Posts Tagged ‘taxes’

Sooner or later you have to join the side you’re on

Posted: December 7, 2010 by datechguy in economy, media, tea parties
Tags: , , ,

I was born during the Administration of JFK and raised in a Very Catholic Democratic house. My Father was a WW 2 navy vet. We were democrats and that was it.

As I got older I was fascinated by the past and started collecting history books figuring the best way to understand the past is to hear what the people who actually lived there thought. I’d pick the brains of anyone older than me about how life actually was. By 23 I owned small Hobby shop and got a crash course in the realities of business.

By 1992 my business had failed and a presidential election was coming up. I found Paul Tsongas an honest fellow who was unwilling to pander and I found Bill Clinton someone fun, but considered him a BS artist. (It was not until I saw him speak in person this year that I saw just how convincing he can be when simply shoveling nonsense).

When the party went with Clinton I became “unenrolled” (we don’t have independents in Mass because there was an “independent” party). I voted for Bill Clinton in 1992 as I was very worried about Ross Perot.

By 1996 I had more than enough of Clinton and happily voted for Dole, but with the help once again of Ross Perot Clinton became the only president to win two elections without ever winning the majority of the popular vote. UPDATE: Actually Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson also share this distinction, good catch in comments.

In 2000 I desperately wanted George W. Bush and thought the attempts by democrats to steal the election AND disenfranchise Military votes were horrifying. Combined with Democrats deciding that believing Catholics were sexist, bigots, homophobes for opposing abortion and Gay Marriage I had enough.

By 2002 I was a registered republican, when asked why I answered: “I decided it was time to join the side I’m on.”

Which brings me to Joe Scarborough.

Over the last two years we have seen him move farther and farther to the left, suggesting that conservatives give up the fight on social issues, advising us to change in order to win in New England and NY, attacking the war in Afghanistan, Sarah Palin and dismissing the tea party while boosting stuff like the Jon Stewart Rally.

Now this week it has been just every day “Why is Obama caving” “Tax Cuts for the rich” blah blah blah. Not a word about the fact the democrats have not fixed the Alternate Minimum tax that will hit Americans who make $60,000 a year in January (in fairness to Joe the only show that mentioned this subject that I’ve heard was mine).

Now he is writing for Politico. Last week it was hitting Palin, this week it was hitting Obama for keeping the tax rates.

After all, the White House is convinced that the toxic combination of the Republican landslide and another grim jobs report has left Obama in an impossible position to negotiate. emphasis mine

Yup there is nothing more toxic than a republican landslide (oddly on the show it was all about republican failure) and yet four paragraphs later:

Americans don’t favor the Republican position on tax cuts.

Yup who needs an election to judge what people think when we have a CBS poll to tell us people don’t support republicans.

So we have Republican Joe Scarborough in two columns attacking Sarah Palin for fighting the democratic agenda and attacking Obama for not fighting republicans.

Bill Bennett today on Morning Joe mentioned how liberal he has gotten, on twitter on wag quipped:

It’s like working in a bakery, ya come home smelling of donuts even if ya didn’t eat any.

Bottom line is the Tea Party limited government wing of the party is taking over and Joe is apparently firmly in the Washington Beltway get along go along wing.

My advice: Joe, take a step back and think about what you actually believe. Sooner or later you have to join the side you are on.

Instalanche: Nothing like an Instalanche in your sleep. Welcome all. If you’ve missed my NEW radio show the Da Archive is to the left. Our guest this week will be Pam Geller of Atlas Shrugs and special guest Bob Belvedere of Camp of the Saints. Join us at our special time 5 p.m (due to UMass Basketball) on AM 830 WCRN 50,000 watts of true talk. (live stream at link) Oh and if you are a fan of Glenn you might want to keep the evening of Saturday January 15th open. And if you are interested in advertising and/or reserving space for February when we add a 2nd hour click here for rates

Update: Boy Kcom had a point in comments. Re-read the post and made minor corrections, I need to read these aloud before I hit post otherwise I tend to see what I’m thinking other than what I’ve actually written.

The Tax Cut misconception

Posted: December 3, 2010 by datechguy in economy, opinion/news
Tags: , , ,

As I was going door to door yesterday I stopped at a book store that absolutely screams “progressive” but is a mostly cool place with a fair amount of Anime and some wonderful used old volumes. At the store I asked the question I ask at almost every business, what would you do to stimulate the economy?

It was his opinion that the problems were systemic (first person to have that conclusion that I talked to) however there is one thing he knew for sure:

I wouldn’t give tax cuts to the rich.

I don’t know who he thinks actually hires people (I’ve never seen a paycheck written by a poor person) but his opinion has been a distinct minority in the hundreds of doors I’ve knocked on in the last month.

It’s certainly not my business to argue with potential customers (and he is more than welcome to get on our customer waiting list with the show sold out) but let me make the opposite case.

It has been amply demonstrated that Cutting Taxes across the board increases tax revenue as the money gets spent over and over (and is taxed over and over at the lower rate). It’s a simple business principle. You make more money selling 5 items with a $1 markup then 2 items at a $2 markup.

Remember Williams Restaurant? If you can’t sell a $20 steak sell $8 burgers and sell more of them.

People seems to have this image of rich people as Scrooge McDuck with a Money Pile diving into it, or of Mr. Krabs chasing pennies, you are more likely to see the rich chasing profit and or comfort and both of those things generate jobs.

