This author is claiming that there is something called "hidden taxes." Next thing ya' know, people are going to claim that the government conspires to steal our money. Laughable.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Taxes/CutYourTaxes/HiddenTaxesYouPayEveryDay.aspx
Monday, February 22, 2010
More Government Nonsense
All we want is our fair share of your money. Please answer our questions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsDhkPym01k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsDhkPym01k
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Why People Hate Politics
Everywhere that I go, people are constantly telling me that they hate politics. I know one couple that absolutely forbids guests from bringing up the subject. I know a few others that will employ any number of subject changing tactics. At dinner last night, even my mother says she is sick of politics and government.
Why is that? Now this is an opinion piece and as such, I am not going to defend my hypothesis too rigorously, but here is my take on politics.
The chief reason people hate politics is because government practices exclusivity. Individual people have no voice. Groups of individuals have no voice. The only people with a voice are those outfits writing enormous checks and getting what they want. The vast majority of working stiffs see government and politics as something entirely out of their control. The land of fat cats. They are probably right.
They see politics as a source of anxiety and confrontation and see no reason why anyone with half a brain would engage in potentially heated debates when there is no solution.
Some folks cling to party lines. They believe adamantly that their party is the solution. Yet, the last 50 years has easily proven that both parties are miserable failures. Some cling to a party for one exclusive reason. Perhaps it is the environment. They may disagree with the rest of a party's platform but vote exclusively along party lines for that one particular reason.
Still others are clueless about politics. The subject doesn't even interest them. Or they are alienated by such terms as RINO, Marxism, or any number of labels folks use to identify the belief systems of the politicians they elect.
The dilemma is simple. This government was designed to be run by the people and for the people. It does neither. This government operates exclusively outside the wishes of its citizens, the majority. It enriches and worships the elite exclusively. In so doing, it pillages the masses by way of a tax code that Lucifer himself could not invent. And while continually robbing the villagers of their work product, government exercises power and indifference over them. Constantly growing and consuming money, producing nothing. It adds nothing to GDP.
I agree with most of the people that refuse to talk about politics. They see government as a necessary evil. But there is an enormous problem that we ALL agree on. Government is a money sucking machine. And if we don't cut it down to size, soon, we are through as a nation. Really. Someone has to step up and wrestle control back.
The starting point is campaign reform. That should be the first battleground. Although reform is universally agreed on by virtually everyone I talk to, we can't get it. The reason we can't is because politicians and government don't want reform. They like those 6 figure checks from corporations, banks, and the elite and those checks get them re-elected.
People can hate politics all they want. But that doesn't absolve them from the fact that this government is their responsibility. It was designed that way.
It's kind of like letting a burglar come into your house. You can stand there and watch as the thief steals all of your belongings, maybe pee your pants, or you can do something. Right now, all I see is a bunch of people with wet pants.
Why is that? Now this is an opinion piece and as such, I am not going to defend my hypothesis too rigorously, but here is my take on politics.
The chief reason people hate politics is because government practices exclusivity. Individual people have no voice. Groups of individuals have no voice. The only people with a voice are those outfits writing enormous checks and getting what they want. The vast majority of working stiffs see government and politics as something entirely out of their control. The land of fat cats. They are probably right.
They see politics as a source of anxiety and confrontation and see no reason why anyone with half a brain would engage in potentially heated debates when there is no solution.
Some folks cling to party lines. They believe adamantly that their party is the solution. Yet, the last 50 years has easily proven that both parties are miserable failures. Some cling to a party for one exclusive reason. Perhaps it is the environment. They may disagree with the rest of a party's platform but vote exclusively along party lines for that one particular reason.
Still others are clueless about politics. The subject doesn't even interest them. Or they are alienated by such terms as RINO, Marxism, or any number of labels folks use to identify the belief systems of the politicians they elect.
The dilemma is simple. This government was designed to be run by the people and for the people. It does neither. This government operates exclusively outside the wishes of its citizens, the majority. It enriches and worships the elite exclusively. In so doing, it pillages the masses by way of a tax code that Lucifer himself could not invent. And while continually robbing the villagers of their work product, government exercises power and indifference over them. Constantly growing and consuming money, producing nothing. It adds nothing to GDP.
