Taxes? What Taxes?, Still searching for an honest man

"America is a land of laws, badly written and randomly enforced" - Frank Zappa

Gee, is it too much to ask to have government leaders who pay their taxes even? Have we given up on finding 12 cabinet members without skeletons in any of their closets? Wouldn't change in government entail finding an honest cabinet, or is it that cheating on one's taxes just isn't as important as what these duplicitous department heads can contribute as public servants? Or is it that even now Diogenes wouldn't find an honest man?

You know Bill Richardson resigned from consideration because an investigation was pending. Nothing had been found about him personally, yet putting the country before personal gain, he had the good graces to resign and not taint the new administration with controversy, yet the head of the treasury and now Tom Dashle both have been found to not have paid taxes owed. Cheating for years becomes an honest mistake when you're caught. Geithner not only failed to pay self employment taxes for several years until an audit caught him, but he filed an amended return only after the president began to consider him for a cabinet position. Dashle is another who is filing amended returns after being caught and feeling humiliated for taxes he's owed since 2005,2006 and 2007. Drop the lantern Diogenes, put some clothes on and just get a job, it just ain't gonna happen dude.

I'm all for second chances, but if cheating on your taxes is sufficient for imprisonment, why isn't it sufficient for disqualification in cabinet appointments? I know, I'm just expecting waaaaay to much from those responsible for leading the country. No one's perfect, I know, but I'm not asking for perfection just integrity.

In case you didn't notice Mr. President, this was a opportunity to put your money where your mouth is. Your beatification in the public eye would at least be more justified, otherwise we have a new boss same as the old boss, at least in the standards department - Obamaniacal apologists notwithstanding.

Someone is "leading" the country?!! You are joking, right?     

Slàinte,    

Patch     

Ohio's governor announced that the state will NOT raise taxes. However, "licenses and fees will increase by over 200 million!!

Slàinte,    

Patch     

Nope. Despite how well or badly one things of the job they're doing, cabinet members are still among the country's leaders, yes. At least I think those are the catagories of people who most would concede are the country's leaders, although there are those who might claim extraterrestrials, acended masters, the illuminati, lizard people from the Draco constallation, freemasons and a secret cabal of international bankers are the true leaders among others, I'm speaking of the obvious, surface fleet of policy determinators. So pay no attention to that man behind the curtain, I'm talking about the phantasmagorical Wizards of Odd.

And the hits just keep on coming from our "elected" officials. If this
> person gets away with this, then we will be the underprivileged.
>
> She should be impeached
> [cid:1246753358E74E11A027DC976D7D9224@Dellxps]Windfall Tax on Retirement
> Income
>
> Adding a tax to your retirement is simply another way of saying to the
> American people, you're so darn stupid that we're going to keep doing this
> until we drain every cent from you. That's what the Speaker of the House
> is
> saying.. Read below...............
>
> Nancy Pelosi wants a Windfall Tax on Retirement Income. In other words tax
> what you have made by investing toward your retirement.
> This woman is a nut case! You aren't going to believe this.
>
> Madam speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to put a Windfall Tax on all stock market
> profits (including Retirement fund, 401K and Mutual Funds!
> Alas , it is true - all to help the 12 Million Illegal Immigrants and
> other
> unemployed Minorities!
>
> This woman is frightening.
> She quotes...' We need to work toward the goal of equalizing income,
> (didn't
> Marx say something like this?), in our country and at the same time
> limiting
> the amount the rich can invest.' (I am not rich, are you?)
>
> When asked how these new tax dollars would be spent, she replied:
> 'We need to raise the standard of living of our poor, unemployed and
> minorities. For example, we have an estimated 12 million illegal
> immigrants
> in our country who need our help along with millions of unemployed
> minorities. Stock market windfall profits taxes could go a long way to
> guarantee these people the standard of living they would like to have as
> 'Americans'.' (Read that quote again and again and let it sink in. 'Lower
> your retirement, give it to others who have not worked as you have for
> it'.

Nancy Pelosi's middle finger gesture toward the Republicans during the recent bailout "negotiations" has largely killed any hope for bipartisan solutions to the nation's and world's financial mess, IMHO. One consequence would seem to be that (and someone who understands these things better than I is invited to correct me if I'm wrong) is that because the money we take out of our 401(k)'s is taxed as income when we withdraw it, under Ms. Pelosi's proposal we could end up paying a "windfall profit" retirement tax even though her actions have virtually guaranteed that most of us would be happy to get back as much as we put in, let alone make a profit.

Another fine, handcrafted sentence from a masterful fulminator. This man never just squirts another bolus of ink in the Cuisinart -- the prose rhythm simply beggars my humble powers of description.

Awestruck, the bits of me that aren't seething with envy. You ever think about writing speech copy for some high official?

Mailagnas maqqas Dunaidonas.

I find that gesturing with an extended middle finger worth Tomes of the written word.


Camac..

