Have a Common Sense New Year

On December 4 I posted some observations regarding the Payroll Tax Holiday. At that time I actually thought a Congress would just pass the thing and give us all a Christmas present in the form of a grand less tax for another year. However what has happened in the last couple days surprises even me....wow

“GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell famously said a year ago that his main task in the 112th Congress was to make sure that President Obama would not be re-elected. Given how he and House Speaker John Boehner have handled the payroll tax debate, we wonder if they might end up re-electing the President before the 2012 campaign even begins in earnest.

The GOP leaders have somehow managed the remarkable feat of being blamed for opposing a one-year extension of a tax holiday that they are surely going to pass. This is no easy double play”.

No easy double play indeed, however not surprising considering the current United States of America House of Representatives uncanny ability to shoot itself in the foot! The quote above is from the 12/21 edition of the Wall Street Journal, and personally I find it rather ironic that sitting tea party republicans would engage in this kind of political masochism.

But then, we have been here before now haven’t we. Anyone remember the debacle that ensued this summer when it came time to raise the deficit ceiling? Congress famously disagreed to disagree and passed the buck to the “super committee” and simply kicked the can down the road. Of course, the super heroes of this mega-partisan, invitation- only party of 12 failed to achieve jack shit and let the sequestration process kick in. Of course in reality they just kicked the can a little further and started immediately into the blame game for political gamesmanship and further exposed their incompetence to the rest of us.

So I really wish anyone and I mean anyone could explain to me the logic involved in opposing something that you are really for just because your opponent is for it too. The fact is, there is no logic involved, no common sense, absolutely no logical thought process at all.

Let’s get this straight, the tea party influenced House of Representatives really supports tax cuts as a means to stimulate economic growth and ultimately “grow” our way out of the massive federal deficit we find ourselves in. Ok I get it, basic Milton Freedman stuff. Hey, Uncle Sam’s tax bite hurts me in the ass just like everybody else and any less pain is ok fine with me. What I don’t get is that now that the other side has not only acquiesced to an additional year payroll tax reduction, but actually pushed the agenda; the same tea party types are blocking the whole thing!!!!!!!! I mean it’s a gift, take it and go home for Christmas. Buuuttt Nnnnnoooo …..Just hand me the gun and let me blow off my big toe!

House Republicans yesterday voted down the Senate's two-month extension of the two-percentage-point payroll tax holiday to 4.2% from 6.2%. They say the short extension makes no economic sense, but then neither does a one-year extension. No employer is going to hire a worker based on such a small and temporary decrease in employment costs, as this year's tax holiday has demonstrated. The entire exercise is political, but Republicans have thoroughly botched the politics.

Well, welcome to the “House of dysfunction” where we all disagree to disagree…..even if we actually agree. Pardon me, but I find this really stupid.

I realize I’m getting on a bit of a rant here but gee whiz, you would hope that after an economic collapse the size and scope of which has not been seen in fifty years, that our elected leaders could actually work together for the benefit of families, elders, children, workers, all of us, rather that become more polarized and unwilling to compromise on anything. Personally, I am more interested in results than a particular ideology. More interested in accomplishing something to reduce the humongous national Public debt (that is the fault and responsibility of both parties) than waist time fighting and blaming the other guy. More interested in taking action to improve our GDP, economic growth, and standard of living for everybody than bicker and waist time trying to unseat the other party and save my own ass. More interested in tolerance than wasting time trying to force personal values on everybody else.

Call me crazy, but since my tax dollars are paying the salaries of 535 public employees in the House and Senate, I would like to humbly request a little bit better job performance, and an adjustment in priorities. As I have said before, I truly do not believe the current divide within the halls of Congress does not represent the general population of the country. If Common sense cannot prevail within the present system than maybe it is time for a Common Sense Party that represents those of us that have an open mind, are disposed to the need for compromise, and call upon logic rather than a rigid pre set ideology, to make decisions.

I do hope for a resolution to the Payroll Tax Holiday extension, so we can all spend (at least that’s what the Fed economists are hoping) the extra thousand bucks in our pockets as a result. I would say that I also hope for Members of Congress to be able to come home and spend Christmas with Family…..but that would be disingenuous.

