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Tuesday, December 28, 2004

"Who Left the Door Open?"

Some of the current BIG concerns for the US is National Debt, War in Iraq, Social Security , Terrorism and control of our borders.
Bush has introduced a "guest worker" program for illegals.
Bush wants to allow illegal aliens -- up to 8 million if not more -- to hold jobs here "legally" by issuing "temporary worker cards." American workers would not be hurt, the president insists; these legalized illegals would fill jobs that U.S. firms supposedly can't fill.
Here we go down another path to the land of "Bright Ideas".
So who will pay for this pseudo amnesty program ?
Uh huh.. the American Tax Payer..
Last year Time had an article estimating 2 million illegals a day crossed our borders.
This year the estimate is for 3 million.
Asa Hutchinson, an official in the Department of Homeland Security, recently cut down a Border Patrol initiative to catch illegal aliens.
The reason? It was catching too many illegal aliens.
Homeland Security is more concerned about arresting Tommy Chong for selling bongs on the internet than the security of our borders.
Our fearless leader said "America is safer".
All the illegals are not "good people" trying to put food on the table as Bush suggested. No, out of the 500k that remain in the US and at large 1/4 of them are criminals.
Bush did stress he does not favor automatic citizenship for immigrant workers. "If somebody who is here working wants to be a citizen, they can get in line," he said.
We do have laws on the books, but they are apparently made for the sole purpose of ignoring them. How many people beyond those formally welcome under existing laws should we admit into the United States?
When politicians suggest or approve something so perverse it should send up red flags to all citizens. If this "program" gets approval it will ruin the quality of life you enjoyed in the past. Gone forever because the 8 million illegals will turn into 12-15 million and with them comes all the relatives that can jump on board.
The US needs a reality check on the status of the illegals but the world needs to get a grip on the population explosion.
Europe, you are next. Soon the Muslims will out number the natives. Tell me that won't change your quality of life !

Allowing a shortcut by the laws and thru the system sends what kind of message to those that followed the rules ?

Saturday, December 25, 2004

Christmas Mornin'

Good mornin' and HO HO HO...
Just put on a little Christmas music; Hendrix/Voodoo Child; helps set the tone for the day.
A quick cleanup from last nights big sloppy burger mess with tunes in the background and start another load of laundry. No tree this year. None of the commercial hoopla to celebrate today.
The Mrs is at work; later we'll have a nice dinner and open up a bottle of wine. For now a little blogging, surf the news and boards, some mornin' chores, drink some coffee and watch the birds...cool, calm, collected...

A number of news issues w/Social Security and what to do.
There is a connection between SocSec and Taxes. It seems one issue usually leads to the other.
Some feel that the Social Security system is a ruse; just another tax. It's human nature to resent the taking of your hard earned money and not knowing if you will get any back. Why our Government collects the money from SocSec and FICA then spends it on other stuff ; I don't know. The idea using this money to pay another bill seems like an unethical business practice or just bad accounting. It seems to me these monies should be held in an interest bearing "escrow" account. The co-mingling of funds seems like a bad idea.
On the other hand it has been suggested to phase out SocSec and introduce a flat tax. A flat tax w/no income cap. For example singles that make 25k a year or less pay nothing; couples 50k same deal. Over 25k or 50k for couples pay 15%. Even if you make a billion; you pay 15%. What a shot in the arm that would be to the economy. Those that need economic assistance would apply for it and those that don't need it won't get any.
I would like to see some figures in comparing the present tax system w/IRS and all the expenses from it and SocSec against a phased out old tax system, IRS and SocSec replaced by a 15% flat tax w/out caps.
Would like to see if it would float. Simplify a convoluted system seems like a logical approach.
Don't know if our Heads of State could handle it; just wouldn't be "business as usual politics".

BTW..Have a nice day and great 2005.


Sunday, December 19, 2004

Time... Man of the Year...

Isn't the man of year award an honor???
I don't think you can legitimately use the name
Bush in same sentence w/the word "honor"..

There are a lot of accusations about the news media being in someone's pocket or having their own agenda while spinning the news w/their support.
So what is the problem w/Time and managing Editor Jim Kelly?
Who pulls the strings?? Who's pocket are they in?? Is that the case??
How can 60,645,844 people be so dumb?
Can this country be any more divided over one man?

The Bush administration may go down in history as the most misguided, self serving, unethical and most manipulative under a false pretense.
..Give credit where credit is due..
>took one of the most powerful and admired nations in the world and made it the most resented country in the world ..
>1st US president in history to have a majority of the people of Europe (71%)view his presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and stability..
>promised and failed to fulfill his pledge to get Osama Bin Laden 'dead or alive'..
>Set the all-time record for biggest annual budget spending and set the record for biggest annual deficit in history..
>first two years in office over 2 million Americans lost their jobs..
>Cut unemployment benefits for more out of work Americans and cut healthcare benefits for war veterans yet managed to spend more money on polls and focus groups than any president ..
>Set all-time record for number of administration appointees who violated US law by not selling huge investments in corporations bidding for government contracts..

