Hi Everyone:
There is a lot of talk about what to do with the Bush Tax Cuts. The Democrats want to end the tax cuts for people earning over $250,000. The Republicans want to keep all of the tax cuts in place. Who is right and who is wrong? Or is there a right or wrong in this debate? Lets look at the facts as per the Gannet news:
The final 2 years of the George H. W. Bush presidency brought a creeping recession, with an unemployment rate that increased from 5.6% in 1990 to 7.5% in 1992. By June 1992, just 5 months before the elections, the rate reached 7.8%.
Newly elected President Clinton proposed raising the highest marginal tax rate from 31% to 39.6%. President Reagan's chief economic advisor, Martin Feldstein, said that "raising the tax rate of high-income people would hurt incentives, weaken the economy and waste investment dollars."
As you may or may not remember, there was a fierce debate with a lot of mud slinging and fear mongering. Republicans truly believed that Reagan's trickle down theory, tax cuts for the rich would benefit the middle and lower classes. They claimed that raising taxes during a recession was wrong. Even though Reagan's tax cuts among other things created a huge deficit, they still believed their way was correct.
When the debate ended and the votes were counted, the house voted for the tax increases by a vote of 218 to 216. The senate vote was tied and broken by Vice President Gore. So what were the consequences? In the following 7 years the unemployment rate decreased every year until it reached 4% in 2000. Did the tax increase alone cause the drop in the unemployment rate? Probably not. But the increase went a long way towards closing the budget deficit that Clinton inherited from Reagan and Bush and it also raised the incomes of poor families through the Earned Tax Credit. Both of these factors provided major economic boosts. Also don't forget that by the end of Clinton's presidency, the huge deficit that he inherited was gone and a huge surplus was given to Bush #2.
President George Bush #2, not believing in history repeating itself, slashed tax cuts for all individuals. Then the economy fell off a cliff. The tax revenue lost from the tax decreases helped in part to send this country into the worst recession since the Great Depression.
So what is the correct answer regarding keeping the tax rate for the rich as is, or increase their tax rates? Well, using common sense, it appears to me that raising the tax rates for the rich is good economic policy. It worked in the 1990's, so why wouldn't it work now? How can one argue that the trickle down theory of economics works? History has proven twice that it didn't work. It didn't work for Reagan and it didn't work for Bush #2. If history has shown which way works, why would we want to try a failed policy for a third time? That makes absolutely no sense to me.
Additionally, please don't forget that keeping the tax cuts for the rich will increase the deficit by almost one trillion dollars. If the GOP was really serious about reducing the deficit, which they say they are, the first thing that they should do is to eliminate the tax cuts for the rich and increase their tax rates. You can't argue with history. It is there for us to learn from and not to ignore.
Common sense rules and poor policies drool.
Til next week.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Reason # ??? Why School Taxes Are High
Hi Everyone:
Just when you thought you had heard it all regarding high school taxes; Buffalo, New York may well take the cake and win the award for the dumbest ever. Common sense must have been dead and buried in Buffalo because you could never guess, not in a million years, what their teacher contract covers. The Buffalo school union really snowed the taxpayers with an unbelievable pert covered by their contract.
So what is this pert? Before I tell you, keep this in mind; Buffalo taxpayers shelled out $9 million just for last year, to cover this pert for 500 teachers and their dependents who used the pert. And the pert is, drum roll please.............................................................................................. cosmetic surgery?! Now mind you that this is not cosmetic surgery due to an accident or mastectomy etc., which are usually covered under a medical benefits plan, but for elective cosmetic surgery. This is wrong on every conceivable level. Shame on the union for asking for such an outrageous pert like elective cosmetic surgery. Equal shame also has to be placed on Buffalo's school administration for accepting this pert as part of the contract. What were they thinking? Oh yea, they weren't!
