Reportaje exclusivo a profundidad

LaReina Whisler estaba lista para morir.

La joven, residente de toda la vida del

Westside de Kansas City, ya estaba muy familiarizada con el sentimiento. Había intentado antes quitarse la vida. Su padre había tenido éxito en quitarse la suya. Los sentimientos de desesperanza parecían ser un compañero constante.

Un día, Whisler había decidido que había tenido suficiente y necesitaba encontrar nuevos compañeros,

La Legislatura de Kansas aprobó una ley de plan de impuestos, la semana pasada, que devuelve a los propietarios de negocios al número de lista de impuestos, termina la

senda de deslizamiento a 0 impuesto sobre la renta, agrega un tercer tramo fiscal sobre la renta, fases en varias deducciones, trae

KC HISPANIC NEWSVOL 20 No. 40 15 de Junio, 2017 * Periódico Bilingüe Kansas City

YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996 ❖ TÚ CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996

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NEWSROOM: (816)472.5246 | FAX: (816) 931.6397 | KCHISPANICNEWS.com | E-MAIL: JoeArce@KCHispanicNews.com | 2918 Southwest Blvd. Kansas City, MO 64108

20YEARS

Pastor’s message breathes new life into church

El mensaje del pastor da nueva vida a la iglesia

Members of the congregation of the Westside Apostolic Church feel at ease when Pastor Valentine Estrada shares the word of God. He doesn’t always wear a suit as he gives his sermons. He feels he needs to be equal to his membership because they are all God’s children and he is no different than them.Los miembros de la congregación de la Iglesia Apostólica Westside se sienten cómodos cuando el Pastor Valentine Estrada comparte la palabra de Dios. Él no siempre usa traje mientras da sus sermones, siente que necesita ser igual ante sus feligreses porque todos son hijos de Dios y él no es diferente a ellos.

Kansas Legislature sends message to Governor -- Tax experiment is overLa legislatura de Kansas envía mensaje al gobernador – el experimentar con el impuesto ha terminado

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback is still licking his wounds from last week’s override veto and even some republicans of his own party voted for the over ride. KCK resident John Rios said, “A change was needed and now the legislature has come up with the courage to move forward.”El gobernador de Kansas, Sam Brownback, todavía está lamiendo sus heridas de la semana pasada ante la invalidación del veto, e incluso algunos republicanos de su propio partido votaron en contra. El residente de KCK, John Ríos, dijo, “Se necesitaba un cambio y ahora la legislatura ha llegado con el coraje de seguir adelante”.

“THIS IS GOOD NEWS ... / PAGE 5 “ESTA ES UNA BUENA ... / PÁGINA 5

“ABSOLUTELY, HE SAVED ... / PAGE 3

ABSOLUTAMENTE, ... / PÁGINA 2

City urges pet owners to take precautions during extreme summer weather

In depth exclusive report

LaReina Whisler was ready to die.

The young woman, a lifelong resident of Kansas

City’s west side, was already hauntingly familiar with the feeling. She had tried taking her own life once before. Her father had been successful in taking his. Feelings of hopelessness seemed to be a constant companion.

One day, Whisler had decided she’d had enough and needed to find new companions, or be lost in the abyss of depression forever. She fought back. She sought

by Joe Arce and Corbin Crable

traduce Gemma Tornero

The Kansas Legislature passed a tax plan bill last week that restores business owners to the tax rolls, ends the glide path to 0 income tax, it adds a third income tax

bracket, phases in several deductions, brings back the child care tax credit and lawmakers say it will fix the budget shortfall.

by Debra DeCoster traduce Gemma Tornero

With temperatures rising, the city’s Animal Health & Public Safety

Division is encouraging pet owners to keep a close eye on their pets to keep them safe this summer. Animal health officers have the following tips:

Keep your pet hydrated by providing it with plenty of water. Keep pets out of the sun and preferably indoors. Be careful not to over-exert them.

Symptoms of pet overheating include: excessive panting/difficulty breathing, increased

heart and respiratory rate, drooling, weakness, stupor, collapse, seizures, bloody diarrhea, vomit and body temperatures of 104+ degrees.

Animals with flat faces (i.e. Pugs and Persian cats) are more susceptible to heat stroke because they cannot pant as effectively. These types of pets, along with elderly, overweight and/or sick pets, should be kept in air-conditioned settings as much as possible.

PROTECT YOUR ... / PAGE 6

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Junio 15 - 2017 | KCHispanicNews.com2

o seguir perdida en el abismo de la depresión para siempre. Ella luchó. Ella buscó ayuda y la encontró en un hombre - un pastor de una pequeña iglesia. Una iglesia aparentemente como cualquier otra.

Ese pastor, un hombre de Dios que era demasiado humano, conocía el dolor. Conocía la lucha. Sabía cómo se sentía al perder la fe en sí misma, sólo para ser sostenido por un poder superior. Y, Whisler se lo dirá con toda claridad, el Pastor Valentine Estrada salvó la vida de la joven.

“Estaba en la calle, y en las últimas”, recuerda Whisler. “Cuando fui a la iglesia, él sabía exactamente lo que estaba pasando. Se tomó el tiempo para hablar conmigo y me demostró que había alguien a quien le importaba. Su apoyo y su palabra - me enseñó que vale la pena aferrarse a la vida, y que siempre hay un mañana. Absolutamente, él me salvó”.

Estrada, pastor de la Iglesia Apostólica Westside de Kansas City, expresa humildad cuando escucha sobre su efecto en la vida de Whisler. Es característico del hombre que está abierto a hablar sobre sus propios demonios, los que lo llevaron a ser salvado por Jesucristo. Ahora, el hombre al timón de una pequeña pero diversa y creciente congregación dice que sólo hizo lo que Dios ordena: amar y no juzgar.

