I have figured out what is wrong with our tax system. In a nutshell, people don't like taxes because often the ones who are paying A LOT in taxes really don't see/use that which they are paying for. When I think about the money I paid in federal taxes, I know some of my money is going to the brave men and women who are our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines......but then it gets hard to figure out how the rest of my money was spent (aside from Medicare/Medicaid) ......although I did fly a few times for work so I am happy we have an FAA....
If anyone can think of how the spending of my tax dollars directly benefited me, i'd love to read your comments
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Military Contracts
Didn't plan to write this one, just read an articla in the local paper and I can't help myself.
The headline was something along the lines of "Local plant gears up" or something or other. The basic idea is that a local defense contractor is now producing a small SUV type vehicle that can fit inside the V-22 tilt rotor aircraft. Cool idea. Give the grunts a little mobility from the time they get boots on the ground. I like that idea. Tactically makes sense, lots of possibilities. Anyway, as I separated from the military a number of years ago, I was unfamiliar with the vehicle so I did some quick internet research. Turns out it is a tiny Jeep looking thing. It really does look like a WW II or Korean War era Jeep that has been shrunk down, sort of a glorified go kart in olive drab or desert brown. Not the scariest of war machines, but I was still giving it the benefit of the doubt; that was until i read what happened to the price. When the contract was bid, apparently the price was one number, then, once the contract was awarded, one models price increased 120% and the other one 86%. The more expensive of the two models actually costs more than $1,000,000!!! For a Jeep, and a mini one at that!!!
Now I realize the military has a lot of expensive toys, but any business man will tell you: If you are going to make a capital investment of $1,000,000 or more, that peice of equipment had better be a "game-changer" in its abilities. Think about it. Some DoD contract weenie has agreed to pay $1,000,000 of hard earned taxpayer money for a tiny two seat vehicle that once in a theater of combat will become an RPG and IED magnet like every other military vehicle. On top of that, this thing is so small it would be impossible to "up-armor" like a Humvee or Striker. I can tell you one thing (and I guaruntee I am not alone in saying this) unless I was looking to get out of dodge in a hell of a hurry I would take my LPCs (thats boots for all you civilians) over that vehicle any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Congrats to all who work in the Growler factory, this county can use more good news like that on the job front, but to the rest of America, I am sorry we have to foot the bill for this. Hopefully I'm wrong and this won't end up as another high priced paperweight like the as yet un-battle tested F-22 (apparently that part of the air force didn't get the memo that two wars are going on)
The headline was something along the lines of "Local plant gears up" or something or other. The basic idea is that a local defense contractor is now producing a small SUV type vehicle that can fit inside the V-22 tilt rotor aircraft. Cool idea. Give the grunts a little mobility from the time they get boots on the ground. I like that idea. Tactically makes sense, lots of possibilities. Anyway, as I separated from the military a number of years ago, I was unfamiliar with the vehicle so I did some quick internet research. Turns out it is a tiny Jeep looking thing. It really does look like a WW II or Korean War era Jeep that has been shrunk down, sort of a glorified go kart in olive drab or desert brown. Not the scariest of war machines, but I was still giving it the benefit of the doubt; that was until i read what happened to the price. When the contract was bid, apparently the price was one number, then, once the contract was awarded, one models price increased 120% and the other one 86%. The more expensive of the two models actually costs more than $1,000,000!!! For a Jeep, and a mini one at that!!!
Now I realize the military has a lot of expensive toys, but any business man will tell you: If you are going to make a capital investment of $1,000,000 or more, that peice of equipment had better be a "game-changer" in its abilities. Think about it. Some DoD contract weenie has agreed to pay $1,000,000 of hard earned taxpayer money for a tiny two seat vehicle that once in a theater of combat will become an RPG and IED magnet like every other military vehicle. On top of that, this thing is so small it would be impossible to "up-armor" like a Humvee or Striker. I can tell you one thing (and I guaruntee I am not alone in saying this) unless I was looking to get out of dodge in a hell of a hurry I would take my LPCs (thats boots for all you civilians) over that vehicle any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Congrats to all who work in the Growler factory, this county can use more good news like that on the job front, but to the rest of America, I am sorry we have to foot the bill for this. Hopefully I'm wrong and this won't end up as another high priced paperweight like the as yet un-battle tested F-22 (apparently that part of the air force didn't get the memo that two wars are going on)
Monday, May 11, 2009
and now i present: US Healthcare
This one will be short and sweet.....
