Why is the citizenship test for non native borns to the US being used as a political tool of indoctrination to Know Nothing thinking? You think I kid?
Here's a link to a sample of the citizenship test. Citizenship sample questions.
The answer the adminstrators give to the question of what was the cause of the American Revolution: high taxes. Bullshit.
The cause of the American Revolution, so far as taxes are concerned, was not high taxes. The issue was that the taxes were imposed by Parliament and King George on the colonies without any say by the colonies. The colonies had no representatives in Parliament; therefore, they were without voice in the matter. The taxes were imposed to help defray the cost of the French and Indian War, which had been fought to the benefit of the colonists, so the mother land had a legitimate argument that the colonies should help pay for the war. Some colonists were willing to pay the taxes even without a voice, too.
The answer given by the government is entirely without historical merit and reflects a Know Nothing thinking that says all taxes are bad. That's one of the main idiocies of the Tea Party movement. They object to taxes under the banner of the Boston Tea Party. The Boston Tea Party was about taxes imposed without representation. Taxes by the federal government are the results of votes by a Congress and President who are all elected. They may be idiots, but we elected them to be our representatives.
The Know Nothings are really a petulant, childish movement. They want to keep everything and not share and have temper tantrum when they don't get their way. That and they're afraid of that which they do not know, particularly people from other countries or cultures. Wah, wah, wah.
It's not Constitutional but I wouldn't mind a citizenship test for everyone before they could vote. The problem would be making it a test of substance that was non-partisan. Ah, meritocracy. Would that you were feasible.
Showing posts with label Taxes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taxes. Show all posts
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Skewed News
Faux News is famous for its bias but not all of the local Fox stations have news departments that mirror the national brand. That depends on the local ownership.
Unfortunately for Baltimore, Fox 45 is owned by Sinclair Broadcasting. They're one of the most loyal of right wing lapdogs. This is amusing at times because the entertainment shows of Fox are far from right wing and often contradict the message of the rightist news that follows.
But whatever. They can skew their new however they want. It's the disingenuousness of it that was getting on my nerves yesterday. They bought a lot of air time on the radio station I had on at work, so I heard their teaser for their 10:00 broadcast repeatedly. Of course, that's because its sweeps month now. I hate sweeps. All the locals trot out their most sensational stories and plug them incessantly.
For Fox 45 that meant a broad attack on taxes with a story that had little to nothing to do with taxes. The opening tease is your tax money being wasted. It goes into government misspending. But then it turns out their story is about a Baltimore City agency, unnamed, whose expense sheets show spending for fun of some kind. It's not actually a story about whether a tax or taxes are warranted for whatever intended purpose. It's no examination of whether a tax credit for mortgages is sound policy. No, it's just red meat to their usual audience of former Marylanders living in south central Pennsylvania (aka Pennsyltucky).
Nearly none of the viewers they're tossing this bait are having a dime of their tax money wasted, assuming there's actually some waste being exposed, which is not certain. These fools live in a whole other state. Sure, they live most of their lives in Maryland, what with working and shopping here, not to mention having their kids in activities here, but their income and property taxes are paid in Pennsylvania. They don't pay a dime to Baltimore City taxes, unless they're buying sodas or something in the city and paying the bottle tax. Hell, they're not even paying indirectly to the city the way I am with my state taxes.
It would be one thing if they touted the story as an expose of a city department wasting money. But they use that small story to make a broadside against taxes as a whole. That's simply a tie that's not there and is entirely disingenuous.
Unfortunately for Baltimore, Fox 45 is owned by Sinclair Broadcasting. They're one of the most loyal of right wing lapdogs. This is amusing at times because the entertainment shows of Fox are far from right wing and often contradict the message of the rightist news that follows.
But whatever. They can skew their new however they want. It's the disingenuousness of it that was getting on my nerves yesterday. They bought a lot of air time on the radio station I had on at work, so I heard their teaser for their 10:00 broadcast repeatedly. Of course, that's because its sweeps month now. I hate sweeps. All the locals trot out their most sensational stories and plug them incessantly.
For Fox 45 that meant a broad attack on taxes with a story that had little to nothing to do with taxes. The opening tease is your tax money being wasted. It goes into government misspending. But then it turns out their story is about a Baltimore City agency, unnamed, whose expense sheets show spending for fun of some kind. It's not actually a story about whether a tax or taxes are warranted for whatever intended purpose. It's no examination of whether a tax credit for mortgages is sound policy. No, it's just red meat to their usual audience of former Marylanders living in south central Pennsylvania (aka Pennsyltucky).
