The value in being politically aware

As a voter, you have direct influence on who will make decisions for the future. You currently have the power to control what will affect your family’s future. Many people believe the voices of Asian Americans are not heard. We sometimes complain that Asian Americans are not noticed in the media, have a lack of…

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Getting to know Angela Rupert

Angela Rupert is the Democratic candidate for State Assembly in the Valley, and she is also a mother, wife and immigration attorney.  She is the choice for many Asians in the Valley and for good reason – she has a favorable view on immigration and she spends a lot of time meeting and listening to…

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Take courage!

ON February 15, 2015, ISIS shocked the whole Christian world by releasing a video of the execution of 21 Coptic Christian migrant workers. Men in black uniform stood behind the 21 men in orange jumpsuits kneeling on a beach in Libya. Without mercy, they gruesomely beheaded each one of them. A subtitle of the video…

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The curious comparison between Duterte and Trump

From the reckless rhetoric of both Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and U.S. presidential nominee Donald J. Trump, one can deduce that they share the same speaking style: It’s rough, unorthodox and un-presidential. During the inauguration of President-elect Duterte in Malacanang Palace, my wife and I were impressed while listening to his inaugural speech. That…

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Series for Covered CA: Part 1 – Introduction

OBAMACARE is normally used to mean Covered California (Covered CA) but they not the same thing. Obamacare is the law, the formal name of which is Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) signed into law to reform the health care industry by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010  and upheld by the Supreme…

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I owe the IRS – what can I do?

HERE 10 tips if you cannot immediately pay your liabilities to the IRS: • Pay What You Can: Pay promptly to stop additional penalties and interest from accruing.  If you are unable to pay, consider getting a loan to pay the bill in full rather than make installment payments to the IRS. • Additional Time…

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Revisiting the Sin City with all its raison d’êtres 

A much anticipated business cum pleasure commitment last weekend more than enabled me to revisit Las Vegas after sixteen years since I first stepped on its arid ground where I couldn’t resist to instantly fall in love with its limitless thrills and inexhaustible excitement. This Nevada’s Mojave Desert, known for its famously vibrant entertaining nightlife and luxuriously themed hotels and casinos,…

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Some issues and pitfalls in pursuing US citizenship

(Part 2) FOR many people, attaining US citizenship is the final step in achieving their “American Dream.” After getting a green card, they eagerly count off the years until they are finally eligible to apply for naturalization. However, for some people, applying for citizenship could cause problems, issues, and even being stripped of their green…

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USCIS to increase fees by December

EFFECTIVE December 23, 2016, USCIS will increase its filing fees for applications and petitions for immigration and naturalization benefits under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Thus, applications and petitions filed and/or mailed on or after December 23, 2016 must have the corresponding adjusted fees, or they will be rejected. USCIS says it was necessary…

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Do you have bad breath?

As a common presumption goes, “One isolated incident of bad breath, like a first time thief who is caught, permanently tarnishes the reputation, and the condemnation sticks for life.” What is halitosis? Halitosis is the medical term for bad breath. Dental reports in the United States say there are about 65 million Americans who have…

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Why I no longer support Heck

by Cristina Llorente-Drost As an independent voter, I voted for Joe Heck three times when he ran for Congress. As his fellow church-goer, I know he is a good man, but now we are on opposite camps on some issues. This has led me to change my vote and to throw my support behind Catherine…

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Excluding foreign earned income

ARE you a U.S. citizen or resident working in a foreign country? Have you declared your foreign income? Have you even filed a tax return? Or are you hiding from the long and lovely arms of the IRS? Can the U.S. government reach you on the other side of the globe? Unfortunately, yes. But is…

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The presumption of ‘undue influence’ in transactions between spouses during the marriage

CALIFORNIA law on the nature of spouses’ rights and obligations with respect to management and control of community property has evolved over the last thirty years from less stringent “good faith” standards to heightened “confidential duty” and “fiduciary duty’ standards.  Under current law, the duties owed between spouses in transactions between themselves are the same…

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Average itemized deductions

FOR taxpayers who itemize their deductions, the chart below should be of interest. But for those who take the odds, this chart should be of very special interest. While it may be interesting for taxpayers who itemized deductions to compare their figures with these average amounts, they should, however, not consider the chart as indicating…

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Yankee go home, but take me with you

IF you scan the postings on social media, you would get the impression that the United States is anathema to most Filipinos. Hateful statements that rake up Yankee atrocities during the Filipino-American war; resentment over the U.S. ostensibly taking the Philippines “for granted” in terms of foreign and military aid; complaints about being turned down…

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