Sometimes I feel like the world in which we live is upside down and I am living in a Bizzaro world, (see Seinfeld the TV show). Why would it be necessary to have cosmetic surgery included in any contract what so ever? Are Buffalo teachers and their dependents born so ugly and deformed that only elective surgery can correct their plight? Do Buffalo teachers and their dependents enter lots of beauty contests? Does Buffalo win an award for having the most beautiful teachers? Obviously the answers to all of these is a resounding NO! So the only reason this pert became part of the contract is due to a complete and utter lack of common sense on any one's part. Shame on them all!
This is a prime example of how union contracts have gotten so out of control and so far beyond their scope of coverage since their inception to protect employees rights and pay. Their aren't enough adjectives that the Buffalo taxpayers should be shouting at the top of their lungs to rescind this pert and any others like it. As part of trying to get this country back on its feet, I firmly believe that all union contracts must be reviewed with a fine tooth comb and remove outrageous and costly perts such as cosmetic surgery. If the unions don't like it, TS!!!!!!! They should have never received such a pert in the first place. Shame on everyone!!!
Common sense rules and greed drools.
Til next week.
Peter
Just when you thought you had heard it all regarding high school taxes; Buffalo, New York may well take the cake and win the award for the dumbest ever. Common sense must have been dead and buried in Buffalo because you could never guess, not in a million years, what their teacher contract covers. The Buffalo school union really snowed the taxpayers with an unbelievable pert covered by their contract.
So what is this pert? Before I tell you, keep this in mind; Buffalo taxpayers shelled out $9 million just for last year, to cover this pert for 500 teachers and their dependents who used the pert. And the pert is, drum roll please.............................................................................................. cosmetic surgery?! Now mind you that this is not cosmetic surgery due to an accident or mastectomy etc., which are usually covered under a medical benefits plan, but for elective cosmetic surgery. This is wrong on every conceivable level. Shame on the union for asking for such an outrageous pert like elective cosmetic surgery. Equal shame also has to be placed on Buffalo's school administration for accepting this pert as part of the contract. What were they thinking? Oh yea, they weren't!
Sometimes I feel like the world in which we live is upside down and I am living in a Bizzaro world, (see Seinfeld the TV show). Why would it be necessary to have cosmetic surgery included in any contract what so ever? Are Buffalo teachers and their dependents born so ugly and deformed that only elective surgery can correct their plight? Do Buffalo teachers and their dependents enter lots of beauty contests? Does Buffalo win an award for having the most beautiful teachers? Obviously the answers to all of these is a resounding NO! So the only reason this pert became part of the contract is due to a complete and utter lack of common sense on any one's part. Shame on them all!
This is a prime example of how union contracts have gotten so out of control and so far beyond their scope of coverage since their inception to protect employees rights and pay. Their aren't enough adjectives that the Buffalo taxpayers should be shouting at the top of their lungs to rescind this pert and any others like it. As part of trying to get this country back on its feet, I firmly believe that all union contracts must be reviewed with a fine tooth comb and remove outrageous and costly perts such as cosmetic surgery. If the unions don't like it, TS!!!!!!! They should have never received such a pert in the first place. Shame on everyone!!!
Common sense rules and greed drools.
Til next week.
Peter
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Florida
Hi Everyone:
I'm back from vacation. Although we all had a great time, vacations always seem to end much to soon. While on vacation though, I unintentionally discovered something that really mystified me. But I am getting ahead of myself. First the back story is that 4 of us went to Florida for some much needed R&R. While there, our friends wanted to check out some retirement homes, condos and townhouses. I believe that we visited about 12. All of the homes etc. were built between 1997 to 2006. So they should have been built with efficiency in mind. Not so fast with that kind of thinking.
Every single house, condo and townhouse had single paned windows, this included the windows in doors and the sliding glass doors. When we visited stores and restaurants etc., they also had single paned windows and doors. Even the resort that we stayed at used single paned windows and sliders. On mildly chilly mornings, we could see condensation on the windows.
Now it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that having double paned windows in a warm climate can also save a lot of money by lowering one's air conditioning needs which in turn lowers the electricity bills. I really couldn't believe that all these recently built homes etc. were built with not enough attention paid to energy savings. What an absolute shame.
