Report– Looters Rob Firefighter Battling California Wildfires: ‘It’s Sickening’

Looters reportedly stole from a firefighter over the weekend in Santa Cruz, California, as he helped battle fires raging in the area.

The Santa Cruz Fire Ground Commander had returned to his work vehicle and noticed his wallet was missing and then discovered his bank account was empty, according to KRON 4.

“It’s unfortunate and sickening that one of our Fire Ground Commanders in that area, while out taking care of business and directing firefighting crews, somebody entered his department vehicle and stole his wallet and drained his bank account,” a Cal Fire official said during a press briefing on Sunday.

He continued:

So that’s the extent that these people have gone. Again, this is why we have asked for people to evacuate. The sheriff’s department has done a fantastic job in trying to wrangle this. But again, this is what we have as a result. It’s saddening, it’s sickening, and we are doing everything we can do try to help the community and unfortunately, these happen.

Following the incident, the CAL FIRE San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit warned social media users to beware of a GoFundMe account claiming to be set up to help the firefighter whose belongings were stolen:

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday that five suspected looters had been arrested for targeting homes of wildfire evacuees, according to Breitbart News.

“In no way are we leaving these areas unsecured, we are doing our best and will continue to do our best and if you come to victimize our community you will see that,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a Facebook post.

Sunday morning, the CAL FIRE San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit tweeted video footage of a firefighter driving through Big Basin Redwoods State Park as flames covered the ground and trees:

“The CZU Lightning Complex fires, affecting San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, have expanded to more than 71,000 acres and are 17% contained at last check,” the KRON 4 report stated.

In a tweet Saturday, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said California was battling two of the largest fires in state history with “585 fires & 12,000 lightning strikes in the last week.”

Newsom also thanked President Trump for approving the state’s request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration to strengthen its emergency response to the wildfires.

“These are unprecedented times but CA’s resilient as hell. We’ll get through this,” he concluded.

https://www.breitbart.com/environment/2020/08/23/report-looters-rob-firefighter-battling-california-wildfires/

HUD Sec Carson and Rollins: Opportunity zones key to lifting people out of poverty

Opportunity zones make targeted tax cuts to spur business development and job growth

Ben Carson, M.D.19 hours ago

As the economy recovers, it is essential that low-income workers can resume the great trajectory of opportunity they were on before the pandemic hit.

Nearly 8,800 disadvantaged communities, home to approximately 35 million low-income individuals, are already seeing billions of dollars in new investments due to their status as “opportunity zones.”

Monday, the Council of Economic Advisors (CEA) will release its analysis of the opportunity zone tax incentive, estimating that qualified opportunity funds have attracted over $75 billion in new capital investments in just two years, creating wealth and jobs in the places that need them most. CEA estimates that these investments will lift one million Americans out of poverty.

As the past 50 years of the War on Poverty has shown, revitalizing America’s forgotten communities requires more than the tired suite of top-down policies. Traditional anti-poverty programs depend on higher taxes to fund food stamps, Medicaid or other transfers to eligible recipients.

The limitations of this approach are clear – higher taxes stifle job creation and eligibility requirements discourage employment. Likewise, efforts to revitalize specific communities have for too long relied on inefficient top-down federal grants and subsidies that empower Washington bureaucrats and special interests with lobbyists at the expense of communities in need.

In contrast, the opportunity zone provision of the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act cuts out bureaucrats and empowers local communities by making targeted tax cuts to spur business development and job growth in disadvantaged communities across the United States. Anyone can invest in opportunity zones, investments can flow to diverse revitalization projects in the communities, and no prior approval is necessary.

Early in 2018, governors drew on their local expertise and nominated communities for designation as opportunity zones. These zones have an average poverty rate more than double other communities and are home to a much higher share of African Americans and other minorities.

The Department of the Treasury anticipated $100 billion in greater investment over the 10-year life of the opportunity zone incentive. CEA estimates that in just two years, this incentive has drawn $75 billion in private capital to qualified opportunity funds. This represents 21 percent of all annual investment in opportunity zone communities.

This capital is already making a difference growing businesses and expanding job opportunities. Investment in opportunity zone businesses grew 29 percent relative to non-opportunity zone businesses in eligible communities that were not selected.

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/opportunity-zones-lifting-people-poverty-ben-carson-brooke-rollins