“La vida nunca va a estar desprovista de dificultades”, dice. “No juzgamos a la gente. Dios no se da por vencido por nadie. Como él no se da por vencido, tú no te das por vencido con la gente. Tú te preocupas por la gente”.

Hasta que entregó su vida a Cristo, la vida del joven Estrada estaba sumida en una crisis de identidad, casi desde el principio, de hecho. Cuando nació, el nombre de «Valentine Estrada» le fue dado al niño por su padre, a quien Estrada ni siquiera conocía realmente.

“Él me dio nombre, y luego se fue. Fue a Colorado y nos dejó”, dice Estrada sin rodeos. “Un día, obtuve mi certificado de nacimiento y noté que el nombre ‘Valentine’ estaba rayado. El nombre con el que crecí fue “Miguel Ángel”. Descubrí que no había nacido con ese nombre. (Más tarde) lo cambié de nuevo a mi nombre legal”.

Coincidentemente, Estrada creció en la misma cuadra del edificio que acabaría por albergar a la iglesia que conduciría en la edad adulta. Durante el verano en su infancia, la iglesia ofreció programas de verano para los niños, como un respiro a una vida hogareña ocupada, compartida con sus otros cuatro hermanos y una hermana. Fue una de las primeras experiencias que Estrada tuvo con la generosidad de una comunidad eclesiástica.

“A veces, tienes la oportunidad de descubrir cómo viven otras personas, te ofrecen comida, era una salida para nosotros”, recuerda.

Al igual que muchos niños que se convierten en adolescentes, el enfoque de Estrada en Dios se fue a la deriva, y comenzó a experimentar con el consumo y venta de drogas. Fue un gran riesgo tomado, uno que lo condujo por el camino oscuro de la adicción - y que finalmente lo aterrizó

detrás de las rejas.“Eso fue lo mejor que me pudo

pasar”, dice. “Dios medio me secuestró para poder oír su voz, y me dijo que tenía una vocación en mi vida”.

Ese llamamiento era dirigir una iglesia.

Después de su liberación de la penitenciaría, Estrada reunió a amigos y familia y comenzó a predicar en el Centro Comunitario Tony Aguirre, en Kansas City, Mo. Como cualquier iglesia en su infancia, difundir la palabra de la existencia de la institución llevo trabajo, dedicación y perseverancia.

“Aprecié que Dios nos había iniciado en algún lugar”, dice. “Comenzamos con la familia. Teníamos a mis hermanos, hermana, un primo y un amigo que vino fielmente. No voy a sentarme aquí y decirte que no tenía ganas de darme por vencido. Pero yo sabía que la razón por la que no renuncié fue que Dios me había dicho que hiciera esto”.

En septiembre de 2016, después de dos años, el duro trabajo de Estrada dio sus frutos y sus oraciones fueron contestadas cuando le dieron las llaves de un familiar lugar: la iglesia donde había pasado tantos veranos cuando era niño.

“Era como si hubiéramos llegado por fin”, recuerda. “Hay algo acerca de llegar a un verdadero santuario. Nos sentimos como una iglesia. Empezamos a crecer después de eso, y ahora seguimos creciendo. Ese es el Señor”.

Estrada se ganó rápidamente la reputación de ser un líder sencillo, una persona cercana. Los parroquianos se acostumbraron a ver a su pastor

entregando servicios dominicales con pantalones y una camisa colorida, no un traje y una corbata. Él retransmitió anécdotas con las que sus

congregantes podrían relacionar con sus propias vidas y experiencias.

“El estilo de sus sermones es fácil de entender”, dice Whisler. “Está en el mismo nivel que tú. No es un pastor convencional. Ha vivido la vida y ahora es capaz de ayudar a otros”.

El párroco Eddie Amador dice que sus experiencias con la iglesia han cambiado su manera de ver la religión misma.

“Como niños, oímos el nombre de Jesús, pero no sabíamos que pudiéramos tener ese tipo de relación íntima con él”, dice Amador, quien ha asistido a la iglesia toda su vida, mucho antes de que Estrada se convirtiera en su representante. “Nunca había oído hablar de haber nacido en otra organización religiosa. Cuando me enteré, dije: ‘Soy yo’”.

Estrada añade que no cambiaría nada.

“Creo que hay momentos en que tenemos que romper con la tradición, y al romper la tradición, llegamos a la gente”, dice. “Quiero que la gente tenga una conexión, que piense, ‘Oye, el pastor es como yo’, estamos juntos en esto. Somos el mismo tipo de personas. Aquí, usted viene como usted es. Así es como Dios te recibe”.

Lo más importante aún, como dice Estrada, es que no debe juzgar a los demás, él cree que sus parroquianos, a quienes cuenta entre las personas a las que conoce toda su vida, ven el poder transformador del amor de Dios.

“La gente te conoce como tu yo anterior, pero ahora ven tu caminar. Ahora ven tu vida”, dice. “Tu caminata demuestra que hay un Dios, y Él cambió mi vida”.

Tanto el presente como el futuro de la Iglesia Apostólica Westside son brillantes. Hoy, la congregación cuenta con alrededor de 30 personas, incluyendo devotos de muchas razas, antecedentes y de ambos lados de la línea divisoria estatal. El domingo pasado, se reunieron para lo que Estrada llama un “servicio de sanación profunda”, diseñado para que los parroquianos reflexionen sobre la curación de heridas emocionales de

larga duración causadas por abuso, trauma o relaciones tóxicas. Fue un momento de catarsis y de libertad para los que estaban atados por los grilletes de la ira, el dolor, la amargura y la incapacidad de perdonar a quienes los habían ofendido.

“El servicio ... es sobre el perdón”, señala. Esa es una de las áreas en las cuales (Satanás) prospera. Cuando perdonas, literalmente te liberas. Todo un peso se ha quitado”.

