I was listening to snippets of the Angle/Reid debate and was extremely interested in Harry’s answer to Angle’s question about how he managed to accumulate his wealth:

I think most everyone knows I was a very successful lawyer. I did a very good job in investing. I’ve been on a fixed income since I went to Washington. I’ve lived off of what I made in the private sector. I put my five kids through 100 semesters of school, and I paid for every penny of it. So her suggestion that I made money being a Senator is simply false, and I’m really disappointed that she would suggest that.

He didn’t deny being wealthy, so we have to assume that Angle was telling the truth there. That said, it just doesn’t add up.

• Harry’s father was a miner — a very noble profession and I only mention it to highlight the fact that Harry was not born into “family money”.
• He was born December 2, 1939 and I assume he spent at least 8 years obtaining that law degree… considering that he first received an A.A., then a B.A and finally his J.D. — the latter while working for the capital police.
• His political career began in 1964 as the Henderson City Attorney. Assuming he went to college when he was 18 and spent 7-8 years in college, this was probably his first job after completing his J.D.
• From 1964 until now, he has served in political positions except for a few years for which I can find no information: ’66-’69 and ’75-’77.

  So Harry would have us believe he became wealthy by smart investing and whatever income he received during those five years he wasn’t in public service?

  This is just another one of those cases where a politician wants to believe that the rest of us are idiots.

  References:
  Transcript of the Harry Reid-Sharron Angle debate, Oct. 14, 2010
  Harry Reid

If you think the Bush tax cuts benefit the rich, you either can’t add or you don’t understand the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act.

Let’s say Joe is married with 2 kids and an income of $50,000:

• Joe’s standard deduction increased from $7,950 to $9,500.
• Joe’s taxable income decreased from $29,850 to $28,300.
• Joe’s child credit increased from $1,200 to $2,000.
• Joe’s post-credit tax decreased from $2,678 to $1,545.

Now, let’s say Bob is married with 2 kids and an income of $300,000. Heck, let’s say Bob is also a highly successful investor with $10,000 in dividend income… and since Bob wants to milk the government for all it’s worth, he has managed to find $50,000 of deductions:

• Bob’s itemized deductions remain the same — $45,185.
• Bob’s personal exemptions remain the same — $3,172.
• Bob’s taxable income remains the same — $251,643.
• Bob’s child credit remains the same — a big fat goose egg.
• Bob’s post-credit tax decreased from $69,607 to $62,687.

So Joe gets a tax cut of $1,133 (42.3%) and Bob gets a tax cut of $6,920 (9.94%). And after Bob gets his 10% windfall, he’s still contributing 40 times more in taxes than Joe is — even though Bob only make 6 times more. Plus, that’s what would have happened in 2003. Some of Bob’s tax cuts have already expired… like lower capital gains and dividends rates.

If that’s not enough, exactly what do you think Bob is going to do with that extra $6,920? I think he’s going to take his family out to dine in Joe’s restaurant… or hire Joe to do some project he’s been putting off. Bob might just spend that money in a way that keeps Joe employed.

If Joe thinks Bob should only get $1,133 because that’s all he got, Bob thinks it’s pretty obvious why Joe isn’t the one making $300,000.

References:

What the Bush Tax Cut Means for You

I just read Bob Herbert’s column from July 23 where he says:

But the people suffering most in this long economic tailspin are the poor and the black, and you don’t hear much about that.

I would have been okay if he’d just said “the poor”. It would also have been okay if he said “the poor, the black, the Hispanic and the Native American”. But no… he said “the poor and the black”.

So let’s see now… the poor includes poor whites, poor blacks, poor Hispanics, poor Native Americans and poor people of any other color. So the black must have been called out to include the non-poor black.

From WordNet:

(n) racism: the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races

Isn’t it also racist to attribute any quality or condition — negative or positive — to a single race?

