Humpday Happenings...
Life is chock full of inevitabilities...that's a given.
LEARNING happens to be pretty near the top of the heap, too.
Learning something...anything...IS inevitable.
From the day we're born until the day we take that long dirt nap, we ARE learning, like it or not.
(hopefully, anyway)
As an infant we "learn" that when we cry, our needs are mysteriously met.
We learn to crawl, walk and run, as well as learn to use the "potty".
We learn how to eat with utensils, and how to behave.
As we grow older, we go to schools to learn about life's "specifics", such as English, Math, Science and History.
We learn the meaning of being a responsible individual, and how to fend for ourselves.
We learn what the words respect, integrity, and honesty are all about.
We learn what is meant by "cause and effect".
We learn that EVERY choice we make in life is not without it's good AND bad sides.
As we age further, we learn how to enmesh ourselves in a lasting relationship and perhaps even raise a family.
We've also learned how to drive, perform well enough in our jobs to remain there, and learn how to manage our finances.
As we grow older still, we learn about our own mortality, and that the body, sooner or later, simply cannot keep up with our minds.
We learn to plan for our retirements, and eventually our own passing.
And all along this incredible journey, we're "fine tuning" our lives as we go.
The subtle nuances that encompass our lives, as well as the lives we touch take on new meaning.
It's about caring...for ourselves, our loved ones, our friends and relatives.
Well, that's the way it was all INTENDED to work.
But for many people today, they've got gaping holes where all this learning SHOULD have gone.
What went wrong there?
Perhaps it was a bad home environment; a lack of caring by one or both parents. Maybe it was getting in with the wrong crowd growing up that led to a series of bad choices.
Or it could have just been a head full of "bad wiring" from birth...who can say?
What is often missing from more than a few in the past several generations is a sense of challenging oneself.
Used to be a time when there was a true THIRST for knowledge.
Learning was fun, even if it meant falling down along the way as a lesson in what NOT to do.
It was easy enough to get the hell back UP, dust off your butt, and get right back into it.
Not seeing nearly as much of that today, as in decades past...how about you?
Fortunately, we STILL DO have people that ascribe to such "lofty" pursuits, but they're in the minority, when they SHOULD be in the majority. That just seems wrong to me.
There was something said to me as I was growing up (by almost everyone for that matter...lol) which happened to be something that "sticks" with you all through life.
"Don't be afraid to ask questions...that's how you learn stuff".
Didn't matter who you asked, either. You could ask a teacher, a pastor, your parents, or you could do the "unthinkable", and find the answers YOURSELF by reading at a library, or even by trial and error.
No matter which method you chose, you WOULD be assured with answers to the questions that were rattling around in the old noggin.
You might not like the answers in some cases, but that's another part of LEARNING.
You learn to accept defeat just as you would accept victory.
And with acceptance comes the fact that you know you CAN move on a much more informed and educated person.
Like most anything YOU do in life, learning comes down to...(all together gang)...YOU.
No one can inject you with "smarts", and you can't bop out to the local Deli and grab a 1/2 pound of intellect.
You can't learn by OSMOSIS, either. Holding a damn book against one's head is NOT going to get you that diploma, or allow you any level of scholastic clairvoyance.
You have to APPLY yourself...it's that simple.
You're past that age where people are meeting YOUR needs, because you cry them a river
You have to meet your needs YOURSELF.
And you have to do it in a manner that harms no one else, especially YOU.
That's another place where some people tend to get "struck in the mud".
They feel the world OWES them a living, and will do anything to anyone to make it happen.
They are of the entitlement mindset, and quite frankly, do nothing for themselves.
They are everyone else's problem.
And, as is often the case, some governmental agency comes along and takes them by their hand and leads them through life.
All that is really needed is to instill a sense of SELF-WORTH into these people.
They haven't yet learned that they, THEMSELVES are the key to their own future.
Granted, "we ALL need somebody to lean on" (as the song goes) from time to time, and that's where another part of our learning surfaces. We learn to know WHO we CAN go to, and who can come to us if they should need our help, or even our ear, when they need to voice their concerns.
That's all part of this human condition.
It's part of our life.
And it's to this part, that each of us needs to attend daily.
We just cannot arbitrarily say we're finished, and then stick it on some shelf to gather dust.
Learning has to be nurtured, cared for, and even revered for what it CAN do in every one of our lives.
We learn so that we teach ourselves; so that we may teach others.
And by teaching that which we have learned, we promote humanity itself.
So go out and learn something today, and by all means, feel free to pass it on.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

Odds And Ends...
Tuesdays tend to be one of those "cast off" days. It's not the START of a week, nor is it the END of a week. It's certainly not the MIDDLE of the week, either, nor is it part of the weekends we relish so much.
We're still climbing that mountain to "humpday" with Tuesdays.
No "coasting" allowed, folks.
If I were to buy a new car (perish the thought), I'd opt for finding one that was built on a TUESDAY.
