How to Plan for the Future

We’re Not In Wisconsin Anymore

Alan Simpson, Senator from  Wyoming , Co-Chair of Obama’s deficit
commission, calls senior citizens the Greediest Generation as he
compared “Social Security” to a Milk Cow with 310 million teats.
(August, 2010)

Here’s a response in a letter from a unknown farmer in  Montana ….
I think he is a little ticked off! He also tells it like it is !
—————————————————————————————————————————-

“Hey Alan, let’s get a few things straight..

1. As a career politician, you have been on the public tit for FIFTY
YEARS.

2.. I have been paying Social Security taxes for 48 YEARS (since I was 15
years old. I am now 63).

3 My Social Security payments, and those of millions of other
Americans, were safely tucked away in an interest bearing account for
decades until you political pukes decided to raid the account and give
OUR money to a bunch of zero ambition losers in return for votes, thus
bankrupting the system and turning Social Security into a Ponzi scheme
that would have made Bernie Madoff proud.

4. Recently, just like Lucy & Charlie Brown, you and your ilk pulled the
proverbial football away from millions of American seniors nearing
retirement and moved the goalposts for full retirement from age 65 to
age 67. NOW, you and your shill commission are proposing to move the
goalposts YET AGAIN.

5. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying into Medicare
from Day One, and now you morons propose to change the rules of the
game.. Why? Because you idiots mismanaged other parts of the economy
to such an extent that you need to steal money from Medicare to pay
the bills.

6. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying income taxes our
entire lives, and now you propose to increase our taxes yet again. Why?
Because you incompetent bastards spent our money so profligately that
you just kept on spending even after you ran out of money. Now, you come
to the American taxpayers and say you need more to pay off YOUR debt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To add insult to injury, you label us “greedy” for calling “bullshit” on
your incompetence. Well, Captain Bullshit, I have a few questions for
YOU.

1. How much money have you earned from the American taxpayers during
your pathetic 50-year political career?

2. At what age did you retire from your pathetic political career, and
how much are you receiving in annual retirement benefits from the
American taxpayers?

3. How much do you pay for YOUR government provided health insurance?

4. What cuts in YOUR retirement and healthcare benefits are you
proposing in your disgusting deficit reduction proposal, or, as usual,
have you exempted yourself and your political cronies?

It is you, Captain Bullshit, and your political co-conspirators called Congress who are the “greedy” ones. It is you and your fellow nutcases who have bankrupted America and stolen the American dream from millions of loyal, patriotic taxpayers. And for what? Votes. That’s right, sir. You and yours have bankrupted America for the sole purpose of advancing your pathetic political careers. You know it, we know it, and you know that we know it.

…And you can take that to the bank, you miserable ASS.

If you like the way things are in America, simply move on and ignore this. If you agree with what a fellow citizen says, TWEET about it.!!!

Stop Buying from China

AUGUST 1st to Sept. 1st

Some time ago I knew a lady who would not buy Christmas gifts if they were made in China. We probably all know someone like this woman and will recognize her in the following…

Did y’all see Diane Sawyer’s special report? They removed ALL items from a typical, middle class family’s home that were not made in the USA .

There was hardly anything left besides the kitchen sink. Literally. During the special they showed truckloads of items – USA made – being brought in to replace everything and talked about how to find these items and the difference in price etc..

It was interesting that Diane said if every American spent just $64 more than normal on USA made items this year, it would create something like
200,000 new jobs!

I WAS BUYING FOOD THE OTHER DAY AT WALMART and ON THE LABEL OF SOME PRODUCTS IT SAID ‘FROM CHINA ‘

FOR EXAMPLE THE “OUR FAMILY” BRAND OF THE MANDARIN ORANGES SAYS RIGHT ON THE CAN ‘FROM CHINA ‘

I WAS SHOCKED SO FOR A FEW MORE CENTS I BOUGHT THE LIBERTY GOLD BRAND OR THE DOLE SINCE IT’S FROM CALIF.