Nearly none of the viewers they're tossing this bait are having a dime of their tax money wasted, assuming there's actually some waste being exposed, which is not certain. These fools live in a whole other state. Sure, they live most of their lives in Maryland, what with working and shopping here, not to mention having their kids in activities here, but their income and property taxes are paid in Pennsylvania. They don't pay a dime to Baltimore City taxes, unless they're buying sodas or something in the city and paying the bottle tax. Hell, they're not even paying indirectly to the city the way I am with my state taxes.
It would be one thing if they touted the story as an expose of a city department wasting money. But they use that small story to make a broadside against taxes as a whole. That's simply a tie that's not there and is entirely disingenuous.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Dismantling Government
Continuing on from yesterday's post, the Maryland GOP showed the true colors of the party recently.
Those not from Maryland or living in its neighboring states might not be aware that Maryland has a 90 day legislative session. This year's session ended this month without the legislature passing a balanced budget, which is required by the state constitution. Previously a "doomsday" budget had been passed which would dramatically cut many state departments and programs. This was meant to be a hammer over the heads of the legislature to get them to pass an actual budget that would include tax increases, mostly, if not entirely, on those earning over $100,000 per year.
Both the House and Senate in Maryland are controlled by Democrats, who have a sizable majority and no issues of fillibuster like the US Senate. On first blush, that should make it easy to get a budget through to the Democratic governor to sign. But then you wouldn't be factoring in the personalities and egos of politicians.
While the governor and the leader of the House had agreed with the leader of the Senate on who should face the tax increases and by how much, the Senate leader, Thomas "Mike" Miller, who's also a plaintiff's attorney in the DC suburbs, decided to slip in to the legislation an expansion of gambling in Maryland from slots to table games. Naturally this tanks the agreement that had been reached and triggers the "doomsday" budget.
This bad enough, but at least it's correctible. The legislature will likely be called back for a special session to pass a budget that preserves spending that's important to Maryland voters and raises taxes on high end earners.
So what's the position of the marginalized Maryland GOP?
"Democrats, GOP lawmakers disagree on need for special session
Moody's warns of possible impact on local credit rating
'We can live with this budget for a year,' said Del. Anthony J. O'Donnell, the Republican leader of the House of Delegates. "
The Maryland GOP thinks the "doomsday" budget is just fine. Oh, it may destroy the credit rating of some of the counties, because the counties get their money via the state (other than property tax money), but as long as we're dismantling government, it's all good. Who cares if the state slides into disrepair and the counties have to spend more for any projects because of their damaged credit ratings? There's no tax increase on the higher earners and that's all that's important.
I'm definitely in the camp of Governor Martin O'Malley. "Gov. Martin O'Malley said legislators need to come back to pass a tax increase to "protect the priorities of our state," including its highly rated school systems, affordable college education and health and public safety programs."
All quotes from the Baltimore Sun.
Those not from Maryland or living in its neighboring states might not be aware that Maryland has a 90 day legislative session. This year's session ended this month without the legislature passing a balanced budget, which is required by the state constitution. Previously a "doomsday" budget had been passed which would dramatically cut many state departments and programs. This was meant to be a hammer over the heads of the legislature to get them to pass an actual budget that would include tax increases, mostly, if not entirely, on those earning over $100,000 per year.
Both the House and Senate in Maryland are controlled by Democrats, who have a sizable majority and no issues of fillibuster like the US Senate. On first blush, that should make it easy to get a budget through to the Democratic governor to sign. But then you wouldn't be factoring in the personalities and egos of politicians.
While the governor and the leader of the House had agreed with the leader of the Senate on who should face the tax increases and by how much, the Senate leader, Thomas "Mike" Miller, who's also a plaintiff's attorney in the DC suburbs, decided to slip in to the legislation an expansion of gambling in Maryland from slots to table games. Naturally this tanks the agreement that had been reached and triggers the "doomsday" budget.
This bad enough, but at least it's correctible. The legislature will likely be called back for a special session to pass a budget that preserves spending that's important to Maryland voters and raises taxes on high end earners.
So what's the position of the marginalized Maryland GOP?
