Why Governments Want You to Pay Less Taxes

There is an entirely political discussion around taxes: are they fair or unfair? Are you paying your fair share? During the last election cycle, President Trump received a lot of attention when he said, “I pay no taxes.” But what most people don’t realize is that Trump is only doing exactly what the government wants him to do. Congress NEEDS professional investors and entrepreneurs. They want to reward business owners because they know that by doing so they will create jobs and housing. After all, that’s what creates a better economy. The new tax law, The Tax Cuts, and Jobs Act passed in December 2017 was intentional. The corporate rate was deliberately reduced to 21%. This not only leads to a direct cash windfall, but it also opens up more funds for large corporations as they have less incentive to hire massive teams of accountants to find creative ways to hide money.

Spotlight

Oak Ridge North, Texas

Oak Ridge North is a picturesque and friendly community nestled amongst towering oak and pine trees. Its slogan, "What a Hometown Should Be," is indicative of a comfortable, laid-back hometown atmosphere, and charm. Oak Ridge North is located twenty miles north of Houston on the east side of Interstate 45, and across Interstate 45 from The Woodlands.

OTHER ARTICLES
Emerging Technology

TOP 5 TIPS FOR ADOPTING ENTERPRISE MACHINE LEARNING

Article | July 13, 2022

When you first got your business off the ground, you may or may not have paid much attention to the technologies that would be available to you in the years to come—like machine learning. Machine learning was the stuff of science fiction just decades ago; now it’s practically everywhere. So, what is machine learning? Simply put, machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence in which computer algorithms learn from large datasets in order to make more accurate predictions over time. Obviously, it’s a lot more complicated than that, but it poses numerous benefits to business owners—assuming it’s used the right way. Here are five tips for successfully adopting machine learning technologies in your day-to-day operations.

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Government Business, Government Finance

The Deadly Coronavirus Crisis is Also an Opportunity

Article | July 12, 2022

Unless America and China assume joint leadership for global economic recovery, reconstruction of the post-coronavirus world could take years, with unimaginable consequences for the world’s 7.8 billion inhabitants, including unprecedented levels of global unemployment, famine, and even war. In the pre-coronavirus world, suggestions for a partnership between the world’s two superpowers would have been met with gales of laughter. But now, despite the two leaders’ daggers drawn posture, hundreds of doctors and scientists in the U.S. and China are already working together on clinical trials of potential coronavirus drugs; and one of China’s biggest property developers has funded a five-year $115 million project between Harvard University and the Guangzhou Institute for Respiratory Health. But the window of opportunity for acting together is short. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to decimate the world’s economies. Unemployment in the U.S. now tops 22 million, a level not seen since the great-depression of the nineteen-thirties; while China’s economy stopped growing for the first time in four decades as half a million small and mid-size businesses, the backbone of China’s economy closed; and Italy, the second largest manufacturing economy in the EU watches helplessly as the pandemic axe dismembers its economy. Were India and Africa were unable to control the coronavirus the results could be catastrophic. So, are there issues of such import and mutual benefit that they would convince President’s Trump and Xi Jinping to work together? I believe there are. My two cents worth below. The two superpowers could leverage China’s vast, trillion-dollar global infrastructure project—the Belt and Road Initiative or BRI, that aims to build infrastructure in over 120 countries of Asia, Europe, and Africa. The BRI is designed to act as a conveyer belt to transmit Chinese investment and technology into these countries to improve their economies, and to link them to China. But now Covid-19 has crimped China’s ability to sustain BRI’s trillion-dollar underwriting tab and President Xi Jinping’s grandiose vision is at risk. On the other hand, the United States, which has been searching for a counter to BRI, has settled on an initiative called the Blue Dot Network or BDN. The idea behind the BDN is the U.S. would rigorously vet infrastructure project applications in developing countries to ensure high levels of transparency, sustainability, and economic viability before seeding them with startup funds from the U.S. Government. The BDN hallmark would then inspire confidence in the projects to attract private U.S. funding. But the relatively paltry BDN budget of $60 billion (versus China’s 1000 billion or trillion-dollar BRI budget) and developing countries’ skepticism of Western (read U.S.) dominated standards for infrastructure construction have hobbled the BDN. If the U.S. and China could find a way to combine BRI and the BDN it would ensure a stream of dollars from private U.S. companies into BRI and ensure its projects remain on track to create jobs and raise living standards around the world. The compromises required by America and China to weld BRI and BDN together would ensure the U.S. gets a seat at the table to influence the adoption of standards for starting and executing BRI projects. Here’s another idea: The U.S. military is especially qualified to help fight natural disasters. In 2004, for instance, 3,000 U.S. military personnel were deployed to West Africa to help combat a deadly Ebola epidemic. Their work included constructing 17 hospitals, field training, and deploying assistance by air to remote villages. Today the U.S. military is being used to rapidly set up hospitals in U.S. cities to handle the burgeoning coronavirus caseload. The People’s Liberation Army meanwhile seems determined to play a more active global role in peace-keeping projects around the world. Coronavirus-aid projects delivered to less-off countries through joint U.S.-China military teams would double what the U.S. and China could do on their own. And help establish the military to military connections that the U.S. has tried to foster with China for some time. A working relationship between the two nations’ militaries might even lead to a more stable geopolitical balance of power. The Chinese word for crisis contains two characters. One signals danger, the other opportunity. Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping should boldly find a way to join forces to convert the deadly Covid-19 crisis into an opportunity that would supercharge global economic recovery and might well change the course of the 21st Century. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity that ought not to be squandered.