Para la iglesia en su conjunto, todavía queda mucho trabajo por hacer. Finalmente, Estrada y su esposa, Sharon, quien dirige los departamentos de contabilidad y medios sociales de la iglesia, quieren desarrollar un ministerio dirigido a mujeres jóvenes, así como una despensa comunitaria.

Una cosa que nunca cambiará, sin embargo, es el acercamiento de Estrada y la iglesia a aquellos que están sufriendo y necesitan el amor y el cuidado que sólo Dios puede proporcionar - personas como LaReina Whisler.

“Hoy soy libre”, dice emocionada. “Puedo decir que he crecido en la forma en que veo y manejo las cosas. Soy libre, especialmente emocionalmente. Conozco al Señor ahora, y siempre lo tengo para apoyarme”.

Para más información sobre la iglesia y sus servicios semanales, llame al (816) 305-5997.

CONT./PÁGINA 1

"Absolutamente, él me salvó”, dijo Whisler

Valentine Estrada no es ajeno al barrio Westside de Kansas City. Él creció en una unidad de vivienda del gobierno, en el complejo West Bluff. Ahora, como un hombre adulto, está de regreso sirviendo a la misma comunidad como pastor de la Iglesia Apostólica Westside, y que está al frente de la calle donde vivió una vez. Su pasión por servir al Señor y a su congregación han sido una bendición para él. Los integrantes de su iglesia dijeron a Hispanic News que ellos sienten el espíritu dentro de él.Valentine Estrada is no stranger to Kansas City Westside neighborhood. He grew up in government housing unit in the West Bluff complex. Now as a grown man he is back serving that same community as pastor of Westside Apostolic Church, which happens to be across the street where he once lived. His passion to serving the lord and his congregation has been a blessing for him. The members of his church told Hispanic News they feel the spirit within him.

“El estilo de sus sermones es fácil de entender”, dice Whisler. “Está en el mismo nivel que tú. No es un pastor convencional. Ha vivido la vida y ahora es capaz de ayudar a otros”.

YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996 ❖ TÚ CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996

Junio 15 - 2017 | KCHispanicNews.com 3

help and found it in one man – a pastor of a small church. A church seemingly like any other.

That pastor, a man of God who was all too human himself, knew pain. He knew struggle. He knew how it felt to lose faith in himself, only to be held up by a higher power. And, Whisler will tell you quite plainly, Pastor Valentine Estrada saved the young woman’s life.

“I was down and out, and on my last leg,” Whisler recalls. “When I went to church, he knew exactly what I was going through. He took time to speak with me and showed me there was someone who cared. His support and his speaking to me – it taught me that life is worth hanging on to, and that there is always a tomorrow. Absolutely, he saved me.”

Estrada, pastor of Kansas City’s West Side Apostolic Church, expresses humility when he hears about his effect on Whisler’s life. It’s characteristic of the man who is open about his own demons that brought him to be saved by Jesus Christ. Now, the man at the helm of a small but diverse and growing congregation says he only did what God commands – to love and not to judge.

“Life is never going to be devoid of difficulties,” he says. “We don’t judge people. God doesn’t give up on anybody. As he doesn’t give up, you don’t give up on people. You care for people.”

Until he gave his life to Christ, the young Estrada’s life was mired in a crisis of identity – almost from the start, in fact. When he was born, the name ‘Valentine Estrada’ was given to the infant by his father – whom Estrada never even really knew.

“He named me, and then he was gone. He went to Colorado and left us,” Estrada says bluntly. “One day, I got my birth certificate and noticed the name ‘Valentine’ was scratched out. The name I grew up with was ‘Miguel Angel.’ I discovered I was not born with that name. (Later) I changed it back to my legal name.”

Coincidentally enough, Estrada grew up right down the block from the building that would eventually house the church he would lead in adulthood. During summertime in his childhood, the church offered summer programs for kids as a respite from a busy home life, shared with his four other brothers and one sister. It was one of the first experiences Estrada had with the generosity of a church community.

“Sometimes, you get the opportunity to discover how other people live, they offer you food – it was an outlet for us,” he recalls.

Like many children who grow into teenagers, Estrada’s focus on God drifted, and he began to experiment with both taking and selling drugs. It was a great risk taken, one that led down the dark path to addiction – and one that eventually landed him behind bars.

“That was the best thing that could ever happen to me,” he says. “God sort of sequestered me so I could hear his voice, and he told me I had a calling in my life.”

That calling was to lead a church.

After his release from penitentiary, Estrada gathered friends and family and began preaching at the Tony Aguirre Community Center in Kansas City, Mo. Like any church in its infancy, spreading the word of the institution’s

existence took work, dedication, and perseverance.

“I appreciated that God had started us somewhere,” he says. “We started out with family. We had my brothers, sister, one cousin and a friend who came faithfully. I’m not going to sit here and tell you I didn’t feel like quitting. But I knew the reason I didn’t quit was that God had told me to do this.”

In September 2016, after two years, Estrada’s hard work paid off and his prayers were answered when he was given the keys to a familiar place – the church where he had spent so many summers as a child.

“It was like we had arrived,” he remembers. “There is something about coming to a real sanctuary. We felt like a church. We started growing after that, and we’re growing now. That’s the Lord.”

Estrada quickly gained a reputation for being a laid-back, relatable church leader. Parishoners became used to seeing their pastor delivering Sunday services in slacks and a colorful shirt, not a suit and tie. He relayed anecdotes that his congregants could relate to their own lives and experiences.

“His style of sermons is easy to understand,” Whisler says. “He’s on the same level as you are. He’s not a conventional kind of pastor. He’s lived life and is now able to help others.”

Parishoner Eddie Amador says his experiences with the church have changed the way he views religion itself.

“As children – we heard the name of Jesus, but we didn’t know we could have that kind of intimate relationship with him,” says Amador, who has attended the church his entire life, long before Estrada became its steward. “I never

heard about being born again from any other religious organization. When I heard about it, I said, ‘That’s me.’”