Today, on the way home from work, I heard a story saying that a group of major health care providers, insurers, device makers and drug companies have agreed to control their charges and, over the next ten years, charge 2 billion less than they would have if they continued at current rates. At first, this seems reasonable, and to most Americans, this is when they stop thinking about the issue. Anyone who has ever had any experience in business where they dealt with clients, budgets or accounts would know that a company never EVER works for free. What this tells me is that these companies had been gouging Americans for the last God knows how long and in todays economic times they think it prudent to give some back. DO NOT BE MISTAKEN, these companies are not doing this out of the kindness of their hearts, empathy for the common man, or even a few moments of good press, they are doing this so that they have a seat at the table when the administration begins hammering out health care reform. This was their price for admission. This was their price to sit at the right hand of.....the president. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN we have just witnessed how to buy your political agenda and steer the government down the path you want (Blogoyovich, you should be taking notes).
Some will say, "Its no big deal" or "Hey, what are you complaining about? They just saved Americans $2 billion dollars over the next 10 years" When you run the numbers presented in the press it works out to be an 8.7% savings in costs over that period. When you factor in the inflation we will be facing after all the checks and loans are given out because of our current downturn, it's a wash. To top things off, most of the programs they want to modify are public ones: streamlining billing to the sector of the population that most commonly defaults on medical bills (thats a smart one) and the lsit goes on....You want to do something useful, figure out why an MRI machine bought and paid for by a hospital 10 years ago still bills out at the same rate as one bought and paid for 2 years ago, and then tell me why an MRI in Japan would cost me less when i am out of network overseas than it would if I were in network here in North Carolina. Better yet, tell me why if I break my arm in New York and need a cast it costs a different amount for theoretically the same treatment then if I broke my arm in Utah?
Better yet, just give congress and the administration $2 billion, the opportunity for a sweet photo op in an otherwise gloomy time, and be sure to smile for the camera......
Today, on the way home from work, I heard a story saying that a group of major health care providers, insurers, device makers and drug companies have agreed to control their charges and, over the next ten years, charge 2 billion less than they would have if they continued at current rates. At first, this seems reasonable, and to most Americans, this is when they stop thinking about the issue. Anyone who has ever had any experience in business where they dealt with clients, budgets or accounts would know that a company never EVER works for free. What this tells me is that these companies had been gouging Americans for the last God knows how long and in todays economic times they think it prudent to give some back. DO NOT BE MISTAKEN, these companies are not doing this out of the kindness of their hearts, empathy for the common man, or even a few moments of good press, they are doing this so that they have a seat at the table when the administration begins hammering out health care reform. This was their price for admission. This was their price to sit at the right hand of.....the president. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN we have just witnessed how to buy your political agenda and steer the government down the path you want (Blogoyovich, you should be taking notes).
Some will say, "Its no big deal" or "Hey, what are you complaining about? They just saved Americans $2 billion dollars over the next 10 years" When you run the numbers presented in the press it works out to be an 8.7% savings in costs over that period. When you factor in the inflation we will be facing after all the checks and loans are given out because of our current downturn, it's a wash. To top things off, most of the programs they want to modify are public ones: streamlining billing to the sector of the population that most commonly defaults on medical bills (thats a smart one) and the lsit goes on....You want to do something useful, figure out why an MRI machine bought and paid for by a hospital 10 years ago still bills out at the same rate as one bought and paid for 2 years ago, and then tell me why an MRI in Japan would cost me less when i am out of network overseas than it would if I were in network here in North Carolina. Better yet, tell me why if I break my arm in New York and need a cast it costs a different amount for theoretically the same treatment then if I broke my arm in Utah?
Better yet, just give congress and the administration $2 billion, the opportunity for a sweet photo op in an otherwise gloomy time, and be sure to smile for the camera......
