Watch your wallet, folks. This budget is an absolute insult to every American-rich or poor. Isn't it interesting that the govt. has decided that an individual who earns $200 thousand is just as rich as a person who earns $125 thousand and happens to be married to another individual earning the same amount? If these folks have the disposable income, and you take more from them- raising their tax percentage and taking their mortgage deduction away- do you expect these people to keep spending? Will these people file as individuals? Oh, and they are taking their charitable deduction away as well. You non-profits out there, when you check the collection plate how many ones versus twenties do you see? Do you think these new policies will help put more twenties in the collection. Of course not.
I could go on, but lets look at what taxes do. How many of you take into consideration the tax bill when you purchase a car? Think of what cigarette taxes do or are intended to do. Taxes influence behavior. They will tell you taxes fund the govt. and is necessary to blah, blah, blah. But taxes influence behavior. And the more taxes imposed on something, the less of that something people will engage in. Cigarette taxes, less people smoke or smoke less. Fuel taxes- people travel less, car pool or buy small cars. And income taxes keep people from making more money. The less they make the less they can spend. The less they spend, the more small businesses, small local businesses, benefit or have to go under all together. Understand that these people change the tax policies without regard that the money circulation in this economy is connected to each and everyone of us eventually. OR they know exactly what they are doing. What are you most afraid of?
If taxes influence behavior, than imagine what low taxes do to all of us.
Think about the above in reverse. Bitch all you want about smokers, but until you ban the substance, it's still legal and it's an agricultural industry. Taxing it affects them. Car sales, local merchants, travel...if this economy had less of a tax burden, industries would flourish and cities and states would all benefit. New business would sprout, innovation would prosper and we all would benefit. But with tax and regulation (which is a hidden tax- every regulation has a cost to a company- ask an owner they'll tell you) all of this is stifled.
What a shame. What's more frightening, there are people in power in this country who mean to do the opposite either to control behavior, control the system or punish the creators. Thus, they harm us all and when the spirit of our founding- the pursuit of our happiness- money is generally a by product of that pursuit- is suppressed.
Your homework- see how many business owners are now members of congress. See how many are lawyers. Don't want to to the homework? Then take a guess. You know the answer. Too many of one, not enough of the other.
There's our problem.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
No words.
For a time after the SOTU speech last night, I simply didn't have the words to describe what I say. A few came to mind: immature, insulting, unpresidential. It has to be the longest campaign speech in recorded history. It was a tirade. It was odd.
The tone of the speech was just odd. There was little passion or energy. Nothing uplifting or inspiring and nothing that could offer hope to an America that is suffering the effects of a horrible economy. It sounded like he was talking about reading instructions to program your DVR. And wouldn't have been simple to just state the one or two things that George W. Bush didn't do wrong. It was like watching a child blame his little brother/or sister. He has the nerve to preach about leadership, when he talks about not paying for tax cuts. Who's money is it, Mr. President? Is all money govt.'s and we are allowed to keep an amount they believe is fair. Mr. President, the govt. produces nothing and only takes from producers- big and small. Suggesting that tax cuts be paid for, implies that the money is theirs and it's natural place is Washington. This is where the true battle for this country lies; who's money is it? But that's for another blog.
But something else I was struck by was something I remembered from the old handbook of sales. As a reformed salesperson, I tried not to tear down my competition. If I had a good product that I believed in and was proven, selling it was easy. When the competition sold against me and my prospect told me all the things that he heard were wrong with my product, I asked what it was he like about the competitions product. More times than not, there were few items logged in his memory. It was an opportunity to remind him that if you have to talk about something else rather than your own product, your product is tough to sell. Mr. President, the American public knows yours is a tough sell. Tearing down the decade that preceded you to build up what you intend to do- because you haven't done anything really, will only work with small fringe that hate Bush. If I were you, I'd work on your product. Make it sell able, somehow. Good luck.
But the speech felt odd. It lacked dignity. It was boring-even for a SOTU.
