My wife and IAs the government of the United States gets bigger, 16,000 new agents for the IRS alone, our government will need more and more of our money. In history it meant that the people worked for the government, not for themselves. Usually it meant that the people were ruled by Kings, Emperors or Dictators of one kind or another. In medieval England, there were serfs who actually worked the land, and there were rulers, local and of course the King or Queen. It was pretty much the same in the rest of the world as well. The serf worked the land, and gave the bulk of the crop to the baron or earl or whoever lived in the castle, who in turn had to pay to the next higher ruler up the line.
Today, in modern America, we pay taxes on land we own, but do we really own that land? Or are we renting it from the local governing authorities? We also are required to pay Income Taxes, as long as we are not considered as being in poverty. We have a graduated tax structure so that the more money you make the more you have to pay. Our government says this is fair, and of course we think it is because they say it is. So when government needs more money, they raise taxes and of course to be fair, they raise taxes on the rich. Now if you are middle class you would like to move up into the next higher group, but if you do you have to pay a higher rate of tax than you do now. So is the tax structure really fair? No it is not, think about it, you are really working for the government, not for yourself. We are just as much serfs as were those living 500 years ago, we just don’t really see it.
The more I look at the unfairness of the fair tax code, the more I see our government spending money so they can make it seem as if they are fair to all, the less I like what I see. It is becoming very obvious to me that our governing bodies, are taking more and more from us, so they can live high on the hog. We see IRS people enjoying a vacation which they claim is a seminar, at which they learn to line dance instead of doing their jobs. We also find out that some of these IRS employees are not even doing IRS business but rather are working for the union while receiving a paycheck paid for by you and me. Our taxes have even paid for a place where the National Security Agency can keep records on every one of us, billions of dollars going so that the government can spy on we the serfs, (people).
It is time to throw off the shackles and chains that bind us to this serfdom, it is time for the fair tax or the flat tax, one or the other. Personally I want to be able to go to the grocery store, buy my groceries, untaxed, then go and buy some hardware for my home or something of that nature and pay a sales tax say of 15% and that takes care of my tax burden. I don’t have to file an income tax return, just pay a sales tax and it is done. The government gets the money they need to run the jobs they have to do, and we the people can keep as much of our income as we want, we can save it or spend it. Spending will of course be taxed, but saving won’t be taxed. There will be no special interest loop holes, no deductions, everybody will pay for what they spend. Groceries, the necessary items for survival, will not be taxed, but everything else will be. Each and every one of us will have skin in the game so to speak, we will each be taxed at the same rate, and will not have any forms to fill out, we won’t need a tax consultant, or CPA to help us to avoid taxes.
Write to your government liberal or conservative representatives and senators, tell them you want the fair tax. Tell them also that you want them to balance the budget, spend what they need to spend, stop trying to buy friends in this country and in foreign lands as well. It is time to stop foreign aid which doesn’t do us any good as if just fuels the flames of hatred in all the places that already hate us anyway. Tell them also that you want to see them honor the constitution, and stop trying to ignore it and grab more and more power. This government is not longer of by and for the people, it is only to enrich those who are career politicians. It is time to end our serfdom!!!!
PAUL: Obamacare, one year after Supreme Court approval – Washington Times.
Filed under: Culture, Happening Now | Tags: government interference, Politicians, Taxes
The International Monetary Fund wants us to pay an extra $1.40 a gallon of fuel so that we can help save the environment. Just listened to Cavuto and Charles Payne talking about this issue. It seems that the IMF wants us to pay another $1.40 a gallon for our gasoline, in order to help take care of the social programs in Europe and of course to help fight Global Climate Change. I don’t think this will actually happen, but just the thought that these people think that our government would actually allow this to happen, is scary.
I remember that when Obama was running for President the first time, he spoke about prices going up because he wanted to change our energy picture. Get rid of fossil fuels and use “solar, wind and other types of fuels.” Since then we have seen pump prices go up over $3.50 a gallon, this would drive them up to $4.90 a gallon. Who would it hurt, the poor, and the middle class, jobs would be lost because businesses that depend upon shipping from their suppliers would have to lay off, or at least not hire workers. So now we have Obamacare that has all those taxes that we are just beginning to see, and the administration is also talking about new taxes on gas as well.