Merry Christmas and a Common Sense New Year.   

   

The Payroll Tax Holiday and how Washington has disagreed to disagree.

The Payroll Tax Holiday and how Washington has disagreed to disagree.

This is interesting, usually a double negative equals a positive, like “I do not disapprove” means that you do approve. If you look at the statement “disagree to disagree” this, however, is not the case. What I see is a perpetual black hole of disagreement that goes on and on ad infinitum. This unfortunately represents the current status of our Federal Government. What follows is just another observation and example of this phenomenon and a further argument for another political “Common Sense” Party, or at least some moderate, centrist, independent, logical, non partisan, thought process in the system. My friend Winemkr is fond of saying “vote um out of office”. While I agree that the voting booth is our ultimate remedy, I would prefer not to resort to the “Lesser of two evils”. Call me selfish, but really think we deserve something better than that!

Personally I think that the  republican party's position against the Obama administration’s request to extend the payroll tax holiday is analogous to refusing bandages after an auto accident to stop the bleeding (and maybe save your life) because that doesn't include sutures, antibiotics and cosmetic surgery so that you end up just as good as new. Apparently some opponents just don't cater to the old adage "never let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Has not the corner stone of republican policy been tax reduction? Is not one of the fundamental tenants of fiscal conservatism to reduce the tax burden on every aspect of working America? Does not that policy extend across the spectrum from large corporate America, to mid and small size business, to high, middle and low income workers? Is it not universally accepted among them that a reduced tax burden will stimulate private spending, thus increase demand and reduce supply, thus increase production, thus promote hiring and reduce unemployment, thus increase demand for raw materials, and so on and so forth??? Now, in macroeconomic terms, I agree with this general line of thinking. The Federal Government has historically (make that NEVER) used or spent money as efficiently as the private sector*, and a global free market system, with the proper regulations has resulted in a better standard of living across the board for all Americans. This is provided that the federal government maintain (through proper regulation) a "fair and level playing field", and they do spend appropriately on education, infrastructure, and R & D. Yea, yea, I Realize that it's not that simple and I certainly don't intend to insult anyone by presenting basic   eco101 (however it oft seems that many of our elected officials were smoking in the boys room during their basic economy classes).

What’s important here though is that this argument is yet another example of the extreme partisan divide which I view as a serious flaw in Political function (or dysfunction as the case may be) in our current legislature. I have been commenting on this issue a wee bit since we started this blog and this dysfunction led to the idea of a Common Sense Party.  I would say this represents the epitome of this nonsense in the fact that the republicans are actually arguing against the very thing they have so vehemently argued for.....tax reduction! I hate to say it but I think things have gotten so low, so visceral, so polarized that it really doesn't matter what the other guy says.Every member is just hitting the "Auto - Against" button.

I know this is not anywhere near the package of spending reductions and tax cuts republicans want. I am aware this is indeed temporary, and the opposition says "this is just a tax rebate, we never do tax rebates" WTF…. Bush gave a tax rebate. My understanding is this would equate to a thousand bucks per household. A thousand in the pocket of every citizen at a time when unemployment is still nearly 9% and we might just be seeing light at the end of the toilet paper tube. STFU and pass out the cash!!!!!!!! To quote Cuba Gooding Jr. in Jerry McGuire “show me the money"!

I know, I know, not all republicans are opposed but I'll garandoubledamteeya that those running for office in 2012 are. Why, cause the other guy is for it, and God forbid we ever agree on anything. My God what a bunch of self indulged anus heads.

Are the democrats absent of fault in this whole thing? Hell no! Are they participating in the same visceral, pond scum tactics? Hell yes! I quote from RedBlue America blog "It seems that too much attention is being paid to the payroll tax holiday. It’s being painted as a major panacea to our unemployment woes. The political class actually agrees that this holiday will be effective in creating significant jobs. There is little evidence for that".
So basically BO and democratic senate and house members are just throwing a bone to all of us fine citizens in the form of a grand in our pockets.......humm......let me think……….I'm in!

