Cosby's Done It Again!
There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
Soap, ballot, jury, and ammo.
Please use in that order.
Bill Cosby has a great way of "distilling" things.
Looks like he's done it again!
AMERICA NEEDS A CANDIDATE WITH THIS PLATFORM!!
I HAVE DECIDED TO BECOME A WRITE-IN CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT IN THE YEAR 2012.
HERE IS MY PLATFORM:
(1). Any use of the phrase: 'Press 1 for English' is immediately BANNED!!! English is the official language; speak it or wait outside of our borders until you can.
(2). We will immediately go into a two year isolationist attitude in order to straighten out the greedy big business posture in this country. America will allow NO imports, and we'll do no exports. We will use the 'Wal-Mart 's policy,
'If we ain't got it, you don't need it.' We 'll make it here and sell it here!
(3). When imports are allowed, there will be a 100% import tax on it coming in here.
(4). All retired military personnel will be required to man one of the many observation towers located on the southern border of the United States (six month tour). They will be under strict orders not to fire on SOUTH BOUND aliens..
(5). Social Security will immediately return to its original state. If you didn't put nuttin in, you AIN'T getting nuttin out. Neither the President nor any other politician will be able to touch it.
(6). Welfare. -- Checks will be handed out on Fridays, at the end of the 40 hour school week, the successful completion of a urinalysis test for drugs, and passing grades.
(7). Professional Athletes -- Steroids? The FIRST time you check positive you're banned from sports ... For life.
(8). Crime -- We will adopt the Turkish method, I.e., the first time you steal, you lose your right hand. There is no more 'life sentences'. If convicted of murder, you will be put to death by the same method you chose for the victim you killed: gun, knife, strangulation, etc..
(9). One export of ours will be allowed: wheat; because the world needs to eat. However, a bushel of wheat will be the EXACT price of a barrel of oil.
(10). All foreign aid, using American taxpayer money, will immediately cease and the saved money will help to pay off the national debt and, ultimately, lower taxes. When disasters occur around the world, we'll ask The American People if they want to donate to a disaster fund, and each citizen can make the decision as to whether, or not, it's a worthy cause.
(11). The Pledge of Allegiance will be said EVERY day at school and every day in CONGRESS.
(12). The National Anthem will be played at all appropriate ceremonies, sporting events, outings, etc.
GOD BLESS AMERICA !
Sincerely, Bill Cosby
Please forward this to everyone you know, no matter which side of the fence they're on.
Received in an e-mail from a respected source. I do not know the author other than Bill Cosby
Friday, September 23, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
WE THE PEOPLE-PRETTY GOOD IDEA
One opportunity down and another on the horizon. The Administration and Congress have missed another great opportunity to lead. Not only our Country but the World needed firm and decisive leadership at this very moment to avoid a universal crisis in the financial dealings effecting everyone of us at this time and place. On the surface it would seem that a new commission, comprised of a few Senators, was thrown a three yard pass over the middle between four or five 260lb linebackers and defensive backs and the quarterback (the President and Congress) expect them to not only make the reception but to pick up the 30 yards needed for a first down. This has been done in the past but the odds against it a high.
What can happen is that these commission members have the opportunity to surprise everyone and turn this desperation call into not only a first down but maybe even a touchdown. This commission by making the right moves can avoid what appears to be sure failure and turn their efforts into the game changer we all hope and pray for.
I am going to share my 'Free State' solution to just how the miracle can be accomplished. Let's go back to the basic premise we all learned early on in the elementary schools most of us enjoyed. This is a Republic 'By the people'. My solution would be to quit treating the citizens of this country as only the worker bees and not capable of understanding the intricacies of running a nation.
