Congress takes aim at Big Oil tax break.

Let’s conclude that Big Oil tax break for new oil drilling is cut. What would the possible results be? First Big oil may increase prices and keep investing in new oil development. Second Big Oil may stop investing in new development and not need the tax incentive. The uninformed public will love the slap down of Big Oil and the politicians will garner more misguided support. Profits to Big Union retirement funds will go unchanged as Big Oil fears having to tell the teamsters they won’t get any profits. Big Government won’t see any increased revenue if Big Oil decides not to invest in new oil drilling. Big Government will see 2 billion a year in increased revenue if Big Oil increases prices. 2 Billion a year transferred from poor working dogs to the Federal Government gee those Big Oil guys make good tax collectors. 2 Billion now that won’t amount to a butterfly wing flap in a hurricane but the slap down of Big Oil is what counts and after all one must show we are trying to curb our 14 trillion debt and 100 trillion in unfunded welfare entitlements. Yep after the 2 billion dollar slap down of Big Oil we can run on that. And what if some in government choose to keep the Big Oil deduction on investment costs to aid in new development and the misguided envy card is not allowed. Well then we can run on “it is Big Oil and its cronies in government” that are keeping us from confronting our debt and destroying our children’s future. If one steps back and looks at our energy issues it could be concluded that new development of Oil reserves may be a good thing at this point in our history. I myself would put military forces (or a CCC setup for those currently being paid not to work) to work helping build new oil fields and pipelines, but that’s just me. Our problems are deep and systemic. Political gamesmanship mixed with rancor, envy and bigotry may have served the “Parties” in the past but today we have rather big fish to fry. The world is seeking another currency to base value on rather than the unstable dollar. Our bond rating is under stress. Our grand children will owe foreign banks trillions before they even begin to work or vote, this is our doing and our folly. Our leaders have us wallowing in petty politics of deflection and rancor that divides us more and more. Each camp fearful of the bounds set up by unreasonable public discourse. If a Nation ever needed divine intervention it would be ours. I fear the fear of change will win out, God help us all.

Collective Bargaining

Many times in history great ideas are formed to aid in the ascension of man in the quest for purity of life for all. At no time in history did Judeo/Christian religious values and Freedom of the individual combined. That combination occurred here in our still young nation. Europeans where at a loss on how such a unique system could continue or work at all with the diverse nature of men. Europe battled constantly with corrupt governments in bed with dishonest and exploitive businessmen. Most of Europe’s upper classes greased each other and government authorities at the expense of the proletariat. Europe was a nasty place to be a working dog. Immigrants didn’t come to the U.S. because they expected the same life. Tocqueville much to his surprise found in his 19 century study of American society, freedom worked because Americans were basically good. Americans not only were good at supporting freedom and individual responsibility but good because religion was taken seriously by some. By and large the American people trusted their political, business and religious leaders. I take Tocqueville views seriously as it is one of the few third party records of our Nation we have. Our experiment in limited government based on classical liberal notions of freedom was up working.

Americans relished the challenge of the ruff and tumble nature of freedom. We did not of coarse have a pure or utopian society only the system that promoted opportunity and defended private freedom, rights and property. Bigotry, racism and crony politics still rule and ruled much of our nation but all who could see saw the opportunity that was America. America during the Tocqueville visit wasn’t paved in gold for all but made Europe look like a cesspool of social slime. Our great business leaders and Bankers were looked up to by most. Americans were proud of their successful pioneers in Electric Power generation, Auto manufacturing, Oil production, Grain suppliers, steel manufacturing, and Mining. We as a nation became the freest richest nation providing the greatest wealth for the most people in the history of the world.

