Georgia Republicans honor their threat, pass bill punishing Delta for cutting ties with NRA
March 2, 2018 by admin
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In a show of political strength, Georgia lawmakers on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a bill that was stripped of an earlier provision granting Delta Air Lines a lucrative tax break.
By passing the bill, lawmakers carried out the threat that Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, R, made to Atlanta-based Delta earlier this week: if the airline did not restore discounted fares to members of the National Rifle Association, Republicans would strike down a $50 million sales-tax exemption on jet fuel from its larger tax-cut package. Delta, which is one of the state’s largest employers, would have been the primary beneficiary of the exemption.
Cagle threatened Delta days after it announced it would stop offering discounted fares to NRA members amid the national gun-control debate after the deadly Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. United Airlines, Best Western, MetLife and at least a dozen other companies also cut perks and discounts to NRA members.
“I will kill any tax legislation that benefits @Delta unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship with @NRA,” Cagle tweeted on Monday. “Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back.”
The bill granting the jet-fuel tax exemption was easily approved in the House last week, and appeared to have wide support. Advocates said it would attract flights to Atlanta as opposed to other major airports, where jet-fuel taxes are charged. But in the days since Delta’s announcement, other Georgia Republicans rallied behind Cagle, and the Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday voted to remove the jet-fuel exemption from the tax-cut package.
Cagle, who has served as Georgia’s lieutenant governor since 2007, could weave the issue into his campaign in Georgia’s upcoming gubernatorial race, in which he is considered the leading GOP contender to replace Gov. Nathan Deal, R. Deal this week said he would reluctantly support the measure because of the bill’s broader cuts to the state’s income tax rate, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Delta has not commented on the threat from Cagle, who says he is “a lifelong member of the NRA” and boasts that he has earned an A+ rating from the organization every year he has served in elected office. The airline could not immediately be reached for comment on lawmakers’ removal of the tax exemption.
Delta at first resisted taking a stance, as companies with even the slightest affiliation to the NRA were called out and a list of companies that had cut ties with the NRA began circulating on Twitter. But Delta held out against the pressure for only a few hours.
The NRA has lashed out at companies who’ve dropped the discounts, saying they were participating in “a shameful display of political and civic cowardice.” But the group also downplayed the importance of the company’s actions, saying the “loss of a discount will neither scare nor distract one single NRA member from our mission.”
In the days since the showdown between Delta and Georgia Republicans began, top blue-state politicians have encouraged Delta to relocate its hub from Atlanta.
“@Delta, if Georgia politicians disagree with your stand against gun violence, we invite you to move your headquarters to New York,” said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D, in a tweet Tuesday.
But experts say it’s unlikely Delta will respond to the invitations of Democratic state leaders by moving its hub. According to a Bloomberg article:
“Delta virtually ‘owns’ the world’s busiest airport. Sure, the city is technically the landlord, but nothing of much import happens at Hartsfield without Delta’s say-so. Part of this influence derives from location, seeing as it’s headquartered right next to the runways. Another source of power is the estimated $71 billion in annual economic impact that Georgia enjoys from Hartsfield, which claims to be the state’s largest employer. Moreover, less than two years ago, Delta signed a 20-year lease to stay in Atlanta, its home for the past 77 years.”
Although Delta ended its alliance with the NRA, the company said its position on the gun-control debate remains neutral. “Out of respect for our customers and employees on both sides, Delta has taken this action to refrain from entering this debate and focus on its business. Delta continues to support the 2nd Amendment,” the airline said in a statement Saturday.
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Dangerous nor’easter targets East Coast with snow, rain, wind
March 2, 2018 by admin
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BOSTON – The Northeast is bracing for a powerful storm that will kick off the volatile month of March, bringing damaging winds, moderate to major coastal flooding, rain and snowfall, CBS Boston reports.
Heavy rain, intermittent snow and high winds with gusts exceeding 50 miles per hour are expected as the storm moves up the Eastern seaboard, beginning in New York and Connecticut on Thursday evening. Along the East Coast, authorities told residents of coastal communities to be prepared to evacuate if necessary in advance of Friday morning’s high tide.
Meanwhile on the West Coast, a huge amount of snow is headed toward the Sierra Nevada, according to CBS Boston meteorologist Eric Fisher. Three to five feet of snow is expected across the Sierra. Across southern California, there’s the risk of dangerous debris, flooding and mudslides.
Ahead of the storm, many airlines have issued travel waivers to allow passengers to change their flights without penalty, CBS News’ Kris Van Cleave reports.
Here’s how the storm looks as of Thursday afternoon.
Massachusetts
For the first time since a blizzard hit the region in early January, New England will see “bombogenesis” — signifying an intense and rapidly deepening storm, CBS Boston reports.
