Ziggurats

HIGH POTOMAC EMBANKMENTS, ROTUNDA TOPS PENNSYLVANIA ZIGGURAT First came the Fiscal Cliff along the Potomac, with talks stymied until the last minute. Republicans caved on almost every issue, eking out one meager concession: taxes would be hiked only on those making $400K+, not $250K. Obama dug in, called their bluff, threatened to make the country believe it was all their fault if we went off the cliff. He had been...

Disgusted 2% = Economic Malaise

I’m amazed Fed Chairman Bernanke can’t understand why the economy doesn’t take off, with interest rates so low? Why the stimulus or quantitative easings didn’t prod things along? I can’t understand people being ecstatic we avoided the fiscal cliff, thinking that would improve things? Three main drivers of budgetary success/failure are revenues, spending and level of economic activity. Revenues...

Two Gorilla Surprise!

We’re the board of directors at the zoo, and our original budget called for one(1) gorilla in the simian enclosure, along with all the other screeching apes, monkeys, chimps & baboons. Now we find ourselves with two unplanned 900lb gorillas who, along with the other primates, are eating us out of house and home! One faction suggests we seek out more efficient ways of buying provisions: increase the volume, use...

Drunken Sale’rs Of More Debt

In the next several weeks we’ll be hearing the bitter debate in Washington concerning the Debt Ceiling. Democrats {sale’rs} won’t cut anything, and will offer tokens to appease and distract. Say anything, try every trick, just get the increase. They’ll agree to cut the rate of growth claiming this will save trillions over the next ten years. One problem: if the rate slows but still leads revenues, we...

Fractured Society?

I believe taxes are high enough. In fact, I think they should be lowered across the board, with the highest rate about 30%. But President Obama wants higher rates. He wants to tax me at 35%, 39.6%, even 43.4%, and I don’t want to pay! About a third of my tax is completely wasted on inefficiency, over-lap, corruption, waste and nonproductive and/or ill-advised programs and policies. There’s no accountability in...

Are Statism/Socialism Anti-American?

The whole debate about taxes, spending, entitlements, state’s rights and size of government revolves around two basic ideologies: capitalism and socialism.   From the outset, America had been a capitalistic, free enterprise society, but at the beginning of the 20th century progressive ideas came in vogue under Woodrow Wilson, who instituted the federal income tax, the federal reserve act, and tried to create the...