The fact that Mitch McConnell supported this measure in 2009 and now stands with his minions in staunch opposition only conveys the perpetual stalemate in Congress. Both sides claim that the method of funding is the sticking point i.e. Social security as opposed to sir-tax on uber wealthy, but every economic expert says the impact ether way is negligible. So what our pea brained elected officials are really doing is not "agreeing to disagree" BUT” disagreeing to disagree”!!!!!! Wow....how fucking stupid is that?

Ok, just to sum this up I’ll put it in bullet points:
1. We have the chance to extend a tax holiday that could leave a thousand bucks in all our pockets.
2. I, for one think that's pretty cool.
3. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have agreed with me, at one time or another.
4. It might not happen just because, no one is willing to support an idea (even if they truly like it) that the other guy suggested first.

One last thought and I'm guessing this has not gone unnoticed by many of you; as a lover of oxymoron’s I must put this near the top of the list...................... TAX HOLIDAY!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS
 

Tolerance and "The Day My Momma Socked it to The Harper Valley PTA"

Tolerance and "The Day My Momma Socked it to The Harper Valley PTA"

I was Pondering what I see as a growing lack of tolerance in our American society   these days, and for some reason an old song by Jeannie C. Riley came to mind. The song is titled Harper Valley PTA and basically tells the story of a smarmy little town in the bible belt of America. The narrator is a school girl whose single mom does not fit into the acceptable social behavioral norm of the local citizenry. Ultimately the song ends as the school girl is vindicated by her mom who attends the PTA meeting with the proverbial
" who's doing who and who' doing what" list, and “calls them out” for the hypocrites, and close minded, intolerant boneheads they are.

If memory serves me well, which is subject to question, this song came out in the late sixties, a time of social change and upheaval in American society. Now, I will be the first to concede that some of the excesses we experienced and promoted in the sixties were a bit over the top and possibility did not produce the vibrant, productive, cross-section of American society the baby boomer generation has become. That being said, it was a time that shook up an uptight society and really resulted in profound changes in the tolerance level of a lot of folks and some serious universal acceptance of equal rights regardless of race or sex. It has been my personal observation that progress in the right direction continued for several decades with equal opportunity increasing for Blacks and Women. We now have a Black president and Female Secretary of State......progress indeed.

I am grateful for the progress we have achieved, but today, I speak to a newer level of intolerance, an attitude that has certainly always been around but has recently gotten far more pervasive. For the sake of this piece, let's call this phenomenon the "moral values war" or MVW for short (might as well use an acronym, as it is another trend we might have to rant about in a future post). I believe that the MVW really began to escalate in earnest in 2000 with the election of George W. Bush. What has ensued is a decade of increased fear mongering and polarization.  Our U.S. Political parties, and system in general used to be about management of our "ship of state", and not about taking sides on personal, moral, spiritual, and religious values! Those values could be discussed, and argued on a personal basis irrespective of political party, and quite frankly I think that's the way it oughta be!

The current incarnation of the Republican Party (RP) has become the torch bearer for the New Social Conservative Army or NSCA to use another acronym. So here is a news flash; RP joins NSCA in new surge aimed at the North American Theater of the ongoing MVW!!!!!!! In my humble opinion this is simply not good news. Legislating social issues is not only inappropriate, it simply does not achieve any positive outcome, but only serves to further the political divide we are now experiencing. A viewing of any of the nearly dozen republican debates thus far will reveal this social divide in all its ignoble glory.

Don't get me wrong the liberal side is not devoid of war crimes in the MVW. Let's call them the New Social Liberal Army or NSLA. The NSLA has fought skirmishes in the school prayer arena for example. You know, getting national retailers to not refer to the "Christmas" season; rather the "holiday" season and as such not referring to a "religious" holiday. Personally I find this rather chicken shit as well, but will admit to paying more focus to the NSCA right now. Maybe this is due to the Republican nomination process and associated media that's constantly putting this boorhah in our faces.

