Why must the rich pay all the taxes?

Just because 1 percent of Americans earn over 23 percent of the country's income and 20 percent of Americans earn over 50 percent of the country's income, why should they pay the bulk of taxes?

Just because 40 percent of Americans earn less than 12 percent of the country's income, why should they be exempt from income tax? What are these freeloaders doing to pull our country out of recession and support our wars? The 6.2% they pay for Social Security and the 1.45% they pay for Medicare is a drop in the bucket. Sales and excise taxes don't count because these losers can barely afford to buy anything that's taxed to begin with so their contributions are minimal. Why should they be getting a free ride with earned tax credits and the like on their roughly $4,000-$6,000-a-person income while the wealthiest Americans have to pay up to 35% of their earned income in taxes?

Sure the guys at the top get a lower rate for capital gains and exclusions for dividend income or their municipal bond holdings while the less fortunate have to pay taxes on their pathetic savings account interest, but hey, they're the ones who stimulate our economy - just ask any hedge fund manager or credit default swap trader.

Billionaire Warren Buffet claims he pays one third less tax on his last dollar of income than his secretary does on hers, but I can't figure out if he's bragging or complaining.

What's with this whole Social Security thing anyway? Any fund manager could do a better job managing that money than the federal government. Just ask the guys at Lehman, no I mean Merrill Lynch, no Goldman Sachs... oops, perhaps not the best examples. Kids should be supporting their parents anyway. That's how we used to do things. What's that, the kids can't find jobs and are swamped by education loan debt? Well, life is hard and then you die.

All those lazy out-of-work people are swamping our homeless shelters, soup kitchens and hospital emergency rooms. When are we going to stop giving the American poor a free ride and put them to work cleaning our roads and bridges and public restrooms for room and board? It's not slavery if your intentions are good.

Katie's Walk for Diabetes Cure

In almost every way Katie Wolf is a typical 9 year old girl. But in her short life Katie has has 9,534 pricks to check her blood sugar, 6,056 shots, 416 insulin pump set changes and has had an insulin pump attached to her body for 832 days. Katie has had blood drawn every 3 months.

You see Katie has lived with juvenile diabetes for over 4 years. Katie's dad, Kevin, has lived with juvenile diabetes for 27 years (over 2/3 of his life). Juvenile or Type 1 diabetes is insulin dependant. It is becoming more prevalent than Type 2 diabetes which can often be "fixed" with careful diet and exercise. Type 1 will never be "fixed" without a medical breakthrough/cure which requires substantial and continued financial support. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund International is the best hope of finding a cure for this frightening disease for Katie, her Dad, and millions more.

On October 2, 2010, Katie will join fellow "Divabetics" to "Walk to Cure Diabetes" in Ontario, California. To support her courageous effort, click on the Title of this post which will connect you with her fund-raising page. Good luck, Katie!

Perhaps a Beamer?

So I went to the bank to roll over a CD. Could not force myself to lock in less than 1% interest for 9 months. Even if the rates are the same or lower in 9 months, what does it matter? Money sitting in savings accounts, money markets and CD's all over the country is languishing. I know it is important to keep cash on hand for emergencies, but when your banking fees exceed your interest on accounts, a stuffed mattress is more appealing.

What to do?
I could buy some real estate, but I don't know how to manage rental units and don't need (or want) a second home. Besides, I believe the real estate bust is far from over with more unpleasant surprises down the road.

I could invest in stocks. Some are offering dividends that are especially attractive compared with bank accounts. But I am already there as much as I want to be right now. I no longer trust the companies I invest in. They lie on their balance sheets, they lie to their shareholders, they gift wrap any company profits and lovingly bestow them on their risk-taking management teams, adamantly resist any temptation to reinvest profits back into their companies and thrill Wall Street by laying off experienced workforces that will be difficult to replace when (if) the economy recovers.

There are always U. S. Treasuries, a great favorite right now. So popular are they the interest rates are at historic lows and the opportunity for erosion of capital (known as risk to the more blunt among us) is uncomfortably high.

On the other hand...
That 328i in the BMW lot looked awful cute. I wonder how it handles? What harm could an little test drive do?

Senate Blocks Repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell

[Click on the post title for source article.]