Estrada adds that he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I believe there are some times when we need to break from tradition, and by breaking tradition, we reach people,” he says. “I want the people to have a connection, to think, ‘Hey, the pastor is just like me.’ We’re in this together. We’re the same type of people. Here, you come as you are. That’s the way God receives you.”

Most importantly, as Estrada says he mustn’t judge others, he believes his parishoners, whom he counts among people he’s known his entire life – see the transformative power of God’s love.

“People know you as your former self, but they see your walk now. They

see your life now,” he says. “Your walk proves that there is a God, and He turned my life around.”

Both the present and the future of West Side Apostolic Church are bright. Today, the congregation numbers around 30, including devotees from many races, backgrounds, and both sides of the state line. Last Sunday, they gathered for what Estrada calls a ‘deep healing service,’ designed for parishoners to reflect on healing longtime emotional wounds caused by abuse, trauma or toxic relationships. It was a moment of catharsis and freedom for those long bound by the shackles of anger, sorrow, bitterness, and the inability to forgive those who had wronged them.

“The service … is about forgiveness,” he notes. That’s one of the areas in which (Satan) thrives. When you

forgive, you literally free yourself. A whole weight is taken off.”

For the church as a whole, there is still much work to be done. Eventually, Estrada and his wife, Sharon, who leads the church’s accounting and social media departments, would like to develop a ministry aimed at young women, as well as a community food pantry.

One thing that will never change, however, is Estrada’s and the church’s outreach to those who are hurting and need the love and care that only God can provide – people just like LaReina Whisler.

“Today, I am free,” he says emotionally. “I can say I’ve grown in the way I view and handle things. I am free – especially emotionally. I know the Lord now, and I always have Him to lean on.”

For more information about the church and its weekly services, call (816) 305-5997.

CONT./PAGE 1

LaReina Whisler told Hispanic News life had many challenges for her and she was not coping with life issues very well. She found life was not worth living. She gives credit to Pastor Valentine Estrada and her lord and savior in saving her life. Today she can smile knowing that she is alive and feeling much better about herself and about life.LaReina Whisler le dijo a Hispanic News que la vida tenía muchos desafíos para ella y que no estaba lidiando muy bien con los problemas de la vida. Ella encontró que la vida no valía la pena vivirla. Ella dá crédito al pastor Valentine Estrada y su Señor y Salvador al salvar su vida. Hoy ella puede sonreír sabiendo que está viva y se siente mucho mejor sobre sí misma y sobre la vida.

“Absolutely, he saved me,”said Whisler

Before services, Pastor Valentine Estrada will visit with the congregation, see how they are doing, shake a hand, give a hug and some will give him a bigger hug. What is drawing people to his church is the fact he has lived life, good and bad. “We don’t judge people. God doesn’t give up on anybody. As he doesn’t give up, you don’t give up on people. You care for people,” said Pastor Estrada.Antes de los servicios, el Pastor Valentine Estrada se reúne con la congregación, se informa de cómo están, da la mano, un abrazo y, algunos le dan un abrazo más fuerte. Lo que atrae a la gente a su iglesia es el hecho de que ha vivido la vida, buena y mala. “No juzgamos a la gente. Dios no se da por vencido ante nadie. Como él no se da por vencido, tú no te das por vencido con la gente. Tú te preocupas por la gente”, dijo el Pastor Estrada.

“His style of sermons is easy to understand,” LaReina Whisler says. “He’s on the same level as you are. He’s not a conventional kind of pastor. He’s lived life and is now able to help others.”

YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996 ❖ TÚ CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996

4 Junio 15 - 2017 | KCHispanicNews.com

FRANK P. GUTIERREZ

Frank P. Gutierrez, 88 of Kansas City, MO died Wednesday, June 7, 2017 at Armour Oaks Care Center. Visitation and Mass of Christian Burial was held on Tuesday, June 13, 2017 at Guardian Angels

Catholic Church, 1310 Westport Road, KCMO. Burial followed in Forest Hill/Calvary Cemetery, 6901 Troost, KCMO with Military Honors. Frank was born February 4, 1929 in Kansas City, MO and was a lifelong resident. Frank served our country during the Korean War in the US Army. He married the former Margaret Aguilar in 1957; and Margaret preceded Frank in death in 2005 after 48 years of marriage. Frank worked for and retired from Bendix/Allied Signal/Honeywell. Frank was preceded in death by 2 brothers and one sister. Frank’s survivors include his nine children, Mary Pomerantz, Paula Rios, Ruben Rios, John Rios, Tyrone Gutierrez, Marty Gutierrez, Hank Gutierrez, Mike Gutierrez and Jackie Linder; 20 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Fond memories and condolences may be shared at www.mcgilleymidtownchapel.com.

ANTONIO “TONY” VASQUEZ

Antonio Vasquez, 91 of Kansas City, MO died June 10, 2017 at KU Medical Center. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 am Thursday, June 15, 2017 at Guardian Angels Catholic Church, 1310 Westport Road, KCMO. Entombment will follow in the Forest Hill/Calvary Garden Mausoleum. Visitation will be 6-8 pm Wednesday at the McGilley Midtown Chapel, 20 W. Linwood Blvd., KCMO where the rosary will be prayed 7:00 pm.Tony was born June 11, 1925 in Kansas City, MO to Ascencion and Maria Vasquez. Tony worked for and retired from Sheffield Steel and later as Armco Steel after 33 years. Tony married Juanita Hernandez June 10, 1950. Tony’s survivors include his wife of 67 years, Juanita, of the home; one daughter, Christine Vaca, KCMO; five grandchildren, Genece Vaca (Alonso), Katrina Vaca (Carlos), Jenni Vaca, Christi Jo Vaca and Shawn Gray; nine great grandchildren, Bryana, Angel, Johnny Joe, Andryana, Antonio, Celea, Aimee, Miles and Sophia. Fond memories and condolences may be shared at www.mcgilleymidtownchapel.com.

