Wednesday, April 1, 2009

No New Taxes...

Taxes. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m really getting sick and tired of politicians telling me it’s my duty to pay (all) my taxes when they don’t even do it themselves until they’re forced to do so. You know exactly who and what I’m talking about too. So there’s no need to mention names here today.
I’m also a smoker. Ask any smoker how we feel about getting hammered on the latest round of increased taxes we‘re being forced to pay. In all their infinite wisdom, these politicians who can’t be bothered to pay own taxes have decided smoker’s should be responsible for providing health care for the kids of parents who either can’t provide this care because of the cost. Or the kids, whose parents could afford it but choose to let people like myself do it for them.
I’d really hate to think that someone might actually have to give up their new boat or something in order to provide health care for their own kids.
All I can say is, enjoy your free ride while you can. Sooner or later this plan is going to fall flat on it’s face and we all know it. Eventually, the politicians will spend this money on something else. Then what are you going to do? Almost every state in the nation was in on the lawsuits against the tobacco companies. Remember how all that money was supposed to towards education? You know, it was all “for the kids.” It’s the same thing here. Most of the money raised through this new extortion plan will go straight into the costs of running an ever expanding government.
How about the lottery? Remember how that money was supposed to go toward education? Again, it was for the kids. How could you be against that one? So, where’d that money go? Again, it went straight into the costs of running an ever expanding government.
Now the City of Topeka wants us to believe that in order to have decent streets in Topeka we need to come up with even more in the form of new and higher sales taxes. They want us to believe they’ll get it right this time around. Whatever.
Why is the Chamber of Commerce, Go Topeka, and other tax-supported organizations allowed to rake in and sit on literally millions of dollars while they have their hands out begging for more. Why can’t they turn lose of some of that money to take care of our streets. It’s not like they’re doing anything for us anyway. I know, they’re all patting themselves on the back because of the Home Depot thing. What’s that going to bring us, 3 or 4 hundred semi-decent paying jobs? How about the 8,000 jobs we’ve lost in this community since we began giving them 5 million dollars a year to turn this community around? What exactly are they doing for us to warrant a 5 million dollar a year budget in the first place? Oh yeah, some of the head honcho’s are taking in more than a quarter million dollars a year for themselves. It’s pretty good work for those that can get it, I guess. Hell, I wouldn’t want to give it up either.
I know. There are a lot of people out there who support a sales tax increase to fix the streets. What about the timing though. I’m not sure if there’s a worse time to raise taxes than in the middle of a recession. You guys do whatever you want. I’ve already voted and yes, I voted against it. There’s a lot of us out here that are just sick and tired of politicians telling us we need to do more while they can’t seem to do anything to get their own spending under control.
Check out the blog this week: www.rm235.blogspot.com I’ve posted a video of a guy named Joseph Ledbetter on it. I think he does a much better job of explaining the whole sales tax issue than I ever could. Or like always, you can e-mail me at: www.kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

11 comments:

  1. AMEN Kevin! I'm so sick of these "professional organizations" that claim to be operating in our city's best interests, yet they always seem to need more and more money, for less and less return.

    And you're also right about Joe Ledbetter. I can't say I've always agreed with him 100%, but I trust his opinion FAR more than the paid consultants and "experts" who have put our city, state, and nation in the mess it's in today!

    Thomas Lessman
    Web: www.ThomasLessman.com
    Blog: www.talessman.blogspot.com

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  2. Hi Thomas,
    You know this whole tax issue pisses me off. But what pisses me off even more is all the people who can't be bothered to even vote yet they still feel they have the right to bitch about it.

    Oh yeah, I'm looking forward to another concert season at the Lessman Farm. And your timing couldn't be better for me. I'm actually on vacation the first week of May.

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  3. Your comments about cigarette taxes reminded me of the last time I attended a Health Policy Authority Board meeting. Scott Bruner crunched the numbers for them and told them they needed to ask the legislature to raise it 75 cents a pack in order to fund the programs they were planning to ask for in the next legislative session. I'm not kidding, Kevin, after Scott's report, they fell into a discussion of how much they should recommend in their report to the legislature so that they could get their 75 cents. They were all considering a dollar a pack. One member suggested a buck-fifty. It's almost impossible to take such people seriously. Especially when Missouri's tax is, what, 17 cents a pack.

    This sales tax places us in the same position as the legislature with cigarettes. I'll try not to laugh as I go and vote "no."

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  4. Good to have you aboard Fred.
    But to tell you the truth, they'd probably have no problem getting that buck-fifty either.

