding just prolongs the situ-ation (and may end up hurting the otherperson more). And if you rush into a dif-ficult conversation without thinking itthrough, you may say things you regret.

Something in the middle works best:Think things through so you're clear withyourself on why you want to break up.Then act.

Break-up Do's and Don'tsEvery situation is different. There's noone-size-fits-all approach to breaking up.But there are some general "do's anddon'ts" you can keep in mind as you startthinking about having that break-up con-versation.

DO:•Think over what you want and whyyou want it. Take time to consider yourfeelings and the reasons for your deci-sion. Be true to yourself. Even if theother person might be hurt by your deci-sion, it's OK to do what's right for you.You just need to do it in a sensitive way.

•Think about what you'll say and howthe other person might react. Will yourBF or GF be surprised? Sad? Mad? Hurt?Or even relieved? Thinking about theother person's point of view and feelingscan help you be sensitive. It also helpsyou prepare. Do you think the personyou're breaking up with might cry? Losehis or her temper? How will you dealwith that kind of reaction?

•Have good intentions. Let the otherperson know he or she matters to you.Think about the qualities you want toshow toward the other person — likehonesty, kindness, sensitivity, respect,and caring.

•Be honest — but not brutal. Tell theother person the things that attracted youin the first place, and what you like abouthim or her. Then say why you want tomove on. "Honesty" doesn't mean"harsh." Don't pick apart the other per-son's qualities as a way to explain what'snot working. Think of ways to be kindand gentle while still being honest.

•Say it in person. You've shared a lot

with each other. Respect that (and showyour good qualities) by breaking up inperson. If you live far away, try to videochat or at least make a phone call.Breaking up through texting or Facebookmay seem easy. But think about howyou'd feel if your BF or GF did that toyou — and what your friends would sayabout that person's character!

•If it helps, confide in someone youtrust. It can help to talk through yourfeelings with a trusted friend. But be surethe person you confide in can keep it pri-vate until you have your actual break-upconversation with your BF or GF. Makesure your BF/GF hears it from you first— not from someone else. That's one rea-son why parents, older sisters or brothers,and other adults can be great to talk to.They're not going to blab or let it slip outaccidentally.

DON'T:•Don't avoid the other person or theconversation you need to have.Dragging things out makes it harder inthe long run — for you and your BF orGF. Plus, when people put things off,information can leak out anyway. Younever want the person you're breaking upwith to hear it from someone else beforehearing it from you.

•Don't rush into a difficult conversa-tion without thinking it through. Youmay say things you regret.

•Don't disrespect. Speak about your ex(or soon-to-be ex) with respect. Be care-ful not to gossip or badmouth him or her.Think about how you'd feel. You'd wantyour ex to say only positive things aboutyou after you're no longer together. Plus,you never know — your ex could turninto a friend or you might even rekindlea romance someday.

These "dos and don'ts" aren't just forbreak-ups. If someone asks you out butyou're not really interested, you can fol-low the same guidelines for letting thatperson down gently.

Relationships Help Us LearnWhether they last a long time or a shorttime, relationships can have specialmeaning and value. Each relationshipcan teach us something about ourselves,another person, and what we want andneed in a future partner. It's a chance forus to learn to care about another personand to experience being cared about.

A break-up is an opportunity to learn,too. It's not easy. But it's a chance to doyour best to respect another person's feel-ings. Ending a relationship — as hard asit is — builds our skills when it comes tobeing honest and kind during difficultconversations.l

© 1995-2015. The NemoursFoundation/KidsHealth®. Reprinted withpermission. For full article, visit:www.kid-shealth.org

REVIEWED BY D'ARCY LYNESS, PhD

GREEN CARD SLAVERY?Don’t put up with ABUSE anymore! We can get a Green

Card for you and your children PLUS a divorce. Call 718-222-3155 now for a FREE consultation!ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!


NEWSHEALTH 21

Prostate cancer is the most commoncancer in American men andAfrican American men have the

highest rate of prostate cancer in theworld, with incidence rates and mortalityrates twice that of Caucasian men.