The worm began to turn. Many new socialist ideas and propaganda came to our nation from the cesspools of Europe. My Grandfather was a draft dodging Bolshevik from Russia. He not only believed all politicians and business/banking leaders were corrupt, he also knew all religious leaders were corrupt no exceptions, his beliefs did not temper after coming to our nation. He did not feel freedom was evil he was trapped by his past. He was black balled for “Red” organizing in Minnesota later Northern Michigan and Wisconsin Mining regions. Although married in a Lutheran Church in Sparta, Mn his atheistic beliefs led to divorce and his inability to hold a job didn’t help. My grandfather was not alone; many Europeans around the 1900s brought more than luggage they also carried rancid polluted dogma born out of suffocating corruption and victimization that was Europe. Did we have worker issues at this time, of course we did. European immigrants who were injured seriously on the job had no extended families to help. They had no workers comp. For some atheism didn’t allow church help at a time when religious groups provided most relief. Many committed suicide when they could no longer provide for their families. In general it is never a good idea to project modern sentiments back to past times as social norms and accepted ways do not translate in a straight forward way. Because many perceive they know best and do relate past social norms as evil or exploitive practices that does not make it so. Cities were not built on rivers because early evil pioneers wished to pollute rivers with human excrement and factory effluent, they settled there because they needed sewers and rivers were the accepted means. Jefferson did not wake up one day and decide to be an evil slave holder. Miners and seamstresses were looked at as professional tradesmen and as such were required to provide their own tools of their trade. I had to laugh when a recent TV program related miners having to buy their own candles and seamstresses having to buy their own needles to evil employer exploitation. In reality it was respect for their trade and understood practice by both parties. Many mechanics are still required to provide their own tools and proudly do. Bankers did not decide to not loan money to poor people because they were evil but because of fiduciary responsibilities. Ops I forgot we haven’t fully crack that evil fiduciary nut yet. At no time in our history has it been in any businesses interest for employees to be unhappy, unproductive or distracted by personal issues. Past social norms are denigrated by modern all knowing Monday morning Quarterbacks. These self aggrandized emissaries of BS are a large part of our blind eyed political quagmire.  Many are so full of it they protest when their stupidity is challenged. They have no allegiants to freedom, others personal rights or property rights. Quite the contrary they feel they have a right to others property and freedom where voting is just a tool to steal those rights. When that doesn’t work they deny voting rights (Collective Bargaining) to others. Their zealotry has spread to the theft of freedom from future generations with only token recognition of their dastardly deed; it is always someone else’s failings, never theirs. If we just “collectively” steal more money from others and “future others” all will be well. Well I have a little different view of things. We still as humans have our bigotry, hatred, envy and many other human failings. Selfishness (self interest or greed) rules the world, always has and always will. Our choice of political affiliation or system does not remove our human failings. There is no (us and them) only us.

Our labor enjoys many changes to the work place environment and kudos to those like my grandfather that struggled for needed change. Many small businessmen and women still work 14 or 16 hour days 7 days a week. Many still strive to own their own business. We haven’t turned off all opportunity but we are dangerously close. Probable the saddest thing our current system does is burden the working poor with heavy regressive taxation making it almost impossible for them to save and move up. Many have some understanding that corrupted “Robin Hood ideology” politics may have went too far but still many more are in denial. Our short lived freedom born from the crucible of a bloody war based on mutual respect and bolstered by religious freedom was the last best hope for opportunity for all. Our “collective” effort to tear down freedom is rather new to history but seems it works quite well. Since the 1960’s many long term national prejudices have been reduced. The job is still far from being done and it is very sad for me to ponder the lost opportunity to right many wrongs before our nation collapses. Our collective action has always been an American right. If work place safety is an issue we can and do vote for that change. If sanctioned monopoly labor is wanted we have and can vote for it. If fiduciary banking rules hinder loans to the poor we can and have voted to reduce them. If our system does not provide for enough largesse to meet our current perceived needs we can and have voted to steal from future generations. If we suffer inflation, stagflation, recession or depression we can and do vote for more government to create more control for more of the same. God knows our political leaders know best and are genetically superior to us lowly citizens. We must face the fact we are incapable of caring for our selves and need the governments to sustain us. The entire federal income tax collected from “every worker” in our nation barely covers the interest on our debt. For all the taxes us workers pay none will go to any services. Recent credit downgrading will increase interest payments to far greater amounts. One could say the only thing worse than individual greed is collective greed, but who am I to say. Here Piggie Piggie. I feel catering out of political greed to twisted European dogma and envy may have gone too far and is and was a mistake. Although we Americanized many Socialistic ideals (Entitle Welfare), over all we have failed and are failing our children. I take no pride in our “Collective Bargaining” of late.

Grooming your dog

A rather go getting couple decided to start a Dog grooming business. With little money to start with they managed to rent a store in a heavy traffic area. Their business plan called for an after tax profit margin of $50,000 per year on business income of $280,000. They set up their business as a Corporation to reduce personal litigation risk. Their experience in the dog grooming industry left them with a clear understanding to the craziness some dog owners can inject into a simple task and viewed incorporation as a necessity to protect their home. They felt 2 employees would suffice for hours of operation and work force needs. At peak times they felt 4 booths would do the trick. Although the $25,000 each would receive from the business seems small they felt the first year of establishing their business required modest reward. Both were quite proud of their employees and very happy with their work. One employee was a recent emigrant named Jaun and the other was a single mom with two small children in transition from welfare. They provided the young mom with training and she soon was a key asset to their business. The young man from Mexico after overcoming some language problems became a productive worker as well.

Surprised by higher than expected quarterly tax payments and mandate outlays for FICA, income, unemployment insurance, and workmen’s comp after 90 days of operation they were forced to raise their price for grooming from $22.50 to $30.00. Although they didn’t wish to push the higher end of market prices they felt they had little choice. To compensate somewhat they reduced their after tax profit margin to $40,000. Now they worried if their higher prices would stifle business revenue; only year end would tell the story.