Try again, Bob. I have another word for you:

(n) hypocrisy: insincerity by virtue of pretending to have qualities or beliefs that you do not really have

References:

Thrown to the Wolves
Racism
Hypocrisy

Just My Dog

He’s just my dog.

He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds, my other ears that hear above the winds.

He has told me a thousand times over that I am his reason for being – by the way he rests against my leg, the way he thumps his tail at the smallest smile, and how he shows his hurt when I leave. (I think it makes him sick with worry when he is not along to care for me.)

When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive.

When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile.

When I am happy, he is joy unbounded.

When I am a fool, he ignores it.

When I succeed, he brags.

Without him, I am only another person.

With him, I am all powerful.

He has taught me the meaning of devotion is loyalty itself.

With him, I know secret comfort and a private peace.

He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant.

His head on my knee can heal my human hurts.

His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and unknown things.

He has promised to wait for me … whenever … in case I need him, and I expect I will, as I always have.

Who is he? He’s just … my dog.

— Gene Hill

So Tom, Ted and I went out to dinner the other night and had this really interesting conversation about the filter. It all started when we were talking about two of our favorite TV shows, Bones and The Mentalist. We get a kick out of the main characters because they’re not quite normal in entertaining ways.

It all started to make sense when Ted described Bones as having no filter. She says exactly what’s on her mind and she has no trouble talking about things most people consider private and she’s confused when anyone is taken aback by her honesty because it all seems perfectly normal to her. Patrick Jane’s filter is in polarity mode — he’s constantly trying to crack someone else’s filter.

We decided that Ted’s filter is stuck in auto-off mode. He’ll go for days (or weeks) spending time alone or with close family… and the filter gradually shuts down because it’s unnecessary. When he ventures back into the social scene, he needs to re-enable the filter or he’s likely to step outside the bounds.

Tom’s filter is always on and always set to high. Never make waves, never say or do anything to call attention to himself, always fade into the background.

I think my filter is pretty much like everyone else’s. Just plain normal — how utterly boring.

I’m all for Health Care Reform. I believe everyone should have access to reasonably priced quality health care.

But I’m completely against the Health Care Bill. It’s the wrong bill. It’s loaded with a ton of crap that shouldn’t be there.

Plain and simple: vote no to Obama-care on Sunday or I vote no to you in November.

I’ve said before that Democrats can’t add.

This week, Obama tried to convince people that if the healthcare bill passed, their employer’s premiums would decrease by 3000% and that would allow their employers to give them raises.

Huh? A company that pays $1,000 in insurance premiums is now going to save $29,000? Where the heck is that $29,000 coming from? Maybe insurance companies are going to start paying employers?

I don’t know what bothers me more… the fact that Obama said something so stupid or the fact that the audience believed it.

There was a time when Kisa’s dreams kept me awake at night. I don’t know what she was dreaming about, but the paws were flying and she was yelping — just the way she always did when she chased a squirrel across the front yard or did laps around the house.

Now, the silence in the hallway keeps me awake at night. I think it will be a long time before I stop noticing the empty spot on the floor outside our bedroom door.

Beyond The Rainbow

As much as I loved the life we had and all the times we played,
I was so very tired and knew my time on earth was soon to fade.

I saw a wondrous image of a place that’s trouble-free
Where all of us can meet again to spend eternity.

I saw the most beautiful Rainbow, and on the other side
Were meadows rich and beautiful — lush and green and wide!

And running through the meadows as far as the eye could see
Were animals of every sort as healthy as could be!

My own tired, failing body was fresh and healed and new
And I wanted to go run with them, but I had something left to do.

I needed to reach out to you, to tell you that I’m well,
That this place is truly wonderful, a happy place to dwell.

That your heart shouldn’t ache so… the pain should go away.
I’ll wait for you in comfort ’til you come for me some day.

That although we’re not together in the way we used to be,
We’re still connected by a bond no eye can ever see.

That when you need to find me, we’re never far apart.
Just look beyond the Rainbow and listen with your heart.

Anonymous