So the Senate voted to block debate on the annual authorization of military programs, largely to prevent ending Don't Ask Don't Tell. Arkansas Democratic senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor voted with the Republicants to deprive supporters of a filibuster proof majority.

Is ending Don't Ask Don't Tell a liberal agenda item? You betcha. The policy is poorly conceived, unevenly implemented and based upon the premise that a group of people should live a lie. Liberals refuse to believe THAT is the American way.

This is a civil rights issue - equal protection under the law. Don't Ask Don't Tell is particularly invidious because it forces gays to live a lie and even then does not guarantee them protection. The law codifies discrimination and legitimizes sexual harassment.

Why is Tolerance a Lightning Rod?

Why do the intolerant react with rage to positions of tolerance? I do not know. But taking such positions opens one up to vicious, frightening attacks. The only change in the 40 years since the incident below is the unlikelihood the epithet "nigger lover" would be used today. And I am not totally sure about that. Much as I hate writing that term, those were the words that were used.

On the Workboat to Liberty Island - 1970
Tolerance spoke softly, gently, in self-effacing terms,
Tuned thoughtfully to her companion - intolerance.
Foolishly depending upon vagueness and half-hearted accommodation,
To ALL others.

As a tiny match ignites the forest,
Did soft-spoken hints at difference
Fuse the explosion - of bigotry.

Two needles sprang into
The pale blue eyes of hate.
Instant comprehension of the hackneyed phrase -
"If looks could kill."
Could? Something died.

Tolerance cringed in fear before,
Naked eyes of hooded demons.
"Are you a nigger lover?" screamed the man (?)
"There are two sides..." she stammered.
"Are you a nigger lover, slut?"

Crushing, crashing down, she fled in terror
From the man -

There was left the inescapable.
The knowledge -
Of night riders; Gestapo; inquisition;
The inviability of tolerance,
Which, accommodating intolerance,
Is raped and murdered in her bed by
The guest who accommodates nothing.

Written February 8, 1977, seven years after the incident.

Elizabeth Warren Named "Advisor"

Pragmatism trumped valor, and quite possibly political acumen, when President Obama named Elizabeth Warren an "advisor" to the President and the Treasury Secretary, rather than Director of the newly formed Consumer Protection Bureau. While I understand the President's reluctance to take on a tough Senate confirmation fight, I cannot help but wish he had chosen that route. A Senate hearing would have been illuminating and I do not believe it would have been a bad thing for the underdog Democrats heading into a challenging election season.

Warren, who is detested by financial industry insiders, has garnered wide support among consumer advocates for her stand against the big guys in her position as Director of the Congressional TARP Oversight Commission.

The same New York Times article that reported her appointment [click on this post's title for the link] reported: "The favorite among administration officials [for the position of Bureau Director] is Michael S. Barr, an assistant secretary of Treasury for financial institutions who is an authority on financial regulation and on services for low and moderate-income households." [We have seen how well Treasury has served THAT constituency.] Additionally, the article said, "Privately, Mr. Geithner [Wall Street's darling] promoted Mr. Barr for the consumer post."

The article further mentioned Mr. Geithner's apparent pleasure at the appointment.

Just when I thought the Obama Administration might be developing some spine.

Our President might do well to heed the words of country singer Aaron Tippin: "You've got to stand for something, or you'll fall for anything."

Moderates March on Washington?

Last night Daily Show host Jon Stewart unveiled his plan for a "Million Moderate March on Washington."
The date: October 30, 2010
The place: The Mall in Washington D.C.
The goal: "Let's take it down a notch, America."

Click on the post title for details.

Stewart, whose Daily Show is characterized by impeccable research, specializes in pinpointing the lies, inconsistencies and foibles of politicians on BOTH sides of the aisle and the mainstream media with irreverent hilarity. Stewart wants to restore sanity to the nation's discourse. He will be joined in the effort by his Comedy Central colleague, Stephen Colbert (pronounced Col-bare). Colbert, who purports to be ultra-conservative, will be vying for supporters with his "Freak out for Freedom, America" message.

I have never attended a major demonstration, but this one is tempting. Night after night, I stay up late to catch my daily dose of sanity and humor from Jon Stewart.

Hmmm, a million moderates? Surely there are AT LEAST that many left?