When is our nation going to wake up and realize just how intrusive this government is becoming, how much of our lives are now being run by government intrusion. If you live in New York City you know how much the government is intruding into your private life. New York State passes a law that they cannot enforce, there are no 7 round magazines, so they have to back off their law that says you have to use a 7 round magazine.
Politicians grow government, unless they see that the people have had enough and want them to stop interfering in our lives, they will continue until we are like France or Greece.
It appears that the Obama administration doesn’t give a fig about your security, since illegals are already being released, because Homeland Security Chief Napolitano says they can’t afford to keep the 34,000 beds mandated by Congress, so they have to release prisoners who are known illegal aliens. The so-called cuts to the budget will not hit until next month, but they are releasing these criminals now because they need the money.
The local sheriff Paul Babeu is not very happy with this turn of events. Five Hundred of these criminals have already been released in Pinal County. The sheriff says that this endangers the citizens of the county, because these released prisoners are also criminals. “President Obama would never release 500 criminal illegals to the streets of his hometown, yet he has no problem with releasing them in Arizona. The safety of the public is threatened and the rule of law discarded as a political tactic in this sequester battle,” he said.
Politics can get really nasty, but it seems to me that this is beyond the pale. Our President should be working to protect our citizens, but he doesn’t have to worry since he can’t run again, what are the voters going to be able to do? He is practicing the worst political hate campaign I’ve seen in 68 years, and I don’t look for him to move to the center anytime soon. I think we are going to see him move further to the left, he will also continue to ignore the Constitution, ruling like a king, proclaiming laws and rules by executive order, bypassing Congress which needs to get some backbone, and stand up to this President and tell him enough.
Meanwhile, we the people are the ones paying the price. We pay it at the grocery store, the hardware store, we pay it at the gas pump, and in our paychecks. Taxes go up, spending goes up, and the people are the ones filling the bills. When government taxes business, business raises prices for the products that you and I buy, we pay on both ends of the equation. I don’t understand why y’all re-elected this president, but you did and now we all have to pay the piper. Please, take a good look at what is happening, stop blaming the “rich”, the “republicans” and anyone else, look in the mirror, if you voted for this man, or if you simply stayed home because you couldn’t vote for either candidate, you and you alone are responsible for the situation we the people are now in.
Filed under: Happening Now, Politics | Tags: House, obama, Recession, Senate, Sequester, Taxes
The Congressional Budget Office keeps saying one thing and the White House – President Obama and his propaganda team saying the opposite. The Daily Caller has an article today in regard to the latest propaganda push by the White House. According to the President, if the sequester is allowed to stand, the country will suffer greatly. First on his list is that he will cut one aircraft carrier from the middle east battle group.
Unless you pay more taxes, of course he is referring to the top earners in our society, which he already upped taxes on in December. Of course he neglects to admit that you are also paying higher taxes, since your payroll tax has been put back in place, so you have less money in your pocket. Oh but did the President not say that if you make less than $250,000.00 you would not have higher taxes? This president will screw you again if you continue to listen to his rhetoric, the tax hikes will go to fund his programs not to bring down the deficit. It will mean even more tax hikes when we get to the next CRISIS that the White House can manufacture.
I was really impressed when the President stood in front of a bunch of first responders and said that the sequester was going to hurt them, that police officers and firemen would not get the equipment they need, some would be laid off so there would be less help in times of need. Now he is in the process of getting the nations governors on board by saying that states would not get funding if the sequester goes into effect.
Let us look at reality for a change. 1. There is no budget, so there is no way to stop spending. 2. We are already half way through the Fiscal Year, you will not be able to cut what has already been spent. 3. Much of the spending that is supposed to be cut is not even going to be paid out for several years.
The truth is that although a line item in an expense report for this fiscal year shows money being paid out this year, much of these things are paid out over several years, but Federal Accounting practices, which are not real world by any stretch of the imagination, show it all going out now. Of course the other truth is that since we are half way through the fiscal year, we actually can only reduce spending by about 42 billion dollars instead of the 87 billion that they keep talking about.
Bob Woodward wrote an article in the Washington Post on 24 Feb. in which he says: “When the president asks that a substitute for the sequester include not just spending cuts but also new revenue, he is moving the goal posts.” This is very true, when Obama requested that the sequester be put in, as an exchange with the GOP to raise the Federal Debt Ceiling to 16 Trillion, (so he could put off the deficit talk until after the 2012 election), he wanted to have a club to hold over the Congress (read GOP) for cuts of 1.2 Trillion dollars over 10 years.