"Democrats, GOP lawmakers disagree on need for special session
Moody's warns of possible impact on local credit rating
'We can live with this budget for a year,' said Del. Anthony J. O'Donnell, the Republican leader of the House of Delegates. "
The Maryland GOP thinks the "doomsday" budget is just fine. Oh, it may destroy the credit rating of some of the counties, because the counties get their money via the state (other than property tax money), but as long as we're dismantling government, it's all good. Who cares if the state slides into disrepair and the counties have to spend more for any projects because of their damaged credit ratings? There's no tax increase on the higher earners and that's all that's important.
I'm definitely in the camp of Governor Martin O'Malley. "Gov. Martin O'Malley said legislators need to come back to pass a tax increase to "protect the priorities of our state," including its highly rated school systems, affordable college education and health and public safety programs."
All quotes from the Baltimore Sun.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Personal Responsibility
I know, the phrase is frequently used by right wingnuts as code for decrying the choices of others, but sometimes its used so appropriately. Or in this instance, as a good example or rationalization.
On Monday a 22 year old was killed when the car in which she was a passenger was slammed into by a guy who was fleeing the police. Police had tried to pull him over only 5 blocks before the site of the loss. The officer followed Baltimore City Police protocol and radioed in to his superiors for a decision on whether to continue the pursuit, but before an answer could be given the accident happened because the fleeing suspect ran a red light.
The dead woman's name was Jordasha Rollins. When reporters visited the scene of the loss the next day, family members were putting up the now trite memorial display of flowers and such. The report got the following statement from a family member.
“Thanks to Baltimore’s finest, my niece is gone,” said Rollins’ aunt, Lee Avery, 38. Of the suspect driver, who grew up in their neighborhood, she said: “We know it was an accident — we know he didn’t mean it.”
This is a fine bit of rational thought failure of epic proportions. An epic fail, as my kids like to say. To the aunt it's not the fault of the person who was driving erratically, fled the police when they legitimately tried to pull him over, and ran a red light. No. It's the fault of the police because they tried to do their job and enforce the law. Brilliant.
Of course, by implication, this aunt thinks that Baltimore City Police killed her neice on purpose, too. After all, the suspect didn't meant it. It was just an accident. Therefore, the actions of the police must have been intended to lead to the death, if not of her neice of someone else.
What, you might ask, does this have to do with this week's subject of taxes? Well, it's much like the rationale of the GOP. Taxes, like the police to this aunt, are evil. They are a deprivation of the common man, be it life or livelihood. There is no (well, other than for the military) justification for taxes.
The thing is, taxes are a uniting force. They're our contribution to the function of the society as a group. Some of us do more to contribute, via charities or working directly with those in need, but most of us pay taxes and that's about the extent of our contribution to the greater society. It's important that our contributions aren't onerous and are distributed among us fairly, and what's fair is obviously open to much debate, but they serve a very important function in keeping society alive and well.
When you view taxes as a third rail, evil sort of thing like police out to kill your relatives, you're withdrawing from society as a whole. That there's a major political party in the US and about 40% of the electorate who agree with it is a significant sign of decay and illness in the society.
Then again, maybe the aunt of the dead woman just thinks that the city has deeper pockets to pursue than the mook from her neighborhood. So, maybe the GOP doesn't really oppose taxes but just wants to hide its true motivation. Unfortunately, in the case of the GOP, its true motive seems to be the dismantling of government that isn't part of the military.
On Monday a 22 year old was killed when the car in which she was a passenger was slammed into by a guy who was fleeing the police. Police had tried to pull him over only 5 blocks before the site of the loss. The officer followed Baltimore City Police protocol and radioed in to his superiors for a decision on whether to continue the pursuit, but before an answer could be given the accident happened because the fleeing suspect ran a red light.
The dead woman's name was Jordasha Rollins. When reporters visited the scene of the loss the next day, family members were putting up the now trite memorial display of flowers and such. The report got the following statement from a family member.
“Thanks to Baltimore’s finest, my niece is gone,” said Rollins’ aunt, Lee Avery, 38. Of the suspect driver, who grew up in their neighborhood, she said: “We know it was an accident — we know he didn’t mean it.”
This is a fine bit of rational thought failure of epic proportions. An epic fail, as my kids like to say. To the aunt it's not the fault of the person who was driving erratically, fled the police when they legitimately tried to pull him over, and ran a red light. No. It's the fault of the police because they tried to do their job and enforce the law. Brilliant.
Of course, by implication, this aunt thinks that Baltimore City Police killed her neice on purpose, too. After all, the suspect didn't meant it. It was just an accident. Therefore, the actions of the police must have been intended to lead to the death, if not of her neice of someone else.