ROBERT (BOB) RIVERA

Robert (Bob) Rivera, 89, Kansas City, MO, passed away at his home June 4, 2017. Bob was born May 29, 1928, on the Westside of Kansas City, MO, the son of Ignacio and Maria Rivera. He served in the Army during the Korean War, building bridges as a Combat Engineer. When he returned, he met Consuelo Pedroza; they were married in 1956. He retired from Milgram’s Retail Grocers after 34 years of work. Bob was a supportive husband and father and a loyal friend. He was preceded in death by his wife of 34 years, Consuelo; his two brothers, Martin and Emilio Rivera; and his sisters, Carmen Almada and Dolores Gomez. He is survived by all four of his children, Consuelo (Rene) Chaurand, Robert (Christina) Rivera, Rosa (Chema) Vega, and Antonio (Melissa) Rivera. He is also survived by his 11 grandchildren, seven great- grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and godchildren. Visitation for friends and family will be from 5-6:30 p.m. with memorial service from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 15, at McGilley Midtown Chapel, 20 West Linwood Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64111. A blessing will be said at 10 a.m. Friday, June 16, with burial to follow in Mt. St. Mary’s Cemetery, 2201 Cleveland Ave., Kansas City, MO. Condolences may be offered at mcgilleymidtownchapel.com Arr.: McGilley Midtown, (816) 753-6200. McGilley Midtown Chapel, Dignity Memorial, Life Well Celebrated.

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YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996 ❖ TÚ CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996

Junio 15 - 2017 | KCHispanicNews.com 5

“This is good news for all of Kansas,” said John Rios

CONT./PAGE 1

CONT./PÁGINA 1

“Esta es una buena noticia para todo Kansas”, di jo John Ríos

Kansas State Representative Louis Ruiz said, “Our credit rating has been moved by Moody’s several times. Those are facts. He (Governor Sam Brownback) is in a state of denial in the state of Kansas.”El Representante del Estado de Kansas, Louis Ruiz, dijo: “Nuestra calificación crediticia ha sido movida por ‘el de carácter cambiante’ varias veces. Esos son hechos. Él (Gobernador Sam Brownback) está en un estado de negación en el estado de Kansas.”

Governor Sam Brownback vetoed the plan. “We have worked hard in Kansas to move our tax policy to a pro-growth orientation. This bill undoes much of that progress,” he stated.

The Senate and the House rallied to over ride the Governor’s veto. The vote in the House was 88 to 31 and the Senate’s 27 to 13 vote gave the two-thirds majority required to shut down the Governor’s plan.

Following the legislature veto, Governor Sam Brownback spoke out stating that he believed “increasing taxes will deter businesses from the state and hurt rural areas where low prices for agriculture and energy commodities remain a challenge.” He continues to remain firm in his economic stance calling the Legislature’s decision the ‘wrong move.’

Representative Louis Ruiz, District 31 said, “After looking at what has been happening in the state, how can he say that.”

Under the new bill, the state will increase its personal income tax rates and end an exemption for more than 330,000 farmers and business owners. Legislators expect the changes to raise $1.2 billion in new revenue over two years to close projected budget shortfalls totaling $889 million through June 2019.

Representative Ruiz, District 31told Hispanic News, “This is what we needed to do for our constituents and for our state. This will put the

LLC’s back on the tax rolls; yes, it will raise taxes but look what has been happening. Facts are facts, look at the state treasury, the general fund, and look at what services are being cut, whose being robbed … the department of transportation, the state is broke … bankrupt. Our credit rating has been moved by Moody’s several times. Those are facts. He (Governor) is in a state of denial in the state of Kansas.”

Rep. Ruiz and other representatives and senators have heard through social media from their constituents supporting the work that the lawmakers did in a historic 113-day session.

Kansas City, Kansas resident John Rios wrote on Facebook after hearing about the override of Brownback veto, “This is good news for all of Kansas. A change was needed and now the legislature has come up with the courage to move forward.”

Kansas State Senator Pat Pettey reached out to her constituents through Facebook. She wrote, “We over rode the governor’s veto of the tax bill and 27 senators voted to approve a budget that will give our state employees a pay increase after 9 years, and pays for critical state services. I am proud to be part of the solution.”

In an interview with Fox4 News, Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning, a conservative Kansas City area Republican had supported the first round of tax cuts in 2012, but during this session he voted to override the governor’s veto.

“I’ve made many,

many bad decisions in my business career, as many bad as good, but I’ve always backed up and mopped up my mess. That’s what I’m doing now,” said Denning.

As the Kansas Senate voted to override Governor Brownback’s veto of the tax plan, Christina Ostmeyer, Summer Meals Advocate for Kansas Appleseed, sent out a statement in a press release.

“In my work at Kansas Appleseed, I travel across the state to meet with families and community leaders who work hard every day to help their neighbors in need. I have seen how much Governor Brownback’s failed tax policies have hurt our communities; especially families who are struggling to get back on their feet. We must end this failed tax experiment,” said Ostmeyer.

It was in 2012 when Brownback approved sweeping tax cuts. The plan, he called a ‘real live experiment’ was criticized when it failed to spur job growth and resulted in cuts to public agencies, sales tax increases and a deepening deficit.

According to Maria Koklanaris, a senior reporter with Tax Analysts, a nonpartisan tax publishing news service, said it was an unusual move “as Kansas was the only state where such businesses were fully exempt.”

All eyes have been on the state of Kansas and Governor Brownback 2012 live tax experiment and the one lesson many seem to take away from what just happened in the state is to ‘don’t do it.’

President Donald Trump has proposed a similar plan for LLC’s. While in Washington, D.C. during a meeting with the Department of Commerce, Rep. Ruiz advised them don’t do it. “I know that President Trump is considering a similar plan, all you have to do is look at Kansas.”