Most of these speeches are less than memorable save a few lines here or there. This one will be exceptionally forgettable. For Obama's sake, that is, no doubt, a good thing. What will be remembered is his flagrant blaming and embarrassing himself by criticizing the Supreme Court. Shameful.
With the longest speech in almost 40 years, it might have been difficult to endure if there were something substantive actually said.
One speech down, two to go.
The tone of the speech was just odd. There was little passion or energy. Nothing uplifting or inspiring and nothing that could offer hope to an America that is suffering the effects of a horrible economy. It sounded like he was talking about reading instructions to program your DVR. And wouldn't have been simple to just state the one or two things that George W. Bush didn't do wrong. It was like watching a child blame his little brother/or sister. He has the nerve to preach about leadership, when he talks about not paying for tax cuts. Who's money is it, Mr. President? Is all money govt.'s and we are allowed to keep an amount they believe is fair. Mr. President, the govt. produces nothing and only takes from producers- big and small. Suggesting that tax cuts be paid for, implies that the money is theirs and it's natural place is Washington. This is where the true battle for this country lies; who's money is it? But that's for another blog.
But something else I was struck by was something I remembered from the old handbook of sales. As a reformed salesperson, I tried not to tear down my competition. If I had a good product that I believed in and was proven, selling it was easy. When the competition sold against me and my prospect told me all the things that he heard were wrong with my product, I asked what it was he like about the competitions product. More times than not, there were few items logged in his memory. It was an opportunity to remind him that if you have to talk about something else rather than your own product, your product is tough to sell. Mr. President, the American public knows yours is a tough sell. Tearing down the decade that preceded you to build up what you intend to do- because you haven't done anything really, will only work with small fringe that hate Bush. If I were you, I'd work on your product. Make it sell able, somehow. Good luck.
But the speech felt odd. It lacked dignity. It was boring-even for a SOTU.
Most of these speeches are less than memorable save a few lines here or there. This one will be exceptionally forgettable. For Obama's sake, that is, no doubt, a good thing. What will be remembered is his flagrant blaming and embarrassing himself by criticizing the Supreme Court. Shameful.
With the longest speech in almost 40 years, it might have been difficult to endure if there were something substantive actually said.
One speech down, two to go.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Of the People for the People- by the Political Elite.
Transparent. It's a word that can describe a process but also a person or persons.
The breath of fresh air that blew threw Washington a year ago still can't seem to blow down the backroom doors the ruling class shut on the American people.
Are you shocked? You shouldn't be. Uttering accountability in Washington elicits a vampire's hiss upon seeing a crucifix. And why should they? The current crop of political ruling class has cover from many of the media outlets. If you can stomach it, watch CNN, ABC, CBS etc and wait for the stories concerning transparency promises and whether they are delivering. If you find one, check to see if it's an opinion piece or a Q&A with a politician. Then see if there are references to the previous administration because,as we all know, the best way to get out of a political tight spot is saying, 'Bush did it too'. Nothing screams accountability like passing the buck.
The political ruling class regards us as children who are either to ignorant to understand the complex dealings of the U.S. congress or they believe it's any of our business and we are to shut up and let the adults take care of things (We, as children, are to be seen and not heard). Or perhaps they know all too well, once people know-once the people FINALLY awake from their decades-induced slumber-someone will be held to account.
They know a group of citizens are paying attention. They also know that a large portion of general public watch sound bites and the remainder watch Jon Stewart and form their opinions based on the two or look to the two to reinforce what they have always heard and therefore believe to be true.
But as things get worse in the economy, corruption and the like, more eyes will open and distrust will take root and when that happens, nothing the political elite say or do will matter. The people will simply want them out.
So keep up the good work congress and rest easy, some of your constituents are still asleep.
For now.
The breath of fresh air that blew threw Washington a year ago still can't seem to blow down the backroom doors the ruling class shut on the American people.