Yes, both Democrats and Republicans voted for this draconian measure, however, Mr. Obama who now says it is a terrible thing, signed it into law. The original idea was to force cuts to the budget (which does not exist), but now the President wants more REVENUE which is another way of saying MORE TAXES and of course cuts in spending. The only problem with this idea of cuts in spending is that it really means SLOWING THE GROWTH IN SPENDING! That is why I say that Federal Accounting Practices are not real world. Where else could you say that instead of spending 10% more this year we will only spend 9% more, and say that is a cut in spending.
By the way, that is exactly what we are talking about here a cut in the growth in spending of 1% of the entire spending that has been approved. Now there is still no budget, and there probably won’t be one. The President keeps blaming the Republicans for there not being spending cuts to actually trim the budget, that doesn’t exist, when in reality, the Republicans in the House have passed budgets, that cut spending, and the Senate Majority Leader (Harry Reid) tabled them. They never came to the floor, nor to committee to be talked about to be worked on to be amended by Senators. No one on the Senate side ever had to deal with what the Republican House had passed. The President is in full campaign mode again, he wants to scare you into forcing your Senators and Representatives to give him what he wants.
As long as he can keep the people of this country scared about what Congress is or is not doing, he wins. Don’t allow that to happen to you, do not panic, a 1% cut in the rate of growth is not a cut in the budget, it is just a slowing of the growth of spending. The Government will still increase spending by 9% over last year, and if the President gets what he wants, there will be more taxes, more brakes on an already hurting economy, and more chance for the recession to deepening into something no one wants to see but will become a reality if we continue on this path to destruction.
Find out the facts, become an informed people, stop the madness, stop the class warfare.
Filed under: Democratic, Politics, Republican | Tags: Budget, Spending, State of the Union, Taxes, Tea Party
Listening to the SOTU last night I heard a lot of things thrown out that were a bit hard to swallow, things like “We have doubled the miles our cars can go on a gallon of gas” that is simply untrue. They, the Federal Government has issued a new cafe standard that says cars will have to get 50+ miles on a gallon by 2025. I have to admit I wonder if our auto industry will be able to hit that goal. Perhaps by making cars lighter and smaller they might, but, I don’t want to drive a roller skate, I want a steel box that will save my life when I hit a deer, or when someone hits my car.
If you want to do some fact checking you might want to try Fact Check Org. That will give you a pretty good picture of what really is happening as opposed to the Politi Speak that we heard last night, and will continue to hear during the next several weeks as the Obama Election Campaign ramps up again.
Marco Rubio gave the Republican rebuttal and it too had some hyperbole in it, which you can also check out at the website. Then there was Rand Paul who gave the Tea Party Rebuttal, oh, you didn’t know about that? I watched it today at the Washington Post website. It’s about 13 minutes long but I really enjoyed what he had to say. He went after the political circus on both sides of the aisle in Washington. It’s true that both sides need to stop the rhetoric, read the Constitution and act like grown ups instead of kids on the playground. He said that he would be introducing a proposal to balance the budget in 5 – 6 years, using a flat 17% tax on income and cutting spending, starting with foreign aid to nations that burn our flag and say “death to America.” Our nation faces some serious challenges over the next few years, and if we don’t get our fiscal house in order, well, we are on the way to becoming a second-rate country.
You can check out all of these, the SOTU itself plus the 2 responses for yourself. Just Google it and you will see lots of hits, from Chris Matthews making inane statements to the actual footage. Then make your own comments, tell us what you think about the SOTU, is it really just hot air, or do you think things will change for the better?
Filed under: Happening Now, Politics | Tags: bankruptcy, budgeting, debt, millionaires, Politicians, Spending, Taxes
That seems to be the Presidents plan, raise taxes and spending which is of course self-defeating. If you continue spending more than you take in, you will eventually go bankrupt, we realize that in our own homes because we see what overextension has done to our friends and neighbors. In my own case, it took me 8 years to pay off all my debts. I have friends that have had to declare bankruptcy, and they are still in a credit problem. Yet the Federal Government seems to think they can continue to spend more than they take in. If we don’t quit the spending, the country will find itself being cut again by the rating agencies. I cannot fathom why the President and the Democrats continue to insist on more spending and taxing people at the $250,000 per year income rate. They also keep saying these folks are millionaires. 1/4 of a million is not a million, I don’t know why the Administration continues to call them millionaires.