The main thing is that I simply don't believe that the current political divide on “social" issues as portrayed by the NSCA or the majority of republican candidates is an accurate representation of the feeling of most Americans. In fact I don't think it's even close. I highly recommend reading commentary by Fareed Zakaria and Thomas Freidman in Times mag. And New York Times for further history, possible remedies, and reflections on this apparent disconnect. Better yet, read “That Used to Be Us" by Thomas Freidman and Michael Mendelbaum. While I do not pretend to have any solutions to this dilemma, I do suggest that a Lack of Tolerance, across the spectrum is affecting our society in a very pervasive and destructive fashion.

This post is not about my personal views on any of these issues. I do have strong spiritual feelings, strong values, and personal beliefs. I am happy to share them with whoever wants me to. I am happy to have civil dialog and debate about them with whoever wants me to. I am also happy to keep them to myself since what I chose to believe in, and my relationship with my Higher Power are in fact very personal. I am happy to respect the personal beliefs of others and exchange ideas when it is mutually agreed upon. What I cannot abide by is the attempt by anyone to enforce their personal beliefs and values upon me or anyone else without express permission to do so!!!!!!!

Tolerance is the key. Tolerance of Religion, be it, Protestant, Catholic, Mormon, Lutheran, Baptist, Buddhist, Hindu, Scientology, Agnostic, Atheist, and yes, Muslim. Tolerance of race and ethnicity be it, Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, Inuit, and yes, Canadian. Tolerance of personal belief; if you don't believe in abortion....don't have one! If you are a man and don't believe in gay marriage, for God sakes, don't marry a guy!
So, just like the bone heads in “Harper Valley" if you don't care for some else's life style....tuff shit, get over it and get a life!

Maybe our elected officials could use a little more tolerance and lead by example. Maybe on the other hand we really need a bottom up, grass roots, world wide effort to promote Tolerance in all things and set an example for our leaders to follow.

From Harper Valley PTA to the halls of Congress, a little more tolerance may be just what we need.
MERRY CHRISTMAS

A Few Things I Disagree With Michelle Bachmann On.

Michelle Bachmann: We had a FB dialog going regarding Michelle's latest Gaffe in what I regard as a long (in fact never ending) series if mistruths (Yes I may have made that word up) and mmisrepresentations. I won't go into detail other that to say that apparently she was not aware that the United States has not had an embassy in Iran since the Hostage Crisis. Apparently she reveled this lack of common knowledge by telling supporters that A Buchmann presidency would mean "NO us embassy in Iran". Humm, interesting. Anyway, a friend challenged me to reveal just what is was about her policies that i did not like. What follows are just a few, however as I wrote, the few seemed to be quite sufficient for me to develop an honest dislike for this woman as a candidate and a person.

1.       I do not agree with her position against embryonic stem cell (ESC) research.  She and other misguided ignorant people like her believe that it is preferable to flush and embryo left over from IVF procedure down the toilet than to use it to developed ESC lines to use for research. This research just happens to hold the most promise for Type 1 diabetes, MS, Parkinson’s, Kidney disease, and paralyses due to spinal cord injury that has ever been hoped for. This is FACT. I have a Type 1 daughter, have spent years researching this shit, and I know what the fuck I am talking about. Embryos which are fertilized invetro for IVF that are not used (thousands every month in every state) are discarded. They, on the other hand, can be donated to research in where the ESC is isolated and removed, placed in the proper nutrients and continues to divide but not differentiate thus creating a “stem cell line”. The ESC it the one cell from which all the 240 mature adult cells in the human body come from. The research potential for this is endless and universally accepted in the scientific, research and medical communities as the most exciting development in the history of civilization.

Michelle, would not only cut NIH funding, she would have this research made illegal. Even the most social conservative Senator I can think of Orrin Hatch was quoted in the ’06 ESC research enhancement act debate as saying “A five day old embryo in a petri dish, in one thousand years will still be an embryo in a petri dish, not a human life.  So Michelle Bachmann would deny the life saving research needed to end the suffering of Millions of citizens and even deny them life itself because she is morally opposed to using that embryo for research even though it will,in fact, be destroyed anyway. I see this position as the most disgusting, reprehensible, inexcusable, selfish thing I could ever even conceive of.

