Paying the "fair share"

"To reform our economic system, our Constitutional Republic, Biden needs to initiate the Great Reset. A confiscatory tax system is a logical place to start. Much of the money we will make, will go right back into this cesspool call government spending. We will all be indebted to a system of governance which is devoid of accountability."

This morning on a cable news shows, one of Biden's economic gurus was a guest to explain to the American people why this administration is going to tax their socks off. I listened in between getting ready for early church, so I did not hear all of it. I did however, count the times I heard  the expression, "paying their fair share" (of taxes), at least a half a dozen times. 

It kind of reminded me of a story from years ago. On day, as I was sitting at my desk working, the director of our group came up to me to ask a question. "Are you satisfied with how much money I am paying you?" Somewhat taken aback, I replied, "Yes sir - very satisfied". His response started me. "Wrong answer! You should always reply I am worth more. No matter how much you are making, you tell management you are worth more." With that, he left my office to have this visit with another employee. Me? I was left there, scratching my head.

The point of bringing up this story is this - how much is too much? Be it an employee's salary, or the amount of taxes someone is suppose to pay. How much is too much? The "fair share" canard this administration is using, is just that - a canard. For example, if you are married, and make about $20,000/year, your federal tax rate is about 10%. However, it you are married and make over $620,000/year, your federal tax rate is 37%. Why then, does a couple making $620,000/year need to pay 37% federal income tax, and not 10%? Ability to pay. It is fair to pay more if you make more.

But - this is what most Democrats don't realize. There is a "tipping point". How much more can we ask of couples making over $400,000 (Biden's number)? How much more before they either throw in the towel, or take their money offshore? Same with corporations. How much more can Biden raise the corporate tax rate, before they move offshore. BTW - corporations look at paying taxes as a cost of doing business. Much of the taxes they pay are passed on to the consumer in the price they pay for the goods or services.

To reform our economic system, our Constitutional Republic, Biden needs to initiate the Great Reset. A confiscatory tax system is a logical place to start. Much of the money we all will make, will go right back into this cesspool call government spending. We will all be indebted to a system of governance which is devoid of accountability.

So the questions remains, what is your "fair share" of taxes to be paid. To quote my old boss from yesteryear - "Never enough." And you can take that to the back - that is, if there is anything left to put into the bank. 

India in crisis

"I only hope that in this world, someone has the guts to hold the CCP responsible for this very expensive and deadly mess."  

For those who have reading the media or watching the news, what has been happening in India has been jaw dropping. India, a land of 1.3 billion souls, is a land of terrible poverty as well as having some pockets of achievement and wealth. Be that as it may, India is now getting ravaged by Covid -19 and it's variants. So much so, they have had over 18 million cases (6 million of those just last month), with over 200,000 deaths. Right now, India is ground zero in the fight against this terrible virus.

The government of India is pleading to the world for supplies. All sorts of PPE is needed. Oxygen is needed. Most of all however, vaccines are needed. Even though 150 million doses have been administered to date, they need to get enough on hand to vaccinate at least another 550 million people immediately. That would be half their population. Right now, time is not India's friend.

Every now and again, a FB friend will post a Caring Bridge website which tells the story of a friend or relative who is a "long hauler", suffering from this terrible disease. True, most who get this disease recover from it. Unfortunately, some don't. And some have long lasting and debilitating after effects. Most medical professionals will tell you the same thing - this disease is nothing to mess around with. 

It seems ironic to me, that India, with a population almost as high as China's, gets hit this hard with Covid - 19. Karma to me, would have China getting the worst of it, since it came from there. Whether it was accidental or intentional, is yet to be determined. All I know is this - this virus has hit the world like wildfire. In just over a year, 150 million cases worldwide, with over 3 million deaths. Some countries have been hit harder than others, very few, if any countries have escaped the paid of this virus. 