I would like to see the commission exhibit some real intestinal fortitude and publish specifics of all the solutions they consider. Do not say as both parties so readily do, 'we intend to cut X dollars from the entitlement programs', tell us exactly what you intend to cut. If you are going to cut grandma's cost of living provision then spell it out. If you are going to institute a 'means testing' for Medicare and SS, then spell it out. If you are considering a return to pre-Bush tax rates for any one then spell it out. Tell us the loop holes you see that are on the board then spell them out. After hearing from the public and deliberation you decide to move forward with an action, break it down to understandable legislation and send the specific measure to the Congress where members of Congress have to cast a public vote on the specific issue so all their constituents know exactly how they vote. Quit lumping everything together then campaigning only broad 'word byte' issues.
We as an electorate do not know who or what is really being hurt or protected. We have enough sense together to see through the mound of BS Congress gives us but we only get a 30,000 foot picture of what really happened. It is all like the pictures of a forest fire from the Space Station. I don't know how much cutting tax incentives on corporate jets will generate or a return to pre-Bush tax rates on incomes over $250,000 will yeild. I have no idea whether a piece of legislation will bankrupt an industry or spur growth in the same industry, but together we will have a collective opinion far better than that of a few lobbyist hire to produce a specific result.
Quit acting like my grand kids who insist on keeping secret from their sibling how many doughnut holes they have left in their bag. The vast majority, I firmly believe, are willing to sacrifice and share the steps necessary to get not only our house but the worlds house in order. This commission will find there is a tremendous willingness to get this mess straight from not only cutting spending but also with fair and equitable revenue enhancement. Congress and the Administration need to quit acting like a midway barker, touting only the broad PR message and lobbyist spiel, but instead they need to rely on the people. Everyone is not going to be happy with everything, but we will understand and make it work.
We are way past the time of you vote for my pet bridge project in my district and I will help you get a new bomber for your district. We can't afford to keep letting everyone look good to their constituents as long as we look good to ours.
A little Divine guidance, as opposed to party and personal motivation will go a long way also.
What can happen is that these commission members have the opportunity to surprise everyone and turn this desperation call into not only a first down but maybe even a touchdown. This commission by making the right moves can avoid what appears to be sure failure and turn their efforts into the game changer we all hope and pray for.
I am going to share my 'Free State' solution to just how the miracle can be accomplished. Let's go back to the basic premise we all learned early on in the elementary schools most of us enjoyed. This is a Republic 'By the people'. My solution would be to quit treating the citizens of this country as only the worker bees and not capable of understanding the intricacies of running a nation.
I would like to see the commission exhibit some real intestinal fortitude and publish specifics of all the solutions they consider. Do not say as both parties so readily do, 'we intend to cut X dollars from the entitlement programs', tell us exactly what you intend to cut. If you are going to cut grandma's cost of living provision then spell it out. If you are going to institute a 'means testing' for Medicare and SS, then spell it out. If you are considering a return to pre-Bush tax rates for any one then spell it out. Tell us the loop holes you see that are on the board then spell them out. After hearing from the public and deliberation you decide to move forward with an action, break it down to understandable legislation and send the specific measure to the Congress where members of Congress have to cast a public vote on the specific issue so all their constituents know exactly how they vote. Quit lumping everything together then campaigning only broad 'word byte' issues.
We as an electorate do not know who or what is really being hurt or protected. We have enough sense together to see through the mound of BS Congress gives us but we only get a 30,000 foot picture of what really happened. It is all like the pictures of a forest fire from the Space Station. I don't know how much cutting tax incentives on corporate jets will generate or a return to pre-Bush tax rates on incomes over $250,000 will yeild. I have no idea whether a piece of legislation will bankrupt an industry or spur growth in the same industry, but together we will have a collective opinion far better than that of a few lobbyist hire to produce a specific result.
Quit acting like my grand kids who insist on keeping secret from their sibling how many doughnut holes they have left in their bag. The vast majority, I firmly believe, are willing to sacrifice and share the steps necessary to get not only our house but the worlds house in order. This commission will find there is a tremendous willingness to get this mess straight from not only cutting spending but also with fair and equitable revenue enhancement. Congress and the Administration need to quit acting like a midway barker, touting only the broad PR message and lobbyist spiel, but instead they need to rely on the people. Everyone is not going to be happy with everything, but we will understand and make it work.
