Stop the insanity
Cranky Story #1:
Gov. Sonny Perdue (R-GA) closed school in the state for two days this Monday and Tuesday to save fuel. The two-day school closings were intended to save an estimated 500,000 gallons of diesel fuel in a time of peak demand and relatively short supply. Since much of the nation's economy travels by truck, shortages could have a devastating impact on the economy.
ExxonMobil's profits are likely to soar above $10 billion this quarter on the back of the fuel crisis. That's $110 million a day, and more net income than any company has ever made in a quarter.
And you wonder why I'm cranky?
Cranky Story #2:
The greatest nation on earth's energy policy for the 21st century...
White House Press Secretary Scott "Scott!!!" McClellan, after asserting that, actually, the White House has been advocating conservation since 2001 said Bush aides have been "looking at additional ways that we can conserve energy. We'll also be sending out notices to staff about -- reminding them to turn off lights and printers and copiers and computers when they leave the office. We'll continue to move forward on more e-government, paperless systems that would reduce the use of faxes and copiers and printers and things of that nature, encouraging all government vehicles to try to consume less.
"That would include by people sharing rides in government vehicles, not letting cars idle, which wastes gas. We'll be sending out notices to staff to promote mass transit options, as well, letting them know about Metro stops and encouraging ride sharing, telling them where pick-up and drop-off points are at the White House, or reminding them of that, and just scrutinizing staff travel even more, so that people can videoconference where they can versus actually traveling, and things of that nature.
"And other areas -- the President did want everybody to look at the motorcade, too, to see what could be scaled back there, as well. So I think today we probably have a couple less vans than we normally would."
FLASHBACK - May 7, 2001 - White House Press Briefing:
Q: Is one of the problems with this, and the entire energy field, American lifestyles? Does the President believe that, given the amount of energy Americans consume per capita, how much it exceeds any other citizen in any other country in the world, does the President believe we need to correct our lifestyles to address the energy problem?
A: Press Secretary Ari Fleischer: That's a big no. The President believes that it's an American way of life, and that it should be the goal of policy makers to protect the American way of life. The American way of life is a blessed one. And we have a bounty of resources in this country.
Still wondering why I'm cranky?
BONUS QUOTE: Maureen Dowd of the NYT sums it up well today, "W. doesn't really need to worry about turning down the lights in the White House. The place is already totally in the dark>"
posted by Crankyboy at 9:31 AM
11 Comments:
Lenny Bruce says:
In your utopian world everyone will be equal. We'll all pay the same taxes, earn the same income, have the government pay for all of our needs from cradle to grave. No one will be able to take advantage of any one else just like the playground in elementary school. Open your eyes and realize that our government is a giant land grab one long dash for the cash. It doesn't matter who is in power.Whats that old adage about "absolute power."I think most of your motivations are because you are unable to grasp this basic fact of life.Take off the rose colored glasses and slap some cold water on your face and accept the fact that you are alone, an individual with talents that are being wasted on trying to right our corrupt political system. You called me a moron. After recess I'm going to tell the teacher on you.
Lenny Bruce:
"In your utopian world everyone will be equal. We'll all pay the same taxes,"
Sounds more like the flat tax I'm sure you love with its convenient depreciation rules so corporations won't ever pay taxes again.
"earn the same income,"
earn? Like Ken Lay and Joe Allbaugh and Michael Ovtizt "earn" theirs. And then after raping the public they pay less marginal rates than everyone else.
"have the government pay for all of our needs from cradle to grave."
Like I said, you must home school, build your own roads and deliver your own mail.
No one will be able to take advantage of any one else just like the playground in elementary school."
Yes, I could see how a verbal bully like you would argue in favor of stealing the public's lunch money.
"It doesn't matter who is in power."
Creationism and evolution, science and faith, Roe v. Wade and Operation Rescue, yeah, it's just the same thing.
"You called me a moron."
Stupid is as stupid does.
Comrade Crankyboy,
I raise my vodka and toast to you, Comrade Crankyboy.
