You Are Kidding!!! » Taxes

Because Every Meeting Room in D.C. was Booked…

admin — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:05:20 +0000

Members of a key panel created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (you may remember it as the ‘Stimulus’ bill) will take a meeting on Nov. 22 to consider ways to prevent “fraud, waste, and abuse of Recovery Act funds.”
The group is called the Recovery Independent Advisory Panel, a sub-committee of the larger Recovery Accountability and Transparency board (sometimes known as the RAT board).

The stimulus bill set up the Recovery Independent Advisory Panel, or RIAP, to make recommendations to identify and prevent waste of the bill’s $814 billion in stimulus spending…specifically, the panel will discuss various techniques to detect and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse, as well as larger issues of transparency and public awareness.

Portions of the meeting will be open to the public, while other parts will be closed.

“The purpose of the November 22, 2010 meeting is to allow the RIAP to have an open dialogue, with input from the public, on issues relating to fraud, waste, and abuse of Recovery Act funds,” says a notice in the Federal Register.

This meeting on fiduciary misappropriations has been booked at the super-luxe Ritz Carlton Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona.

Now, I’ve not been to the Arizona Ritz-Carlton, but it sure does sound splendid!

It is “in the midst of the picturesque Camelback Corridor, the city’s premier shopping, dining and financial district,” according the hotel’s website.

– Every guestroom and suite will offer views of the expansive desert terrain including lush desert vegetation, rugged rock formations, and ancient petroglyphs.

– They can enjoy Afternoon Tea in the “uniquely warm and inviting” Lobby Lounge, or hungry waste-and-abuse hunters can dine in three restaurants from gourmet to “casual elegance, in a relaxed atmosphere and uniquely inviting ambiance of the European-inspired bistro 24.” which includes al fresco dining to enjoy the desert vistas and sunny, year-round weather.

– There is a 17,000- square –foot spa and fitness center… special features an array of treatments and special services from wellness counseling to beauty and anti-aging therapies.

– The Jack Nicklaus Signature twenty-seven hole Golf Courses will challenge their skills amidst the scenic desert terrain. The $60 million facility includes an elaborate Clubhouse complex, complete with swimming pools, dining, and fitness center.

So…let’s take a look at the situation thus far;

- Gov’t panel meeting to discuss government business…
- The government business being discussed is improper use of tax dollars…
- The Federal gov’t booked this meeting at THE RITZ-FREAKING-CARLTON HOTEL!!

At least the meeting is in Arizona. Yes, in the ultimate show of standing by their word to boycott Arizona, the Federal government booked this act of the most Ultimate Dog & Pony show in a state they advocated boycotting.

If you would like to stop by the Ritz and see your tax dollars at work, according to the Federal Register notice, members of the public who want to attend are instructed to send their comments to panel@ratb.gov and write “November 22, 2010 RIAP public comment” in the subject line.

New American Tea Party

admin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:36:47 +0000

The piece below was written by Ron Gomez from Lafayette, LA. If you
don’t know Ron, he’s had a long and distinguished career in Lafayette,
LA, where he’s been a journalist, a radio and TV announcer, a 3 term
Louisiana state representative, a huge supporter of USL-ULL, an owner
of an advertising and public relations firm, and a published author.

IF THIS IS NOT YOUR CUP OF TEA, DELETE IT. IF IT IS, LET’S GET WITH
IT!!!!!

There’s a storm abrewin’. What happens when good,
responsible people keep quiet? Washington has forgotten they work
for us. We don’t work for them. Throwing good money after bad is
NOT the answer. I am sick of the midnight, closed door sessions to
come up with a plan. I am sick of Congress raking CEO’s over the
coals while they, themselves, have defaulted on their taxes. I am
sick of the bailed out companies having lavish vacations and
retreats on my dollar. I am sick of being told it is MY
responsibility to rescue people that, knowingly, bought more house
than they could afford. I am sick of being made to feel it is my
patriotic duty to pay MORE taxes. I, like all of you, am a
responsible citizen. I pay my taxes. I live on a budget and I
don’t ask someone else to carry the burden for poor decisions I may
make. I have emailed my congressmen and senators asking them to NOT
vote for the stimulus package as it was written without reading it
first. No one listened. They voted for it, pork and all.

O.K. folks, here it is. You may think you are just one voice and
what you think won’t make a difference. Well, yes it will and YES,
WE CAN!! If you are disgusted and angry with the way Washington is
handling our taxes. If you are fearful of the fallout from the
reckless spending of BILLIONS to bailout and “stimulate” without
accountability and responsibility then we need to become ONE, LOUD
VOICE THAT CAN BE HEARD FROM EVERY CITY, TOWN, SUBURB AND HOME IN
AMERICA. There is a growing protest to demand that Congress, the
President and his cabinet LISTEN to us, the American Citizens. What
is being done in Washington is NOT the way to handle the economic
free fall..

So, here’s the plan. On April 1, 2009, all Americans are asked to
send a TEABAG to Washington , D.C. You do not have to enclose a
note or any other information unless you so desire. Just a
TEABAG. Many cities are organizing protests. If you simply
search, “New American Tea Party”, several sites will come up. If
you aren’t the ‘protester’ type, simply make your one voice heard
with a TEABAG. Your one voice will become a roar when joined with
millions of others that feel the same way.. Yes, something needs to
be done but the lack of confidence as shown by the steady decline in
the stock market speaks volumes.