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Washington’s Nightmare

Article | May 27, 2021

The Russian-Chinese strategic partnership (RCSP), indoctrinated in 1996, is Eurasia’s geopolitical anchor in the 21st century, shaping its evolution and entrance into the Multipolar World. No other political relationship between the two continents’ actors even comes close, with the RCSP’s only formidable rival being the US via its privileged military alliances with NATO, the Gulf Kingdoms, and Japan. In this century’s struggle for the supercontinent, the interplay between the RCSP and the US will come to define global politics. Western media has been a lot of noise is being raised up, and some have stressed the importance of the Washington consensus, while others believe that it is Moscow's dependence in Moscow. The first is often trumpets Americans and prove the aggression of their government against Russia and China, while others are intended to promote the disinformation campaign to divide Russia and China from each other. The rare mention of the warning is raised up, and the United States to slow down its rules, which is the most responsible way for this development is the western voter. The purpose of this article is to provocatively state that being raised up are becoming a reality in the development and manifestation of a Washington nightmare, and which go beyond Eurasia, also from North Africa and Latin America. It strives to challenge the West's position, but to a direct transition to a multi-polar world, and this is the goal that both countries have expressed 1997 to show solidarity. The United States is not willing to recognize the tectonic changes that have occurred in the world since then, and its stubbornness in expanding the unipolar moment of depression is the largest source of global destabilization. Despite the fact that patients have difficulty with fear and the disorder is raised up quieter, more defensive and more consistent than ever. Discovering links with Russian-Chinese politics in Eurasia and beyond, art proves that lifted up and developing, is actively working on what the world is multi-polarizing for us. AND PART: Structure Russian-Chinese talks in Beijing, May 2014 Before starting geopolitical details, RCSPE must determine its structural basis. There are the role of Russia and China, the principles of their cooperation and institutional activities for the transformation of the international order. Russian balance and Chinese gate There are several roles segmented with which both partners communicate. Russia has a military and political balance in all of Eurasia, which represent an alternative (either the United States or China), the great powers, developing countries and interested organizations. This shows that Russia is working closely with China to ensure that this balance in line with the strategic goals of both sides, sometimes the dynamics of "good policeman, bad cop." China this year moves to the largest economy in the United States and is the dominant economic force in developing countries. Deep and privileged relations in the development of commodity and agricultural commodity markets in Africa, Latin America and Pearl economically valuable for Russia, especially in the light of recent events. So that Russia can provide military and political balance in China in key regions of the world, you can restore economic opportunities and facilitate trade through the established Chinese elite connections and networks. Of course, the tandem of energy between Russia and China is far from perfect, and its strategic use of the whole world, but the general theory of this approach is "hand in hand": Russia is balancing the Chinese gate. More and more people moving from these two countries, such as the Middle East and Latin America see more clearly the multipolar objectives and close cooperation in these countries; Just as two Eurasian seeds are getting closer and closer, relationships are increasingly difficult to understand. Cooperation cradle The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is at home, where he was born and grew up is raised. Founded in Shanghai in 1996. In 2001, with Uzbekistan, it was transformed into SCO. Since then he has started cooperation with Mongolia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, and has established a partnership with Sri Lanka, Turkey and Belarus. These countries are directly under the direct influence of the PRSP, where Russia and China could have a significant impact on a greater or lesser degree.