Regardless of the blather coming out of this Administration, we have Donald J. Trump to thank for putting the fire under Project Warp Speed. Warp Speed is not only getting our people vaccinated and back to a somewhat normal life, it is also now serving as a lifeline for other countries, such as India. Some doctors are now telling us that Covid - 19 might end up being like the flu. Every year, there will be a new variant, which will need an annual booster vaccine.

I only hope that in this world, someone has the guts to hold the CCP responsible for this very expensive and deadly mess. I do know, it will never be the Biden Administration. 

Police without policing?

 

"This is why we need two states in Minnesota instead of one. I would opt to live in the free state of Dakota, with a normal Governor like Kristie Noem. The Democrats can stay in this gulag called Minnesota, and be ruled by a dolt called Walz."

Now our Governor has decided to jump into the fray. You know, the let's "reimagine" policing issue. If you are a socialist Democrat, the term police is a six letter word, which is vile as many four letter words. To them, most, if not all, police are nothing more than jack booted thugs.  Most conservatives however, feel just the opposite. They understand that a good and strong police force is necessary to maintaining law and order. And No Balls Walz? He wants the legislature to muzzle our police forces, so they are nothing more than Bobbies. 

The thing which is the most disconcerting, is this rush by those on the loony left to take away a police officer's immunity. If a police officer does not have immunity, not only when he or she puts on the uniform every morning, there is not only a chance of being killed, but also sued. What will be the result of such an action? Not only will it continue to winnow the force, but those who are left, will be hesitant to take any action which could put them in legal jeopardy. The net result of such insanity? A neutered police force. A win for the criminals.

What is with the Democrats anyhow? They want to take guns away from legal gun owners, and also want to neuter our law enforcement. If I were a law breaker, I would be doing a jig in the street right now. Most normal people however, are left scratching their heads. What is the end game here? Why do Democrats always side with the bad guys? Why do they want to empower them further? 

Fortunately in Minnesota, we have Senate which has normal leadership. They have no interest in losing or weakening our police forces. The Minnesota House? Not the same story. And our feckless Governor is the same way. The news have a story running about how the University of Minnesota is also "reimagining" their police force. Good luck with that. It seems like every week, there is a story about some student getting mugged by the "U" at night. With cops being absent, it will be a free-for-all. 

This is why we need two states in Minnesota instead of one. I would opt to live in the free state of Dakota, with a normal Governor like Kristie Noem. The Democrats can stay in this gulag called Minnesota, and be ruled by a dolt called Walz.

This police issue has about pushed me over the edge. Getting rid of, or weakening our police forces, is the dumbest thing I have heard of since playing Russian Roulette.    

A Panderer's Tale...

"The best visual of this pathetic speech that Biden gave, came from Senator Ted Cruz. He started to fall asleep. I didn't blame him. This speech was like a huge dose of Sleepy-time Tea."

Last night was an interesting contrast. On one hand, you had our accidental President, address the nation with a huge "pander fest". Telling us once again, what a horrible, racist country we live in. How Donald Trump really hosed things up, but thanks to Joseph Biden and his 50 years of government experience, he would fix things. "Build back better", whatever that means.

Then on the other hand, you had Senator Tim Scott who give the Republican rebuttal. Senator Scott, a black man, said America is a good country, and not a racist country. It is a land of opportunity. The example he gave, was his 90+ year old grandfather. In his lifetime, he went from cotton to Congress. Yes, he lived to see his grandson get elected into the United States Senate.

Listening to Biden last night, it really hit me. All he can do is pander and lie. In other words, there is no "there, there". He is an empty suit with squinty eyes. His speech would have been bad if there was nobody speaking after him. But there was. Tim Scott gave the speech of a lifetime. It was excellent. But as a black man, has he not experience racism? Yes, he has. He mentioned that last night. Ironically, being called an "Uncle Tom" or the ""n-word", has come from Biden's left wing - not the Republicans.

Biden's speech last night was a cornerstone of the Great Reset. It will change the trajectory of our nation. It will change the trajectory of our economy. It will saddle our kids and grandchildren with so much debt, their standard of living will never be like ours has been. It will create the Nanny State, like few of us could ever imagine. It will expand the lower class, impoverish the lower middle class, and stagnate the rest of us. All for what? Pandering.

