Vancouver looks like nice place to visit.
Lots of Winter Olympics events are just crazy, made up games. Aerial skiing? Snowboardcross?
The U.S. sucks at curling, but I am strangly mesmerized by watching it.
Bob Costas may be a real life Benjamin Button.
Cross-country skiers are some of the fittest people on earth.
Admit it - the Canadian national anthem lyrics and melody kicks the U.S. national anthem. We need to replace the Star-Spangled Banner with America The Beautiful if we want to compete with O Canada.
I would rather do almost anything than watch figure skating.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Paying People To Not Work
Consider the following:
People receiving extended unemployment insurance income
People receiving a 65% government insurance subsidy as unemployed in the past year
People participating in Iowa's new state worker early retirement incentive program
What do all these people have in common? I'M PAYING FOR THEM TO NOT WORK!
Consider the following:
People who were paid big bonuses from taxpayer-bailed-out financial institutions
People who bought cars that qualified for last year's 'cash for clunkers' program
People who bought houses that qualified for last year's home purchase tax credit
What to all these people have in common? I'M PAYING FOR THEIR NEW TOYS!
These are two very short lists - there are many other federal and state programs that transfer wealth via taxes from working stiffs to non-workers and/or people who don't need new toys. It's done in various hidden ways, through sales taxes, income taxes, tax credits, you name it, but make no mistake, I am paying taxes to make their lives better, and they are doing nothing for me or for the rest of society.
We aren't talking about people living on the street here either. We are talking about a lot of people with way more property and spare time than I may ever have. Sure, there are exceptions, but the so-called safety net is way to big.
What makes it even more infuriating is that some believe the answer to our economic ills is either higher taxes or more 'stimulus' spending. Look, I hate to admit it, but I believe the federal government did need to step in to bail out the financial fat cats in order to save us innocents. Now, however, it's time to stop giving people an incentive to not work, or to buy things they don't need.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: The government tax and spend monster doesn't need to be fed, it needs to be staved.
People receiving extended unemployment insurance income
People receiving a 65% government insurance subsidy as unemployed in the past year
People participating in Iowa's new state worker early retirement incentive program
What do all these people have in common? I'M PAYING FOR THEM TO NOT WORK!
Consider the following:
People who were paid big bonuses from taxpayer-bailed-out financial institutions
People who bought cars that qualified for last year's 'cash for clunkers' program
People who bought houses that qualified for last year's home purchase tax credit
What to all these people have in common? I'M PAYING FOR THEIR NEW TOYS!
These are two very short lists - there are many other federal and state programs that transfer wealth via taxes from working stiffs to non-workers and/or people who don't need new toys. It's done in various hidden ways, through sales taxes, income taxes, tax credits, you name it, but make no mistake, I am paying taxes to make their lives better, and they are doing nothing for me or for the rest of society.
We aren't talking about people living on the street here either. We are talking about a lot of people with way more property and spare time than I may ever have. Sure, there are exceptions, but the so-called safety net is way to big.
What makes it even more infuriating is that some believe the answer to our economic ills is either higher taxes or more 'stimulus' spending. Look, I hate to admit it, but I believe the federal government did need to step in to bail out the financial fat cats in order to save us innocents. Now, however, it's time to stop giving people an incentive to not work, or to buy things they don't need.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: The government tax and spend monster doesn't need to be fed, it needs to be staved.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Tea Party No, Tax Reform Yes
It's becoming more common these days to hear outrage from people who are fed up with seeing their tax money go to bailouts and pork projects. While we didn't have much choice on some of the bailout, it was full of pork pet projects. This outrage is on balance a good thing. Governments have proven to be generally poor stewards of our money. I've said it before, if it doesn't establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, or secure the blessings of liberty, we ought not be paying for it.
But all good outrage must have a kooky element, so enter the so-called Tea Party movement. This supposedly independent but factually right-leaning group is trying to gain traction as a meaningful political force. While I'm all for a viable third party, these folks are actually making me miss Ross Perot. Call me crazy, but if Dick 'Smoke 'em if you got 'em' Armey is one of your organizational leaders, you might not be independent. And if you invite Sarah 'I read all the papers' Palin to be the keynote speaker at your convention, you also might not be independent. Or even very smart.
