Tag Archives: tax bill

Tick, tick, tick – young folks please raise some holy hell on this

Posted on by under Political commentary, Re-blogs

Amidst all the hoopla and smoke & mirrors that defines Trump and his administration, there are some very serious long-term policy decisions being made that will affect the future of this nation. Friend Keith Wilson has brought one to the limelight, and we should all be taking this one seriously. Please take a moment to read Keith’s post about our national debt and where we are heading. Thank you, Keith, for the clarification.

musingsofanoldfart

Tick, tick tick…the US debt of $20.7 trillion is expected to increase by $10 trillion by 2027 even before the December Tax Bill and last night’s Budget Bill were passed.

Tick, tick, tick…per the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the Tax Bill is projected to increase the US debt by $1.5 trillion or so by 2027.

Tick, tick, tick…last night’s Budget Bill which has now been signed into law is expected to increase the debt by $300 billion over the next two years.

Tick, tick, tick…unless something is done about it, the debt will be close to $33 trillion in 2027. The scarier thought is that might be low.

Tick, tick, tick…the added dilemma we are facing is the interest rates are increasing, since we may have overheated a good economy. That will add further to the annual interest cost on the debt.

If I were in…

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The Gift That Was Delivered To Steven Mnuchin Should Have Been Sent To Republican Lawmakers

Posted on by under Humour, Political commentary, Re-blogs

Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin received a well-deserved and most appropriate Christmas gift this year! Check out Gronda’s post to find out what it was. Thank you, Gronda, for brightening my day!

Gronda Morin

https://www.facebook.com/drrobertstrongsong LA psychologist Robby Strong

There was literally a stink bomb in the form of manure packaged as a Christmas gift sent to the California home of the US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchen with a less than flattering  thank you note about his Donor Class tax cuts bill.

On behalf of “We the People,” This can be dubbed, the best Christmas gift ever!

Image result for cartoon of steve mnuchinHere is the rest of the story…

On December 24, 2017 the Reuters staff penned the following story, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin was sent gift-wrapped box of horse manure: reports.

“The package was found Saturday evening in a next-door neighbor’s driveway in Bel Air, the Los Angeles Police Department told the Los Angeles Times and KNBC television, the NBC affiliate in Los Angeles. The package also included a Christmas card with negative comments about President Donald Trump and the new U.S. tax law signed by Trump last week.”

“An LAPD…

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The REAL War on Christmas …

Posted on by under Political commentary, Social commentary

Whereas I typically awaken with a smile on my face, this morning I awakened with a sense of dread, without knowing quite why.  I moved through my morning chores with no sense of joy, with no song in my heart, and by the time I was ready for my first ‘sit-down’ break, I was near tears … still no idea why.  And then, bless their hearts, the guys over at The Washington Post gave me my first clue …

“Breaking News: FCC repeals net neutrality rules in sweeping act of deregulation”

No surprise there … the five commission members are presidential appointees … they are not elected, had no incentive to please anybody but Trump.  I knew the result before WaPo confirmed it, yet I still felt a rock in my stomach and tears pooling in my eyes as I read the news.

Then there was this from NPR …

“Republicans Reconcile House And Senate Versions Of Tax Deal”

But the icing on the cake, the straw that broke the camel’s proverbial back, was this from a friend’s blog …

“President Trump on Thursday hailed the Republican tax plan as a ‘big, beautiful Christmas present’”

Of course, he said that over a month ago, and I had heard it before, but today was probably not the day I needed to be reminded of it and after more than a few choice words, I truly almost put my fist through a window.  I do not want any Christmas present from Donald Jerk Trump beyond his resignation, effective immediately.  A Christmas present should not cost one thousands of dollars, as this tax bill will cost me and most of you.  A Christmas present should not ruin Christmas, as this has done for me.

But wait … fate and angst still wasn’t finished with me, for as I perused my morning email, there was this:

screen shotBelow the picture read:

“Christmas is meant to be shared with close friends and family, and what better way to spread the spirit than by signing the Official First Family Christmas Card.

Wish President Trump, First Lady Melania, and the rest of the First Family a very Merry Christmas with a personal message before December 23.

We know the President would love to see your name, Jill. It’s you he’s fighting for every day in office.

So please, sign the Official First Family Christmas card today.

Thank you,

Team TRUMP”

Now, if you think that didn’t complete my black humour, then you don’t know me too well.  I have been unable to write, for my fingers couldn’t hit the right keys … couldn’t even write an email that I much wanted to write to a treasured friend, couldn’t eat, folded clothes with such a vengeance I put a hole in a towel.

Back on the campaign trail last year, Trump began talking about “ending the war on Christmas”.  At first, I was puzzled as to what, exactly, he meant.  Part of it, of course, is that strange illusion some of the Christian faith have that everyone should go ‘round saying “Merry Christmas” at this time of year, and those of us who may say, “Happy Holidays” instead should be smited. Personally, I do not care if you say “Merry Christmas”, “Happy Hanukah”, “Joyous Kwanzaa”, “Happy Holidays”, or just a simple “Hi, how are you” or “Have a nice day”.  As long as you aren’t cussing me, I’m happy. I. Do. Not. Care.  Those who are offended need to remember that, while the Christian religion may be the majority in this nation, the nation is a secular one, and there are many who are of other faiths.  In this nation, there are Jews, Muslims, Jains, Buddhists, agnostics and atheists, to name a few.  Why would you impose your religion on the rest of us?