Genetics“Why do African American men have ahigher incidence of prostate cancer?”Some have proposed that it may be afunction of genetic or hereditary factors.African American men have been shownto have significantly higher levels oftestosterone compared to Caucasian men.Because prostate cancer is stimulated bytestosterone production, this higher levelof testosterone in African American menmay lead to a higher incidence ofprostate cancer.

However, factors other than hereditaryfactors may also contribute to the higherrates and more aggressive forms ofprostate cancer observed in AfricanAmerican males. There may be commonenvironmental exposures that lead tohigher rates of prostate cancer.

More aggressive form of the diseaseNot only do African American men tend

to have an increased incidence ofprostate cancer, they also tend to havemore aggressive disease at the time oftheir diagnosis, which may play somepart in the disparity in increased mortali-ty rates from prostate cancer in AfricanAmerican men.

However, it is unknown whether thehigher mortality rates of prostate cancerobserved in Black males is due to themore aggressive forms of the canceritself occurring more often in AfricanAmerican males, or the fact that AfricanAmerican men have historically beenthose less likely to be screened for the

Why Does Prostate Cancer Affect BlackMen Differently?

early detection of prostate cancer andtherefore have more advanced prostatecancer at diagnosis due to delayed pres-entation.

Currently there is no proven way inwhich to prevent prostate cancer; howev-er, based upon certain observations somesuggest that risk reduction for developingprostate cancer may be possible.

Diet & NutritionAs discussed, the rate of prostate canceris highest in the United States, and theincidence of prostate cancer is increasingin other countries where Western diets

and lifestyles have been adopted, sug-gesting that nutritional factors may con-tribute to prostate carcinogenesis.Specifically, culture and race-specificdifferences in dietary intake and nutri-tional factors may play an important rolein prostate cancer risk in certain racialminorities. With the observations thatobesity and high fat diets are more preva-lent among African-American popula-tions, these data support the linkagebetween diet and cancer risk.

A nutritional factor related to prostatecancer risk is vitamin D deficiency.Vitamin D deficiency is more common inAfrican Americans compared toCaucasians and is believed to be due todeficient nutritional intake (i.e., due tolactose intolerance in many AfricanAmericans) as well as to the fact thatincreased skin pigmentation decreasesvitamin D production in the skin inAfrican Americans

It has thus been suggested that lowerlevels of vitamin D could contribute tothe elevated rates of prostate cancer inAfrican Americans. Low fat diets andvitamin D supplementation may lead torisk reduction of prostate cancer inAfrican American males.l

Source: Black Doctor.org

BY DR. CHARLES MODLIN


My Child Was Injured at School: Who Is Liable?

NEWS KNOW YOUR RIGHTS22

According to the North CarolinaDepartment of Insurance, as wellas studies completed by other

states, more than 14 million child injuriesoccur each year throughout the country.Of these injuries, more than a quarteroccur in or around school property. Thisstatistic is not surprising, given that dur-ing the school year, children spend a fargreater percentage of their waking hoursin school or at school-related activitiesthan anywhere else.

If your child has been injured whileeither at school or during a school-relat-ed activity, it is natural as a parent towant to know who might be responsiblein the eyes of the law. The possibleanswers to that question are varied anddepend on the particular facts and cir-cumstances of each situation.

Was the Act Intentional or Negligent?This is the first question that must beanswered in determining who is ultimate-ly responsible for the injury.

Intentional torts might include aninstance of bullying, where a child phys-ically harms another student. However, itcan also take the form of harm inflictedby an adult, such as where an adultemployee of a school abuses a student.

In the instance of bullying, the parentsof the offending student may be liable forthe injury depending on the circum-

stances of the harassment. The schoolmay also be liable for failing to stop theharassment if it had reason to know thebullying might take place.

Similarly, if an adult employee is theoffender, the school district might beliable for failing to conduct a properbackground check, or failing to offerappropriate training or supervision.

Many of these same issues overlap withthe area of negligence. Perhaps the injuryto your child was not the result of anintentional act, but rather the result of an“accident.” If so, even accidents are oftencaused by some failure on the part of theschool or other entity.