    I know, cigarette smoking is a disgusting habit. One I wish I'd never started. Truth is though, I'm addicted to them. And can't imagine how'd I'd ever be able to give them up.

    You know, we've (smokers) done just about every thing we can to get along with those who don't smoke. We stand outside in the blazing heat as well as the freezing cold in order to satisfy our addiction. For the most part we no longer smoke anywhere inside a public building. Most of us get it. And most of us try to be considerate of those who don't want to be around it.

    But now the nanny government tells me because I choose to smoke, it's my responsibility to provide health care to other people's children.

    How about this idea. How about kissing my ass!!!

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  5. Well, hello, Anonymous, you fearless and feisty person (over your computer connection at least).

    I wonder whether you can explain, Anonymous, how "children will now be able to receive the health they deserve" if the program is financed by a disappearing revenue source. FACT: Every time the tax is raised on cigarettes, there is a corresponding percentage of smoking cessation. And after Kevin is dead, who is going to pay for the health care for all these deserving children? Come on, Anonymous, my brother . . . . Your kind are going to be in charge of this world when Kevin and I are dead. How you gonna pay for it? Hee-hee. Nice to see you, buddy.

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  6. Oh, yeah, Kevin. I don't know whether you saw it on Cat's blog, but I commented that you were right about the prairie chicken. And the guy riding with you was wrong to call you a dumbass. Both the Greater and Lesser Prairie Chicken are grouse.

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  7. That's what I thought. Glad you've got my back Fred.

    Now for my cowardly, anonymous friend. It's sad but I think he pretty much represents the way a lot of young people feel today.

    They've been coddled all their lives and have had everything handed to them. That's okay I guess, until they finally grow up and have no idea how things in the real world work.

    He's probably college educated which makes him feel superior to old guys like myself. But he still lacks the common sense to even pour piss out of a boot.

    He's right though. My kind is dying off. But what he's too young to understand is the fact that we all are. It's just something you don't think or worry about when you're young...

    ReplyDelete
  8. "Anonymous" proves to be yet another hater, just a keyboard commando too scared to stand beside his comments by saying who he is.

    I really can't respect people's comments when they make chickenspit attacks like that, all under the "protection" of their anonymous names.

    People, if you are too scared to say who you are, why should we respect your opinions? Were George Washington, JOHN HANCOCK, or Thomas Jefferson too scared to use their real names?

    Thomas Lessman
    Web: www.ThomasLessman.com
    Blog: www.talessman.blogspot.com

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  9. Well said Thomas. Heard you on Jim Cate's show when I listened to it last night.

    Heard you talk about your upcoming column on www.themismag.com about this very subject. Looking forward to reading it...

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  10. Right up front (in case you didn't already notice this about me), I support taxing...especially the rich.

    The government is supposed to be of the people. So the way I see it...if a group of people are connected, and share an area...a life...then the best way for them to afford everything they need is to combine their resources. Since we live in a system where money is used, rather than barter, then the thing to do is to put that money in a pot....everyone. And then buy what we all need.

    I've done this on a small scale almost all of my life. Getting together with neighbors...combining monies, and then going to the store to buy in bulk...then spliting up the purchases. Our grocery bills were sometimes halved by this system...and always, always we paid less than 70% of what we would have, had we gone individually, each purchasing some smaller container or amount of what we needed in each of our homes.

    I think we took a major wrong turn back, whenever, when we decided to celebrate the individual rather than the family. We're a social animal. We aren't coded to live in nuclear units...all buying one-each: TVs, cars, lawnmowers, etc...burdened with the responsiblility of raising and providing for our children...24/7. Our funds would go much further if they were combined, and our stress levels would diminish significantly were we to have clan to back us up. (Clan need not be just biologically connected.)

    Wow. I'm probably all over the place again.

    I agree that the people who claim to support taxing should also be paying their fair share. And that money pooled should not end up in the pockets of 'administrators.'

    To me the use of 'administrators' is one of the biggest damn scams of our generation.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Welcome Comrade Cat,

    Yeah, I've pretty much figured out by now that you and I probably aren't going to agree on many issues.

    But like I've said before, I'm not interested in this blog becoming just a place where everybody agrees with everything I write about. I want it to be a place where every everyone feels welcome and feels free to share their own opinions.

    You have your view of the world. I prefer to live in the real world though. LOL. Sorry, that was a cheap shot.

    Thanks for stopping by Cat...

    ReplyDelete

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