According to Biden, we will have cradle to grave comfort. Zero risk. La-la land. Well, that crap has been tried before. It has been tried and failed in many socialist countries. I thought we were smarter than that. Smart enough to never fall for this canard. I guess the blue pill crowd who elected Biden just does not care anymore.

The best visual of this pathetic speech that Biden gave, came from Senator Ted Cruz. He started to fall asleep. I didn't blame him. This speech was like a huge dose of Sleepy-time Tea.

On the other hand, Senator Scott's speech was so inspiring, it keep most of us on our toes. What do I think of Senator Tim Scott after hearing him last night? I would much rather be calling him President Tim Scott. With a President Scott, there would be no panderer's tale, like we heard from Slo Joe last night. 

 

Face Diapers

"The less time I need to be in a face diaper, the better. I have grown to loath those things. Do they help? Debatable. Or doubtful. Many, if not most in my orbit, think they are worthless." 

Yesterday, my wife and I were running around doing some errands. It was close to lunchtime, and we had a couple of Arby coupons which were getting ready to expire. We went through the drive through at an Arby's, and got our lunch. As we sat parked eating our lunch, we had a good view of the White Castle next door. I was amazed on how many (older) people we saw coming out of White Caster, lunch in hand, still wearing a mask. Now, when I have to wear a mask inside (rules), I have that sucker whipped off when I am 6 inches outside the door. Never have worn one outside - never will.

Yesterday, our appeaser in chief (Slo Joe), announced to us that IF we are fully vaccinated, we need not wear a face diaper outside (unless that is, you are in a crowd). Inside however - not so fast. It seems to me, the goalposts are shifting once again. I could have sworn that I heard, if you were fully vaccinated, and with others who are fully vaccinated, masks are not required. They are not necessary. 

In fact, I recently heard the CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines, tell a business reporter that his cruise ships will be ready to go and will be totally safe by summer. Why? You can't be on the ship as a guest or a crew member unless you have a vaccine passport. Then when the ship is safely at sea, no masks are required by anybody. Now that  - makes perfectly good sense to me. 

Even though Fauci is fully vaccinated, he has been caught more than once wearing two masks. Huh? What for? Is he virtue signaling, or is there a medical reason? He is one of the people who have told us in the past that masks will no longer be required once fully vaccinated. So what is St. Fauci doing? Following "the science"? I don't think so. Ted Cruz once again has it spot on. He is not wearing a mask any longer on the Senate floor. Why not? He has been fully vaccinated. He does not need one.

I think the smart money is on folks who are either vaccinated, or keeping their immune system fortified with the proper supplements. One doctor was on one of the cable shows this past weekend. He said we would be much further along, if those who choose not to be vaccinated, don't criticize those who are vaccinated. By the same token, those who choose to be vaccinated, should not criticize those who are not. He said some folks have a natural immunity. Some have already had Covid, and have the antibodies. It should be a person decision if one gets vaccinated or not.

The less time I need to be in a face diaper, the better. I have grown to loath those things. Do they help? Debatable. Or doubtful. Many, if not most in my orbit, think they are worthless. That is, except for Slo Joe, and St. Fauci. But they are not in my orbit. Not even close.   

The people balance

"Minnesota, you dodged the bullet this time. But the next census is less than 10 years away. You better get your socialists under control, or you will become nothing more than a cold Omaha, with much of your wealth living in Florida or Texas."   

As most of us know by now, we came within a whisker of losing a House seat. Some breathed a sigh of relief, others (like myself), were nonplussed. Why is that? The thought of losing CD 2, 3, 4, 5 (especially 5), was tempting. But we could have also lost CD 6 - and that would have been real bad. In any event, that is all speculation now, as the census is over, and the winners and losers have been named.

