Primary Elections: Or Horse Pucky as Usual

New York State just had their primary election for NY Congressional District 25. I cannot vote in any primary election because New York state does not have open primaries. I refuse to register with any party because I vote for the person, not the party. To reiterate, I cannot vote in any primary election whether Democrat or Republican in the State of New York. This makes me very angry. It's undemocratic, skews the electorate, and robs people of their freedom of choice. 

Voting for our state and congressional representatives is a crucial voting right for all of us. How can closed voting (which is really what this is) be representative of the needs of our local community in a county or district? To top it off, our county and state officials wonder why there is low voter turnout. 

I think there needs to be a law in all states requiring open primaries for congressional and state offices. There are 14 other states whose laws require open primaries for both state and congressional positions. If they can do it why can't New York State?!

As a New York State tax paying citizen, I give the Horse Pucky Award to the state of New York for undemocratic primary practices, and very questionable political motives.  

   

More Political Horse Pucky

Charlie Reese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, has defined clearly who it is that in the final analysis must assume responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every day. It's a short but good read. Worth the time. Worth remembering!

545 vs. 300,000,000 People
-By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash.
The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? John Boehner. He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan ....

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees...

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

What you do with this article now that you have read it... is up to you.
This might be funny if it weren't so true.
Be sure to read all the way to the end:

Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table,
At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.

Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for
peanuts anyway!

Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.

Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid...

Put these words
Upon his tomb,
'Taxes drove me
to my doom...'

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Sales Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax


STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What in the heck happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'

I hope this goes around THE USA at least 545 times!!! YOU can help it get there!!!

Potty Mouth and the IRS

One of the worst careers in the world, for me, would be to become an accountant. Just ask Jon. He'll tell ya'. I was working on my income tax on Friday and decided to call him to vent about the IRS. I used  every profanity known to mankind.

The Federal tax forms weren't too bad. It was those @#%* New York State forms that sent me into a mental state of major meltdown. There is no personal exemption this year, no break for senior citizens, and just no way I could get around paying the bastards in Albany.

To add injury to insult, our NYS judges just received a $10,000 stipend added to their six figure incomes. Part of that $10K goes toward the purchase of judicial robes to the tune of $400 each. All I can say is, there must be mighty large, deep pockets sewn into those robes.

Next year, I'm going to have an accountant do my taxes early. Jon insists on it. He was shocked to learn some new swear words he's never heard of before; especially from his "sweet, little, lotus blossom". AND he was in the Army.

 As far as accountants are concerned, I'm going to send each one I know a sympathy card. The cretins in Albany, aka NY politicians, are getting a bag of horse pucky as soon as I get my passport updated.

Jail or Taxes: Which Do You Prefer?

Oh goody! It's that time of year when I start getting my tax forms along with the IRS Forms and Instructions booklet. This is supposed to be a guide book. A guide dog would be better.

Let's take a look at Schedule A - Itemized Deductions (The word itemized is an open invitation for someone with a creative and over-active imagination that could result in possible jail time.)

1. Medical and Dental Expenses:  Enter amount you paid during the year on line 36 of whatever form your supposed to use, then multiply line 2 by the age of your first born daughter. If you have a son you have to give him away to the nearest IRS representative who is closest to the district you live in.

2. Taxes You Paid: State, Local, real estate, personal property, and other taxes. Taxes on water, air, and any passing of gas. We all know methane gas pollutes the atmosphere, so a tax on farts is to be expected.

3. Interest You Paid: Home mortgage, interest not reported on other forms, points, and investments. Speaking of Interest, what if I'm just plain not interested in doing my taxes? Maybe I'd qualify for an upper level prison bunk.

4. Gifts to Charity: You must attach form 8283 if over $500. If you are the charity...say nothing.

5. Casualty and Theft Losses: Attach form 4684. If you've done the stealing...again, say nothing.

6. Job Expenses: I wonder if I can deduct cat food this year. Bear keeps me sane...sort of. Or would that fall under medical expenses?

7. Other Miscellaneous Deductions: Hourly wage for napping. Snacks to keep me productive during working hours. Packaging for the horse pucky I put in gift bags and sell. Oops, I forgot, the packaging goes into a whole different category and on another form with a tax ID #. Yup, now horse pucky has its own tax ID#. 

When I add up all the Total Itemized Deductions and subtract them from my annual income, I come up with a big fat $0. My son is too old to give away to the IRS and it turns out they don't want him anyway. It's better he works to help support the government.

Civil War of 2010

It was bound to happen sooner or later. The government is at war with itself; local, state, and federal. All the governing bodies and all the government parties need to be fired.

How many parties do we have now? Let's see, there's the all too familiar Democrat and Republican parties. Then there's the Independent Party, the Green Party, Sara Palin's Tea Party, the Party To Have A Party, and the ever popular Horse Pucky Party. Personally, I think we're Partied out, except for the Horse Pucky Party.

Our governments spend more time fighting amongst themselves than working. I can honestly see a Civil War looming. All the opposing parties will wage war against one another, while the taxpayers will fight against all the various governing bodies; local, statewide, and federal.

It will be a war to remember, especially if no one pays their local, state, or federal income taxes this year. I can hardly wait. I won't have to file a tax form.

Save on Taxes and Health Care Reform

All right, all ready! Let's get going on saving taxes and all this health care reform hooey. I agree with Grayson's take on the Republican philosophy. Don't get sick and die quick.

My favorite idea comes from A Modest Proposal by Jonathon Swift circa 1729. It's a satirical article stating that children should be used as food. They are both nutritious and delicious stewed, baked, roasted, or boiled. That will take care of all the juvenile delinquents in our school system, which is already overburdened with an abundance of services for the "darlings" at the taxpayers expense.

For those of us who never get sick; we should be mailed a yearly wellness incentive check. Let's see now, that equates to $152.40 per month, which I pay out of pocket times 12 months equals $1,828.80 per year.

Let's get going folks. We can learn from the past and hope for the future. We can save on taxes and health care reform at the same time.