Are you shocked? You shouldn't be. Uttering accountability in Washington elicits a vampire's hiss upon seeing a crucifix. And why should they? The current crop of political ruling class has cover from many of the media outlets. If you can stomach it, watch CNN, ABC, CBS etc and wait for the stories concerning transparency promises and whether they are delivering. If you find one, check to see if it's an opinion piece or a Q&A with a politician. Then see if there are references to the previous administration because,as we all know, the best way to get out of a political tight spot is saying, 'Bush did it too'. Nothing screams accountability like passing the buck.
The political ruling class regards us as children who are either to ignorant to understand the complex dealings of the U.S. congress or they believe it's any of our business and we are to shut up and let the adults take care of things (We, as children, are to be seen and not heard). Or perhaps they know all too well, once people know-once the people FINALLY awake from their decades-induced slumber-someone will be held to account.
They know a group of citizens are paying attention. They also know that a large portion of general public watch sound bites and the remainder watch Jon Stewart and form their opinions based on the two or look to the two to reinforce what they have always heard and therefore believe to be true.
But as things get worse in the economy, corruption and the like, more eyes will open and distrust will take root and when that happens, nothing the political elite say or do will matter. The people will simply want them out.
So keep up the good work congress and rest easy, some of your constituents are still asleep.
For now.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
America
I wonder what this world would be like if America really abused her power. That's the thing these third world yahoo's seem to forget. We had our shot to rule this planet several times in history. We could be occupying countries around the globe right now. We left Vietnam and genocide followed. Imagine if we'd left South Korea or German immediately? Maybe the outcome wouldn't have been as violent. Maybe. Ask those countries if they want us to pick up our base and leave. America has always been a force for good. No one is without their faults but America's good far out weighs her bad and the world is lining up against us now. Why? What harm has America projected on the world? Are our trade packages so unfair? Ask a farmer. Is our military flexing it's muscle? Ask Tiawan. Are we using up the natural resources? Ask China.
But they won't ask. Those who would diminish America's significance need the issue of America being the bad guy- The Propaganda. But who do they turn to when there is a crisis?
What these people fear most is what America has always stood for- Freedom.
America's short and prosperous history is rooted in the freedom of it's people. I know it's hard to tell with the herds of Americans requesting citizenship in Brazil or China.
Like Neil says, "Everywhere around the world, they come into America."
What is it about Freedom they fear? Power. Freedom is the most powerfully thing a human possesses.
We must never forget or it will soon be taken away.
But they won't ask. Those who would diminish America's significance need the issue of America being the bad guy- The Propaganda. But who do they turn to when there is a crisis?
What these people fear most is what America has always stood for- Freedom.
America's short and prosperous history is rooted in the freedom of it's people. I know it's hard to tell with the herds of Americans requesting citizenship in Brazil or China.
Like Neil says, "Everywhere around the world, they come into America."
What is it about Freedom they fear? Power. Freedom is the most powerfully thing a human possesses.
We must never forget or it will soon be taken away.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Merry Christmas Freddie and Fannie
Monday, December 21, 2009
Time to get away from it all
Tired Senators? I have a solution for you; Go home. Take the rest of the year and part of the next off. So far, instead of doing the peoples business, you've done your business on the people. In your current state of exhaustion, you certainly can not be trusted to make prudent decisions. Haven't you screwed things up enough? It's bad enough you have access to our checkbook when you get a good nights sleep- God knows what you're capable of when you're up in the wee hours of the night, carving up America's future amongst yourselves.
I'm not a doctor but I'll stay at a Holiday Inn if it'll help you pay attention to my advice. And my advice is to go home. Get some sleep. Ponder your accomplishments over the last year. Maybe take a few minutes to ask yourself if your actions have help your children and grandchildren. Let me rephrase that, have your actions helped my children and grandchildren?
America is trillions in debt. I wonder how you can sleep at all.
I'm not a doctor but I'll stay at a Holiday Inn if it'll help you pay attention to my advice. And my advice is to go home. Get some sleep. Ponder your accomplishments over the last year. Maybe take a few minutes to ask yourself if your actions have help your children and grandchildren. Let me rephrase that, have your actions helped my children and grandchildren?
America is trillions in debt. I wonder how you can sleep at all.
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