We are way past the time of you vote for my pet bridge project in my district and I will help you get a new bomber for your district. We can't afford to keep letting everyone look good to their constituents as long as we look good to ours.
A little Divine guidance, as opposed to party and personal motivation will go a long way also.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Huge Step in the Right Direction
Coburn proposes $9 trillion deficit cut measure
Jul 18, 5:15 PM (ET)
By ANDREW TAYLOR
(AP) Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., reveals his "Back in Black" plan to reduce the federal deficit, Monday,...
Full Image
WASHINGTON (AP) - One of the Senate's staunchest budget-cutters unveiled Monday a massive plan to cut the nation's deficit by $9 trillion over the coming decade.
The plan by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., is laced with politically perilous proposals like raising to 70 the age at which people can claim their full Social Security benefits. It would cut farm subsidies, Medicare, student aid, housing subsidies for the poor, and funding for community development grants. Coburn even takes on the powerful veterans' lobby by proposing that some veterans pay more for medical care and prescription drugs.
Coburn was a member of President Barack Obama's fiscal commission and voted for its plan to cut the budget by about $4 trillion over a decade. He recently dropped out of the closely watched "Gang of Six" senators seeking a bipartisan agreement to rein in deficits and break through the partisanship engulfing official Washington over the deficit.
His re-entry into the deficit debate comes as Obama and lawmakers struggle over increasing the so-called debt limit and avoid a first-ever default on U.S. obligations.
Coburn's $9 trillion savings figure doesn't include another $2.4 trillion in cuts to Social Security that are funneled back into the program. In addition to raising the retirement age gradually, he would peg future benefits to a less-generous measure of inflation and curb benefit increases even more for the top 40 percent of earners.
Cuts to the Medicare program for the elderly and the Medicaid health plan for the poor and disabled would total $2.6 trillion over 10 years, far more than proposed by the fiscal commission or House Republicans. He proposes raising the Medicare retirement age to 67 by 2027 and then gradually increasing it until the retirement age hits 69 in 2080. It would also raise Medicare premiums for doctor visits so that premiums pay 35 percent of such costs instead of the 25 percent currently covered.
Coburn would also eliminate $1 trillion in tax breaks over the coming decade, earning him an immediate rebuke from Americans for Tax Reform, an anti-tax organization with which Coburn has had a running feud. He would block taxpayers from claiming the mortgage interest deduction on second homes and limit it to homes worth $500,000. He would also ease taxpayers into higher tax brackets more quickly by using a smaller measure of inflation to adjust the brackets.
Coburn would cut $1 trillion from the Pentagon budget over a decade. He would block military retirees from the Tricare Prime health care plan, the option with the lowest out-of-pocket cost, saving $115 billion, and he would raise the prescription drug copayment under the program, as well as require higher out-of-pocket fees. He also would reduce the fleet of aircraft carriers from 11 to 10 and Navy air wings from 10 to nine.
"I have no doubt that both parties will criticize portions of this plan, and I welcome that debate," Coburn told reporters. "But it's not a legitimate criticism until you have a plan of your own."
Jul 18, 5:15 PM (ET)
By ANDREW TAYLOR
(AP) Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., reveals his "Back in Black" plan to reduce the federal deficit, Monday,...
Full Image
WASHINGTON (AP) - One of the Senate's staunchest budget-cutters unveiled Monday a massive plan to cut the nation's deficit by $9 trillion over the coming decade.
The plan by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., is laced with politically perilous proposals like raising to 70 the age at which people can claim their full Social Security benefits. It would cut farm subsidies, Medicare, student aid, housing subsidies for the poor, and funding for community development grants. Coburn even takes on the powerful veterans' lobby by proposing that some veterans pay more for medical care and prescription drugs.