She would let my daughter die for her moral position!!! Now if that is not enough reason, I will continue.

2.       I disagree with her Anti-choice position on abortion. I happen to have an adopted daughter, so I have (and deserve) a somewhat negative opinion on abortion. Imagine if Annie’s birth mom decided to abort? However, I believe with all my heart and soul that that most difficult decision can and must be made by the mother and father …..And only the mother and father. This is way too important and difficult a decision that must be make with one’s own conscience and higher power and NOT dictated by our federal Government. They have NO fucking place, or right to even be in the discussion of this most heart retching and difficult decision. Michelle has the colossal audacity to believe that she somehow possesses the grand power or “word of God” in making those decisions for us. I say that is a pompous arrogant attitude that I simply cannot abide by. You want more???? Ok-

3.       I disagree with her position on Gay and Lesbian rights and marriage.  Is there any excuse to discriminate against anyone? Is there any logical fair reason you would deny a person equal rights under the law? I simply don’t get it, unless it is simply driven by fear and ignorance.

To deny a person the same rights as anyone else because of their sexual preference is unfair, backward, and just plain wrong. Hey let’s go back and deny women the right to vote…how about blacks? The hypocritical attitude of moral superiority just makes me sick. I have plenty more in the way of issues of difference with Michelle Bachmann. Environmental issues, climate change, foreign affairs, the list is long. The only thing I can even come close to agreeing with her on is deficit reduction. I suspect we both agree as to it as a certain necessity, but I’m sure we disagree on how to achieve it.

It basically comes down to this: I believe that Michelle Bachmann is lost in a fanatic, ideological world of her own creation, and that she actually believes the fantastic, totally made-up incredibly stupid shit she says.  Facts are just an unnecessary luxury she simply does not care about and quite frankly does not need because she thinks she is the only one with God on her side. I feel that we can all try to be on God’s side but God is on all of our sides.

The Herminator says “I’ll be back” We say “not so fast”

The Herminator says “I’ll be back” We say “not so fast”

Maybe it is time to pick on poor Herman Cain just a wee bit. I realize that it is totally unsporting of me (or anyone) to pick on this guy because he is such an easy target, and it is just not fair to pick on a guy who is already just a caricature of himself. Personally I never liked the guy, as a candidate that is, but a fair number of people who’s opinion I respect, although don’t necessarily agree with, said “hey how about this guy Cain. He looks pretty cool. He’s not a beltway insider, and is a smart business man with a compelling, self made, rags to riches story. How refreshing” I could see that if I were a republican (which I no longer classify myself as) I might be enchanted by this guy as a potential threat to Obama. What the hell, he has the afore mentioned qualities plus he has been very philanthropic and as a CEO of several large Corporations he supposedly knows how to run things and delegate. On top of that as an outsider, it is presumed that he is not already in somebody’s hip pocket, and he is a black guy, which is a good way for a white republican who hates Obama to try and dispel any racial guilt or at least present the appearance of such. “See I’m obviously not against Obama due to any racial discriminatory feelings! In fact I support a black guy”. At least The Herminator provided that black get-out-a-jail-free card for fellow republicans even if he drops out at this point Republicans can still say “well I was for Cain but he dropped so now I have to support someone else”

Even though I could empathies with my friends singing the Cain song, my first reaction was, this guy probably sold snake oil to Eve. My second reaction was that his campaign was in the interest of publicity for current book sales and future projects where name recognition equals dollars. Don’t laugh, it’s true, not that I know for certain that was Cain’s motive, but that name recognition equals dollars. Shortly thereafter he announced his 9-9-9 tax plan. I read some analysis from several economists and along with my own admittedly skeptical assessment; I came to the conclusion that Herman is in fact an ignoramus.