Well good news for the couple, their adjusted business plan worked out and they saw an after tax profit of $42,000 the first year. They then met the reality of their personal taxes, mostly benevolent regressive state and local taxes, they were shocked at how little they had left in disposable income. Things were tight but the business was viable and both were prideful of what they had accomplished. By year end the business was still growing and things were looking up.

Their dreams were soon crushed. The State budget wasn’t balanced; local taxes were going up by more than 15%. Public employees and many other dependents on tax payer largess cried and protested that “any cuts would not be from them”. “Businesses they say must be made to pay”. State house tax connivers raw from fights with the tavern league and seeing an increase in welfare related costs from excessively increasing tobacco taxes did not want to see an increase in the usual sin taxes. Higher fuel prices made worse from FED inflationary policy ruled out higher fuel taxes. The couple informed their employees that the uncertainty of government action has forced them to hold off on the $1 pay raise they planed for them but when things stabilize they were sure they could raise their pay. Then some bright legislator got the idea that Dog Grooming was a luxury for the rich. A $10 excise tax was quickly slapped on to the evil dog grooming industry that caters to the filthy rich. The dogma and rancor sold the tax to the majority of citizens.

The couple’s business revenue fell off as many customers refused to pay the higher prices the business was required to collect for the government. The business soon folded. Juan scraped up money and moved to California to work the celery fields. Mattie the single Mom is back to being a ward of the state her children’s future in doubt. The couple is subsisting on early Social Security the husband qualified for as he reached 62, they lost their home last month. $200 million was raised from the tax by businesses that were able to glean it from filthy rich people still able to afford dog grooming. Most of the larger grooming establishments and chains survived but were forced to lay off staff. Unemployment has run out for unemployed staff. The unemployment checks, food stamps and new welfare costs went up by $350 million costing the state $150 million more than new tax took in.

Some would just like some to open their eyes and realize we all ride the business gravy train. Successful businesses feed us “all” no exceptions. When dogma turns dog grooming into groomed political blindness please step back and look. Business taxation policies of our governments stifles job creation, reduces competition, and increases consumer costs hurting the less fortunate the most. All business taxes are in reality regressive consumer taxes collected by business on behave of governments without compensation for those businesses. Yes there are evil businessmen as there are evil people in every group and strata of our nation. Again please do not label and attack an entire group to serve your political rancor and needs. Only a truly bigoted person labels an entire group. It is in all our interest that business in America is successful. Class warfare is a nasty business that requires many to cut off their nose to spite their face. We do not have to engage in class warfare even though power hungry leaders seem to force the (us and them) on us to divide us for political gain.

Self righteousness is a fault “all” us humans carry, we must overcome this bigotry based insanity gleaned from decades of  socialist propaganda and dogma. I wonder if Juan has gleaned the celery fields yet. I heard he joined the UFW out in California. He is busy trying to reform some of its groomed members. I really don’t know why he has a new or different understanding than them, the ungrateful SOB. His counseling and rhetoric are truly open and full of human understanding and acceptance. Because of his well rounded take and understanding (always looking at both sides) fellow union members began calling him “Honest Juan” but he told them he resented that name and never said why. The couple must have told him of their troubles and subverted his natural position in life. He will have to be purged from the union, naaa he might start a business and really become a complete turncoat to be vilified. (Based on a true story)

The Politics of Name Calling

Some may see a deflection or deception in a claimed name. Name calling can work too, if the name fits and is not just a slam. But I think we all can agree the less name calling the better. The level of nastiness indicates the amount of frustration, insecurity and division many feel. At this time in our history we are a Nation in decline. Many who see government as the answer cling desperately to its apron while others see freedom being destroyed to appease the dependent at the expense of freedom and opportunity for future generations. The denying of Representative Democracy in Wisconsin was probably the first act in a pending civil war between our two very diverse camps. Many do not realize that entitled dependency on government is now perpetuated by the destruction of freedom. We are at war with ourselves and choosing a side is not always straight forward or easy. Colorful metaphors can help relieve stress for some. For those who see more and more Government action and cry out for still more it may be the very long term results of Government control that is destroying our nation. Business formation and subsequent job creation is fighting a many front battle with Government tax policy, inflation policy, environmental regulation, long delaying judicial cases and mandates too numerous to list. The working poor struggle under a 50% regressive tax burden to live of life of stress and depravation with the promise of money and benefits at the end when their bodies and spirit are feeble from government tormenters. Money that won’t be there because the greedy of this generation do not wish to give up a dime. To live and die without ever having the opportunity to save your own hard earned money and create their own personal security because some do gooding power hungry politician feels half your money is his to buy votes with is beyond a shame. I say to the so called progressive, entitled dependent nanny state worshipers, socialist, communist, Government Party members, knee jerk liberals, hippy cloud jumper, freedom hating usurpers of our democracy, kiss off. I feel better. LOL