Coburn was a member of President Barack Obama's fiscal commission and voted for its plan to cut the budget by about $4 trillion over a decade. He recently dropped out of the closely watched "Gang of Six" senators seeking a bipartisan agreement to rein in deficits and break through the partisanship engulfing official Washington over the deficit.
His re-entry into the deficit debate comes as Obama and lawmakers struggle over increasing the so-called debt limit and avoid a first-ever default on U.S. obligations.
Coburn's $9 trillion savings figure doesn't include another $2.4 trillion in cuts to Social Security that are funneled back into the program. In addition to raising the retirement age gradually, he would peg future benefits to a less-generous measure of inflation and curb benefit increases even more for the top 40 percent of earners.
Cuts to the Medicare program for the elderly and the Medicaid health plan for the poor and disabled would total $2.6 trillion over 10 years, far more than proposed by the fiscal commission or House Republicans. He proposes raising the Medicare retirement age to 67 by 2027 and then gradually increasing it until the retirement age hits 69 in 2080. It would also raise Medicare premiums for doctor visits so that premiums pay 35 percent of such costs instead of the 25 percent currently covered.
Coburn would also eliminate $1 trillion in tax breaks over the coming decade, earning him an immediate rebuke from Americans for Tax Reform, an anti-tax organization with which Coburn has had a running feud. He would block taxpayers from claiming the mortgage interest deduction on second homes and limit it to homes worth $500,000. He would also ease taxpayers into higher tax brackets more quickly by using a smaller measure of inflation to adjust the brackets.
Coburn would cut $1 trillion from the Pentagon budget over a decade. He would block military retirees from the Tricare Prime health care plan, the option with the lowest out-of-pocket cost, saving $115 billion, and he would raise the prescription drug copayment under the program, as well as require higher out-of-pocket fees. He also would reduce the fleet of aircraft carriers from 11 to 10 and Navy air wings from 10 to nine.
"I have no doubt that both parties will criticize portions of this plan, and I welcome that debate," Coburn told reporters. "But it's not a legitimate criticism until you have a plan of your own."
Monday, July 11, 2011
Two Horses
From my friend Wally Terry:
Two Horses
Author Unknown
Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it.
From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse.
But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing....
Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind.
His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.
This alone is amazing. If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.
Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell.
It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow.
As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray.
When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.
Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges.
He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need..
Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way....
Good friends are like that...
You may not always see them, but you know they are always there..
Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours, and remember...
Be kinder than necessary-
Everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeply,
Speak kindly.......
And leave the rest to God!
FOR WE WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT
Two Horses
Author Unknown
Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it.
From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse.
But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing....
Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind.
His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.
This alone is amazing. If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.
Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell.
It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow.
As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray.
When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.
Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges.
He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need..
Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way....
Good friends are like that...
You may not always see them, but you know they are always there..
Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours, and remember...
Be kinder than necessary-
Everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeply,
Speak kindly.......
And leave the rest to God!
FOR WE WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT
Friday, July 1, 2011
Let's Jump on Aderholt, it all his fault.
Couldn't help but notice the Decatur Daily jumped on my old Haleyville friend Robert Aderholt yesterday. It is probably a good time to get him, he no longer represents any of Decatur or Morgan County and I guess we already have all the funding we are going to get out of him for downtown redevelopment, Ingalls Harbor, sewer, water, swimming pools, Senior Centers and all the other projects we have depended on him in the past to find money for us to use. Robert was really good for us while he lasted but now, before they even get his name off the door of his office in the courthouse we need to use him as a case study on what's wrong in Washington.
I will assume The Daily was 100% right in the points it made concerning the wrong Congressman Aderholt was guilty of. Assuming the facts are correct I agree this a practice that is wrong. Congressman Aderholt probably did find some funding for a University here in Alabama not in his district where his wife serves on the Board of Trustees. This is a problem that must be addressed and hopefully stopped. My problem with the Daily is the sanctimonious way they pointed out the faults of Congressman Aderholt when writing about a universal problem. The Daily through its ownership and management, every citizen in it's readership through their elected and appointed officials and everyone else living in this country that looks to government for something is just as responsible for these type appropriations and any Congressperson.
