A Letter

Dear Mr. President,

I understand that you are currently in the throes of financial reform. In much the same fashion as health care reform, you are taking the position that "everything is on the table" with reference to possible solutions. Naturally, there are two major components to reforming the financial situation in this country. One is to cut spending, and the other is to increase taxes.

Let me preface the following statements with this: I am not a Republican, and I am not a Democrat.

That being said, I would like to address the two major components I mentioned earlier. People say, with alarming regularity, that the federal government's spending is wildly out of control. The way the federal government throws around money that it does not have is irresponsible at best, and a guaranteed detriment to future generations of Americans at worst. The federal government does not make money. The federal government is not a business, offering goods and/or services to public or private industry to turn a profit. The federal government is, instead, a massive engine of uncontrollable spending whose services are forced on the people of this nation whether we want those services or not.

Please spare me the rhetoric of how voting is my voice. I am not stupid. I voted.

On the other hand, I have never heard a person say that they wish taxes were higher. I don't know of a single person who is satisfied with being forced to give a significant portion of the money they earned to a government that unapologetically takes the money, only to come back later and say that it needs more this time around. I've never heard someone say that their taxes are too low. On the contrary, we are taxed in nearly every facet of our lives. We are taxed on money coming in, and we are taxed on money going out. We are taxed on what we earn, and we are taxed on what we are given. We are taxed on what we buy, and we are taxed on what we sell.

Let me explain some basic economic principals to you. I understand these principals more than you do, because I have an actual budget, and if I don't have the money to spend on something, I cannot have it.

That is the lesson. If you don't have the money to spend on something, you cannot have that thing. Americans are, by and large, quite tired of the federal government coming to the door with hands out. Americans are quite tired of a government who can decide, whether on a whim or after months of deliberation to pass a bill, to force us to give even more of the money we don't have to give.

We have had enough.

You want to loosen your belts in Washington? You do it the same way real Americans do it. You decide, with what's on your plate right now and no more, what is more important to spend our money on, and get rid of what is not important. You decide what you need, and get rid of what you want. It is time for you to start running that juggernaut of wasteful, worthless spending like we run our homes.

And furthermore, your claim to not raise taxes on anyone who makes less than $250K/year? That is a bold-faced lie. I'm sure that you will try to avoid a flat-out tax increase on that demographic, I'm sure, but your idea is so fatally flawed that you would literally have to be stupid to miss it. Any tax increase on the more well-to-do in this country will most assuredly be paid by the working class. You can take that to the bank. Any tax levied against any business in this country will be paid for in two ways: it will be paid by the employees of those businesses when salaries freeze and benefits start getting cut, and it will be paid by the customers of those businesses when the prices of goods and services are increased to offset the cost of doing business under the federal government.

You seem to think that, when you lay a tax increase against rich folks that the rich folks will just whip out their checkbooks and pay up. Rich people did not get rich by whipping out their checkbooks to anyone ever, if it could be prevented. The best way to keep one's money is to find a way to make someone else spend theirs instead. This practice is neither illegal nor immoral. It is simply business. For instance, if Wireless Provider A could benefit from having a tower in a particular area to increase reliable service, but Wireless Provider B needs a tower in the same place because they have no service there at all, then Wireless Provider A will lean on Wireless Provider B to construct the tower and bear the brunt of the cost. Wireless Provider B will see this as an opportunity, because Wireless Provider A will help offset the cost of construction since A wants to put repeaters on the same tower. Both sides will see it as a win, but A will certainly come out on top since B paid for most of the tower. Wireless Provider A keeps more of their money.

Neither Wireless Provider A nor Wireless Provider B has an engine to force the people at large to pay more money to offset unexpected costs or promises made that weren't financially backed. The federal government, unfortunately, does have that option. Tax either of those companies, and their employees and customers will pay for it.

We are done paying for your mistakes. We are done paying for your entitlements. We are done paying. Stop taking our damned money.

Fix your own problems. Cut spending.



tweaker

"Always two there are..."

"... a Master, and an Apprentice."

Makes me wonder where the other one is lurking.

I couldn't help but make the connection the other day as I caught several headlines. Barack Obama is a Dark Lord of the Sith. At another one of his speaches, Darth Obama makes a chilling statement:

The president said industry lobbyists have been engaged in a "furious effort" to weaken or kill the pending legislation, which has passed the House and is being debated in the Senate. He said to industry leaders present for the address - including executives from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America - that "I want to urge you to join us, instead of fighting us in this effort."

Stop fighting us and join us. Wow. Wonder how he is with a light saber?

America needs a Yoda, and we needs one bad.



tweaker