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3 ways digital transformation makes governments more responsive

Article | April 14, 2021

COVID-19 placed enormous demands on government services—demands that are not likely to go away. Moreover, the private sector now looks to government to facilitate the data transparency, digital processes, and data security needed to fuel recovery. Governments now understand those old ways of doing business no longer work. They need to become agile and flexible to meet today’s needs. Some were moved in that direction by the unexpected demands of the pandemic. For others, COVID-19 simply accelerated their digital transformation journey that was already underway.

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Spotlight

Oak Ridge North, Texas

Oak Ridge North is a picturesque and friendly community nestled amongst towering oak and pine trees. Its slogan, "What a Hometown Should Be," is indicative of a comfortable, laid-back hometown atmosphere, and charm. Oak Ridge North is located twenty miles north of Houston on the east side of Interstate 45, and across Interstate 45 from The Woodlands.

Related News

Government Business

Noblis Earns FedRAMP® Authorization for Its RunCyberAssurance® Solution and Hosting Platform

GlobeNewswire | September 21, 2023

Noblis, Inc., a leading provider of science, technology and strategy services to the federal government, today announced that its RunCyberAssurance software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution and its supporting platform-as-a-service have achieved the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program’s (FedRAMP®) Moderate Authority to Operate designation. “Earning FedRAMP authorization for both our solution and platform is a significant step,” said Mark Lay, Noblis’ Solution Delivery Organization lead. “This designation allows federal agencies to quickly and efficiently leverage the RunCyberAssurance solution to simplify and maintain secure cloud authorization across their enterprise. At the same time, our authorized platform provides a foundation to integrate future solutions for our customers’ evolving missions.” RunCyberAssurance combines automation, analytics and a streamlined, standardized compliance workflow to help agencies continuously manage their authorized services. Depending on unique mission needs, agencies can leverage RunCyberAssurance as a FedRAMP Authorized SaaS or deploy it within their managed boundaries. Key benefits of the solution include: Continuous Authority to Operateacross entire technology portfolio Automatic managementof cybersecurity compliance Advanced analyticsto expedite decision making and proactively mitigate risks Automates processesto save time and money FedRAMP provides a cost-effective, risk-based approach for the adoption and use of cloud services by the federal government. It empowers agencies to use modern cloud technologies, with an emphasis on security and protection of federal information. About Noblis For more than 25 years, Noblis has been an innovator within the federal government, committed to enriching lives and making our nation safer while investing in the missions of tomorrow. As a nonprofit, Noblis works for the public good, providing independent and objective science, technology and engineering solutions. Together with our subsidiaries, we work with a wide range of government clients in the defense, homeland security, intelligence, law enforcement and federal civil sectors.

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Emerging Technology

Telos Corporation Awarded Five-Year Contract with Defense Information Systems Agency

GlobeNewswire | August 29, 2023

Telos Corporation, a leading provider of cyber, cloud and enterprise security solutions for the world’s most security-conscious organizations, announced today a five-year contract with the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) for the Telos Automated Message Handling System (AMHS) to support the distribution and processing of various reports and other critical information. A widely-used organizational messaging solution in the U.S. Department of Defense, Telos AMHS supports organizations around the world, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Combatant Commands, Military Services, Defense Agencies and the Intelligence Community. Telos AMHS immediately routes incoming messages to the right desktop and creates an archive of all arriving traffic for future reference. AMHS also provides intuitive tools for searching and retrieving messages from the archive while protecting against unauthorized access, and offers an easy way to create, coordinate, and release outgoing messages. “DISA is one of our longest-standing customers, and we’re pleased to continue to support their organizational communications,” said John B. Wood, CEO and chairman, Telos. “Timely and secure message delivery is key to successful military operations, and we’re honored to be chosen to support this mission.” About Telos Corporation Telos Corporationempowers and protects the world’s most security- conscious organizations with solutions for continuous security assurance of individuals, systems, and information. Telos’ offerings include cybersecurity solutions for IT risk management and information security; cloud security solutions to protect cloud-based assets and enable continuous compliance with industry and government security standards; and enterprise security solutions for identity and access management, secure mobility, organizational messaging, and network management and defense. The company serves commercial enterprises, regulated industries and government customers around the world.