We have all been indoctrinated with the feeling that there is so much money flowing through Washington that it is our representative's duty and obligation to get just a little bit for us. If our man don't get it then someone else's man will get it and send it to another district or state. We send plane loads of people to Washington to plead for cases that while great to us is really not the obligation of the Federal Government to provide. The Representatives have come to believe the same thing and in a sense their re-election relies on their ability to 'bring home the bacon'.
Robert Aderholt is an honorable, sober, Christian man who takes his job and the representation of his constituents seriously. Everyday he does exactly what he believes to be right and with the goal of justly representing his people. We the people are just as much at fault as these representatives. No matter how loud we cry and strike out against the evil government spending we still don't think it really is going to hurt anybody if we get just a little taste of 'that' money. We just need a little to help us with beautifying an entrance way into our city or maybe just helping us with a project to teach children shaped note singing, or maybe just create a bird watching trail.
I guess the Daily was right, Aderholt is somebody else's now and he needs to cut that stuff out. Now that we are on the high road we probably need to get 'Mo' over here to see about getting some help with putting on the 'Coon Dog Festival' out at Ingalls next year. We just need a little seed money and there is so much in Washington.
Can you believe we have a person named 'Mo' to represent us now. That's fodder for another day.
I will assume The Daily was 100% right in the points it made concerning the wrong Congressman Aderholt was guilty of. Assuming the facts are correct I agree this a practice that is wrong. Congressman Aderholt probably did find some funding for a University here in Alabama not in his district where his wife serves on the Board of Trustees. This is a problem that must be addressed and hopefully stopped. My problem with the Daily is the sanctimonious way they pointed out the faults of Congressman Aderholt when writing about a universal problem. The Daily through its ownership and management, every citizen in it's readership through their elected and appointed officials and everyone else living in this country that looks to government for something is just as responsible for these type appropriations and any Congressperson.
We have all been indoctrinated with the feeling that there is so much money flowing through Washington that it is our representative's duty and obligation to get just a little bit for us. If our man don't get it then someone else's man will get it and send it to another district or state. We send plane loads of people to Washington to plead for cases that while great to us is really not the obligation of the Federal Government to provide. The Representatives have come to believe the same thing and in a sense their re-election relies on their ability to 'bring home the bacon'.
Robert Aderholt is an honorable, sober, Christian man who takes his job and the representation of his constituents seriously. Everyday he does exactly what he believes to be right and with the goal of justly representing his people. We the people are just as much at fault as these representatives. No matter how loud we cry and strike out against the evil government spending we still don't think it really is going to hurt anybody if we get just a little taste of 'that' money. We just need a little to help us with beautifying an entrance way into our city or maybe just helping us with a project to teach children shaped note singing, or maybe just create a bird watching trail.
I guess the Daily was right, Aderholt is somebody else's now and he needs to cut that stuff out. Now that we are on the high road we probably need to get 'Mo' over here to see about getting some help with putting on the 'Coon Dog Festival' out at Ingalls next year. We just need a little seed money and there is so much in Washington.
Can you believe we have a person named 'Mo' to represent us now. That's fodder for another day.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Charley Reese's final column
Charley Reese's final column for the Orlando Sentinel...
He has been a journalist for 49 years.
He is retiring and this is HIS LAST COLUMN.
Be sure to read the Tax List at the end.
This is about as clear and easy to understand as it can be. The article below is completely neutral, neither anti-republican or democrat. Charlie Reese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, has hit the nail directly on the head, defining clearly who it is that in the final analysis must assume responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every day. It's a short but good read. Worth the time. Worth remembering!
545 vs. 300,000,000 People
-By Charlie Reese
Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.
Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?
Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?
You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.
You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.
You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.
You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.
You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.
One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.