What Types of Acts ConstituteNegligence by a School?While children are at school, the schoolprovides for almost all of the child'sneeds in much the same way as parentsdo. Schools are obligated to provide shel-ter, food, transportation, and a generallysafe environment. This also means thatthe opportunities to come up short in pro-viding these services are numerous.

Generally speaking, if a school fails tofollow accepted standards of care in pro-viding those services to a child, and thestudent is injured because of that failure,then the school is said to be negligent.

Let's look at a few examples of howthese injuries can occur, and where legalliability might lie.

A school bus accident could involve:•negligence of the bus driver/school dis-trict employee•improper training of the driver by theschool district•a poorly designed bus or malfunctioningvehicle equipment, or•negligence of the other driver involvedin the collision.A playground injury could stem from:•lack of adequate supervision by ateacher, or•defective playground equipment, result-ing from improper maintenance by theschool or a dangerous design by themanufacturer.

A food poisoning incident could arisefrom:•improper food preparation or storage

by school personnel, or•tainted food provided by an outsidevendor or manufacturer.

A slip and fall on school premises couldbe caused by:•a loose handrail that was improperlymaintained by the school, or improperlyinstalled by the construction company,or•a fall on ice or snow that resulted fromthe school’s failure to clear sidewalks,or a similar failure by an outside vendorsuch as a local landscape company.

Exposure to asbestos:•could occur in older structures due tothe school district’s failure to removethe substances or to close down thestructure altogether.

Injuries from natural or man-made dis-asters could occur due to:•inadequate emergency preparednessand lack of planning, and•failure to properly carry out evacuationor shelter in place.

Injuries during sports and playtimecould be caused by:•inadequate supervision by school per-sonnel, or•defective equipment provided by anoutside vendor or manufacturer.

Is the School Public or Private?If your child’s school is public, it is con-sidered a governmental entity under statelaw. Because of that, there are very strictprocedures that you must follow if youwant to bring an injury claim or a lawsuitover the incident.

If your child was injured at a privateschool, the organization against whichyou would be bringing an injury claimcould be a not-for-profit organization,perhaps even a local diocese or syna-gogue. There aren't usually any specialprocedural rules for bringing a claimagainst this kind of organization. If youbelieve that a private school or one of itsemployees is responsible for your child'sinjury, you can typically proceed by fil-ing a personal injury lawsuit in yourstate's civil court system. l

BY DAVID LAUNDERS


Dangerous Heights: When Your Job Kills YouNEWSKNOW YOUR RIGHTS 23

BY VANDELL PARK

Anew construction boom is in fullflight here in New York City.Developers are drawn from

across the United States and elsewhere.Jobs are being created, money is flowinginto the City’s economy; and a number ofpeople are jolly because of the physicaland financial improvements to their com-munities. However, as the saying goes,“not all that seems well, really is well.”With this huge construction boom, comesthe dreaded pain of losing loved ones dueto the lack of safety standard practice andenforcement.

In 2015, New York City was scheduledto grant some 155,000 building permitswith an estimated $39.0 billion budgetedto be spent on the construction industry.However, this construction developmentin the City brought along disingenuousconducts and practices from both Cityemployees and businesspeople that over-looked legally regulated safety standards,thus leading to a number of injuries anddeaths in the construction industry. Aninvestigation report presented by NewYork City Department of Inspection(DOI) Commissioner, Mark G. Peters, inFebruary 2015, involving 16 Cityemployees on corruption and massivebribery, aptly detailed why safety in theCity’s construction industry is a majorproblem: “The investigation showed anutter disregard not just for the City’s con-struction and housing codes, but for safe-ty. In one case, after a worker fell 10 feetoff a beam, a Buildings ConstructionChief focused not on the worker’s safety,or the integrity of the building, butinstead on instructing the contractor howto get an ambulance to the site withoutraising the suspicions of the BuildingsDepartment or OSHA.”

