Cash Abroad Article
As long as corporate tax rates remain as high as they are, companies across the country will continue to keep their money off shore. It is an easy decision to make for the stock holders they are accountable to for making as much as possible. Paying less tax to countries anywhere, rather than more to the IRS, makes sense.
Politicians like to talk about taxes and tax rates incorrectly. They think higher rates equates to more tax dollars collected, but they are incorrect. They also like to think that changing the tax code will simply mean people will do what they always did, and pay higher taxes in the process. What it really means is people will find a way to manipulate the system to allow them to pay the least amount of taxes possible, keeping more for the companies.
Politicians need to lower tax rates on corporations, to a point where they elect to bring that money home. Once back on shore, they will invest it, causing the economy to grow. The increased investments will result in higher incomes and higher tax revenue for government at all levels. Unemployment would also decrease as the investment would result in expansion of existing business and into new markets.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Friday, March 7, 2014
Zero Tolerance = Real Stupidity
Suspended for using a "Finger Gun" - Article
I agree with the congressman who thinks schools need more flexibility in handing out punishments for misbehavior. However, is a 10 year old using a "finger gun" really worthy of any punishment at all? I say no.
There have been many reports of young children suspended for using weapons that consist of food products like Pop-Tarts and chicken fingers. Now we also have this about a 10 year old boy who pointed his finger at a fellow student. Shame on him.
The teacher who witnessed this horrific event was so angry she could neither look at him nor talk to him. Imagine that. The teacher and the principal should both be suspended for being stupid.
I agree with the congressman who thinks schools need more flexibility in handing out punishments for misbehavior. However, is a 10 year old using a "finger gun" really worthy of any punishment at all? I say no.
There have been many reports of young children suspended for using weapons that consist of food products like Pop-Tarts and chicken fingers. Now we also have this about a 10 year old boy who pointed his finger at a fellow student. Shame on him.
The teacher who witnessed this horrific event was so angry she could neither look at him nor talk to him. Imagine that. The teacher and the principal should both be suspended for being stupid.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Connecting the IRS Dots
Bradley A Smith Op-Ed
Fake scandal, eh Mr. President? This column connects the dots that lead from the Citizen United decision by the Supreme Court, to the IRS unfairly scrutinizing conservative groups applying for 501(c)(4) status.
Fake scandal, eh Mr. President? This column connects the dots that lead from the Citizen United decision by the Supreme Court, to the IRS unfairly scrutinizing conservative groups applying for 501(c)(4) status.
Delay! And I Don't Mean Tom Delay
New Obamacare Delay
Voters better remember this, and all the 29 previous changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Ace (PPACA or Obamacare). The president and democrats supporting Obamacare like to point out to those opposed to the law, that it is the law of the land, and you can't change or repeal it. However, that argument does not apply to the signor.
Obama has changed his own signature piece of legislation 29 times, and now another time. Not only is changing laws arbitrarily and without congressional passing a bill unconstitutional, but it indicates just how bad this law really is.
Republicans are often called obstructionists and dysfunctional, for their opposition to Obamacare, and other parts of the liberal agenda. But democrats, especially Obama, are functional for passing a law without reading it, and then unconstitutionally changing it 30 times?
Voters better remember this, and all the 29 previous changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Ace (PPACA or Obamacare). The president and democrats supporting Obamacare like to point out to those opposed to the law, that it is the law of the land, and you can't change or repeal it. However, that argument does not apply to the signor.
Obama has changed his own signature piece of legislation 29 times, and now another time. Not only is changing laws arbitrarily and without congressional passing a bill unconstitutional, but it indicates just how bad this law really is.
Republicans are often called obstructionists and dysfunctional, for their opposition to Obamacare, and other parts of the liberal agenda. But democrats, especially Obama, are functional for passing a law without reading it, and then unconstitutionally changing it 30 times?
Monday, March 3, 2014
Possibility #2, You're All Racists
At the Academy Awards show last night, the host, Ellen Degeneres, joked that there are many possibilities for the show.
"Possibility number one, "12 Years a Slave" wins best picture. Possibility number 2, you're all racists."
Well, "12 Years a Slave" ended up winning the best picture award, so I guess Hollywood is off the racist hook.
But let's analyze this "joke". Hollywood is generally very liberal. Liberals often call any conservative opposed to the liberal agenda, especially President Obama's agenda, racist. So the questions are as follows.
Did Ellen know something about the best picture award and was she hinting to the audience?
Did Hollywood actually vote for the movie about the life of a real slave in order to avoid being tagged as racist?
If they had voted for another movie (there were nine movies nominated for that award), would they have been called racist?
What are the implications to society when your choices are limited or influenced by the prospect of being labeled racist, even when race is not actually part of the criteria for choosing?
Am I being paranoid because people who think like me are called racists so much?
"Possibility number one, "12 Years a Slave" wins best picture. Possibility number 2, you're all racists."
Well, "12 Years a Slave" ended up winning the best picture award, so I guess Hollywood is off the racist hook.
But let's analyze this "joke". Hollywood is generally very liberal. Liberals often call any conservative opposed to the liberal agenda, especially President Obama's agenda, racist. So the questions are as follows.
Did Ellen know something about the best picture award and was she hinting to the audience?
Did Hollywood actually vote for the movie about the life of a real slave in order to avoid being tagged as racist?
If they had voted for another movie (there were nine movies nominated for that award), would they have been called racist?
What are the implications to society when your choices are limited or influenced by the prospect of being labeled racist, even when race is not actually part of the criteria for choosing?
Am I being paranoid because people who think like me are called racists so much?
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Election Reforms?