I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.
Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.
The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? John Boehner. He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.
If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.
If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan ...
If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.
There are no insoluble government problems.
Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.
Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.
They, and they alone, have the power.
They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.
Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees...
We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!
What you do with this article now that you have read it... is up to you.
This might be funny if it weren't so true.
Be sure to read all the way to the end:
Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table,
At which he's fed.
Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.
Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for
peanuts anyway!
Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat..
Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.
Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.
Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.
Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.
Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.
When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.
Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid...
Put these words
Upon his tomb,
'Taxes drove me
to my doom...'
When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Sales Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.
What in the heck happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'
I hope this goes around THE USA at least 545 times!!! YOU can help it get there!!!
GO AHEAD. . . BE AN AMERICAN!!!
He has been a journalist for 49 years.
He is retiring and this is HIS LAST COLUMN.
Be sure to read the Tax List at the end.
This is about as clear and easy to understand as it can be. The article below is completely neutral, neither anti-republican or democrat. Charlie Reese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, has hit the nail directly on the head, defining clearly who it is that in the final analysis must assume responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every day. It's a short but good read. Worth the time. Worth remembering!
545 vs. 300,000,000 People
-By Charlie Reese
Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.
Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?
Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?
You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.
You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.
You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.
You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.
You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.
One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.
I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.
Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.
The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? John Boehner. He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.
If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.
If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan ...
If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.
There are no insoluble government problems.
Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.
Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.
They, and they alone, have the power.
They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.
Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees...
We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!
What you do with this article now that you have read it... is up to you.
This might be funny if it weren't so true.
Be sure to read all the way to the end:
Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table,
At which he's fed.
Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.
Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for
peanuts anyway!
Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat..
Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.
Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.
Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.
Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.
Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.
When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.
Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid...
Put these words
Upon his tomb,
'Taxes drove me
to my doom...'
When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Sales Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.
What in the heck happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'
I hope this goes around THE USA at least 545 times!!! YOU can help it get there!!!
GO AHEAD. . . BE AN AMERICAN!!!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
WE ARE NOT BROKE
While I do not always agree with Michael Moore, and appreciate the inevitable arguments concerning the capitalist system that has made us so great I believe Moore makes some very good points in the speech. I am in favor of rolling the tax rates back to pre-Bush levels for the top 2% of our population and closing the loop-holes now enjoyed by the oil and gas industry and others with the power to so drastically influence government through the use of their money and lobbyist.
I did think the following was good food for thought.
Speech delivered at Wisconsin Capitol in Madison, March 5, 2011
America is not broke.
Contrary to what those in power would like you to believe so that you'll give up your pension, cut your wages, and settle for the life your great-grandparents had, America is not broke. Not by a long shot. The country is awash in wealth and cash. It's just that it's not in your hands. It has been transferred, in the greatest heist in history, from the workers and consumers to the banks and the portfolios of the super-rich.
Today just 400 Americans have more wealth than half of all Americans combined.
Let me say that again. 400 obscenely rich people, most of whom benefited in some way from the multi-trillion dollar taxpayer "bailout" of 2008, now have more loot, stock and property than the assets of 155 million Americans combined. If you can't bring yourself to call that a financial coup d'état, then you are simply not being honest about what you know in your heart to be true.
And I can see why. For us to admit that we have let a small group of men abscond with and hoard the bulk of the wealth that runs our economy, would mean that we'd have to accept the humiliating acknowledgment that we have indeed surrendered our precious Democracy to the moneyed elite. Wall Street, the banks and the Fortune 500 now run this Republic -- and, until this past month, the rest of us have felt completely helpless, unable to find a way to do anything about it.