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Government Business, Cybersecurity

CoSo Cloud Secure Virtual Training Platform Achieves StateRAMP Authorization

businesswire | August 17, 2023

CoSo Cloud LLC (CoSo), a Class Technologies company, and leading provider of secure, private-cloud managed services and custom applications for high-consequence eLearning and virtual training, today announced its platform has received StateRAMP authorization for leading eLearning and virtual classroom offerings from Adobe® and Class Technologies. This milestone achievement enables all U.S. state government agencies reliant on public tax dollars to make assured investments in and harness the utmost level of secure technology for government training and education. StateRAMP is a critical cloud security assessment and authorization program designed to address the specific technology and compliance requirements of state and local governments. With this authorization, state government agencies and publicly funded educational institutions are now equipped with the highest levels of security and compliance, aligning seamlessly with the stringent requirements to protect government and citizen data. CoSo Cloud's StateRAMP authorization builds upon CoSo’s FedRAMP security authorizations for Federal Government agencies, and represents a significant industry advancement in secure eLearning and virtual training solutions, further reinforcing the company's position as a preeminent and trusted partner for public sector organizations. "The CoSo Secure Private Cloud Platform has the most secure and compliant authorizations in the industry,” said David Nelson, Head of Cyber Security at CoSo Cloud. “With the StateRAMP authorization, customers who rely upon Class and Adobe for virtual training and eLearning are now able to deploy their training and education initiatives with the utmost confidence and security." CoSo Cloud's StateRAMP-compliant offerings come equipped with robust data encryption, secure access controls, continuous monitoring and regular audits to ensure ongoing adherence to the highest security standards. As a result, government agencies can leverage the innovative tools that CoSo manages to optimize their workforce training, professional development, and educational programs without compromising on security or compliance. About CoSo Cloud CoSo Cloud LLC, a Class Technologies Inc. company, provides secure private-cloud managed services, custom software applications, and expert professional services for high-consequence virtual training and eLearning. Global enterprises and government agency customers rely on CoSo to complete their Adobe Connect, Adobe Learning Manager and Class solutions when security, compliance, and reliability requirements demand more from virtual meetings and learning management systems. CoSo Cloud is an Adobe, Class Technologies, SAP, and Zoom partner.

Read More

Government Business

Noblis Earns FedRAMP® Authorization for Its RunCyberAssurance® Solution and Hosting Platform

GlobeNewswire | September 21, 2023

Noblis, Inc., a leading provider of science, technology and strategy services to the federal government, today announced that its RunCyberAssurance software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution and its supporting platform-as-a-service have achieved the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program’s (FedRAMP®) Moderate Authority to Operate designation. “Earning FedRAMP authorization for both our solution and platform is a significant step,” said Mark Lay, Noblis’ Solution Delivery Organization lead. “This designation allows federal agencies to quickly and efficiently leverage the RunCyberAssurance solution to simplify and maintain secure cloud authorization across their enterprise. At the same time, our authorized platform provides a foundation to integrate future solutions for our customers’ evolving missions.” RunCyberAssurance combines automation, analytics and a streamlined, standardized compliance workflow to help agencies continuously manage their authorized services. Depending on unique mission needs, agencies can leverage RunCyberAssurance as a FedRAMP Authorized SaaS or deploy it within their managed boundaries. Key benefits of the solution include: Continuous Authority to Operateacross entire technology portfolio Automatic managementof cybersecurity compliance Advanced analyticsto expedite decision making and proactively mitigate risks Automates processesto save time and money FedRAMP provides a cost-effective, risk-based approach for the adoption and use of cloud services by the federal government. It empowers agencies to use modern cloud technologies, with an emphasis on security and protection of federal information. About Noblis For more than 25 years, Noblis has been an innovator within the federal government, committed to enriching lives and making our nation safer while investing in the missions of tomorrow. As a nonprofit, Noblis works for the public good, providing independent and objective science, technology and engineering solutions. Together with our subsidiaries, we work with a wide range of government clients in the defense, homeland security, intelligence, law enforcement and federal civil sectors.