More to the point, however, there is no war on Christmas!  The war is on everybody else! Allow me to quote a tidbit from a Washington Post article:

“There is no war on Christmas. But there is a war on Jews, led by the white supremacists and neo-Nazis who marched in Charlottesville in August, carrying torches and chanting “Blood and soil” and “Heil Trump” and “Jews will not replace us!”

And there is a war on Muslims, fueled by our commander in chief, who sees nothing wrong with trying to ban Muslims from entering the United States or fanning the flames of hatred by retweeting unverified and inflammatory videos of purported Muslims doing despicable things.”

The war on Christmas?  Trump fired the first shot when he took office and began taking away the things that matter to us.  I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am having to really work hard at even the appearance of having Christmas spirit this year.  The other night, my granddaughter, for whom I would lay down my life, said to me, “Grannie, are you even a little bit excited about Christmas this year?” My family, though not of the Christian faith, has always loved this season.  I bake almost daily for friends, neighbors, my daughter’s co-workers.  We love our decorations, the candles, and the tree.  Enjoy choosing just the right gift and then wrapping them to look ever so special.  But this year, none of that … not a bit of it … matters.  But still, when Miss Goose asked me that question, I donned a smile (I hope it didn’t look like a grimace) and said, “Oh yes, absolutely!  And tomorrow I shall dig through my closet and we shall begin to decorate!”  And inside I cried.  I did dig through my closet, and we did decorate.  Last night I even did a little in the kitchen, making Muddy Buddies for Miss Goose and a cheeseball for daughter Chris.  And this weekend we will get our tree, shop for the Significant Seven, and I shall do stocking shopping and some baking.  But inside, I cry.

Donald Trump has robbed us of Christmas this year.  That, my friends, is the real “war on Christmas”.

Wit and Wisdom

Posted on by under Humour, Political commentary, Social commentary

First thing this morning I came across a gem from one of my favourite New York Times writers, Nicholas Kristof, and while I very rarely share more than a paragraph or two from another source, this one was just too good to pass up!  I am always a fan of sardonic, tongue-in-cheek humour and this fits that bill perfectly. Read on …

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Billionaires Desperately Need Our Help!

It is so hard to be a billionaire these days!

A new yacht can cost $300 million. And you wouldn’t believe what a pastry chef earns — and if you hire just one, to work weekdays, how can you possibly survive on weekends?

The investment income on, say, a $4 billion fortune is a mere $1 million a day, which makes it tough to scrounge by with today’s rising prices. Why, some wealthy folks don’t even have a home in the Caribbean and on vacation are stuck brooding in hotel suites: They’re practically homeless!

Fortunately, President Trump and the Republicans are coming along with some desperately needed tax relief for billionaires.

Thank God for this lifeline to struggling tycoons. And it’s carefully crafted to focus the benefits on the truly deserving — the affluent who earn their tax breaks with savvy investments in politicians.

For example, eliminating the estate tax would help the roughly 5,500 Americans who now owe this tax each year, one-fifth of 1 percent of all Americans who die annually. Ending the tax would help upstanding people like the Trumps who owe their financial success to brilliant life choices, such as picking the uterus in which they were conceived.

Now it’s fair to complain that the tax plan over all doesn’t give needy billionaires quite as much as they deserve. For example, the top 1 percent receive only a bit more than 25 percent of the total tax cuts in the Senate bill, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

Really? Only 25 times their share of the population? After all those dreary $5,000-a-plate dinners supporting politicians? If politicians had any guts, they’d just slash services for low-income families so as to finance tax breaks for billionaires.

Oh, wait, that’s exactly what’s happening!

Trump understands, for example, that health insurance isn’t all that important for the riffraff. So he and the Senate G.O.P. have again targeted Obamacare, this time by trying to repeal the insurance mandate. The Congressional Budget Office says this will result in 13 million fewer people having health insurance.

But what’s the big deal? The United States already has an infant mortality rate twice that of Austria and South Korea. American women are already five times as likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth as women in Britain. So who’ll notice if things get a bit worse?

Perhaps that sounds harsh. But the blunt reality is that we risk soul-sucking dependency if we’re always setting kids’ broken arms. Maybe that’s why congressional Republicans haven’t bothered to renew funding for CHIP, the child health insurance program serving almost nine million American kids. Ditto for the maternal and home visiting programs that are the gold standard for breaking cycles of poverty and that also haven’t been renewed. We mustn’t coddle American toddlers.

Hey, if American infants really want health care, they’ll pick themselves up by their bootee straps and Uber over to an emergency room.