I have nothing more than a high school degree. But back when I was in school, every student had to take one semester of economics in order to graduate. And here's what I learned: Money doesn't grow on trees. It grows when we make things. It grows when we have good jobs with good wages that we use to buy the things we need and thus create more jobs. It grows when we provide an outstanding educational system that then grows a new generation of inventors, entrepreneurs, artists, scientists and thinkers who come up with the next great idea for the planet. And that new idea creates new jobs and that creates revenue for the state. But if those who have the most money don't pay their fair share of taxes, the state can't function. The schools can't produce the best and the brightest who will go on to create those jobs. If the wealthy get to keep most of their money, we have seen what they will do with it: recklessly gamble it on crazy Wall Street schemes and crash our economy. The crash they created cost us millions of jobs. That too caused a reduction in revenue. And the population ended up suffering because they reduced their taxes, reduced our jobs and took wealth out of the system, removing it from circulation.
The nation is not broke, my friends. It's part of the Big Lie. It's one of the three biggest lies of the decade: America is broke, Iraq has WMD, the Packers can't win the Super Bowl without Brett Favre.
The truth is, there's lots of money to go around. LOTS. It's just that those in charge have diverted that wealth into a deep well that sits on their well-guarded estates. They know they have committed crimes to make this happen and they know that someday you may want to see some of that money that used to be yours. So they have bought and paid for hundreds of politicians across the country to do their bidding for them. But just in case that doesn't work, they've got their gated communities, and the luxury jet is always fully fueled, the engines running, waiting for that day they hope never comes.
I did think the following was good food for thought.
Speech delivered at Wisconsin Capitol in Madison, March 5, 2011
America is not broke.
Contrary to what those in power would like you to believe so that you'll give up your pension, cut your wages, and settle for the life your great-grandparents had, America is not broke. Not by a long shot. The country is awash in wealth and cash. It's just that it's not in your hands. It has been transferred, in the greatest heist in history, from the workers and consumers to the banks and the portfolios of the super-rich.
Today just 400 Americans have more wealth than half of all Americans combined.
Let me say that again. 400 obscenely rich people, most of whom benefited in some way from the multi-trillion dollar taxpayer "bailout" of 2008, now have more loot, stock and property than the assets of 155 million Americans combined. If you can't bring yourself to call that a financial coup d'état, then you are simply not being honest about what you know in your heart to be true.
And I can see why. For us to admit that we have let a small group of men abscond with and hoard the bulk of the wealth that runs our economy, would mean that we'd have to accept the humiliating acknowledgment that we have indeed surrendered our precious Democracy to the moneyed elite. Wall Street, the banks and the Fortune 500 now run this Republic -- and, until this past month, the rest of us have felt completely helpless, unable to find a way to do anything about it.
I have nothing more than a high school degree. But back when I was in school, every student had to take one semester of economics in order to graduate. And here's what I learned: Money doesn't grow on trees. It grows when we make things. It grows when we have good jobs with good wages that we use to buy the things we need and thus create more jobs. It grows when we provide an outstanding educational system that then grows a new generation of inventors, entrepreneurs, artists, scientists and thinkers who come up with the next great idea for the planet. And that new idea creates new jobs and that creates revenue for the state. But if those who have the most money don't pay their fair share of taxes, the state can't function. The schools can't produce the best and the brightest who will go on to create those jobs. If the wealthy get to keep most of their money, we have seen what they will do with it: recklessly gamble it on crazy Wall Street schemes and crash our economy. The crash they created cost us millions of jobs. That too caused a reduction in revenue. And the population ended up suffering because they reduced their taxes, reduced our jobs and took wealth out of the system, removing it from circulation.
The nation is not broke, my friends. It's part of the Big Lie. It's one of the three biggest lies of the decade: America is broke, Iraq has WMD, the Packers can't win the Super Bowl without Brett Favre.
The truth is, there's lots of money to go around. LOTS. It's just that those in charge have diverted that wealth into a deep well that sits on their well-guarded estates. They know they have committed crimes to make this happen and they know that someday you may want to see some of that money that used to be yours. So they have bought and paid for hundreds of politicians across the country to do their bidding for them. But just in case that doesn't work, they've got their gated communities, and the luxury jet is always fully fueled, the engines running, waiting for that day they hope never comes.
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