The other reality is that even if they do tax these “millionaires” they will only have enough money to cover 8 days of the gov’t operations. So when does the Federal Government get real and begin to actually tighten their own belts. Of course if they do, then they can’t offer all those handouts to all those who are now on the gov’t dole. I am not saying that folks really want to get on the payroll, but, some do and that means that they want to continue to get paid. Politicians want to get re-elected, ever notice that as soon as they get elected the cycle begins again, they are already running for the next election. The Senators actually make more money than you or I and they give themselves raises every couple of years. Most of these people leave the Senate or the House as millionaires themselves. Does that happen to you or me in our jobs? NO WAY! Can we spend money that we don’t have? Sure we can use our charge cards, but, how long can we go before it catches up to us and puts us in the midst of financial trouble.
So what do you think it should be, cut spending or raise taxes?politic
I just learned that there is a movement afoot in the state of Texas to charge five cents on every drink container sold in our state. Of course once you finish the drink you can bring it back to the store for a refund of your nickel. Well how about schools, they use tons of water bottles, Gatorade and other drinks, how do they handle the increased cost, and the return of those drink containers to get the refund? Maybe we need to hire a drink management team in each school just to handle that burden.
How about the store where you bought your bottle of water? How many extra man hours will they need to process all the refunds and what do they do with the containers when they get them back? How much is this going to increase our grocery bills? I found out the hard way somebody else told me about this, and I found out that my county is one of the ones that has decided to support this TAX. Our politicians never think about the unintended consequences of their actions. They just see another revenue stream for their pet projects. This is another Lottery Scheme. Remember that the State Lottery was supposed to help pay for education, the money was to be set aside for schools. It wasn’t and it goes into the general fund where it is used to fund whatever the politicians can find to use it for.
I did not support the lottery because it was legalized gambling and a tax on our poorest citizens. Instead of buying a loaf of bread, buy a lottery ticket instead, you could be a millionaire. That is the state looking for your dollars to spend on their pet projects instead of on the education of our children. This boondoggle is even worse, the nickel gets collected by the store, then whatever is left over at the end of the week or month or whatever the time period is, the money goes to the state, never to be seen again. A VERY SNEAKY TAX. You are told how you are protecting the environment, when in reality you are lining the pockets of politicians so they can institute more boondoggles.
Here is another thing they don’t think about, people will be stopping their cars to pick up the bottles and cans discarded by those who don’t care. Those folks who throw their beer cans, and drink containers out on the side of the road will continue to do so. This is a safety hazard, people may by killed or injured by other drivers who aren’t looking out as well as they should. This is a real problem and needs to be stopped before it gets the kind of momentum it needs. Talk to your representatives and your county commissioners, don’t let this TAX become a part of our Texas landscape.
Filed under: Happening Now, Politics | Tags: legislation, Politicians, Presidential race, Taxes
VP Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan squared off yesterday in the one and only Vice-Presidential debate. It was interesting, but I thought that the way it was handled was stilted. I much preferred the more spirited debate structure, it was a real back and forth, of the Presidential debate. I thought I would go to Fact Check today to see what they had to say about the statements both men made. One that I found somewhat disturbing was the Fisker Automotive loan. The purpose of the loan was to push an electric car, and the money was to be spent in the US. So far so good, of course, not one vehicle was built-in this country, but, the money was spent on R&D, Advertising and other things all in this country. Ryan asked about the money in a way that suggested it was spent on cars being made in Finland, well according to financial statements from Fisker it was all spent here, however, the cars were not built here. What happens is that the funds given to the company were used here so that other funds could be freed up to build the vehicles in Finland. The total amount of funds so far paid to Fisker is $193 billion dollars, out of $595 billion authorized. They were supposed to begin actually building cars in Bidens state of Delaware in a closed down GM plant. That has not happened, and the government has cut off the funding to Fisker. So $193 billion taxpayer dollars gone down the Green Technology sinkhole, with nothing yet to show for it. Did the government fund workers in Finland, not directly, but I would say indirectly yes they did.