If those misguided Tea Party souls want to direct their energy at something more independent and worthwhile, they should visit Iowa to watch Chet 'I need another cheeseburger' Culver tax and spend our state into ecomomic oblivion. Or for a more bipartisan target, how about our state board of regents raising tuition at the three public universities by 6%. 6%! Somebody please tell me what in this country, besides healthcare, is currently going up at a 6% clip? Or even half that?! Don't you think maybe, just maybe we've got too many tenured professors and administrators at these schools? Regardless, if it were a business in this economy, raising prices by 6%, it would be finished.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to say "No!" to the governments and their non-profit bretheren, which service the taxpayer like the boar services the sow. Our government combined with our political process is a mixture that simply does not work. We don't need a tea party to fix this, we just need to elect tax reformers that will give us a lower and preferably flat tax structure, and give government the liposuction it dearly needs.
But all good outrage must have a kooky element, so enter the so-called Tea Party movement. This supposedly independent but factually right-leaning group is trying to gain traction as a meaningful political force. While I'm all for a viable third party, these folks are actually making me miss Ross Perot. Call me crazy, but if Dick 'Smoke 'em if you got 'em' Armey is one of your organizational leaders, you might not be independent. And if you invite Sarah 'I read all the papers' Palin to be the keynote speaker at your convention, you also might not be independent. Or even very smart.
If those misguided Tea Party souls want to direct their energy at something more independent and worthwhile, they should visit Iowa to watch Chet 'I need another cheeseburger' Culver tax and spend our state into ecomomic oblivion. Or for a more bipartisan target, how about our state board of regents raising tuition at the three public universities by 6%. 6%! Somebody please tell me what in this country, besides healthcare, is currently going up at a 6% clip? Or even half that?! Don't you think maybe, just maybe we've got too many tenured professors and administrators at these schools? Regardless, if it were a business in this economy, raising prices by 6%, it would be finished.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to say "No!" to the governments and their non-profit bretheren, which service the taxpayer like the boar services the sow. Our government combined with our political process is a mixture that simply does not work. We don't need a tea party to fix this, we just need to elect tax reformers that will give us a lower and preferably flat tax structure, and give government the liposuction it dearly needs.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
The Cinderella Story
[standing in an ornamental flowerbed]
What an incredible Cinderella story! This unknown, comes out of nowhere, to lead the pack at Augusta. He's at the final hole. He's about 455 yards away, he's gonna hit about a 2-iron, I think...
[swings, pulverizes a flower]
Oh, he got all of that! The crowd is standing on its feet here at Augusta. The normally reserved crowd is going wild...for this young Cinderella who's come out of nowhere. He's got about 350 yards left, he's going to hit about a 5-iron, it looks like, don't you think? He's got a beautiful backswing...
[swings, pulverizes another flower]
That's...oh, he got all of that one! He's gotta be pleased with that! The crowd is just on its feet here. He's a Cinderella boy. Tears in his eyes, I guess, as he lines up this last shot. He's got about 195 yards left, and he's got a, looks like he's got about an 8-iron. This crowd has gone deadly silent... Cinderella story, out of nowhere, former greenskeeper, now about to become the Masters champion...
[swings, pulverizes yet another flower]
It looks like a mirac- it's in the hole! It's in the hole!
What an incredible Cinderella story! This unknown, comes out of nowhere, to lead the pack at Augusta. He's at the final hole. He's about 455 yards away, he's gonna hit about a 2-iron, I think...
[swings, pulverizes a flower]
Oh, he got all of that! The crowd is standing on its feet here at Augusta. The normally reserved crowd is going wild...for this young Cinderella who's come out of nowhere. He's got about 350 yards left, he's going to hit about a 5-iron, it looks like, don't you think? He's got a beautiful backswing...
[swings, pulverizes another flower]
That's...oh, he got all of that one! He's gotta be pleased with that! The crowd is just on its feet here. He's a Cinderella boy. Tears in his eyes, I guess, as he lines up this last shot. He's got about 195 yards left, and he's got a, looks like he's got about an 8-iron. This crowd has gone deadly silent... Cinderella story, out of nowhere, former greenskeeper, now about to become the Masters champion...
[swings, pulverizes yet another flower]
It looks like a mirac- it's in the hole! It's in the hole!
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