This was not my idea. I visited the sites of the ‘New American Tea
Party’ and an online survey showed over 90% of thousands said they
would send the teabag on April 1. Why, April 1?? We want them to
reach Washington by April 15. Will you do it? I will. Send it to:

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington , D.C.. 20500

Forward this to everyone in your address book. I
would encourage everyone to go ahead and get the envelope ready to
mail, then just drop it in the mail April 1. Can’t guarantee what
the postage will be by then, it is going up as we speak, but have
your envelope ready. What will this cost you? A little time and a
42 or 44 cent stamp.

What could you receive in benefits? Maybe, just maybe, our elected
officials will start to listen to the people. Take out the Pork.
Tell us how the money is being spent. We want TRANSPARENCY AND
ACCOUNTABILITY. Remember, the money will be spent over the next 4-5
years. It is not too late.

What can we Lose???????

Ron Gomez, Lafayette, LA

Letter From the Boss

admin — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 19:37:29 +0000

*To All My Valued Employees*,

There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of
this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy
has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the
good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What
does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in
this country.

However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help
you decide what is in your best interests.

First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against
employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is
a Back Story.  This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by
what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside.
You've seen my big home at last years Christmas party.  I'm sure all
these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my
life.

However, what you don't see is the BACK STORY :

I started this company 28 years ago.  At that time, I lived in a 300
square foot studio apartment for 3 years.  My entire living apartment
was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into
building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.

My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent
went back into this company.  I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a
defective transmission.  I didn't have time to date.  Often times, I
stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and
partying.  In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work,
discipline, and sacrifice.

Meanwhile, my friends got jobs.  They worked 40 hours a week and made a
modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned.  They drove flashy
cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes.
Instead of hitting the Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I
was trolling through the discount store extracting any clothing item
that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's.  My friends refinanced
their mortgages and lived a life of luxury.  I, however, did not.  I put
my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that
eventually, someday, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my
friends supposedly had.

So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am, mentally=2 0check
in at about noon, and then leave at 5pm, I don't. There is no "off"
button for me.  When you leave the office, you are done and you have a
weekend all to yourself.  I unfortunately do not have the freedom..  I
eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day.  There is no
rest. There is no weekend.  There is no happy hour.  Every day this
business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child.
You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house,
the Mercedes, the vacations... you never realize the Back Story and the
sacrifices I've made.

Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right
decisions and saved his money, have to bailout all the people who
didn't.  The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel
entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of
my life for.

Yes, business ownership has its benefits but the price I've paid is
steep and not without wounds.

Unfortunately, the cost of running20this business, and employing you, is
starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell
you why:

I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough.
I have state taxes. Federal taxes.  Property taxes.  Sales and use
taxes..  Payroll taxes.  Workers compensation taxes.  Unemployment
taxes.  Taxes on taxes.  I have to hire a tax man to manage all these
taxes and then guess what?  I have to pay taxes for employing him.
Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes
with it, now occupy most of my time.  On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to
the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes.  You know what my
"stimulus" check was? Zero. Nada. Zilch.

The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy?  Me, the
guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over
2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business?  Or, the single
mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her
next welfare check?  Obviously, government feels the latter is the
economic stimulus of this country.

The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit
and you wouldn't work here..  I mean, why should you?  That's nuts.  Who
wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work?  Well, I agree which
is why your job is in jeopardy.

Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy
you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government
mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what?  Instead of
depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have
spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic
growth.  My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in
the form of promotions and better salaries.  But you can forget it now.

When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't
defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to
life, do you?  Or, do you defibrillate his heart?  Business is at the
heart of America and always has been.  To restart it, you must stimulate
it, not kill it.  Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the
poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic
engine.  Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of
change you can keep.

So where am I going with all this?

It's quite simple.

If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be
swift and simple.. I'll fire you and your coworkers.  You can then plead
with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's
future. Frankly, it isn't my problem any more.

Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and
retire.  You see, I'm done.  I'm done with a country that penalizes the
productive and gives to the unproductive.  My motivation to work and to
provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.

So, if you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it
will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this
country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its
landscape forever.  If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach,
retired, and with no employees to worry about....

*Signed, THE BOSS*

Hurricanes Suck

admin — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:09:19 +0000

How Taxes Work

admin — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:06:22 +0000

It’s good to understand how taxes are paid.
Let’s put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand.

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten
comes to $100.

If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something
like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that’s what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with
the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. “Since
you are all such good customers,” he said, “I’m going to reduce the
cost of your daily beer by $20.”Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so
the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But
what about the other six men – the paying customers? How could they
divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his ‘fair share?’
They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted
that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man
would each end up being paid to drink his beer.

So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each
man’s bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work
out the amounts each should pay.

And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued
to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to
compare their savings.

“I only got a dollar out of the $20,”declared the sixth man. He pointed
to the tenth man,” but he got $10!”

“Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar, too.
It’s unfair that he got ten times more than I!”

“That’s true!!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back
when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!”

“Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison. “We didn’t get
anything
at all. The system exploits the poor!”

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks, so the nine sat
down
and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they
discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money
between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how
our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the
most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them
for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact,
they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat
friendlier. Remember they are the ones who pay your wages, create jobs, and innovate.