The statistics are alarming when itcomes to the number of constructiondeaths and injuries resulting from poorsafety standards in the constructionindustry in New York City. A report fromthe New York City Department ofBuilding on construction safety in theCity, show that as of October 2015, therewere already 324 workers’ injuries from314 construction accidents. The sad real-ity about this lap in safety in the con-struction industry is that the majority ofthe families affected are immigrants,whether documented or undocumented.In August 2015, DOI CommissionerPeters, again, holding a press conferencefollowing the death of an immigrant fromEcuador, took to task the irresponsiblepractice of developers and contractorswho appear to put greed and moneyahead of people and their safety. Mr.Peters said: “This investigation is aboutthe tragic results when contractorschoose to cut corners, ignore City safetyregulations, and defy the warnings ofconstruction professionals. In fact, thisinvestigation highlights what DOI hasseen in so many of its constructioninvestigations ̶ that the correlationbetween integrity and safety is direct:Ignore integrity, disregard the rules and

you are on course to disastrous results…two months prior to the fatal collapse,the defendants were alerted by a ‘specialinspector,’ who was a professional engi-neer, about the dangerous excavationpractices at the site. This ‘special inspec-tor’ was hired by the contractor to specif-ically monitor the efficacy of the under-pinning process, but when that ‘inspec-tor’ saw the perilous excavation proto-cols, he took action, reporting it to thedefendants. But they did nothing toaddress the problem. The morning of theincident, another ‘special inspector,’ alsoa professional engineer, told the defen-dants that the excavation being done wasnot proper, including allowing workers inthe trench. A couple hours later, the ‘spe-cial inspector’ returned to the site andsaw the workers in the trench.Immediately, the inspector alerted theproject manager, defendant AlfonsoPrestia, and told him to get the workersout and stop excavating in that manner.But the dangerous excavation continued.And the workers remained in the trench.At around noon, the wall of dirt on oneside of the trench gave way, killingCarlos Moncayo. While Moncayo was animmigrant from Ecuador, he took the

time to obtain the proper constructiontraining for the work he was doing. Infact, a family member paid the $500 forMoncayo to attend 26 hours of trainingto obtain the required OSHA and scaffoldcards. The irony here is too great toignore. An immigrant to this countryscrapes together $500 to make sure hecomplies with the laws and is trained oncorrect safety. A large company who cancertainly afford to do things right,decides to cut corners, evade the law,and gets that immigrant killed, as out-lined in the charges.”

Some unions in New York City alsoaccuse the City of poor enforcement poli-cies and claim that most constructionaccidents are said to be occurring on non-union sites operated by developers whoare apparently seeking to cash in oncheap labor. DC9 Political Director,Davon Lomax speaks of the number ofdeaths resulting from these poor safetystandards: “In the Union world we prideourselves in our safety; you go on someconstruction sites in New York City, 12out of 14 deaths have been on non-unionconstruction sites, and so it makes youthink of the kind of safety that some ofthese contractors are giving their work-ers. No one goes onto a construction site

expecting to die…when people are put-ting profits over people, these are actualfolks, and when we have to go and talk toa spouse or a child that their father ortheir mother [is] not coming home, thatmakes you look at a developer and askwhat kind of safety protocols are youhaving, … Are you providing any train-ing for your workers?”

According to the DC9 Director ofServicing, Charles Nieves, since theboom commenced in 2013, safety seemsto be a primary concern for some NYCbuilding safety inspectors: “This con-struction boom that you are now seeing,for many of these construction sites,some are unionized and some are non-union. Some we feel that there is a littleprejudice in the way they are beinglooked at, because the union sites arereally checked thoroughly, the non-unionsites not so much. Part of the problem…is that most of these non-union sitesare really outside contractors and out-side developers that have brought con-tractors into the City. If you go into theCity right now you see more …licenseplates than you’ve ever seen in your lifefrom different areas. Everybody camehere for the boom…if you are not lookingat these non-union sites the way you areunion sites, you can tell them right off thebat, because when you walk by them, yousee a guy not wearing boots, not wearinga harness, not wearing eye protection orhard hat and the overall safety of the siteis questioned. On a union site you’ll seeeverybody has everything they need andthey are working safely, but, they arereally under a microscope compared tothese non-union sites, and we feel thatthe inspectors just drive past these non-union sites and don’t even bother withthem.” l

The investigation

showed an utter

disregard not

just for the City’s

construction and

housing codes,

but for safety.

-Commissioner Peters
