FOGLIFTING

AREN'T YOU GENEROUS!

 

Neil Young could learn a thing or two from politicians. While he's trying to raise a paltry sum for the Bridge School, Americans have already volunteered to donate $10,000 (the average taxpayer's share of Medicare & Social Security) of their hard-earned money to politicians' favorite charities. YOU are so generous!
When I think of all the bills piling up on you for your family's healthcare, your escalating mortgage payment and property taxes and saving for your children's education, the thought that you would give $10,000 to benfit others out of YOUR income is really touching. You even pay $1,500 ON TOP OF THAT for interest payments on Washington's largess. Wow!
What? You say that money was taken from you by force? But... you voted for these politicians didn't you? If you don't vote, you are making a decision too - the decision to just let them take it, like you would any threatening mugger. Or... you can get involved in the process instead of watching the latest sitcom or ballgame. Political parties meet regularly. Show up and grow up. Learn the process, and make a difference for your family, your grandchildren and for yourself.
It's your money. You decide.

A BILLION DOLLARS

When ever the popular press talks about government spending, they always say "$X billion spent on this" and "$Y billions spent on that". But what is a billion dollars? Who has ever seen a billion? Everyone knows the math: 1,000 times 1 million. But how much is that?

Well, let's say your boss pays you $1 per second for a whole day. That is $1 x 60 seconds x 60 minutes x 24 hours, which equals $86,400. That's a lot of money.

In a week's time (x 7), you would have $604,800. THAT is a lot of money.

However even getting $600,000 per week, it would take you over 31 YEARS to get $1 billion!!! That IS a lot of money.

When the federal government talks about spending a billion here and $100 billion there, the only way I know to make ANY sense of it is to break it down into how much of MY money they are spending. It's simple. Every $1 billion spent equals $6.54 of my money if I'm the Average Taxpayer - the total budget divided by the people in the labor force. Serious people take this spending seriously, because the government's spending money doesn't come from the tooth fairy - it comes from you and me... or debt piles up for our children. Either our elected leaders spend wisely, or let's replace them with men and women who will.

It's your money. You decide.

THE TOP 10% OF COTTON-SUBSIDY RECIPIENTS...

Last year a panhandler came up to me in downtown Atlanta and asked for 50 cents.  No big deal.  The guy looked poor, so I gave him something I could clearly spare.

This year a panhandler, clearly a wealthy man, snuck up on me and lifted a $20 right out of my pocket!  I exploded!  Surely this guy didn't need the money as much as I did, but I guess he figured he could get away with it... and he has NO CLUE about the wrong he has done.

The real problem is that he took it from all of you, too...

I HAVE A MILLION IDEAS - THE COUNTRY CAN'T AFFORD THEM ALL - HILLARY CLINTON

"The real question is, 'Can the country afford any of them?' " - Rudy Giuliani

FED SPENDS ONLY $17,785 OF YOUR MONEY IN '07 (UP 2.%)

The federal budget year ends September 30. Actually considering the amount of inflation we have, real spending was flat. We say "Hurrah!"