To begin, let us call nuclear weapons what they are, “Weapons of Mass Annihilation.” Call them what we will, their very name strikes terror into our hearts as their presence presupposes an unleashing of enough radiation to poison our air, our soil and our seas…

Those of us who might be vaporized in a nuclear blast will be the lucky ones,

as those who survive will face an ignoble end. So let me be the first on my block to shout out, “DRAW DOWN NOW GOTDAMMIT!” The United Nations will follow, including the United States and Russia, also the seven remaining nuclear armed countries, totaling 13,000 nuclear weapons gone forevermore.

We the people are not warring tribesmen in this 21^st century, it is only the politicos who threaten to use nuclear weapons. We can no longer allow politics of power and military technocrats to jeopardize our very existence. We either DRAW DOWN NOW or face the possibility that next month, or perhaps next winter, there very well could be nothing left alive on Earth but cockroaches, and maybe one final performance of Beach Blanket Babylon. Let us make our shout heard loud and clear: “DRAW DOWN NOW GOTDAMMIT!”

When we shout this mantra to guilty parties, and this means you, Mr. Putin, they will hear it coming from every direction, and well, please do accept my congratulations in advance for ridding the earth of this nightmarish threat.

As is our custom, we shall leave the last word to Mr. Twain: “There has never been a just war, never an honorable war -on the part of the instigator of the war. I can see a million years ahead, and this rule will never change.  The loud little handful, as usual, will shout for the war. The pulpit will, warily and cautiously, object -at first; the great big, dull bulk of the nation will rub its sleepy eyes and try to make out why there should be a war, and will say, earnestly and indignantly, ‘It is unjust and dishonorable, and there is not necessity for it,’ then the handful will shout louder.
             Statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting blame upon the nation that is attacked and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities; thus he will by and by convince himself the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception. There are no holy wars, only alleged holy wars, and I have noticed, God is on both sides in this war, so history repeats itself. All war must be the killing of strangers against whom you feel no personal animosity; strangers whom, in other circumstances, you would help if you found them in trouble, and who would help you if you needed it.

Well, before I had chance to be in another war, the desire to kill people to whom I had not been introduced had passed away.”

Audio: https://open.spotify.com/show/7Fhv4PrH1UuwlhbnTT23zO

Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune on 03/26/2024, Written by Brenna O’Boyle

In honor of March being Women’s History month, Tahoe Daily Tribune has chosen to spotlight Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Incline Village Patrol Division, Capt. Amelia Galicia. Here’s what Galicia said about being a female leader, her role models and mentors, and what advice she gives women following in her footsteps.

In your career, what signified success?

As a law enforcement professional and division captain, success can be described in many ways. The accolade of being promoted and becoming a leader within a police agency is often one of the most recognizable measures of success.

Attaining a promotion within my field requires an exceptional understanding of the law and the application of the law, intense preparation, determination, hard work, and putting yourself through a grueling testing process. The testing process is often enough to dissuade potential candidates from attempting. Individuals who step outside their comfort zone and do well achieve success.

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Photo Credit of Tahoe Daily Tribune

Here is the slideshow presentation from Washoe County Manager Eric Brown from the IVCBA Annual Meeting last Wednesday at the Chateau.

Submitted 3/25/2024, Written by Jeremy Krenek, Lakeside Lawyers

If you own a business (corporations, LLCs, etc.) you are now subject to new reporting requirements or you could be subject to substantial monetary fines and/or jail time.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), a bureau of the United States Department of Treasury, exchanges information with foreign financial intelligence units around the world in support of U.S. and foreign financial crime investigations.  Put simply, they investigate and prosecute money launderers.  You may be familiar with the form that you have to fill out at the bank if you deposit more than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) cash at a time.  FinCEN has now implemented a new Reporting Rule for companies which became effective January 1, 2024.