You are proof that the little acorns can grow up to be strong oaks of socialism and collectivism. I fully agree with your view that we must confiscate the wealth of the American bourgoise class. Raise taxes,lower living standards,hold a regular purge of politicos, confiscate all guns,and keep creationism and religion out of schools and government, threaten all capitalist corporations with confiscation and jail like Vladmir did with Yukos. He made me so proud.But he will never have the potential of a nihilist like you.
Sincerely Joe Stalin
P.S. Stalin in English is steel but in your case i'd spell it steal.
Uncle Joseph, or should i say Comrade Idiot:
Although he lived in the 1700s, Adam Smith, author of Wealth of Nations, is still known and revered today for his work on free-market economics, including taxation.
Adam Smith is best known for the first theorem of welfare economics--an unfettered market will automatically, as if by an “invisible hand,” allocate a nation’s resources in the most efficient manner possible. Smith’s theories of taxation follow from that principle.
The first of Smith’s tax maxims, equity, reflects his belief that the wealthiest benefit most from government and can most afford to pay. “The rich should contribute to the public expense not only in proportion to their revenue,” Smith believed, “but something more than in that proportion.” Equity, according to Smith, requires progressive taxation. That principle is firmly embedded in the U.S. tax code today.
Put the vodka down, buy a book or two and get educated.
Professor Cranky,
Leave the economics to professionals like me and cut taxes. The current administration will continue to reverse tax rates and the result is record tax revenues. There is nothing that the Democrats can do about it. Maybe you'd like to make an extra tax payment to our federal government or pay more than the userous inheritance tax rate which honest,hard working Americans pay.
Federal estate tax rates are steep, starting at 39%. The highest marginal rate, for the largest estates, is 48%. The maximum rate is scheduled to decline gradually to 45% in 2009. There will be no estate tax in 2010, if the current tax law is not amended. Why do I always have to throw you people a curve.
Sincerely,
Uncle Arthur Laugher
They are not record in adjusted dollars. 2000 under Clinton was over 2 trillion under Bush under 2 trillion. Keep making facts up to support your nonsense. And I'm sure Adam Smith was a commie socialist too. Pay your bills credit card conservative.
Professor Cranky,
Might you please check item 4 about how Adam Smith believes that taxes should be as small a possible.
When examining the different forms of taxation, Smith adheres to four maxims which a good tax should conform to:
1. "The subject of every State ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue which they respectively enjoy under the protection of the State."
2. "The tax each individual is bound to pay ought to be certain, and not arbitrary. The time of payment, the manner of payment, and the quantity to be paid, ought all to be clear and plain to the contributor, and to ever other person."
3. "Every tax ought to be levied at the time, or in the manner in which it is most likely to be convenient for the contributor to pay it."
4. "Every tax ought to be so contrived as both to take out and to keep out of the pockets of the people as little as possible, over and above what it brings into the public treasury of the State."
Art Laugher
P.S. your grade is D so far.
Art Laugher:
You don't want to pay any taxes so arguing about tax rates is beside the point. You're political philosphy is "I got mine. I don't want to pay taxes. Fuck everyone."
Pretty much sums up you and the Republican party. Congrats.
Guess you're voting for .000001% as a top rate. Want to see a country with a low tax rate? It's called Afghanistan. No roads, no schools, no nothing.
Your grade so far: F minus
Crude and Cranky,
Don't try and tell me what my political philosophy is. I just want to do to Angelina Jolie what you want to do to the country. Now thats a philosophy.
UA
P.s.s. new grade F-
The dude gives you an F and uses a grammatical solecism - what a riot.
I guess Unca Arschloch thinks freedom ought to be free - for him at least. Talk about utopian delusions.
It's my experience that the more people gripe about hard working Americans, the less likely it is that they ever did an honest day's work, but that's just conjecture, Maybe he is a hardd worker, just like George. What's not conjecture is that a guy who tells you that estate taxes are stealing from the working man just isn't honest.
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