| Photo by Dan Mall on Unsplash
Part XVIII of the “United States 2024 Election
In November 1997, this journalist and his wife visited their niece and her husband in Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania). It was also an opportunity to see in person two “cathedrals” that this writer has been researching as “models” for similar edifices planned for his home province of Sorsogon (Philippines). And since 2020, possibly also for the Pueblo Filipino (Retirement and Cultural/Sports Resort) in Manzanillo City, Colima State of Mexico.
The first tower visited was the “Cathedral of Learning (CoL).” It is a 42-story skyscraper that serves as the centerpiece of the University of Pittsburgh’s main campus in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh. It has many classrooms named after donor countries, donor families, or donor foundations. It was easy to tour it, as accompanied by a university official, who was informed that the visitor was a journalist who wanted to do a story on a possible “Filipino Classroom” at their CoL. I was impressed.
Then next, this journalist went to another “cathedral,” the Pittsburgh Pirates stadium, on a pre-scheduled call. Baseball fans call the stadium their “cathedral.” The purpose was to inquire if a “Filipino-American Community Night at the Pirates Stadium” was feasible. The baseball team’s representative and this writer discussed it. But at that time, Pittsburgh’s Filipino-American community was composed of 400 Filipinos, many of whom were students in the city’s universities. The number of Filipinos was too small for the Pirates baseball team to consider hosting a Filipino-American event at its “cathedral.” Curious readers can read this column’s articles about Pittsburgh’s twin famous edifices by typing “Cathedral” in this website’s Search Box.
By the way, the 29-year-old dream of this journalist to spearhead a “Filipino-American Community Night” in Major League Baseball (MBL) finally happened in 2006. And repeated it in 2007. Both events were held at the Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, California. This writer and his friends showed their grit by finally doing a “Filipino-American Baseball Community Night” after a struggle of three decades of trying to persuade an MBL team to hold it. More than a million Americans of Filipino descent in Southern California helped persuade the Dodgers owners and executives to do it.
Talking about the current topic of a “Wealth Tax,” this columnist contacted Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania. He became a “top fan” of Governor Shapiro’s Facebook Page.
Why choose the Great State of Pennsylvania? The first reason is the history of its “Liberty Bell.” And how its prime mover respected and worked with Native American Indians. (And down the timeline, with other minority communities.)
The Pennsylvania Assembly ordered the Liberty Bell in 1751 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of William Penn’s 1701 “Charter of Privileges,” Pennsylvania’s original Constitution. It speaks of the rights and freedoms valued by people the world over.
“The “Wealth Tax” (WT) can finance nurses’ and other medical professionals’ education. Nurses and other medical graduates can start reimbursing the “WT Fund” as soon as they begin to work in hospitals and clinics.”
Official records state that QUOTE William Penn’s “holy experiment” began in 1681 when the 37-year-old Quaker converted a royal grant of an immense tract of land in North America out of “regard to the memorie and meritts (sic) of his late father,” a royalist admiral during the English Civil War. From the beginning, Mr. Penn governed his eponymous province, Pennsylvania, by attempting to apply Quakerly principles of equality and tolerance. Although his record of relations with (Native American) Indians was sometimes mixed, it strongly contrasts the strife-ridden and antagonistic relations in other colonies. During his lifetime, Mr. Penn carefully cultivated peaceful ties and attempted to guarantee that all provincial lands were legally purchased. He also sought to ensure Swedish, Dutch, and Finnish settlers already residing in the Delaware River Valley retained their citizenship rights under the new English government. UNQUOTE.
By the next episode of this series, discussions will be made about completing the education of millions of nurses (American and international students) in Pennsylvania and neighboring states and making them Board-certified. The World Health Organization has estimated that there will be a global shortage of 13 million nurses by 2030.
The “Wealth Tax” (WT) can finance nurses’ and other medical professionals’ education. Nurses and other medical graduates can start reimbursing the “WT Fund” as soon as they begin to work in hospitals and clinics. If Governor Shapiro and other state officials want, they can initiate the organization of “Medical Centers” in some 50 strategic locations worldwide. Pennsylvania can invite the other 49 states to join the suggested project. It is recommended to be patterned after the first U.S. overseas “medical center” built in Manila, Philippines, in the early 1900s. It was a project of then-President William McKinley and the first U.S. Civil Governor General of the Philippines, William Howard Taft.
The “WT” can also finance the planting of billions of trees in “Memorial Tree Parks” in North America and the Third World. Yes, the “WT” plus the charitable contributions of the Mike Bloombergs, Mark Cubans of Corporate America, and the sports world- in exchange for “naming rights” and tax deductions- can do wonders for humanity’s peace, progress, and prosperity. Yes, globally health-wise, environmentally sound, and financially rewarding for all people. Including public and private partnerships that may be established to support the projects. And bankroll them in cooperation with the “WT Fund.”