The Reporting Rule requires certain entities to file beneficial ownership information (“BOI”) reports to FinCEN.  Reports contain information about the entity itself and two categories of individuals: (1) beneficial owners; and (2) company applicants.  A beneficial owner is an individual who controls at least Twenty-Five Percent (25%) of a company or has substantial control over the company.  A company applicant is an individual who directly files or is primarily responsible for the filing of the document that creates or registers the company.

Starting on January 1, 2024, BOI reports must be filed electronically using FinCEN’s secure filing system.  According to FinCEN, “FinCEN will store BOI reports in a centralized database and only share this information with authorized users for purposes specified by law.  The database will use rigorous information security methods and controls typically used in the Federal government to protect non-classified yet sensitive information systems at the highest security level.”

Deadline to File

Reporting companies created or registered to do business before January 1, 2024, will have until January 1, 2025, to file their initial BOI reports.

Reporting companies created or registered on or after January 1, 2024, and before January 1, 2025, have 90 calendar days after receiving actual or public notice that their company’s creation or registration is effective to file their initial BOI reports.  Specifically, this 90-calendar day deadline runs from the time the company receives actual notice that its creation or registration is effective, or after a secretary of state or similar office provides public notice of its creation or registration, whichever is earlier.

Reporting companies created or registered on or after January 1, 2025, will have 30 calendar days from actual or public notice that the company’s creation or registration is effective to file their initial BOI reports.

¹ An individual exercises substantial control over a reporting company if the individual meets any of the following criteria: (1) the individual is a senior officer; (2) the individual has authority to appoint or remove certain officers or a majority of directors of the reporting company; (3) the individual is an important decision-maker; or (4) the individual has any other form of substantial control over the reporting company.

² A reporting company is not required to report its company applicants if it is a domestic company reporting a company created before January 1, 2024.

Submitted on 3/25/2024, written By David Vomund

I’m not a CPA, nor do I want to be.  I’m an investment adviser who doesn’t pretend to be a tax expert.  But I do know that many retirees want to save on taxes and also help charities.  Here are two methods:  

Donate Stock – If you own stock with big long-term profits but don’t want to sell and pay the tax then consider donating all or part of the position to a charity.  You’ll avoid a capital gains tax and if you pass that savings along to the charity then they’ll receive more than if you gave them cash.  

Most people don’t itemize deductions.  In fact, about 90 percent of taxpayers take advantage of today’s large standard deduction.  For 2024 the standard deduction is $14,600 for single taxpayers and $29,200 for married taxpayers that file jointly.  A gifted stock is tax deductible, but avoiding the capital gains tax makes this approach worthwhile even if you don’t itemize.  

Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD) – If you are over the age of 72 and have a traditional IRA, then you are required to take annual distributions.  Those distributions are taxes as ordinary income.  Instead of directly donating to a charity, a better method is a “qualified charitable distribution.”  Under a QCD the account owner instructs the custodian to send the distribution directly from the IRA to the qualified charity.  The donation counts toward the required minimum distribution but isn’t taxed as income.  

Alternatively, you can pay tax on the IRA withdrawals and then write off the charitable donation, but as stated earlier most people don’t itemize.  For most retirees, it’s best to do a QCD and take the standard deduction when filing taxes.  

Qualified Charitable Distributions lower your reported taxable income, which in turn lowers your state taxes.  That’s inconsequential in Nevada but in high tax states like California a QCD will lower state taxes.  

Keep in mind the distribution needs to go to a qualified 501(c)3 charity.  Sorry, it doesn’t work to send money to your beneficiaries.  

It’s too late to donate stock or make a QCD for 2023 but taxes are on peoples’ mind now so plan now and act before year end.  The two methods I’ve highlighted will reduce your tax burden and help your favorite charities.  Best of all, charitable distributions can be made year after year.  Consult a tax professional before making a donation.

David Vomund is an Incline Village-based Independent Investment Advisor.  Information is found at www.VomundInvestments.com or by calling 775-832-8555.  Clients hold the positions mentioned in this article.  Past performance does not guarantee future results.  Consult your financial advisor before purchasing any security.