Although Representatives and Senators celebrated their victory of eliminating Brownback tax plan, they know they still have work to do.

“Money will come back but it is not going to be immediate. It will be over time but it will be a big improvement,” said Ruiz.

John Gibson, Chair of the Kansas Democratic Party, said, “Kansas Democrats were vital to the veto override vote. This vote is a testament to the hard work and commitment of the Democratic Party in 2016, and a promise of what we can accomplish in future elections. This is a crucial step to restoring responsible government to Kansas, but only the first step. My colleagues and I voted to move forward with fiscal responsibility and end the Brownback tax experiment. It’s not a perfect bill, but it’s an excellent step toward rebuilding our state. I’m proud the bill reflects a genuine bipartisan solution and am especially pleased with Democrat advocacy for the return of the childcare tax credit, mortgage deductions, property tax deductions, and medical expense deductions,” said Democrat Jim Ward, 86th District.

de vuelta el crédito tributario al cuidado infantil y los legisladores dicen que arreglará el déficit presupuestario.

El gobernador Sam Brownback vetó el plan. “Hemos trabajado duro en Kansas para mover nuestra política fiscal hacía una orientación pro-crecimiento. Este proyecto de ley deshace mucho de ese progreso”, afirmó.

El Senado y la Cámara se reunieron para anular el veto del Gobernador. La votación en la Cámara fue de 88 a 31 y la votación del Senado de 27 a 13 dando la mayoría requerida de dos tercios para suspender el plan del Gobernador.

Tras el veto legislativo, el Gobernador Sam Brownback, dijo que creía que “el aumento de los impuestos desalentará a los negocios del estado a quedarse y dañará las zonas rurales donde los bajos precios de la agricultura y los productos básicos energéticos siguen siendo un reto”. Él continúa firme en su histórica decisión, llamando a la decisión de la Legislatura una ‘movimiento equivocado’.

El Representante Louis Ruiz, del Distrito 31, dijo, “Después de mirar lo que ha estado

sucediendo en el estado, ¿cómo puede él decir eso?”.

Bajo el nuevo proyecto de ley, el estado aumentará sus tasas de impuesto sobre la renta personal y pondrá fin a una exención para más de 330 mil agricultores y dueños de negocios. Los legisladores esperan que los cambios recauden $ 1.2 mil millones en nuevos ingresos durante dos años para cerrar los déficit presupuestarios proyectados por un total de $ 889 millones hasta junio de 2019.

El Representante Ruiz, dijo a Hispanic News: “Esto es lo que necesitamos hacer por nuestros electores y por nuestro estado. Esto pondrá al LLC (Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada) de nuevo en los números de lista de impuestos; sí, aumentará los impuestos pero mira lo que ha estado sucediendo. Los hechos son hechos, mira a la Tesorería del Estado, el fondo general, y mira qué servicios están siendo recortados, de quién han sido robados ... el departamento de transporte, el estado está roto ... en quiebra. Nuestra calificación crediticia ha sido movida por ‘el de carácter cambiante’ varias veces. Esos son hechos.

Él (Gobernador) está en un estado de negación en el estado de Kansas”.

El Representante Ruiz y otros representantes y senadores han sabido a través de los medios sociales, de sus electores, que apoyan el trabajo que los legisladores hicieron en una histórica sesión de 113 días.

El residente de Kansas City, Kansas, John Ríos, escribió en Facebook después de oír hablar de la anulación del veto a Brownback, “Esta es una buena noticia para todo Kansas. Se necesitaba un cambio y ahora la legislatura ha tenido el coraje de seguir adelante”.

La senadora estatal de Kansas, Pat Pettey, se comunicó con sus electores a través de Facebook. Ella escribió, “Hemos superado el veto del gobernador a la ley de impuestos y 27 senadores votaron a favor de aprobar un presupuesto que dará a nuestros empleados del estado un aumento salarial después de 9 años y paga por los servicios estatales críticos. Estoy orgullosa de ser parte de la solución”.

En una entrevista con Fox4 News, el líder de la mayoría del Senado, Jim Denning, republicano conservador del área

de Kansas City, había apoyado la primera ronda de recortes de impuestos en 2012, pero durante esta sesión votó para anular el veto del gobernador.

“He tomado muchas, muchas malas decisiones en mi carrera de negocios, tanto malas como buenas, pero siempre he retrocedido y limpiado mi desorden. Eso es lo que estoy haciendo ahora”, dijo Denning.

Cuando el Senado de Kansas votó para anular el veto del Gobernador Brownback del plan de impuestos, Christina Ostmeyer, defensora de Comidas de Verano de Kansas Appleseed, envió una declaración en un comunicado de prensa.

“En mi trabajo, en Kansas Appleseed, viajo por todo el estado para reunirme con familias y líderes comunitarios que trabajan duro todos los días para ayudar a sus vecinos necesitados. He visto cuánto las políticas fiscales fallidas del gobernador Brownback han dañado a nuestras comunidades; especialmente las familias que están luchando para volver a ponerse de pie. Debemos terminar con este experimento fiscal fallido”, dijo Ostmeyer.

Fue en 2012 cuando Brownback aprobó

recortes fiscales. El plan, que llamó un “experimento real en vivo” fue criticado cuando no impulsó el crecimiento del empleo y dio lugar a recortes a las agencias públicas, aumentos de los impuestos sobre las ventas y un profundo déficit.

Según María Koklanaris, una experimentada reportera con Analistas de Impuestos, un servicio de noticias de publicación de impuestos no partidista, dijo que era una medida inusual “ya que Kansas era el único estado donde tales negocios estaban totalmente exentos”.

Todos los ojos han estado en el estado de Kansas y en el experimento de impuestos en vivo 2012 del Gobernador Brownback, y la lección que muchos parecen llevarse de lo que acaba de pasar en el estado es de “no hacerlo”.