Obviously, common sense was not used in the designing and constructing of all these structures. Money was most likely the determining factor in choosing single paned over double paned windows. Just think about all the energy wasted. It is mind boggling. Again, what a shame!
Common sense rules and inefficient buildings don't.
Til next week.
I'm back from vacation. Although we all had a great time, vacations always seem to end much to soon. While on vacation though, I unintentionally discovered something that really mystified me. But I am getting ahead of myself. First the back story is that 4 of us went to Florida for some much needed R&R. While there, our friends wanted to check out some retirement homes, condos and townhouses. I believe that we visited about 12. All of the homes etc. were built between 1997 to 2006. So they should have been built with efficiency in mind. Not so fast with that kind of thinking.
Every single house, condo and townhouse had single paned windows, this included the windows in doors and the sliding glass doors. When we visited stores and restaurants etc., they also had single paned windows and doors. Even the resort that we stayed at used single paned windows and sliders. On mildly chilly mornings, we could see condensation on the windows.
Now it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that having double paned windows in a warm climate can also save a lot of money by lowering one's air conditioning needs which in turn lowers the electricity bills. I really couldn't believe that all these recently built homes etc. were built with not enough attention paid to energy savings. What an absolute shame.
Obviously, common sense was not used in the designing and constructing of all these structures. Money was most likely the determining factor in choosing single paned over double paned windows. Just think about all the energy wasted. It is mind boggling. Again, what a shame!
Common sense rules and inefficient buildings don't.
Til next week.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Election Day 11/2
Hi Everyone:
Today's blog is different from any of my other blogs. With a little more then 2 weeks until election day, I would like to make a request to each of you.
Before you go to the polls on 11/2, I would like each and every one of you to do your homework on each candidate from every party. Please use your common sense to pick the best person you believe will do the best job. I have kept to my promise in my very first blog that my blog will be apolitical and I will still adhere to that promise. But please don't be afraid to cross party lines if you believe that someone from another party is the best qualified candidate. You must also try to filter out the lies, smears and fear mongering etc., in order to know the truth. The truth counts more than any thing else because everything else just blurs your vision in order to "see" the truth.
I will be back in 2 weeks. Til then.
Today's blog is different from any of my other blogs. With a little more then 2 weeks until election day, I would like to make a request to each of you.
Before you go to the polls on 11/2, I would like each and every one of you to do your homework on each candidate from every party. Please use your common sense to pick the best person you believe will do the best job. I have kept to my promise in my very first blog that my blog will be apolitical and I will still adhere to that promise. But please don't be afraid to cross party lines if you believe that someone from another party is the best qualified candidate. You must also try to filter out the lies, smears and fear mongering etc., in order to know the truth. The truth counts more than any thing else because everything else just blurs your vision in order to "see" the truth.
I will be back in 2 weeks. Til then.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Past Its Prime?
Hi Everyone:
Today's topic is definitely a "hot button" issue. A long, long time ago, during the beginning of the 20th century, business owners did whatever they wanted to their employees to be able to maximize profits. Employers locked their employees in rooms even without proper ventilation and restrooms. That worked until sometime after the 1911 New York City Triangle Shirt Company fire where every single sweatshop employee either jumped to their deaths or were burned alive. Employees were unable to escape because the doors were locked from outside of the room where they worked. There were also no fire escapes. Employers also worked their employees long hours without breaks and paid the employees as little as they could. That is just a few items of a very long laundry list on how employers abused their employees.
Employees began to take notice and became mad as hell and they weren't going to take it anymore. Rightfully so, employees organized themselves and voila, unions were born. Employers had nobody to blame except themselves. Being a member of a union, meant being guaranteed protected workers rights, fair wages, hours worked, overtime and a pension etc. Then later, a benefit package was negotiated and added to the contract that included medical, dental and life insurance etc. Again, since the employees were so mad at the employers that all of the above rights and benefits were and still are be paid solely by the employers.