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Maybe not a conspiracy....
....but disturbing nonetheless.
I just saw some news clips of the correspondents/white house dinner, and, first off, I'd like to say I really enjoyed watching the president crack jokes and make fun of himself and his administration. Agree or disagree with his politics and policies, i don't care, I just think it is nice to see more than one side of the man (and its refreshing this side isn't a complete idiot, poster child for nepotism and birth control)
What I found most disturbing was the complete and utter false air of the event. I mean, there you have the president, in a room full of people who are looking to get the next big scoop, who would sell dirt on their own mothers if the story was juicy enough to get them a Pulitzer, smiling and politely clapping, together, almost as if on cue. (I wonder if they had an applause sign that would light up at the appropriate time, or maybe the crowd is so used to performing for the camera its just comes naturally to them. Which makes me think about newscaster cameos in movies and TV, and how I am completely not surprised that they normally do good jobs with those roles, but i digress)
Literally, there were hundreds of people in that room, all dressed to the nines, making polite conversation with people they despise, acting as an on call laugh track for the president. It must be nice to have a six figure salary, a team of producers to make you look good, access to the most powerful people in government, and your name on the invite list to some sweet events. But they're worth it, right? I mean, of course people like Katie Couric deserve seven and eight figure salaries for reading off a teleprompter for an hour a day and doing the occasional one on one interview with pre-vetted questions and contractually agreed upon story lines. These kinds of things are important to the american people. How could we ever get by if we had to read our own news? If we had to form our own opinions about things? If we had to choose a preferred media outlet not by the looks of the newscaster but rather by the content and presentation of the written word? It pains me to think what would actually happen to this country if Americans didn't feel that their lives were so busy that they needed to get their news with the facts already interpreted and spun for them, served up by handsome men with stout voices (see Brian Williams and Anderson Cooper) or attractive women who keep us wondering about their naughty sides (i.e. Robin Meade or Erica Hill).
Lets not even begin to talk about the specialty news show hosts like Jim Kramer or Nancy Grace. They will never be included in discussions about the news media by me. They fall more into the category of "people who like to hear themselves talk and have callers call in to their shows with hokey compliments and softball questions". My stomach just burns thinking about their programs. And does anyone else think that Nancy Grace has styled her hair after Magneto's helmet from X-Men?????
I just saw some news clips of the correspondents/white house dinner, and, first off, I'd like to say I really enjoyed watching the president crack jokes and make fun of himself and his administration. Agree or disagree with his politics and policies, i don't care, I just think it is nice to see more than one side of the man (and its refreshing this side isn't a complete idiot, poster child for nepotism and birth control)
What I found most disturbing was the complete and utter false air of the event. I mean, there you have the president, in a room full of people who are looking to get the next big scoop, who would sell dirt on their own mothers if the story was juicy enough to get them a Pulitzer, smiling and politely clapping, together, almost as if on cue. (I wonder if they had an applause sign that would light up at the appropriate time, or maybe the crowd is so used to performing for the camera its just comes naturally to them. Which makes me think about newscaster cameos in movies and TV, and how I am completely not surprised that they normally do good jobs with those roles, but i digress)
Literally, there were hundreds of people in that room, all dressed to the nines, making polite conversation with people they despise, acting as an on call laugh track for the president. It must be nice to have a six figure salary, a team of producers to make you look good, access to the most powerful people in government, and your name on the invite list to some sweet events. But they're worth it, right? I mean, of course people like Katie Couric deserve seven and eight figure salaries for reading off a teleprompter for an hour a day and doing the occasional one on one interview with pre-vetted questions and contractually agreed upon story lines. These kinds of things are important to the american people. How could we ever get by if we had to read our own news? If we had to form our own opinions about things? If we had to choose a preferred media outlet not by the looks of the newscaster but rather by the content and presentation of the written word? It pains me to think what would actually happen to this country if Americans didn't feel that their lives were so busy that they needed to get their news with the facts already interpreted and spun for them, served up by handsome men with stout voices (see Brian Williams and Anderson Cooper) or attractive women who keep us wondering about their naughty sides (i.e. Robin Meade or Erica Hill).