El presidente Donald Trump ha propuesto un plan similar para LLC. Mientras estuvo en Washington, DC, durante una reunión con el Departamento de Comercio, el Representante Ruiz les aconsejó que no lo hicieran. “Sé que el Presidente Trump está considerando un plan similar, todo lo que tienen que hacer es mirar a Kansas”.

Aunque los representantes y los senadores celebraron su victoria de eliminar

el plan de impuestos de Brownback, saben que todavía tienen trabajo para hacer.

“El dinero volverá pero no va a ser de inmediato. Será con el tiempo, pero será una gran mejora”, dijo Ruiz.

John Gibson, Presidente del Partido Demócrata de Kansas, dijo: “Los demócratas de Kansas fueron vitales para el voto de anulación del veto. Este voto es un testimonio del duro trabajo y compromiso del Partido Demócrata en 2016, y una promesa de lo que podemos lograr en futuras elecciones. Este es un paso crucial para restaurar el gobierno responsable de Kansas, pero sólo el primer paso. Mis colegas y yo votamos por avanzar con la responsabilidad fiscal y poner fin al experimento fiscal de Brownback. No es un proyecto de ley perfecto, pero es un excelente paso hacia la reconstrucción de nuestro estado. Estoy orgulloso de que el proyecto de ley refleje una genuina solución bipartidista, y, estoy especialmente satisfecho con la defensa de los demócratas por el retorno del crédito tributario para cuidado de niños, deducciones hipotecarias, deducciones de impuestos a la propiedad y deducciones de gastos médicos”, dijo el demócrata Jim Ward, del Distrito 86.

Kansas State Senator Pat Pettey reached out to her constituents through Facebook. She wrote, “We over rode the governor’s veto of the tax bill and 27 senators voted to approve a budget that will give our state employees a pay increase after 9 years, and pays for critical state services. I am proud to be part of the solution.”La senadora estatal de Kansas, Pat Pettey, se comunicó con sus electores a través de Facebook. Ella escribió, “Hemos superado el veto del gobernador a la ley de impuestos y 27 senadores votaron a favor de aprobar un presupuesto que dará a nuestros empleados del estado un aumento salarial después de 9 años y paga por los servicios estatales críticos. Estoy orgullosa de ser parte de la solución”.

YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996 ❖ TÚ CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996

6 Junio 15 - 2017 | KCHispanicNews.com

Ask Rusty - Government Pension Offset (GPO) & Maximizing Benefits

Dear Rusty: I recently retired from my job after 35 years at the U.S. Department of Defense. I know I’m not eligible for Social Security because I was part of the CSRS pension program and never had FICA taxes withheld from my paychecks. My husband, on the other hand, has worked his entire life in the construction business paying FICA taxes and has earned more than enough credits to collect Social Security when he reaches that age in a few years. He is 58 and I am 59 years of age. He doesn’t have a traditional pension plan through his employer, but does participate in an employer-sponsored 401(k). We are quite financially secure at this point, but as we look forward I’d like to make sure we can maximize any Social Security benefits available to us so we can continue to live comfortably as we age. So my question is, how can my husband maximize his Social Security benefit, and will I be able to collect any Social Security benefits as his spouse? Signed: Looking Ahead

Dear Looking: Oh how we wish more people would, like you, plan well in advance for their golden years! First let’s deal with your question of how your husband can maximize this Social Security benefit.

The rules for this are pretty simple, but both physical and financial health need to always be a primary consideration. If your husband is both physically fit and financially able, waiting until well after he is first eligible to collect Social Security is the best strategy to increase his benefit amount. If he were to start collecting at age 62 he would only get about 71.67% of what he would get at his full retirement age (FRA) as defined by Social Security, which for him is 66 years and 8 months. After his FRA his benefit amount will increase by about

8% per year for each year he delays, up to age 70 when he will reach his maximum benefit amount. Delayed retirement credits are actually earned monthly, so it’s not necessary to wait a full year to get credit for delaying benefits.

Now, as his spouse you would ordinarily be eligible for spousal benefits based upon your husband’s work record but, since you are receiving a CSRS pension from the Federal Government, you are affected by a provision known as the Government Pension Offset, or GPO. In theory, the CSRS pension program was designed to be part pension and part replacement of Social Security, which is why you did not pay Social Security payroll taxes over your career. The GPO rules state that Spousal Benefits must be reduced by a factor equal to 2/3rds of a person’s government pension. Just by way of example, that means that if you are receiving a CSRS pension of $1,000 per month, any Social Security spousal benefit you might be entitled to would be reduced by $667. So, if your spousal benefits (normally 50% of your husband’s Social Security benefit at FRA) would be $667 or less, you wouldn’t receive any spousal benefit. If it were more, you would receive only the excess over $667. So you may want to go to ssa.gov and get an estimate of your husband’s benefit at his FRA, and then see if 50% of that amount is more than 2/3rds of your CSRS pension amount. If it is you will be entitled to spousal benefits; if it is not, you won’t be entitled to spousal benefits from Social Security. You might not be surprised to find that GPO often completely offsets Social Security spousal benefits for many Government CSRS retirees. Note too that GPO will also affect your widow’s benefit should you be the surviving spouse, because it will be subject to same calculation as your spousal benefit. However, if your husband is the surviving spouse, and he receives a survivor’s annuity from your pension, his Social Security benefit will not be affected.

On the one hand, veteran United States Senators

Hugh Scott (R-PA) and Barry Goldwater (R-AZ), on the other, Republican President Richard Nixon. The Senators, Scott a former GOP National Chairman and Goldwater the 1964 GOP Presidential nominee, told President Nixon -- it’s time for you to quit, to quit the Presidency to head off impeachment by the Congress. Nixon quit.