Are we Americans as dumb as we appear — or — is it that we just do not think. The Chinese, knowingly and intentionally, export inferior and even toxic products and dangerous toys and goods to be sold in American markets.

70% of Americans believe that the trading privileges afforded to the Chinese should be suspended.

Why do you need the government to suspend trading privileges? DO IT YOURSELF, AMERICA !!

Simply look on the bottom of every product you buy, and if it says ‘Made in China ‘ or ‘PRC’ (and that now includes Hong Kong ), simply choose another product, or none at all. You will be amazed at how dependent you are on Chinese products, and you will be equally amazed at what you can do without.

Who needs plastic eggs to celebrate Easter? If you must have eggs, use real ones and benefit some American farmer. Easter is just an example. The point is do not wait for the government to act. Just go ahead and assume control on your own.

THINK ABOUT THIS: If 200 million Americans each refuse to buy just $20 of Chinese goods, that’s a billion dollar trade imbalance resolved in our favor…fast!!

Most of the people who have been reading about this matter are planning on implementing this on Aug. 1st and continue it until Sept. 1st. That is only one month of trading losses, but it will hit the Chinese for 1/12th of the total, or 8%, of their American exports. Then they might have to ask themselves if the benefits of their arrogance and lawlessness were worth it.

Remember, August 1st to Sept. 1st !!!!!! START NOW.

Send this to everybody you know. Let’s show them that we are Americans and NOBODY can take us for granted.

If we can’t live without cheap Chinese goods for one month out of our lives, WE DESERVE WHAT WE GET!

Pass it on, America …
Well instead of doing it for just 1 month why not try to do it all the time.

Is Amazon Morally Bankrupt over CA Nexus?

Amazon’s decision to pull the rug out from under it’s California Affiliates is morally bankrupt.  Unfortunately, this not only hurts thousands of entrepreneurs within California and other states that imposed a revision to their Nexus taxation, it also sends a clear message as to the culture and moral fiber the company possesses.

Long has Amazon depended upon their affiliates to guide online buyers to their site.  The affiliates helped make Amazon a household word.  And for all this effort, what thanks do these folks get?  Within less than 24 hours, Amazon chose to cut ties and left their members without an income source and to wither away to nothing.

Shame on you Amazon!!

What is wrong with a company that fires thousands of its affiliates because it doesn’t want to follow the law?  Do they honestly think this sends a good message?

Now before you decide to flame this blog with comments to the contrary about how I have no idea what I’m talking about, let me tell you that I was one of the 10′s of thousands of affiliates fired yesterday.  I know first hand what it’s like to work hard to develop my business and then have it ripped out from under me.

I spent the majority of last night thinking about this and wondering what to do about it.  I’m not crazy about having to re-invent myself again. but I’m confident I’ll do just fine.

However, the real issue at stake is the unfair advantage online retailers have over brick and mortar businesses.  Now I’m not bashing online retailers – after all, I built a business model on that concept.  What I am bashing them about is the way they skirt the issue of paying their fair share of taxes.

We talk all the time about closing tax loop holes so why are we ignoring the 800 pound gorilla in the room?  This loophole is a doozy.  What’s really bizarre is that none of these Nexus laws imposed deal with the online stores PAYING taxes out of their pockets, but rather  turning over taxes COLLECTED from their patrons.

Online retailers complain that it’s too difficult to collect the appropriate tax but that’s a bunch of crap.  I worked for a mail order company for over 10 years and we had the knowledge (and computer systems) to tell us exactly where the recipient was.  Think about it – how would we otherwise know how to calculate for shipping?

When the current bunch of sales tax laws were created, there was no such thing as the Internet.  We have failed to keep up with the times and companies have figured out ways to circumvent those antiquated laws.

States are grappling with lost revenue from a bunch of different sources.  I see nothing wrong with them trying to close some of those holes to help them survive.  Shame on companies like Amazon for trying to cheat those entities.

Collect the damned taxes and turn it over to the states – it’s the Morally right thing to do.