Congressional Republicans understand that we can’t do everything for everybody. We have to make hard choices. Congress understands that kids are resilient and can look after themselves, so we must focus on the most urgent needs, such as those of hand-to-mouth billionaires.

In fairness, Congress has historically understood this mission. The tax code subsidizes moguls with private jets while the carried interest tax break gives a huge tax discount to striving private equity zillionaires. Meanwhile, a $13 billion annual subsidy for corporate meals and entertainment gives ditch diggers the satisfaction of buying Champagne for financiers.

Our political leaders are so understanding because we appear to have the wealthiest Congress we’ve ever had, with a majority of members now millionaires, so they understand the importance of cutting health insurance for the poor to show support for the crème de la crème.

Granted, the G.O.P. tax plan will add to the deficit, forcing additional borrowing. But if the tax cut passes, automatic “pay as you go” rules may helpfully cut $25 billion from Medicare spending next year, thus saving money on elderly people who are practically dead anyway. If poor kids have to suffer, we may as well make poor seniors suffer as well. That’s called a balanced policy.

More broadly, you have to look at the reason for deficits. Yes, it’s problematic to borrow to pay for, say, higher education or cancer screenings. But what’s the problem with borrowing $1.5 trillion to invest in urgent tax relief for billionaires?

Anyway, at some point down the road we’ll find a way to pay back the debt by cutting a wasteful program for runny-nose kids who aren’t smart enough to hire lobbyists. There must be some kids’ program that still isn’t on the chopping block.

The tax bill underscores a political truth: There’s nothing wrong with redistribution when it’s done right.

Think Again …

Posted on by under Political commentary, Rants

So, you think that Senator or Representative you voted into office last year is serving in the best interest of We The People?  You think he/she cares about the issues that affect our daily lives?  You think he/she votes on bills keeping in mind how it will affect not only his/her constituents, but the nation as a whole?  Boy are you in for a shock!  We The People are not even in the running, not anywhere in the minds of our elected representatives and are important only for about 30 minutes once every 2-6 years, as we stand in front of the voting booth.

U.S. Representative Chris Collins, representing New York’s 27th congressional district since 2013, led the headlines today …

Top GOP congressman: My donors told me to pass the Republican tax bill or ‘don’t ever call me again’ – Business Insider, 07 November 2017

Now, while it is on my to-do list, I have not studied the tax bill, so can judge only on what I read, but from everything I am seeing, reading and hearing, the tax bill is essentially what we all expected it to be:  huge benefits for the wealthy and for corporations, little or nothing for the middle-income earners, and cuts in services for the poor.  If you are not familiar with the word ‘plutocracy’, now may be a good time for you to study it a bit.

“Moderate Republicans from New York and New Jersey worry their constituents would lose big if they can no longer deduct their state and local taxes from their federal tax bill — one of the key ways Republicans are hoping to pay for the corporate tax cut at the center of the plan. Outside groups on the right, like Club for Growth, also object to the bill, saying that taxes for millionaires should be cut even more. Outside estimates project that millions of middle-class Americans could end up paying higher taxes.

Yet the bill is still expected to pass the House.” – Vox, 07 November 2017

chris collins

Rep. Chris Collins

Let’s look a bit at Mr. Collins’ record over the past few months, for I believe he is representative of most in Congress.

  • He supported Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey, saying, “The Director of the FBI serves at the pleasure of the President. I respect President Trump’s decision at the recommendation of the Attorney General.”
  • He voted to repeal ACA (Obamacare) and voted for the abominable GOP health “care” plan that would have taken health care away from millions, even though he admittedly had not read the bill! I guess, one doesn’t need to read what they are voting for, since their ‘donors’ are telling them how to vote.  “Don’t bother reading the fine print, sonny, just sign on the dotted line.”
  • He supported Trump’s ‘executive order’ banning people from Muslim countries (except those where Trump conducts business and makes a profit), saying “I get a little frustrated with the folks who don’t like Trump trying to make something into something it’s not. So I’m just disappointed that we can’t have a true and honest debate without someone inflaming the situation and claiming there’s religious overtones.”

So, it is obvious that Mr. Collins has been a bootlicker all along, but still … when I hear that ‘donors’, which amounts large corporations, wealthy people who are heavily invested in large corporations, and lobbying groups such as the NRA, are threatening to cut off funding if our elected representatives don’t do things their way, I get a little hot under the collar.

The problem, of course, for all members of Congress is that if they are honest and truly want to work in the best interest of the nation and its people, they are doomed to fail, for unfortunately in our current election process, it is a matter of “he who has the most toys, wins”.  Without the money from the donors, the opponent, who is in the pocket of the 1%, will have more television ads, more money to dig up dirt on his opponent, more full-page newspaper ads, more money for rallies, and other public appearances.  Unfortunately in our culture today, the one who is seen most, who has the greatest name recognition, is the one whose name a majority of voters will tic on their ballot each November.  Thus, the rare honest candidate is doomed before ever leaving the gate.  And we wonder why there is so much voter apathy?  Think on this one for a bit … and don’t forget to look up that word: PLUTOCRACY.