What, you might ask, does this have to do with this week's subject of taxes? Well, it's much like the rationale of the GOP. Taxes, like the police to this aunt, are evil. They are a deprivation of the common man, be it life or livelihood. There is no (well, other than for the military) justification for taxes.
The thing is, taxes are a uniting force. They're our contribution to the function of the society as a group. Some of us do more to contribute, via charities or working directly with those in need, but most of us pay taxes and that's about the extent of our contribution to the greater society. It's important that our contributions aren't onerous and are distributed among us fairly, and what's fair is obviously open to much debate, but they serve a very important function in keeping society alive and well.
When you view taxes as a third rail, evil sort of thing like police out to kill your relatives, you're withdrawing from society as a whole. That there's a major political party in the US and about 40% of the electorate who agree with it is a significant sign of decay and illness in the society.
Then again, maybe the aunt of the dead woman just thinks that the city has deeper pockets to pursue than the mook from her neighborhood. So, maybe the GOP doesn't really oppose taxes but just wants to hide its true motivation. Unfortunately, in the case of the GOP, its true motive seems to be the dismantling of government that isn't part of the military.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Happily Paying Taxes
I frequently hear pundits proclaiming that no one likes to pay taxes. On Sunday one went so far as to say that an IRS survey that says 85% of people pay their taxes and 84% of people think everyone should pay their taxes is misleading because anyone who thinks that everyone else is cheating is going to be cheating as well, lest they miss the bandwagon.
More than a few might say less than flattering things about me, but I am happy to pay my taxes. The simple reason for it is that I perceive the benefits I get from paying taxes, and they're not overly onerous, either. I keep the vast majority of the money I'm paid. Sure, I'd like to have more, but I'm far more pissed about the loss of real earnings that I have from spiraling health insurance costs than I am taxes. It's health insurance that's eating up all my money.
Which is why I'm a proponent of a single payer health system. It would be akin to the taxes I already pay. Just pay it to one source to administer payments to providers. Easy. I still choose the providers, who in turn work with me for the appropriate care. I want the single administrator to be monitoring costs to make sure providers aren't abusing the system. Just like I like government oversight bodies reviewing government agencies, it's a fraud prevention and cost containment measure to save all of us money.
But back to the taxes I already pay. At the federal level I have a large discount because I have a mortgage. But the taxes I do pay go into a large pot that helps with my kids' schools, my local roads, and even fun stuff like the Smithsonian or various national parks. It also goes to defense, which is a necessary thing indeed. My state taxes go to schools and roads, as well as other services, especially in distribution to the county, which also does services such is garbage and recycling, road maintenance, and many more things.
Beyond direct benefits to me, though, there's the indirect benefit. My taxes going to help other people, most often in basic living or improvement of living circumstances, provides an indirect benefit to me by improving the living standards of the whole US community.
So, suck it up. Pay your taxes with a smile. They're to your benefit.
More than a few might say less than flattering things about me, but I am happy to pay my taxes. The simple reason for it is that I perceive the benefits I get from paying taxes, and they're not overly onerous, either. I keep the vast majority of the money I'm paid. Sure, I'd like to have more, but I'm far more pissed about the loss of real earnings that I have from spiraling health insurance costs than I am taxes. It's health insurance that's eating up all my money.
Which is why I'm a proponent of a single payer health system. It would be akin to the taxes I already pay. Just pay it to one source to administer payments to providers. Easy. I still choose the providers, who in turn work with me for the appropriate care. I want the single administrator to be monitoring costs to make sure providers aren't abusing the system. Just like I like government oversight bodies reviewing government agencies, it's a fraud prevention and cost containment measure to save all of us money.
But back to the taxes I already pay. At the federal level I have a large discount because I have a mortgage. But the taxes I do pay go into a large pot that helps with my kids' schools, my local roads, and even fun stuff like the Smithsonian or various national parks. It also goes to defense, which is a necessary thing indeed. My state taxes go to schools and roads, as well as other services, especially in distribution to the county, which also does services such is garbage and recycling, road maintenance, and many more things.
Beyond direct benefits to me, though, there's the indirect benefit. My taxes going to help other people, most often in basic living or improvement of living circumstances, provides an indirect benefit to me by improving the living standards of the whole US community.
So, suck it up. Pay your taxes with a smile. They're to your benefit.
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