It was Republican senators that were key to the voluntary exit of Richard Nixon, not then-majority Democrats. On this day of May, 2017, the same might be true in the matter of President Trump’s Presidency.

In the wake of President Trump’s shocking firing of Director James Comey from his job of running the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), heads are shaking all over the Western world. U.S. Senators are not only scratching their political heads over the firing-without-notice, several are calling for far more information than the White House has released.

It is Republican senators that matter here not the whiny “Harry Reid spawned” Democrats who blasted Director Comey for effectively “throwing” the Presidential election to Trump. Comey released an October 28 letter informing Congress

that he was reopening an investigation into Hillary Clinton’s e-mail mess. That, they say buried Hillary Clinton’s chances of winning.

This time Republicans are in the majority. If Donald Trump was a real Republican we might expect the Republican majority to handle the Comey firing with more delicacy. That is not the case. Several Republican Senators have raised questions about the firing and its aftermath.

Why didn’t the White House handle the abrupt firing with more finesse? Amateur senior advisor Steve Bannon had no clue of a political firestorm engulfing Trump and the White House staff. The firing of the FBI Director shortly after he announced that investigations of Russian/Trump collusion and Russian interference in the Presidential election are continuing certainly looks odd. Is it the American version of Latin American “impunity?”

The White House reaction of how the media and the people reacted to Comey’s firing shows Bannon has little knowledge of the Nixon history. GOP Senators have reacted negatively to the White House’s “Blunt ham-handed; stupid, careless handling” of the Comey firing.

The reference “Blunt ham-handed; stupid, careless handling” is of Richard Nixon’s firing of Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox. He was investigating Nixon’s role in the Watergate

breakdown. The quote comes from former Nixon White Counsel John Dean, who himself participated in cover-up crimes. Dean describes the Trump firing of Comey with the exact same words.

So does this precinct.Cox’s firing was

central to the eventual resignation of President Nixon. Nixon’s Attorney General Eliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus both refused Nixon’s order to fire Cox; they resigned.

That backlash continued on for a decade. Nixon’s Solicitor General Robert H. Bork inherited the top Department of Justice job when Richardson and Ruckelshaus resigned. He fired Cox. A decade later President Ronald Reagan nominated Bork to the Supreme Court. Democrats lined up behind Senator Ted Kennedy in the greatest smear job in judicial nomination history using Bork’s firing of Cox as the foundation of their successful opposition to Bork.

And now, President Trump fires the FBI Director. This only the second time in the FBI’s history that a director has been fired The first was William Sessions who was fired—for cause – by President Bill Clinton.

How will this firing affect the Trump Presidency of less than four months into a four year term? American University’s Professor Allan Lichtman’s predicts that President Trump

will be impeached. Is he correct? Lichtman: “Trump’s policies and appointments pose an existential threat to humanity.”

Professor Lichtman’s book “The Case for Impeachment” explains “how Trump threatens the institutions and traditions that have made America safe and free for 230 years, and (he) make (s) clear why a Republican Congress might impeach a president of its own party.”

In clear terms that fellow Hispanics can use in determining the “existential threat,” “Caudillos,” or “El Supremo” instead of President are words that come to mind. Trump falls short of Caudillo, however, because they have military backgrounds and President Trump has no such history other than military K-12 school.

Have the spirits of Senators Scott and Goldwater returned to Washington, D.C. in Republican senators that are questioning the President? Has the threat of “impunity” crossed the Rio Grande and settled in the White House? ###

Contreras is the author of THE MEXICAN BORDER: IMMIGRATION, WAR AND A TRILLION DOLLARS IN TRADE and MURDER IN THE MOUNTAINS: WAR CRIME AT KHOJALY…he formerly wrote for the New American News Service of the New York Times Syndicate

El Supremo’s existential threat?

Social Security Matters

by Raoul Lowery Contreras

CONT./PAGE 1

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AS I SEE IT Protect your pets from the heat

Do not keep pets in a parked vehicle – not only can this quickly lead to fatal heat stroke, it is illegal.

Give your pet a haircut to help prevent overheating. Hair should be shaved to one-inch length, but never down to the skin, as fur offers sun protection. Brushing your cat frequently can

help prevent problems caused by excessive heat.

If anyone sees a pet in distress, call the 311 Action Center at (816) 513-1313, or the non-emergency police dispatch line (816) 234-5111, and an animal health officer will be dispatched to the scene.

Source KCMO

by Russell Gloor Certified Social Security Advisor AMAC

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Junio 15 - 2017 | KCHispanicNews.com8

No cost because of our partnership with M.E. Pearson School, KC Healthy Kids, the USD#500, the UG, City Commissioner, Dotte Agency, Latino Health for All, our funders and the residents, especially the kids of

the Bethany Neighborhood and thousands of hours of volunteer help each year- partnerships save money and get things done. Community Building & Engagement makes a difference in our community and adds a valve to CHWC services.

Monday through Fridays all summer from 12:30 -1:15pm

Free meals for kids at Splitlog Farm

KCKPS twweams with health partners to offer free summer meals to adults & youth

Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools and Healthy Communities Wyandotte have teamed up with Humana, one of the nation’s leading health and well-being companies, and the Community Health Council of Wyandotte County to provide

free meals to adults who accompany children participating in the Summer Food Service Program.

At all sites managed by Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools this summer, adults will be offered meals free of charge if they bring a participating child to a summer meal site.

“With food insecurity in Wyandotte County being 18.1 percent, it is extremely important that we are able provide healthy, nutritious meals to our children and the adults that accompany them,” said the school district’s Director of Nutritional Services Josh Mathiasmeier.

Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools provides over 8,000 meals per day during the summer months to community members. All children ages 1-18, and now adults accompanying participating children, can participate in the Summer Food Service Program.

For a list of all Summer Food Service Program sites and operating information, please visit the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools Nutritional Services website at www.kckcafe.com.

Source KCKPS