Lets not even begin to talk about the specialty news show hosts like Jim Kramer or Nancy Grace. They will never be included in discussions about the news media by me. They fall more into the category of "people who like to hear themselves talk and have callers call in to their shows with hokey compliments and softball questions". My stomach just burns thinking about their programs. And does anyone else think that Nancy Grace has styled her hair after Magneto's helmet from X-Men?????
Saturday, May 9, 2009
First things first...
Let's start with an easy one: Modern Banking
If there is one thing that recent events have taught us is that the money supply in this country -- and worldwide for that matter -- is truly controlled by less than 100 people. Focusing on the U.S. for a moment, and we see that number is even smaller. Obviously our president and the Fed Chair and Secretary of the Treasury get most of the credit but who do you think they really talk to every day when they are not parading around in front of the cameras? They consult the heads of the very companies who have been deemed "Too big to Fail." Yes, the elite club of middle aged men and women who are so bad at there jobs and/or so driven by greed that they either can't see or don't care what is going on outside their gated communities, plush country clubs, private jets and chauffeured rides to and from their $100,000 offices and multi-million dollar homes, vacation homes, resort bungalows and getaways.
Granted, not all of the elite rich are bankers, but it is with and in the banking and financial industry that the real money is made. Do you really think that an organization like JPMorgan Chase cares whether my measly salary get direct deposited to them or not? or if Wells Fargo really cares about my puny mortgage? NO. The real way these organizations make money is through their work with the ultra rich and there companies. 6% on a $125,000 mortgage isn't quite as exciting to a bank as 6% on a $10 million house or 6% on a $100 million merger.
Thats not to mention all these "Troubled" assets, Credit Default Swaps and other exotic financial products that no one can unravel, understand or even assign an actual value to. Does anyone know what its called if the average citizens makes a financial certificate and passes it off to other people as something of value?? Counterfeiting and Fraud; but how do we hear newsmen and women from CNN, MSNBC and Fox News describe it? They do the new American cliche, they pass the blame to others by referring to a lack of oversight, an underfunded and understaffed SEC, a lack of laws, or they simply say nothing underhanded or illegal was done, this was all just a case of bad timing.
Check back for future commentary on Mark to Market Rules, Defense Contracting, Taxes, and anything else that popsup on the radar...
If there is one thing that recent events have taught us is that the money supply in this country -- and worldwide for that matter -- is truly controlled by less than 100 people. Focusing on the U.S. for a moment, and we see that number is even smaller. Obviously our president and the Fed Chair and Secretary of the Treasury get most of the credit but who do you think they really talk to every day when they are not parading around in front of the cameras? They consult the heads of the very companies who have been deemed "Too big to Fail." Yes, the elite club of middle aged men and women who are so bad at there jobs and/or so driven by greed that they either can't see or don't care what is going on outside their gated communities, plush country clubs, private jets and chauffeured rides to and from their $100,000 offices and multi-million dollar homes, vacation homes, resort bungalows and getaways.
Granted, not all of the elite rich are bankers, but it is with and in the banking and financial industry that the real money is made. Do you really think that an organization like JPMorgan Chase cares whether my measly salary get direct deposited to them or not? or if Wells Fargo really cares about my puny mortgage? NO. The real way these organizations make money is through their work with the ultra rich and there companies. 6% on a $125,000 mortgage isn't quite as exciting to a bank as 6% on a $10 million house or 6% on a $100 million merger.
Thats not to mention all these "Troubled" assets, Credit Default Swaps and other exotic financial products that no one can unravel, understand or even assign an actual value to. Does anyone know what its called if the average citizens makes a financial certificate and passes it off to other people as something of value?? Counterfeiting and Fraud; but how do we hear newsmen and women from CNN, MSNBC and Fox News describe it? They do the new American cliche, they pass the blame to others by referring to a lack of oversight, an underfunded and understaffed SEC, a lack of laws, or they simply say nothing underhanded or illegal was done, this was all just a case of bad timing.
Check back for future commentary on Mark to Market Rules, Defense Contracting, Taxes, and anything else that popsup on the radar...
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