Actually my father was a press secretary and speech writer for several governors for almost two decades, and there are other writers in the family, some far better than I, particulary in the poetry department. I know what it takes to put words in another's mouth, to do so in an official capacity, have much of your wordsmithery published for posterity for which you get no recognition, credit or appreciation. I have no desire to write speech copy for any official - particularly when they're high - I might try a novel if I weren't so lazy, though in the current climate I suspect my prose would be considered far too pompous. Besides, even if one can write one still must drill the cranial wetlands for a story and there are wild flocks of imagination there who will not be tamed and who disappear skyward upon the arrival of disciplined machinations.

Bah. You just want a few pounds of birdshot.

Ok you got me, I'm excuseless....I'll send you an autographed copy of my first published effort ....uh...but don't hold your breath. We may both be in a home drowning in drool by then, our biggest concerns being potty and porridge.

The Proposal" When a company falls on difficult times, one of the things that seems to happen is they reduce their staff and workers. The remaining workers need to find ways to continue to do a good job or risk that their job would be eliminated as well. Wall street, and the media normally congratulate the CEO for making this type of "tough decision", and his board of directors gives him a big bonus.

Our government should not be immune from similar risks.

Therefore: Reduce the House of Representatives from the current 435 members to 218 members and Senate members from 100 to 50 (one per State). Also reduce remaining staff by 25%.
Accomplish this over the next 8 years. (two steps / two elections) and of course this would require some redistricting.

Some Yearly Monetary Gains Include:

$44,108,400 for elimination of base pay for congress. (267 members X $165,200 pay / member / yr.)

$97,175,000 for elimination of the above people's staff. (estimate $1.3 Million in staff per each member of the House, and $3 Million in staff per each member of the Senate every year)

$240,294 for the reduction in remaining staff by 25%.

$7,500,000,000 reduction in pork barrel ear-marks each year. (those members whose jobs are gone. Current estimates for total government pork earmarks are at $15 Billion / yr)

The remaining representatives would need to work smarter and would need to improve efficiencies. It might even be in their best interests to work together for the good of our country?

We may also expect that smaller committees might lead to a more efficient resolution of issues as well. It might even be easier to keep track of what your representative is doing.

Congress has more tools available to do their jobs than it had back in 1911 when the current number of representatives was established. (telephone, computers, cell phones to name a few)

Note:
Congress did not hesitate to head home when it was a holiday, when the nation needed a real fix to the economic problems. Also, we have 3 senators that have not been doing their jobs for the past 18+ months (on the campaign trail) and still they all have been accepting full pay. These facts alone support a reduction in senators & congress.
Summary of opportunity:

$ 44,108,400 reduction of congress members.

$282,100, 000 for elimination of the reduced house member staff.

$150,000,000 for elimination of reduced senate member staff.

$59,675,000 for 25% reduction of staff for remaining house members.

$37,500,000 for 25% reduction of staff for remaining senate members.

$7,500,000,000 reduction in pork added to bills by the reduction of congress members.

$8,073,383,400 per year, estimated total savings. (that's 8-BILLION just to start!)

Big business does these types of cuts all the time.

If Congresspersons were required to serve 20, 25 or 30 years (like everyone else) in order to collect retirement benefits there is no telling how much we would save. Now they get full retirement after serving only ONE term. How about limiting it to 2 terms with a % of retirement for number of years elected for their retirement.
IF you are happy how the Congress spends our taxes, then just delete this message. IF you are NOT send it.

I'm sending this one to everyone I know

It is a commendable idea, but government NEVER shrinks.

Slàinte,    

Patch    

Subject: FW: Letter to the IRS (this is good!)

I am sorry to inform you that I will not be able to pay taxes owed April 15, but all is not lost.

I have paid these taxes: accounts receivable tax, building permit tax, CDL tax, cigarette tax, corporate income tax, dog license tax, federal income tax, unemployment tax, gasoline tax, hunting license tax, fishing license tax, waterfowl stamp tax, inheritance tax, inventory tax, liquor tax, luxury tax, Medicare tax, city, school and county property tax (up 33 percent last 4 years), real estate tax, social security tax, road usage tax, toll road tax, state and city sales tax, recreational vehicle tax, state franchise tax, state unemployment tax, telephone federal excise tax, telephone federal state and local surcharge tax, telephone minimum usage surcharge tax, telephone state and local tax, utility tax, vehicle license registration tax, capitol gains tax, lease severance tax, oil and gas assessment tax, Colorado property tax, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Oklahoma and New Mexico sales tax, and many more that I can't recall but I have run out of space and money.

When you do not receive my check April 15, just know that it is an honest mistake. Please treat me the same way you treated Congressmen Charles Rangel, Chris Dodd, Barney Frank and ex-Congressman Tom Daschle and, of course, your boss Timothy Geithner. No penalties and no interest.


P.S. I will make at least a partial payment as soon as I get my stimulus check.

Its time for a Robin Hood again!

You know, the one who took back from the government what it had stolen from the people.

Don't buy that socialist myth about Robin "stealing from the rich to give to the poor" - it is the government that does that, not Robin and his merry men!