As the decades rolled on by, the costs of the benefit packages, including retirement plans, were crippling huge companies; think GM etc. It is not just manufacturing companies, now police, fire and teachers benefit plans are killing taxpayers due to the exorbitant costs. In New York State Teacher contracts also give them tenure after only 3 years. After a teacher receives tenure, it is very hard to fire a teacher. I have read articles where teachers are placed in rooms where they sit all day and do not teach, while their case lingers on to a conclusion, sometimes it takes years to resolve the case. Who wants bad teachers in their schools? It shouldn't take so long to terminate a poor performing teacher.
Now another contract that I am well versed in is the union contract that protects hotel employees in New York City. With this contract if an employee is fired for theft, the hotel must cough up a 3 - 4 week severance pay. For an employee who stole? Outrageous!!! But wait; the union receives 1 day for each week of the severance. Why should the union benefit for an employee who stole? Additionally, if an employee is called in to work, on their day off, they are given a 1 1/2 hour travel time that when added to the hours worked on their day off becomes overtime. Who gets paid travel time to get to work?
The point that I am trying to make is that union contracts were once a necessity and not so much now since their is a federal law that covers almost every item in a contract. Employees can sue under NLRB, EEOC, Title VII, Human Rights and for whatever other reason they see fit. If their charges are found to be true, employees win their case and are paid. It is unreasonable to think that unions will just go away. Instead, it seems to me a lot of common sense is urgently and desperately needed to renegotiate all of the above contracts and more. For a start, new contracts have to include having all union employees pay their "fair" share of all benefit programs just like all non-union employees (who have benefit plans available) do right now. This must include medical, dental, life insurance and pension plans etc. Second, perks like severance for stealing and travel time, etc., etc. must be eliminated from contracts.
Common sense must prevail in all future union contract negotiations because taxpayers and companies can no longer afford them.
Til next week.
Today's topic is definitely a "hot button" issue. A long, long time ago, during the beginning of the 20th century, business owners did whatever they wanted to their employees to be able to maximize profits. Employers locked their employees in rooms even without proper ventilation and restrooms. That worked until sometime after the 1911 New York City Triangle Shirt Company fire where every single sweatshop employee either jumped to their deaths or were burned alive. Employees were unable to escape because the doors were locked from outside of the room where they worked. There were also no fire escapes. Employers also worked their employees long hours without breaks and paid the employees as little as they could. That is just a few items of a very long laundry list on how employers abused their employees.
Employees began to take notice and became mad as hell and they weren't going to take it anymore. Rightfully so, employees organized themselves and voila, unions were born. Employers had nobody to blame except themselves. Being a member of a union, meant being guaranteed protected workers rights, fair wages, hours worked, overtime and a pension etc. Then later, a benefit package was negotiated and added to the contract that included medical, dental and life insurance etc. Again, since the employees were so mad at the employers that all of the above rights and benefits were and still are be paid solely by the employers.
As the decades rolled on by, the costs of the benefit packages, including retirement plans, were crippling huge companies; think GM etc. It is not just manufacturing companies, now police, fire and teachers benefit plans are killing taxpayers due to the exorbitant costs. In New York State Teacher contracts also give them tenure after only 3 years. After a teacher receives tenure, it is very hard to fire a teacher. I have read articles where teachers are placed in rooms where they sit all day and do not teach, while their case lingers on to a conclusion, sometimes it takes years to resolve the case. Who wants bad teachers in their schools? It shouldn't take so long to terminate a poor performing teacher.
Now another contract that I am well versed in is the union contract that protects hotel employees in New York City. With this contract if an employee is fired for theft, the hotel must cough up a 3 - 4 week severance pay. For an employee who stole? Outrageous!!! But wait; the union receives 1 day for each week of the severance. Why should the union benefit for an employee who stole? Additionally, if an employee is called in to work, on their day off, they are given a 1 1/2 hour travel time that when added to the hours worked on their day off becomes overtime. Who gets paid travel time to get to work?