It was not 100% this way, but the prevailing thought was that higher taxed states (like ours), lost population to lower taxed states (like Texas). So it came as little surprise that states such as New York, California, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Michigan - lost seats. In fact, California lost a seat for this first time in its history. All of these states are blue.

The states which gained are Texas (two seats!), Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, Oregon and Montana. They all gained a seat or two. I understand most of those states gained, due to their favorable tax climate, but Colorado and Oregon? Okay - maybe it is the weed and mountains in Colorado, and not the taxes. But Oregon is for sure a head scratcher. Especially when you see what has been going on in Portland with all the Antifa disruptions and mayhem.

Will these shifts make a difference in the next election? Maybe. However, if the socialists are successful in getting D.C. and/or Puerto Rico statehood, then what ever minute gains are made from this past census, will be for naught. That being said, many pundits are seeing the power in state Governors growing, as well as their taxing authority. In other words, red states will probably keep on gaining people fleeing from high tax blue states.

Bottom line - what does this change in population really mean? Not much. It is a modest change, not a seismic change. But there is a lesson here, for the Democrats to learn. Especially Slo Joe. People don't have to live in any particular state. They can vote with their feet. In addition (and this is really important, Biden) - people don't have to work at high paid jobs, just to pay high taxes. They can quit, or move their assets offshore. So, when you think you can tax the socks off of people, and they will just take it - think again.

Minnesota, you dodged the bullet this time. But the next census is less than 10 years away. You better get your socialists under control, or you will become nothing more than a cold Omaha, with much of your wealth living in Florida or Texas.   

The woke joke

"The left can keep their 'woke' culture. We can all see what it has done to our new President. It has turned him from being a moderate on the campaign trail, to a flaming socialist once in the White House."

Last night was the Oscars. Anybody watch it? Anyone care? I did not see it, and probably never will again. Why? These self righteous, left wing nut balls, really enjoy lecturing the rest of us on how bad, how unaware we are. This is ground zero for the "woke" crowd.

Ironically, my wife and I did see the movie which won best picture. It was months ago, right after it hit the streaming internet. It was not known for much at that time. We watched it, mostly because the same gal who was in the movie Fargo, also starred in this movie. Thus, we figured it could not be that bad. We were wrong. It was dark, depressing, dour, and boring. A complete waste of two hours. We hated it. But the "woke" crowd loved it. Figures.

I despise this whole "woke" joke culture. It is hurting the country. Badly. Our last Republican Governor, TPaw, got hooked into being "woke", even before "woke" became a "thing". I had almost forgotten about what he did. Fortunately, the latest issue of Thinking Minnesota hit my mailbox this past week, and had some very good articles in it. One in particular, penned by a young man named Isaac Orr, really hit the nail on the head. It addressed the "wokeness" of Minnesota's flawed energy policy, and how TPaw got cowed by it.  

The Next Generation Energy Act (NGEA) of 2007. Sounds good. Sounds harmless. Sounds "woke". The Minnesota House and Senate, concerned about climate change (probably called "global warming" back then), sent this bill to Governor Pawlenty for him it sign. And sign it he did. Our electric bills have not been the same since. 

This misguided bill, which mandated a much higher mix of solar and wind by 2020, only resulted in two things: 1) our electric costs have risen 23% faster than the national average, and 2) we had a very close call in 2019 (from brownouts and blackouts) due to that winter's Polar Vortex. Meanwhile, reducing our "carbon footprint", resulted in a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 34%. Not bad, until you realize the county as a whole, reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 32.3%. Thanks to TPaw wanted to be "woke", the good people of Minnesota are paying a lot of extra money for very little environmental improvement, and have taken on much more risk of spotty power in extreme conditions.

The left can keep their "woke" culture. We can all see what it has done to our new President. It has turned him from being a moderate on the campaign trail, to a flaming socialist once in the White House. And every "woke" thing Biden is trying to shove down our throats, hurts the country.

So, is "woke" just a joke? Not really. There is nothing funny about "woke". In fact, it is the most unfunny word in our new lexicon.