I agree with most of the people that refuse to talk about politics. They see government as a necessary evil. But there is an enormous problem that we ALL agree on. Government is a money sucking machine. And if we don't cut it down to size, soon, we are through as a nation. Really. Someone has to step up and wrestle control back.
The starting point is campaign reform. That should be the first battleground. Although reform is universally agreed on by virtually everyone I talk to, we can't get it. The reason we can't is because politicians and government don't want reform. They like those 6 figure checks from corporations, banks, and the elite and those checks get them re-elected.
People can hate politics all they want. But that doesn't absolve them from the fact that this government is their responsibility. It was designed that way.
It's kind of like letting a burglar come into your house. You can stand there and watch as the thief steals all of your belongings, maybe pee your pants, or you can do something. Right now, all I see is a bunch of people with wet pants.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
I Owe a Million Bucks, Thank Gawd I Got a Job
I was in awe as I read this story.
In awe that someone with the intelligence to finish medical school can't read loan documents. In awe of the ridiculous costs of college. In awe of the fact that 60% of all student loans are in default. In awe at the size of that loss.
About 450 billion, or half a trillion.
Not in awe that the government administers the program.
So if every American's piece of the total 60 trillion in debt is 500k, this gal owes a shade over a million bucks. That's a lot of credit extended in exchange for potential.
After her 36-39% Fed taxes are paid, her 10% or so in state and property taxes, and her 7.5% -8% in SS taxes, that's only going to leave her 40% with which to pay back that million bucks. She will need to send in 30 thousand dollars for every year for the next 40 years, accumulating interest factored in. Because she is 41, she will have to live to her full life expectancy to pay the debt.
Slavery? We hardly knew ye, yet ye will know me now.
http://finance.yahoo.com/college-education/article/108846/the-555000-student-loan-burden?mod=edu-continuing_education
Congrats, sweetie. That link may be the longest I have ever pasted.
In awe that someone with the intelligence to finish medical school can't read loan documents. In awe of the ridiculous costs of college. In awe of the fact that 60% of all student loans are in default. In awe at the size of that loss.
About 450 billion, or half a trillion.
Not in awe that the government administers the program.
So if every American's piece of the total 60 trillion in debt is 500k, this gal owes a shade over a million bucks. That's a lot of credit extended in exchange for potential.
After her 36-39% Fed taxes are paid, her 10% or so in state and property taxes, and her 7.5% -8% in SS taxes, that's only going to leave her 40% with which to pay back that million bucks. She will need to send in 30 thousand dollars for every year for the next 40 years, accumulating interest factored in. Because she is 41, she will have to live to her full life expectancy to pay the debt.
Slavery? We hardly knew ye, yet ye will know me now.
http://finance.yahoo.com/college-education/article/108846/the-555000-student-loan-burden?mod=edu-continuing_education
Congrats, sweetie. That link may be the longest I have ever pasted.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
An Honest Politician?
I had a friend once who said, "If I saw an elf walking down Main St. playing a tuba, I wouldn't be surprised." My friend never believed he had seen everything.
Today, I read about Senator Bayh's comments. Bayh, a Democrat Senator from Indiana is stepping and down and refusing to run for a third time although he was likely to win. In fact the headline in this story claimed he was "disillusioned." Written by a lefty press, that is the label that this writer chose.
I have a different word that should have been used in this story's headline. Insert the word "enlightened" instead and please read the link.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts1134
Bayh thinks incumbents will get ousted en masse in the fall. I agree. Republican groups will think of this as a great victory. It's not, knuckleheads. The biggest block of voters in this country call themselves independents. And if they had an organized and viable third party, such as the Libertarian party-the anti government party- they'd prove it.
Thanks Evan Bayh for calling a spade a spade and pointing out that campaign reform shouldn't be a suggestion. It is the cornerstone of eliminating the most dysfunctional mess of liars, cheats, and idiots that this country has ever conjured up.
Today, I read about Senator Bayh's comments. Bayh, a Democrat Senator from Indiana is stepping and down and refusing to run for a third time although he was likely to win. In fact the headline in this story claimed he was "disillusioned." Written by a lefty press, that is the label that this writer chose.
