Apples and, I Don't Know, Kumquats?

The bipartisan/revenue-neutral Tax Reform Act of 1986 is extremely instructive. It specifically gives us a blueprint on how to compare the tax-rates of today with the rates of previous generations (i.e., those prior to 1986). The mechanism for this is the ratio that one arrives at via the comparison the top rate prior to the legislation (50%) with the top rate subsequent (28% - a rate that was arrived at via an elimination of many tax-shelter, loopholes, etc.) to it.................................................................................................So (and, yes, using this 50:28 ratio), the current top rate of 35% would equate to a pre-1986 rate of 62.5%. The pre-Bush era top rate of 39.6% would actually be 70.7%. And, yes, the 60, 74, and 90% proposals put forth by various liberals would translate to 107.1, 132.1, and 160.7% rates respectively. Youza, huh?................................................................................................So, what, pray tell, would the 91% rate of the Eisenhower administration translate to? That, folks, would translate to a current rate of approximately 51% (the Kennedy rate of 70% would translate to 39.2%). Interesting, huh? I mean, at the very least it narrows (or it should) the debate somewhat. Instead of people debating between a myriad of rates between zero and a hundred, they should probably be focusing on a continuum of 28-51 (at least for now!). This, folks, in that apparently is where the debate been for the past hundred years or so.

Boy, Have I Got a "Bargain" For You

Here, folks, is a perfect example of how collective bargaining can cost the taxpayers (in this instance, the taxpayers of Connecticut) hundreds of thousands of bucks, possibly millions. It was back in 1991. The state of Connecticut (DMR, specifically) was getting out of direct services in special education (ages 3-21). The students - they, in turn, were "given back" to their nexuses for programming. The obvious result of this was that a lot of special education state school teachers lost their positions (a few of them, myself included, followed the students to their next nexus). BUT, being that they had a lot of seniority, the state had to find them new positions. This usually entailed these folks moving to adult programming. The problem? The problem, folks, is that adult programming gets but a fraction of the funding that school aged clients receive, and the state had to eat the cost........................................................................................................In my opinion, these people should have been reclassified as state school instructors and paid accordingly. And EVEN THIS would have been generous - state school instructors making significantly more than job-coaches and day programmers in the private/nonprofit sectors. And if you think that I'm exaggerating the savings here, try to absorb this. A lot of these people, folks, are still in the system. Their salary now has to be in the mid 80s. If they had been reclassified as state school instructors, they'd probably be making in the low 50s (20-30 if they had switched to the private sector). Multiply these discrepancies by 3-4 dozen folks over 20 years and, yeah, I'm pretty sure that you're talking some real money here.....................................................................................................P.S. Please, I ask you, do not take this piece as an endorsement of the Wisconsin Governor. This, folks, in that, while, yes, I basically do agree with his position that collective bargaining for government workers is problematic, a conflict of interest, etc., I DO NOT appreciate his tactics; the fact that he literally sprung this proposal out of nowhere, his hard and fast unwillingness to even talk/negotiate, etc.. Persuasion and an effective argument - that, in my mind, would have worked significantly better for him.

You Scratch My Back, I'll............

No, folks, it isn't technically prostitution; Hugh Hefner shacking up with those bimbs in his mansion, buying 'em all sorts of shit and them pleasuring him (eww, huh?). But, come on here, people! What in the hell else COULD you call it? I mean, it is in fact a transaction, no - them gaining materially and him sexually? And the fact that they're also pimping themselves on television. THAT!! I'm telling you here, it's almost enough to make you want to leave home, boy..............................................................................................Not even an ounce of shame, for Christ!

Duh

What was my initial response to learning that the meat which Taco Bell uses isn't 100% beef?..................................................................................................P.S. Have you seen the damage control commercials yet? The Taco Bell people are now referring to that 12% non-meat filler as "signature recipe". Mmm, yummy yummy, huh?

Miscellaneous 61

1) It appears, folks, that the surest way to get ahead in some Republican circles these days is to simply say something loathsome about the President. I mean, first it was Newt Gingrich, mindlessly echoing that Dinesh D'souza crap about the President's father, his father's influence over him (never mind the fact that Obama's father died when he was TWO), yada yada. Then it was Pawlenty (by most accounts, a decent and reasonable person prior to this) at CPAC, not exactly embracing the birther bullshit, but not exactly condemning it, either (he instead joked about the President being from Mars). And, now, you've got the seemingly affable Huckabee dipping HIS toe into the craziness, feeding some idiotic right-wing talk-show nimrod additional donkey-shit; saying that the President grew up in Kenya, that he was surrounded by madrassas, etc.. I mean, wouldn't it be awesome if just one of these frigging stooges stood up and defended the President/put his or her own integrity over the damned nomination? I, for one, would totally love to see that (yeah, yeah, I know, I'm not a Republican primary voter).............2) I'd also like to inform Mr. Huckabee, an actual "apology" generally includes the words either "sorry" or "apologize". And, no, they're not as usual delivered in such a defensive manner, either ("poor me, poor me, the liberal media won't ever cut me a break, yada yada"). Just for some future reference, I'm saying.............3) Charlie Sheen said that he was "caught off guard" when social services took his children away. Hm, I guess, that, in his world, rampant drug and shacking up with prostitutes isn't a significantly large enough tea leaf to read.............4) I gotta admit it, though, when Mr. Sheen told that interviewer, "Yeah, I'm on a drug. It's called Charlie Sheen!", an extra-large belly-laugh flat-out DID occur. I mean, yeah, I'm totally sorry about it but.......

What Are the Odds?

When people talk about regressive taxation, one of the forms of it that frequently gets forgotten/ignored are the state-run Lotteries. I mean, I know that it's not technically taxation and all (this, in that the people who play the lottery do in fact get a service OF SORTS) but, still, it is in fact money that the state collects from its citizens. And, yes, folks, it is indeed regressive (this, according to virtually every study out there - seemingly)..................................................................................................Now, granted, the money (at least in Connecticut) does go to funding some good things like public education, etc. but, still, I'm not entirely sure about it. I mean, the mere fact that people are being impoverished by something that's basically akin to legalized gambling - that fact alone kind of give me the creeps.....................................................................................................P.S. I actually do have some first-hand experience with this. I used to work part-time in this package store, back when I was younger. And, yes, me-buckos, it's a fact. Most of the people who bought these lottery tickets, the scratch-off/instant ones especially, were clearly from the working class. And a lot of them were frigging borderline addicted, too. I especially remember this girl who lived right up the street. She'd walk in with 30-40 bucks and, yep, you got it, more often than not, leave with ZERO. I even remember trying to get her to slow down (a fact that my boss probably wouldn't have appreciated)/take a frigging brake or two. But she couldn't. SHE COULDN'T STOP SCRATCHING. It was sad, I'm telling you; her situation, and the fact the government was making a killing from it.

Yes, A Rigid Philosophy, Immutable Opinions, Etc.

What would be my answer to the question, "So, is there anything that the "progressives" and right-wing actually have in common, in your opinion?"