Why Taxes Won’t Matter to Voters for a Long Time
Fiscal issues always play a role in presidential politics, and taxation typically stands front and center. In 2008, though, it really doesn’t matter. Lesser candidates have made provocative statements that were promptly disregarded. In the recent CNN/YouTube debate among Democrat candidates for the nomination, Mike Gravel sternly lectured potential voters about the benefits of a consumption-based “fair tax”. Bill Richardson declared that he would abolish the little understood but increasingly invasive Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT).
Nobody seemed to care.
Taxing Cigar Smokers Is Like Ticketing Slow Drivers
I’m the first to admit that cigars are luxuries, unless you buy them at the gas station. A daily cigar habit generally will cost $5 to $15 per day, sometimes more. A $10-a-day cigar jones adds up to around $4,000 a year after taxes, and Congress is trying to push the needle higher.
An open letter to Prince Albert II of Monaco
To His Serene Highness,
First, I enjoyed your wonderful country this past week. It is quite clean. In fact, your city-state's cleanliness is astounding. My wife and I live in fewer than 70 square meters in Manhattan. She cannot keep our apartment as clean as you keep your whole country (which is much larger), though I suspect I am the reason why.
Bloomberg Matters Unless He Runs
The buzz is palpable. Mayor Mike has dropped out of the Republican Party. He has positioned himself as a moderate and mentioned that he could commit $500 million of his vast $8+ billion personal fortune to a presidential campaign. But, that’s it. He has not declared his candidacy for the most powerful office in the world and has indicated that he has no plans to do so. Bloomberg’s absence from the race still has an impact – one that may end if he throws his hat in the ring.
Maybe Rehabilitation Is Cheaper
We spend a fortune on prisons every year. New York’s tab may be a bit higher than most, but that’s just the cost of living rearing its ugly head again (Not even our criminals can escape it!). New York’s meanest have access to great real estate. Not only is Rikers Island situated in the scenic East River, but many inmates will move up to Sing Sing to serve most of their sentences. Not to worry, Sing Sing is located in Westchester County, right along the Hudson River. You have to own a bank or rob one to live in that part of the country.
A Market Solution to the Immigration Problem
The same people who argue for strict immigration controls want business to have a free hand in how they operate. If the “invisible hand” that guides financial markets works so well, why not let it control immigration? Leave the market to take care of itself, and the immigration problem will be solved.
There are only civil unions before the state
My wife and I were married on October 18, 2003 (see - I remember). Priest, minister, rabbi imam - none were present. My father, a tax prep consultant, presided over the ceremony, thanks to a Massachusetts program that allows anybody to be solemnized for a day. But, can you call this marriage? It looks an awful lot like a civil union.
Civil unions taken to the bottom of the slippery slope
So, any competent adult can enter into a contract, right? And if you read my last piece, There are only civil unions before the state, you'll remember the logical conclusion. A man can enter into a civil union contract with another man - likewise two women. Let's ride this slippery slope all the way to the bottom.
Let hedge funds make the rich richer
A hedge fund is a black box. You put some money in. Every year, that money grows (you hope) – a lot. Sounds nice, eh? Well, there’s always a catch.
What does a “Subway Series” Presidential race say about Nebraska?
The coasts are filled with commies and rogues. The heartland, conversely, is where you find the real America. But, it seems that the heartland has gone mute. With Election Day on the horizon, both parties may be represented by the moral prostitutes that core of our country condemns.
Fight today’s super-animals with realistic gun laws
Mankind doesn’t stand chance. We have to protect ourselves from the threat of Mother Nature. What can we do against the electric eel? The flying squirrel? This is why we have the Second Amendment.
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