The storm has the potential to be a historic, crippling event for southern New England. With major coastal flooding, destructive winds and torrents of rain followed by a plastering of heavy, wet snow, the damage will be widespread and significant. Power outages will likely be numerous and lengthy.
A satellite photo shows a nor’easter over New England on March 1, 2018.
The nor’easter will not have a quick exit, instead blocked by a large area of high pressure over Greenland. Combine a very slow moving storm with the highest astronomical tides of the month and you have the recipe for major coastal destruction.
From midnight to 6 a.m. Friday, rain is expected to arrive from south to north, starting as snow in western Massachusetts.
The storm will become an absolute monster southeast of Nantucket on Friday and only slowly pull away farther to the southeast on Saturday. There will be a large and powerful wind field, extending out several hundred miles from the storm’s center.
Cape Cod and the Islands, as well as Cape Ann, are at greatest risk for widespread, damaging winds, ranging as high as 55-80 mph Friday and Saturday. The rest of eastern Massachusetts will see winds gusting 35-55 mph, enough to cause tree and property damage and cause some power outages.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency director has urged residents in vulnerable coastal communities to evacuate, saying the powerful nor’easter is likely to destroy homes.
“It will be dangerous to remain in the homes,” MEMA director Kurt Schwartz said. “Not only may rescue not be possible, but homes will be subject to significant structural damage. We expect to lose homes during this storm. If you’re in one of those areas, you need to get out.”
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said he has activated the National Guard. About 200 guardsmen will work with local and state officials during the powerful storm.
“I can’t stress this enough. This isn’t a snowstorm in eastern Mass, but the storm itself, especially along the coast, is shaping up to be more severe than the storm on January 4,” said Baker. “While crews were able to perform rescues in between high tide cycles in January, it’s possible first responders will be unable to reach all flooded areas at peak high tide tomorrow.”
Coastal residents are warned that the storm’s impact could be felt for several days. Residents should plan to have medicine, food, clothing, and money for an extended period.
“If you are in one of these typically effected areas do not ride out the storm in your home if you are told to evacuate,” Baker said. “Rescue during the storm might not be possible. Staying in homes in flood prone areas puts yourself and first responders at risk.”
Baker said the storm “will impact the entire state,” though what impact is felt depends on location.
Snowfall is the biggest wildcard in the storm for some areas. In at least parts of New England, the first half of the storm will almost certainly be rain, followed by colder air Friday evening and overnight, changing the rain to a heavy, wet snow.
Snowfall in the hills of Worcester and in the Berkshires could easily top 6 inches before tapering off Saturday morning. Several inches are possible in the eastern part of the state Friday night. With the heavy, wet nature of the snow combined with strong winds, power outages may become a big issue.
Rhode Island, New York and Connecticut
The National Weather Service said all of Rhode Island will be under flood and high wind watches from Friday to Sunday morning, calling the situations “life threatening.”
In Connecticut and New York City, rain is expected to begin on Thursday evening. Moderate coastal flooding in Queens and Long island is expected Friday.
The U.S. Coast Guard is advising boaters to exercise “vigilance and extreme caution” Thursday night through Saturday. Authorities recommend residents of coastal communities be prepared to evacuate if necessary in advance of Friday morning’s high tide.
A flood watch is in effect from Friday morning through late Friday night for southern Connecticut and southeast New York.
New Jersey
High winds and flood watches have been issued around New Jersey, where most rains will begin Thursday afternoon, getting heavier in the evening. The storm will then usher in a wet and windy Friday, with gusts of up to 60 mph in Jersey Shore communities. Warning signs are posted at Wildwood beaches and some residents are already boarding up their homes there.
Officials in the state worried that the storm could take a chunk out of beaches just south of Atlantic City that are still being repaired because of damage from previous storms. The National Weather Service said flooding is possible Saturday. Waves of up to 12 feet are in the forecast at the shore in New Jersey.
Power outages are also a concern for coastal areas. Officials say Thursday’s dry morning and afternoon hours are a good time for folks to get supplies and batten down the hatches.
Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania, heavy rain, high wind and even some whiteout snow conditions are expected in the coming days. The National Weather Service says communities from Pittsburgh east to Philadelphia and the Poconos will be affected.
Rain will start in the state Thursday afternoon in most places and is expected to get heavier overnight. On Friday afternoon, the storm will usher in high winds, with gusts of up to 60 mph near Lancaster, and up to 50 mph in suburban Philadelphia and Allentown. Rain could turn to snow in parts of the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos, causing whiteout conditions with the high winds.
Pittsburgh is also under a flood advisory, and the same storm is expected to bring heavy rain and high winds to a swath of western Pennsylvania from Thursday and into the weekend.