People have long thought of various reforms to elections, mostly involving financial reforms. I have other ideas.
Financial
Financial reforms usually involve limiting the donations to some arbitrary maximum. I think organizations have vested interests in elections, and should be included in the process. But I do think they should only be allowed to donate the same amount per individual as I can donate myself to any campaign. An organization with 100 members can donate 100X the limit imposed on any one of them individually. However, the members being counted must be registered voters in order to be counted among those.
Voter ID
Voter fraud is real. Pretending it is not is detrimental to the process. 'One man one vote' is a principle we have had in this country from its inception, and this should be maintained. Requiring a voter to present identification is neither racist, nor disenfranchising. In this day and age when a proper ID is needed for so many daily activities, and obtaining an ID is a simple process, it is reasonable to ask voters to obtain such an ID.
Allowing early voting 30 days or more in advance of election day is even more reason for controlling the single vote per voter rule. The availability of US Mail, internet and drop in voting makes it more difficult to prevent fraud.
Media Bias
The media are supposed to be the nations watch dog. They are the people tasked with learning the truth about the government, events and people. Investigating the people running for office, asking proper questions of them, and following up on the answers, is their job. They need to do it. People are consumers of what the media publishes. Investigating the investigators is how we ensure the accuracy and efficacy of that news. Voters must relay on the information about candidates in order to make the best possible choice of placing their votes.
Regardless of your political affiliation or position on any issue before us, we must make informed decisions. Allowing the rules of elections and campaigning to influence that process poisons the process. We cannot allow politicians, who have much to gain or lose from our votes, to have undue influence in how the votes are collected and counted.
Financial
Financial reforms usually involve limiting the donations to some arbitrary maximum. I think organizations have vested interests in elections, and should be included in the process. But I do think they should only be allowed to donate the same amount per individual as I can donate myself to any campaign. An organization with 100 members can donate 100X the limit imposed on any one of them individually. However, the members being counted must be registered voters in order to be counted among those.
Voter ID
Voter fraud is real. Pretending it is not is detrimental to the process. 'One man one vote' is a principle we have had in this country from its inception, and this should be maintained. Requiring a voter to present identification is neither racist, nor disenfranchising. In this day and age when a proper ID is needed for so many daily activities, and obtaining an ID is a simple process, it is reasonable to ask voters to obtain such an ID.
Allowing early voting 30 days or more in advance of election day is even more reason for controlling the single vote per voter rule. The availability of US Mail, internet and drop in voting makes it more difficult to prevent fraud.
Media Bias
The media are supposed to be the nations watch dog. They are the people tasked with learning the truth about the government, events and people. Investigating the people running for office, asking proper questions of them, and following up on the answers, is their job. They need to do it. People are consumers of what the media publishes. Investigating the investigators is how we ensure the accuracy and efficacy of that news. Voters must relay on the information about candidates in order to make the best possible choice of placing their votes.
Regardless of your political affiliation or position on any issue before us, we must make informed decisions. Allowing the rules of elections and campaigning to influence that process poisons the process. We cannot allow politicians, who have much to gain or lose from our votes, to have undue influence in how the votes are collected and counted.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
If Obama Gets His Way, Who Will Pay?
So, President Obama is currently demanding two things of Americans. If he gets his way on both, the poor in America will suffer more than middle and upper class Americans. But don't misunderstand, we will all suffer. Here is why.
Minimum Wage:
The president is asking for a 39% increase in minimum wage, from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour. Businesses would need to either raise prices, lay people off, restrict hours worked, or some combination of these, in order to cover the increase in wages payable.
EPA 'Coal Fired Power Plants' Regulations:
Mr. Obama wants all coal fired power plants built from this day forward to include technology, which has yet to be developed, to capture and contain carbon emissions. Experts in the field say the additional regulations would raise the cost of household utilities by 70%.
Even if the technology goes undeveloped, the lack of new plants coming online will have a price raising effect as well. More regulations always raise the cost of doing business. Business costs are always passed on to someone, employees or customers.
Now the Payback:
Assuming President Obama gets both his wishes, would the increased electric bill at home cost more then the increase in wages? The president, his party, and many on the political left, claim it is unacceptable to work fro $7.25/hour while supporting a family of 4. They are correct.
But the answer is not to raise the cost of living so high as to make the increase meaningless. The answer is that jobs paying minimum wages are not intended for supporting a family. Mostly they are jobs intended for young, inexperienced, unskilled workers to get a job, develop skills and habits that will support more meaningful, higher wage jobs.
Minimum Wage:
The president is asking for a 39% increase in minimum wage, from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour. Businesses would need to either raise prices, lay people off, restrict hours worked, or some combination of these, in order to cover the increase in wages payable.
EPA 'Coal Fired Power Plants' Regulations:
Mr. Obama wants all coal fired power plants built from this day forward to include technology, which has yet to be developed, to capture and contain carbon emissions. Experts in the field say the additional regulations would raise the cost of household utilities by 70%.
Even if the technology goes undeveloped, the lack of new plants coming online will have a price raising effect as well. More regulations always raise the cost of doing business. Business costs are always passed on to someone, employees or customers.
Now the Payback:
Assuming President Obama gets both his wishes, would the increased electric bill at home cost more then the increase in wages? The president, his party, and many on the political left, claim it is unacceptable to work fro $7.25/hour while supporting a family of 4. They are correct.
But the answer is not to raise the cost of living so high as to make the increase meaningless. The answer is that jobs paying minimum wages are not intended for supporting a family. Mostly they are jobs intended for young, inexperienced, unskilled workers to get a job, develop skills and habits that will support more meaningful, higher wage jobs.
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