I don’t know the details of his plan and every assessment reveled the same, so I assume there simply are no real details at this point. Now, considering that the current lowest rate is 10% for those making under $8500…..9% on the personal income sounds cool on the surface (probably what Herman was counting on). However not too much additional thought is required to realize that most 10%ers actually pay nothing, in fact most 15%ers ($8500 to 34,500) don’t pay jack shit ether. Effective rate (what you actually shell over to Uncle Sam) is always quite different than Marginal rate due to deductions. Tax deductions are not the exclusive tool of the rich and famous. Most normal working folks take advantage of Mortgage interest deduction child dependant, child care, health care costs and the like. Bottom line is; it would be a tax increase for the lower income types. If you’re in the 35%, 33% or even 28% bracket, hell you might think you’re making out like a teen couple on lookout hill till you start to factor cost of living in this nation with a 9% national sales tax. Guess what folks, here in MI you would pay 15 bucks on every hundred you spend. This also kinda hits the little guy and middle income guy harder due to the exponential nature of necessary consumption. In other words the stuff you NEED takes a larger percent of the limited resources you have if you are poor….get it. Besides the which, most agree that a consumption tax is a Pandora ’s Box and if it is created it will never go away and most likely turn into a monster bureaucracy feeding itself and increasing in size demanding more money aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaa. Like Godzilla marching through D.C. consuming the nations treasurers and belching out Ten year Treasury Notes, sucking dollars out of the pockets of children and giving then treasuries or monopoly money which would be just about the same thing.

Ok let us just skip the 9% corp. tax rate in the interest of expediency. Suffice to say, some guy at the bus stop told me that he didn’t care for the idea right before he proceeded to explains to me the concepts and contradictions of quantum physics, so I just bought it. So now you have to trust me, it’s not good and it won’t work.

Herman claims that his plan is revenue neutral. CBO says no. I like that it has a rhyme. CBO says no no no, and big old Herm he’s got to go, got five bad women shouting trash at me, gonna get me five more while I’m in D.C.

Well hoohaa, now we gettin down again on route 66 and getting to the nitty- gritty of the old Herminator. He’s a womanizer and a chauvinist now isn’t he. My wife might disagree but I still like to pretend that I am a card carrying member of the American Man Club. As such, while I’m around the, guys watching the game and telling lies about the wonders of ourselves when we were young, I pretend that a bit of gratuitous ass grabbing is not only acceptable; it’s expected and held in high esteem. But in reality, if you are in a position of authority and make sexual advances with even the slightest possibility of implied repercussion for not reciprocating……well …that is nothing short of disgusting lecherous behavior. And it is illegal. And the AMC will pull your card and disavow any knowledge of your actions. I mean if you got to use sexual harassment to get a chick Herman, then you need to get a life.

So now we hear that He has been having a 13 year affair and his only reply was “she’s just a friend” what????? She’s just a friend? WTF!!!!! Herm, you couldn’t come up with anything better than that? She’s just a friend, my God, a drunk 16 year old could come up with a better lie that that…..she’s just a friend, and I gave her money to help her out…. You have got to be fucking kidding me. You gave her money to help her out, and the wife is going to believe that crock of stroganoff??? Herm, Herm, Herm, I get it, you’re a big hansom successful guy, and you want a little….you know…. A little sompin sompin….hey go on, you earned it, but don’t tell us she’s just a friend. I was born at night but it wernt last night.   

I am in no way saying that I think the private lives of our elected officials should be any of my business, as long as it does not involve anything illegal. That being said, I do consider someone a hypocrite when they campaign on a moral superiority platform and act in a dishonest, disreputable fashion. Frankly, I find it very distasteful for someone to stand against equal rights under the law for anyone without a heterosexual relationship, stand against embryonic stem cell research, because it destroys an embryo that will be destroyed anyway, stands against a woman’s rights to her own reproductive system, openly regards these as moral deficiencies, while being involved in Four different sexual harassment scandals and one accusation of having a clandestine 13 year extra marital affair.    

Most likely, we not going to see anything but the tail light of old Herm as he drives off into the night unless he makes one dramatic and desperate move…. He Talks Silvio Berlusconi into coming to America, becoming his campaign manager and teaching him to not only be a grab ass, but also be a total chauvinist playboy with an 18 year girl friends, and have the American public love him for it!!!!!!!!!

Good luck Herm.