This only scratches the surface..There is so much more it's scary..
Does this administration represent your interests and concerns??
Not mine!!
Doesn't it concern you the impression we make on a Global level??
It should!!

We changed after the 9/11 attacks. Around the world attitudes changed the way people viewed others different then themselves. We began profiling trying to get a handle on the thinking that drives the radical Muslim factions.
Bush promised to get Osama but did not. Around the world many of the radicals were captured or their efforts thwarted. We were manipulated down another path in an effort to take our focus off Osama. The attack of a sovereign nation under guise of a pre emptive strike with the emphasis on "WMD's".
This changed the way the world views America; possibly forever.

I guess Man of the Year doesn't have to necessarily a good thing.
Time doesn't have to be credited for a picking a good person.
After all it's not like the Nobel Peace award.
Time may as well have picked Osama or Saddam.
That persona that is most influential in the news but doesn't have to be a "good" person.

Saturday, December 18, 2004

Taxes and Social Security

Call me naive or sometimes even dumb but there are some things I just don't understand.
I was reading an article about Social Security and Taxes when my feeble mind snapped to attention; people pay taxes on Social Security as income!! Damn!! I had no idea.
Let me get a grip..
You pay taxes and social security out of your paycheck..
Paying into a fund that doesn't even reward the use of your money w/interest..
Then when you need the money as a supplement to live, it is taxed..
If you still need more money and "have" to get a part time job to survive then you will be rewarded by taxing that income also.. Counter productive..Yes?

It is looking like the social security system will fail.
Well no wonder if the pinheads in charge don't make benefit adjustments in conjunction w/the cost of living or the value of the dollar.
There is a "maximum" income amount of social security withholding!! WHY ???
There is no maximum income amount w/Medicare..
So weather you make 500k or 1 billion your social security payment maxes out around 60k?? Millionaires and billionaires presumably aren't going to need a social security stipend. So why can't they pay more like w/Medicare and bring this faltering system back to life.

Our coveluted, Big Brother serving tax system has a commode waiting on it.
This is CRAP and needs to be flushed, time to clean up and start anew.
It is time for a Flat Tax w/a minimum income exclusion. If your income is under the minimum then you pay no tax. Certainly not taking money out your pocket if your only income is Social Security. That is absurd on so many levels.
This is a proven system employed by a number of countries around the globe, and a profitable one also. The flat tax is paid on all income above that threshold and can work w/a fairly low rate, average 13-20%, therefore is more likely to be paid in full.
The rich are doing well so they pay more.
The poor aren't doing as well; so they don't pay and by not burdening them w/yet another expense there is greater chance for them to save, to grow and eventually if their income improves, also pay the flat tax.
Face it life can be difficult and Big Government shouldn't be such a burden on the people. These systems and policies should "serve and nurture its people" not cause a hardship. If the disadvantaged are supported and nurtured they stand a greater chance of eventually not being a dependent.
Contact your Politicians, Senators, Congressmen and let them know it time for change and the time is now. Be aware of any representative that refuses to change is way too comfortable with "Business as usual Politics" and is profiting at the expense of their constituents.

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

Eternal XMas (excess mass marketing)

HO HO HO... Merry Christmas...
I think I saw xmas trees being sold even before turkey day..
WOW.. Expanding the xmas experience to 365..What energy, what marketing, what spending!
Jesus' birthday that lasts all year long..
Well that's not their point; is it?

It would be nice if some of that Christmas spirit was shared all year..
IE..Peace on earth, good will towards men.
Might make things seem a little less hopeless if we could make some changes and embrace our differences from continent to continent, from country to country, from one religious belief to another and from man to man.

If even one half of the money, energy and resources used to market xmas were focused on feeding the poor and homeless rather than spending your way into greater debt or on tolerance rather than ignorance and genocide; you may actually begin to feel the spirit of Christmas again.
A few months back I read a Grisham book The Street Lawyer; the main text seemed to convey the growing plight of the homeless. This time of year w/all the "spirit of giving" makes me a little melancholy. When I'm watching the masses shop till you drop, sometimes my thoughts go out to those who will have to do without. I guess it's time to send another check to the rescue mission and hope some folks will enjoy a nice meal this Christmas.

HO HO HO.. Peace ...

"The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all men, charity."
Francis Maitland Balfour




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