I also heard the Frank Luntz focus group last night complain that they didn’t hear any specifics from Ryan, yet he was very clear in saying that their 5 point plan was a starting point for discussions with both Republican and Democratic legislators to begin building legislation and budgets to move our country forward. cutting spending and lowering tax rates properly, while also cleaning up the tax code and getting rid of subsidies that corporations and individuals receive so that we could begin getting out of the mess we are in. Gov. Romney said basically the same thing in his debate with President Obama, yet, we still hear the cries of no specifics, give us specifics. I seem to remember that President Obama ran on Hope and Change, no specifics other than closing Gitmo (not done) and improving our relations in the world, (not done). He also said he would ban torture, that one he claims to have accomplished, he did ban waterboarding.
VP Biden also made the statement that Paul Ryan voted to fund two wars using the government credit card, of course he forgets that he voted for it too. These things always seem to get blown out of proportion, politicians do tend to exaggerate their claims and their good things, while trying to demonize their opponents. Of course one thing I found interesting was that VP Biden decided to double down on the claim that they, the Administration, did not receive any information on the need for increased security, nor did they receive information on the attack being a terrorist attack on the Consulate in Benghazi. Yet the hearings in Congress said that the State Department was following events on the ground in Benghazi by satellite with pictures and they knew that it was a terrorist attack immediately. They also knew that there were no demonstrations outside the consulate in real-time. So why did the Administration, including the Secretary of State continue for two weeks to make tha statements that it was all about the video. Is it true that State did not tell even Hillary Clinton the truth? PLEASE that begs to be refuted. There has been a terrible coverup in this murder of our personnel in Benghazi. The administration is culpable in the deaths of our personnel, they were asked for additional resources for security and they refused to deliver that help to the consulate. That is inexcusable.
So tell me, what do you think, has this latest debate changed your mind, do you think that one or the other of our candidates for office is better than the other, or do you want to hear more from President Obama and Gov. Romney?
Filed under: Politics | Tags: Election, Obamacare, Obamatax, Taxes, unemployment
80,000 jobs added in June, unemployment is still at 8.2% but the true number is much higher when you factor in those who have given up looking for work. There is also a bomb set to explode in 2013 called TAXES. The so-called Bush tax cuts will expire on 1 Jan 2013, taxes will therefore go up, for EVERYBODY, middle class will see a tax increase as well as higher income earners. Notice that is income earners. Those who are receiving welfare do not earn income so do not pay taxes, it is income earners who pay taxes, that is the middle class and above getting hit.
Now here comes the real fun! Obamacare taxes in 2013. This is the real kicker for all of us, but especially middle income folks. Remember that you were promised that your taxes would not go up if you earned less than $250,000 per year. Take a look at what is coming up AFTER you vote for Obama in 2012.
Do you use a medical device? Say a pacemaker, prosthetic limb, maybe you will need a stent. Whatever device you will need in 2013 the obamacare 2.3 percent tax will be added onto the price of the item.
Do you deduct medical costs from your taxes? You have been able to deduct these expenses as long as they were 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. Well Obamacare ups that to 10%, guess who gets hit the hardest? Pre retirement seniors. The government figures to take in about 15 billion dollars over the next 10 years.
Flexible Spending Accounts. Capped at $2,500. Up until 2013 there was no cap on these accounts, so if you had a procedure that cost $7,500 you could pay for it out of that FSA, but not any longer, now you are capped at $2,500 per year. How about braces for your kids, that is an easy $7,000. You will have to pay $4,500 for the first kid and the whole amount for the second one. Do you have a special needs child, look out, that can get real expensive real quick.
Obamacare has also a provision for a surtax on investment accounts. Under the current law, the Capital gains tax will rise from 15 to 20 percent in 2013 and the top dividend rate rises 15% to 39.6% however under Obamacare surtax the Capital Gains rate will 23.8% and the Regular Dividend Rate will be 43.4%. Hows that for a kick in the teeth?
Then there is the Obamacare Medicare Tax Increase. This tax goes against employers to the tune of 87 Billion dollars over the next 10 years. How many people will be laid off so their employer can afford this little goody?
I can surely understand why this is all scheduled for 2013, that way Obama can get reelected before people feel the cost of his legacy. This will add to the burden on our economy and on you the taxpayer. Y’all voted for hope and change, well hope went out the window with 10% + unemployment, change is gone after this election.
What do you think? Is this what you want for our nation?
texasjq2 