The point that I am trying to make is that union contracts were once a necessity and not so much now since their is a federal law that covers almost every item in a contract. Employees can sue under NLRB, EEOC, Title VII, Human Rights and for whatever other reason they see fit. If their charges are found to be true, employees win their case and are paid. It is unreasonable to think that unions will just go away. Instead, it seems to me a lot of common sense is urgently and desperately needed to renegotiate all of the above contracts and more. For a start, new contracts have to include having all union employees pay their "fair" share of all benefit programs just like all non-union employees (who have benefit plans available) do right now. This must include medical, dental, life insurance and pension plans etc. Second, perks like severance for stealing and travel time, etc., etc. must be eliminated from contracts.
Common sense must prevail in all future union contract negotiations because taxpayers and companies can no longer afford them.
Til next week.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
At It Again
Hi Everyone:
Sometimes I wonder if politicians actually think before they speak. If they did, common sense would dictate to them if they should say something or not. Case in point is Carl Paladino yet again.
Carl Paladino is the Republican Gubernatorial candidate here in NY. I wrote about Mr. Paladino on 9/12/10, yet it seems that he will never cease to amaze me by his words. This past week, a reporter from a major NYC newspaper was interviewing him (which was caught on video) and Mr. Paladino got upset with the reporter and then told the reporter that he was going to "take him out." The reporter asked "how he was going to do that"? Paladino responded "watch."
I'm pretty sure that Paladino isn't going to take the reporter out to dinner or out on a date. So taking him out then means to kill him. WTH?!!!!! How can a candidate for Governor say he is going to kill someone? Even with a camera focused on him, Paladino obviously said what he meant. But did he mean what he said? Too late now, he said what he said and the spin doctors can try their best to subdue the damage he did to himself. Maybe, just maybe, if Paladino had an ounce of common sense he would not have said that. Why would a political wannabe shoot himself in the foot while sticking his other foot in his mouth by saying something so outrageous? It would appear that Paladino has a short fuse, is thin skinned, speaks before thinking and most of all, lacks any common sense what-so-ever. If this doesn't end his political aspirations, I don't know what will.
Enough said!
Til next week.
Sometimes I wonder if politicians actually think before they speak. If they did, common sense would dictate to them if they should say something or not. Case in point is Carl Paladino yet again.
Carl Paladino is the Republican Gubernatorial candidate here in NY. I wrote about Mr. Paladino on 9/12/10, yet it seems that he will never cease to amaze me by his words. This past week, a reporter from a major NYC newspaper was interviewing him (which was caught on video) and Mr. Paladino got upset with the reporter and then told the reporter that he was going to "take him out." The reporter asked "how he was going to do that"? Paladino responded "watch."
I'm pretty sure that Paladino isn't going to take the reporter out to dinner or out on a date. So taking him out then means to kill him. WTH?!!!!! How can a candidate for Governor say he is going to kill someone? Even with a camera focused on him, Paladino obviously said what he meant. But did he mean what he said? Too late now, he said what he said and the spin doctors can try their best to subdue the damage he did to himself. Maybe, just maybe, if Paladino had an ounce of common sense he would not have said that. Why would a political wannabe shoot himself in the foot while sticking his other foot in his mouth by saying something so outrageous? It would appear that Paladino has a short fuse, is thin skinned, speaks before thinking and most of all, lacks any common sense what-so-ever. If this doesn't end his political aspirations, I don't know what will.
Enough said!
Til next week.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
God's Fault or Mother Nature's Fault
Hi Everyone:
Torrential rains this past July and August in Pakistan has devastated the country with flooding and has left thousands of people dead. Unfortunately, the worst is yet to come. After the flood waters recede, there will be tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands left homeless. More importantly there will not be enough food or clean water to drink. Drinking tainted water will lead to diarrhea and dysentery, which left untreated will almost certainly lead to death. Consequently, the death toll will continue to rise weeks and even months after the water has receded.
