Taxed again, taxed again jigiddy jig

I am a normal(ish) American. I wake up every morning, go to work, pay my bills, and basically try to make it though life. Every pay day comes around and I see about a third of my pay stripped from me (State tax, federal tax, Federal Medicare Employee Employment Tax, and Federal Old Age Disability Insurance Employee Employment Tax). Now with all the proposals that are coming up by the powers that be, I fear I will be losing more of my pay.

Between Cap and trade, universal health care, and now the talk of a gas tax hike to pay for roads (did we not just give almost a trillion dollars to pay for infrastructure repairs and to boost the economy?), I really don't see how I am going to have much of a pay check left (but with universal health care I probably won't be alive to worry about it).

Cap and trade makes it more costly for companies to do business, this will cause everything to cost more. When companies have a rise in costs they pass it on to the consumer. This will also shift jobs from the United States to countries that do not have such policies (China, India, and others have stated they will not participate in the plan). Less jobs and higher costs, but granted not a actual tax increase.

Universal health care looks like it will cost over 1.5 trillion. Where will the money for this come from? I keep hearing "we will raise taxes on the rich", eventually you will run out of "rich" people (or the definition of "rich" will continue to drop lower and lower). There is talk of a tax on soft drinks, higher taxes on tobacco, taxing employers, taxing employee health benefits, and punitive taxes for people who don't have employee health care and choose not to enroll in the government plan. I guess all the campaign promises of no new taxes if you make under 200000 were just empty promises. Having lived overseas I have seen how socialized medicine works. I have stood in line at hospitals waiting for a doctor. I have seen health care rationed out. It has not worked anywhere else, why would it work here? I have heard pundits quote articles and reports saying how well it works, I have seen with my own eyes that it does not.

Earlier in the year we (the tax payers) spent almost 1 trillion dollars (must be passed now, no time to read the 1300 pages) on a stimulus package. This was supposed to boost the economy and support infrastructure repairs (road and bridge repair ect). Where did the money go? It had to go somewhere if there is now a proposed tax hike on gas to repair road ways. More money out of my pay check.
I propose an audit.

Folks, my wallet is looking like it will be hurting soon. I imageine that other people's will as well. Personally I think any politicitian that votes for these actions should be replaced nexe election. This is not about Democrats and Republicans, this is about what is good for the people and for the country.

Scary Stuff

Right now there is a proposal, by the Customs and Boarder Protection (CBP) agency, to expand the definition of a "Switch blade" knife. This new definition is broad enough to encompass an estimated 80% of pocket knives currently in the United States (basically any knife that can be opened with one hand). This proposal was made a bit over 2 weeks ago, this shows how quietly it has been moving. So quietly the mandatory 30 days open for comments has almost expired (June 21st is the last day). On top of this only snail mail can be used to file a comment, no emails nor phone calls.

Folks this is pretty scary stuff. Quietly the laws are changed, and suddenly you can be charged with a federal weapons violation that you did not know you had committed (which, by the way would be a felony and take away your right to own a firearm). Think I am being an alarmist? I hope I am, but how quickly and quietly this is moving is quite disconcerting.

Here is a copy of the proposal as it stands now. Write you repersentatives, tell them that they should oppose this attack on the second amendment. If you wish to send in a comment to the CBP send it here:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Office of International Trade
Regulations and Rulings
Mint Annex
799 9th Street N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20229

Attn: Intellectual Property and Restricted Merchandise Branch

RE: PROPOSED REVOCATION OF RULING LETTERS AND REVOCATION OF TREATMENT RELATING TO THE ADMISSIBILTY [sic] OF CERTAIN KNIVES WITH SPRING-ASSISTED OPENING MECHANISMS

Remember the window for comments on the proposal ends June 21 (which is a Sunday so the actual effective end is June 20).

Thanks to kniferights.org for this heads up

Who ya gonna call?

After a long day of work, I decided to spend the afternoon at the local firing range. While there I met some of the local Sheriff's department, nice guys. After expending 3 or so hours sighting in a few rifles and a shot gun, I returned home. First thing, clean the firearms.

I was interrupted by a telemarketer. Usually I just hang up, but the opening line caught my attention.
"Sir, what would you do if someone suddenly broke into your home? Would you have time to call the police?"

"Yes, I imagine I would have time to call them."

The woman seemed confused by this answer, but continued trying to make the sell.

"But sir, police usually take 10 to 15 minutes to respond, with our security system they would be on the way automatically"

"Ma'am, trust me it is not an issue."

Confusion again
"Do you already have a security system sir?

Grinning I cycle the slide of the shotgun I had just put together.
"Yes ma'am, I do.

Sometimes universal timing just works.

Then and now

"This year will go down in history! For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration! Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future!" -Adolf Hitler 1935


`(1) IN GENERAL- It shall be unlawful for any person other than a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector to possess a qualifying firearm on or after the applicable date, unless that person has been issued a firearm license--

`(A) under title I of Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009, which license has not been invalidated or revoked under that title; or

`(B) pursuant to a State firearm licensing and record of sale system certified under section 602 of Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009, which license has not been invalidated or revoked under State law.

`(2) APPLICABLE DATE- In this subsection, the term `applicable date' means--

`(A) with respect to a qualifying firearm that is acquired by the person before the date of the enactment of Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009, 2 years after such date of enactment; and

`(B) with respect to a qualifying firearm that is acquired by the person on or after the date of the enactment of Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009, 1 year after such date of enactment.'

-Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009 (Introduced in House)



Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. -George Santayana

Traipsing through the past

Took a bit of an outing Saturday. Went down the old Richmond chuch (an old civil war church) near Macon Georgia. Getting down there only took 30 minutes, so no big trek. Not an impressive building, just a little old church down a old country road. I ran into an old timer and his wife while I was there, he was a bit of an amatuer historian. I got to learn the past of the church and quit a lot about the family names on the graves. All in all quite an outing. I will post some of the pictures on my photoblog when I get a chance to go through them.

Long days

I know it's been a spell since I've posted. What can I say, things have been quite rough. I am now state side again. Since returning I have had my great uncle's stroke, my mother's inprisonment, my father's congestive heart failure, getting an apartment, getting my belongings moved in, and allergies (the cherry on top) to deal with. So I think it's understandable that the blog has slipped abit.

On the up side things are finally getting under control. This weekend is the first since I've been back that I'm actually able to take some time and relax abit. Really can't wait.

The world keeps spinning

Between getting ready to move from Korea to the US, then from the US to Canada, then from Canada to Poland, doing my taxes, work, and finding out my mother will be in jail for the next two years... I really have nothing left at the moment, and am very burnt out.