I have a different word that should have been used in this story's headline. Insert the word "enlightened" instead and please read the link.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts1134
Bayh thinks incumbents will get ousted en masse in the fall. I agree. Republican groups will think of this as a great victory. It's not, knuckleheads. The biggest block of voters in this country call themselves independents. And if they had an organized and viable third party, such as the Libertarian party-the anti government party- they'd prove it.
Thanks Evan Bayh for calling a spade a spade and pointing out that campaign reform shouldn't be a suggestion. It is the cornerstone of eliminating the most dysfunctional mess of liars, cheats, and idiots that this country has ever conjured up.
Friday, February 12, 2010
What's Another Measly 55 Billion?
Hey, it'll create 850 permanent jobs!
Since when did Democrats start building nuclear power plants? I thought "no nukes" was part of their hallowed platform?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100213/ap_on_bi_ge/us_obama_nuclear_plant
More platform erosion. Now Obama wanting warrant less searches of your cellphone. The best part of this story is that our government used cell tower triangulation to catch some Texas bank robbers.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10451518-38.html
Listen bank robbers. You don't have to run around like Somali pirates in Texas just to get some chump change anymore. All you have to do is make a lot of hideous loans and claim that your failure is cataclysmic, convince your buds in government to bail you out, and then steal 1.5 trillion right out of the treasury. In full view-without firing a shot.
Since when did Democrats start building nuclear power plants? I thought "no nukes" was part of their hallowed platform?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100213/ap_on_bi_ge/us_obama_nuclear_plant
More platform erosion. Now Obama wanting warrant less searches of your cellphone. The best part of this story is that our government used cell tower triangulation to catch some Texas bank robbers.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10451518-38.html
Listen bank robbers. You don't have to run around like Somali pirates in Texas just to get some chump change anymore. All you have to do is make a lot of hideous loans and claim that your failure is cataclysmic, convince your buds in government to bail you out, and then steal 1.5 trillion right out of the treasury. In full view-without firing a shot.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The AT&T Battle Ends
Well, it's finally over.
A lost rebate check, three months of missed payments, one FCC complaint...and today my private battle ended.
It's not about winning or losing. It's about paying a fair price for cellphone service.
AT&T gave me back my 4200 rollover minutes. I have all you can eat texting. I don't have data nor do I want it. The cellphone bill stayed around 65 bucks. Tolerable for 7 hours worth of prime time talk each month. They couldn't find my phone rebate check so they applied that missing 100 bucks to my bill.
I was happy with the outcome today and I paid the remaining 108 bucks on my bill. The standoff is over. I will retain my good deal for about 10 months and then the contract will be over.
Data is where the dough is. The talk and text only cellphone market has been penetrated and saturated. I expect data plans to get very expensive. That's the next growth market.
I am not under any illusion that any of the big carriers are really that much better than the others. I've had three carriers and they've all been about the same. What bothers me most is the extent to which these corporations will go to gouge their customers. It's that all pervasive greed thing which never seems to go away. Instead of calling it greed, we call it business. Like it's a virtue or something. I don't want to have to make a car payment for cellphone service. With individual plans hitting 150 bucks a month- its not too far off.
A lost rebate check, three months of missed payments, one FCC complaint...and today my private battle ended.
It's not about winning or losing. It's about paying a fair price for cellphone service.
AT&T gave me back my 4200 rollover minutes. I have all you can eat texting. I don't have data nor do I want it. The cellphone bill stayed around 65 bucks. Tolerable for 7 hours worth of prime time talk each month. They couldn't find my phone rebate check so they applied that missing 100 bucks to my bill.
I was happy with the outcome today and I paid the remaining 108 bucks on my bill. The standoff is over. I will retain my good deal for about 10 months and then the contract will be over.
Data is where the dough is. The talk and text only cellphone market has been penetrated and saturated. I expect data plans to get very expensive. That's the next growth market.
I am not under any illusion that any of the big carriers are really that much better than the others. I've had three carriers and they've all been about the same. What bothers me most is the extent to which these corporations will go to gouge their customers. It's that all pervasive greed thing which never seems to go away. Instead of calling it greed, we call it business. Like it's a virtue or something. I don't want to have to make a car payment for cellphone service. With individual plans hitting 150 bucks a month- its not too far off.
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