It is the rich who chasing profit, invest in new business’ and ventures financing both their ideas and the ideas of others. This is the a big job creator.

And it is also the rich who after making said money buy expensive things like yachts and customer cars or restoring WW 2 Tanks and other expensive hobbies, this employees a lot of people.

And it is the rich who keep their houses spic and span hiring staff and cleaning companies and landscapers etc…

And if you are an artist, tell me who is going to pay you $5000 for some bent metal or a faux stuffed emu? It is not going to be the avg guy. It is either going to be the rich who have money or the government who is spending another persons money.

The truth is many people don’t care about the revenue levels, they are simply socialists looking to redistribute wealth and punish those who in their mind have too much.

The secret to a happy life is to not worry about if someone else has more than you. Do the best you can with what you have and appreciate it.

And as I type this the unemployment rate went up to 9.8%. Unexpectedly I’m sure.

It’s not an “investment” its “spending”

Posted: November 18, 2010 by datechguy in economy, opinion/news
Tags: , , , ,

Investment

1. In finance, the purchase of a financial product or other item of value with an expectation of favorable future returns. In general terms, investment means the use money in the hope of making more money.

2. In business, the purchase by a producer of a physical good, such as durable equipment or inventory, in the hope of improving future business.

investing:

to put (money) to use, by purchase or expenditure, in something offering potential profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value.

spending

to pay out, disburse, or expend; dispose of (money, wealth, resources, etc.): resisting the temptation to spend one’s money.

deficit spending

The amount by which a government, company, or individual’s spending exceeds its income over a particular period of time. also called deficit or called budget deficit.

I have had very little time to listen to Morning Joe lately as the Radio Show premiere is under 55 hours away and as the latest member of the 99 week club I have to be off selling ads or my mortgage will not get paid.

Today I had some time after dropping my son off at school and I had the displeasure of listening to John Kerry’s rant this morning.

In addition to boasting about the democrats win in Massachusetts (with a little help from their friends) John Kerry talked about how people have been decided by the republicans about taxes.

He repeatedly talked about government “investments” but then mentioned corporate “spending” on lobbyists to stop good things like carbon and energy taxes.

This is the height of liberal speak. So lets bluntly say aloud what needs to be said:

Government doesn’t produce anything. Every Dollar that Government has is collected in taxes or fees or fines from either the public or businesses. The only exception I can think of are leases of government (read the people’s) property.

Government doesn’t invest it SPENDS. It may spend on useful things , the Military, food inspections, the National Weather Service, but these are not investments it is spending.

Business however when it spends it does so for a return. That is a true investment. Even the use of lobbyists to effect a law is an actual investment with the expectation of a return.

I have one simple rule. If an official refers to spending as an investment, that tells me that they can’t justify it without wordplay.

Have some guts! If you think your spending is good and worthwhile and justifiable then call it what it is and defend it, but don’t’ insult my intelligence by calling it an “investment”.

I have a question for those who say Christine O’Donnell is losing big in Del

Posted: October 21, 2010 by datechguy in congress, elections, internet/free speech, opinion/news, politics
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

You know the folks who spend all their time laughing.

Via Glenn we see this from ABC (all emphasis mine):

Chris Coons changed his previous position on the Bush-era tax cuts this morning telling me that he would support extending all of the tax cuts for everyone for “several years.”

“I am committed to extending the Bush tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans for everybody making up to $250,000, but I would extend them for everyone,” the Democratic candidate for Delaware’s Senate seat told me on “GMA.”

“I’d be willing to extend them for several years for all Americans, of whatever income if that also allows us to reach a bipartisan compromise that makes real progress in offering tax relief to small and medium businesses, to the home owners exception, to research and development,” he said.

That contradicts President Obama’s position and Coons’ own campaign website, which states “High-Income Bush Tax Cuts Should Expire on Schedule.”

The key take-aways from this?

1. The MSM has been making fun of Christine O’Donnell’s debate performances for the last three days. Yet this morning, after Delaware voters saw those same debates that the MSM laughed at it is Chris Coons NOT Christine O’Donnell who feels compelled to change positions.

2. Does a candidate 12 days before an election flip-flop on a key position if he is actually up 10+ points in a race?

3. What does it say about President Obama’s popularity that less than a week after he visits Delaware his candidate Chris Coons feels the need to run away from the president’s position.

I think O’Donnell wins this race as part of the big red wave as long as she doesn’t make the mistake of forgetting the people who got her there.

Update: Instalanche: Thanks Glenn and further along the lines of political reality check this out from my latest piece for the examiner:

The President of the United States is the most powerful man in the world. He won Massachusetts by 24 points yet 3000 people were bussed in from all over the state to attend. Boston is a city of over 600,000 the metro area is 4.5 million and it’s been voting democrat for 60 years yet the campaign didn’t have the confidence that they could draw on a Saturday three weeks before an election?

Coons flipped after an Obama visit, NRO reports Obama will be in Connecticut two days before election day. Will that leave Blumenthal enough time to run away from him?

Update 2: On GMA O’Donnell stands behind her 1st Amendment remarks while the Washington Post and the Widener law school itself have to edit their reports wholesale. Who are the idiots here?

Older Entries
Newer Entries