The US government has pledged millions of dollars to aid the people of Pakistan. Unfortunately, the Pakistani government has been very slow to help its own. I believe that the government is inundated to the point where their slow response time was a predictable consequence of not being prepared due to not having a "battle plan" in case of such an emergency.
The weather-related cataclysms that so affected Pakistan fit patterns predicted by climate scientists at the Geneva based World Meteorological Organization. The rains were obviously due to Mother Nature. Whether or not global warming is to blame remains uncertain. But, could there be any other reason for the rains that so devastated Pakistan? If yes, what could it possibly be?
Both the Pakistan based Taliban and Al-Qaeda have been repeatedly saying very loudly that the torrential rains are God's punishment to Pakistan for being a friend to the United States and for the Pakistani government's fight against its own people. Meaning that the government should stop fighting the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Excuse me for saying this but what the hell! It is also very obvious that both the Taliban and/or Al-Qaeda want to take over and rule Pakistan. Consequently, militant Islamist extremists will say and do anything to sway people to their side even when there is no truth in what they say. Unfortunately, their statements don't surprise me in the least. Additionally, their lack of common sense also doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me is that there is an alarming rate of Pakistan people believing this utter gibberish. If more people support the extremists they just might have the ability to take over the government. If they were able to take over the government, the extremists would be in possession of nuclear bombs and then all bets are off.
The Pakistani government must do its own grandstanding asap and tell its people that it is Mother Nature's fault and in no way is its God's punishment. Common sense dictates that the Pakistani government has to inform all of its people quickly and use all available resources, (including all forms of media etc.) to stem the tide before it is to late. Islamist extremists in possession of nuclear bombs is a nightmare that the region and the world can't live with. The Pakistan government must also help their own people faster and better. Asking for more outside help wouldn't hurt either.
Til next week.
Torrential rains this past July and August in Pakistan has devastated the country with flooding and has left thousands of people dead. Unfortunately, the worst is yet to come. After the flood waters recede, there will be tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands left homeless. More importantly there will not be enough food or clean water to drink. Drinking tainted water will lead to diarrhea and dysentery, which left untreated will almost certainly lead to death. Consequently, the death toll will continue to rise weeks and even months after the water has receded.
The US government has pledged millions of dollars to aid the people of Pakistan. Unfortunately, the Pakistani government has been very slow to help its own. I believe that the government is inundated to the point where their slow response time was a predictable consequence of not being prepared due to not having a "battle plan" in case of such an emergency.
The weather-related cataclysms that so affected Pakistan fit patterns predicted by climate scientists at the Geneva based World Meteorological Organization. The rains were obviously due to Mother Nature. Whether or not global warming is to blame remains uncertain. But, could there be any other reason for the rains that so devastated Pakistan? If yes, what could it possibly be?
Both the Pakistan based Taliban and Al-Qaeda have been repeatedly saying very loudly that the torrential rains are God's punishment to Pakistan for being a friend to the United States and for the Pakistani government's fight against its own people. Meaning that the government should stop fighting the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Excuse me for saying this but what the hell! It is also very obvious that both the Taliban and/or Al-Qaeda want to take over and rule Pakistan. Consequently, militant Islamist extremists will say and do anything to sway people to their side even when there is no truth in what they say. Unfortunately, their statements don't surprise me in the least. Additionally, their lack of common sense also doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me is that there is an alarming rate of Pakistan people believing this utter gibberish. If more people support the extremists they just might have the ability to take over the government. If they were able to take over the government, the extremists would be in possession of nuclear bombs and then all bets are off.
The Pakistani government must do its own grandstanding asap and tell its people that it is Mother Nature's fault and in no way is its God's punishment. Common sense dictates that the Pakistani government has to inform all of its people quickly and use all available resources, (including all forms of media etc.) to stem the tide before it is to late. Islamist extremists in possession of nuclear bombs is a nightmare that the region and the world can't live with. The Pakistan government must also help their own people faster and better. Asking for more outside help wouldn't hurt either.
Til next week.
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