Read More

Emerging Technology

Telos Corporation Awarded Five-Year Contract with Defense Information Systems Agency

GlobeNewswire | August 29, 2023

Telos Corporation, a leading provider of cyber, cloud and enterprise security solutions for the world’s most security-conscious organizations, announced today a five-year contract with the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) for the Telos Automated Message Handling System (AMHS) to support the distribution and processing of various reports and other critical information. A widely-used organizational messaging solution in the U.S. Department of Defense, Telos AMHS supports organizations around the world, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Combatant Commands, Military Services, Defense Agencies and the Intelligence Community. Telos AMHS immediately routes incoming messages to the right desktop and creates an archive of all arriving traffic for future reference. AMHS also provides intuitive tools for searching and retrieving messages from the archive while protecting against unauthorized access, and offers an easy way to create, coordinate, and release outgoing messages. “DISA is one of our longest-standing customers, and we’re pleased to continue to support their organizational communications,” said John B. Wood, CEO and chairman, Telos. “Timely and secure message delivery is key to successful military operations, and we’re honored to be chosen to support this mission.” About Telos Corporation Telos Corporationempowers and protects the world’s most security- conscious organizations with solutions for continuous security assurance of individuals, systems, and information. Telos’ offerings include cybersecurity solutions for IT risk management and information security; cloud security solutions to protect cloud-based assets and enable continuous compliance with industry and government security standards; and enterprise security solutions for identity and access management, secure mobility, organizational messaging, and network management and defense. The company serves commercial enterprises, regulated industries and government customers around the world.

Read More

Government Business, Cybersecurity

CoSo Cloud Secure Virtual Training Platform Achieves StateRAMP Authorization

businesswire | August 17, 2023

CoSo Cloud LLC (CoSo), a Class Technologies company, and leading provider of secure, private-cloud managed services and custom applications for high-consequence eLearning and virtual training, today announced its platform has received StateRAMP authorization for leading eLearning and virtual classroom offerings from Adobe® and Class Technologies. This milestone achievement enables all U.S. state government agencies reliant on public tax dollars to make assured investments in and harness the utmost level of secure technology for government training and education. StateRAMP is a critical cloud security assessment and authorization program designed to address the specific technology and compliance requirements of state and local governments. With this authorization, state government agencies and publicly funded educational institutions are now equipped with the highest levels of security and compliance, aligning seamlessly with the stringent requirements to protect government and citizen data. CoSo Cloud's StateRAMP authorization builds upon CoSo’s FedRAMP security authorizations for Federal Government agencies, and represents a significant industry advancement in secure eLearning and virtual training solutions, further reinforcing the company's position as a preeminent and trusted partner for public sector organizations. "The CoSo Secure Private Cloud Platform has the most secure and compliant authorizations in the industry,” said David Nelson, Head of Cyber Security at CoSo Cloud. “With the StateRAMP authorization, customers who rely upon Class and Adobe for virtual training and eLearning are now able to deploy their training and education initiatives with the utmost confidence and security." CoSo Cloud's StateRAMP-compliant offerings come equipped with robust data encryption, secure access controls, continuous monitoring and regular audits to ensure ongoing adherence to the highest security standards. As a result, government agencies can leverage the innovative tools that CoSo manages to optimize their workforce training, professional development, and educational programs without compromising on security or compliance. About CoSo Cloud CoSo Cloud LLC, a Class Technologies Inc. company, provides secure private-cloud managed services, custom software applications, and expert professional services for high-consequence virtual training and eLearning. Global enterprises and government agency customers rely on CoSo to complete their Adobe Connect, Adobe Learning Manager and Class solutions when security, compliance, and reliability requirements demand more from virtual meetings and learning management systems. CoSo Cloud is an Adobe, Class Technologies, SAP, and Zoom partner.

Read More

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