Seems to be more pride put into things made on a Tuesday.
And I believe my current car WAS built on such a day as this. I mean how else could I account for it's longevity, hmm?
This past Sunday, I took ye olde Firebird out to gas it up in Waynedale, and I drove over Winchester Rd. which is scenic, if a bit short in duration....lots of winding road and trees. Broadview Nursery is along this stretch of road, too for those who are familiar with the area.
I kept to the speed limit (unposted - 35 MPH), and I could feel myself smiling slightly as I was driving...didn't know why at first.
Then it hit me.
I STILL love driving this car!
It's an "honest" car, in that what you "feel" through the wheel is what the car will do...very little body roll through the turns, and good acceleration for a 2.8L V-6 (no turbo or sequential fuel injection, either).
Wifey's car is big compared to mine, but it tends to roll more into turns.

I've always been a person of simple pleasures, and Sunday's morning drive was just that...and a guilty pleasure at that...lol.
Trouble with that , is that I always have to return to our house, which isn't all that bad either, until you realize WHERE it's located, and WHO lives all about you...
Well, it WAS fun, if a bit short-lived. I must do that again some morning...soon.
But enough about man's love affair with the machinations of transport.
In the meantime, we've lots of other things happening all over the place in our fair city, such as these:
*** A followup to that story about the man accosted while walking his dog last week.
(( A Fort Wayne man accused of a robbery on the Rivergreenway last week has been formally charged with robbery, according to Allen Superior Court records filed Monday. Melvin Murdock, 40, of the 1400 block of Summit Street, faces a sole robbery count.
He was being held in lieu of $10,000 bail.
Police say Murdock, along with James Jacquelle Davis, 19, and Tyrell Lavon Williams, 18, tried to rob a 28-year-old man after an encounter on the River Greenway outside his apartment at 1001 Edgewater Ave. on April 3, according to court documents.
During the botched robbery, the the victim stabbed Williams to death after the three forced the resident into his apartment at gunpoint, court documents said.
Murdock told detectives the victim approached them on the greenway, offered them a flashlight and invited them inside to smoke marijuana, court documents said. ))
Well, imagine that. How much do 'ya want to bet that the "defense" for these thugs pleads that the victim as trying to "entrap" the defendants by luring them back to smoke pot? At least Davis turned himself into the FWPD late last week, and Murdock also turned himself in shortly after. Seems he might have been the "ring-leader" of this terrible trio (now just a dumbass DUO).
*** The city has had it's ELEVENTH homicide (for those keeping score)...
(( The shooting death of a city woman has been ruled a homicide, and Fort Wayne police are seeking the public’s help in locating a man wanted for questioning in connection with the death.
An autopsy completed Monday revealed that Carmen D. Ramos, 33, was shot to death. Her death was ruled the 11th homicide in Allen County this year. All but one of the deaths have occurred in the city.
Family of Ramos called 911 on Sunday night after finding her unconscious inside her apartment, at 1307 Huestis Ave., just southwest of downtown. Police said Ramos appeared to have more than one gunshot wound to her body. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police believe domestic violence played a role in the slaying and have identified a person of interest.
Detectives are trying to locate Thomas Howard Manjarez, 34, of Fort Wayne, to question him regarding Ramos’ death.
Manjarez is the father of Ramos’ three children, according to officer Raquel Foster, a police spokeswoman.
Ramos had petitioned for and received a protection order against Manjarez in January, according to court records.
In Ramos’ order, she alleged that Manjarez had beaten her in front of their children in October. She also alleged that, in January, Manjarez had called her and threatened to shoot her anywhere he saw her, records state.
That protection order was valid until January 2012, but was dismissed April 1 at the request of Ramos, court records state. Three other people also petitioned for protective orders in January against Manjarez, records state.
Manjarez is described as Hispanic, 5-foot-9, 225 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Police say anyone with information about his whereabouts should call CrimeStoppers at 436-STOP. Callers can remain anonymous. ))
At least this one wasn't in the SOUTHEAST part of the city (give it time...we'll have another soon enough).
I suppose those PROTECTIVE ORDERS issued from the courts don't amount to a hill of beans when you don't "follow the rules" of them, do they? The woman herself DISMISSED the order...and that was a FATAL mistake, wasn't it?
That's not to say the orders aren't breached by the person against whom the order is issued...they are, and sadly, on a regular basis.
The police (again) can't do much when things go that bad (after the fact), except to clean up the mess.
*** And speaking of messy cleanups...
(( Fort Wayne Police Chief Rusty York said Monday he is recommending to the Board of Public Safety that a city officer be suspended, up to and including termination, as a result of recent allegations the officer used excessive force.
The chief asked the board Monday during its monthly meeting that a disciplinary action hearing be set for officer Scott Morales. The board agreed to schedule a hearing for May 3.
Morales is accused of using excessive physical force against a man in February while taking the suspect from St. Joseph Hospital to the Allen County Lockup. The alleged force was reported to police command by staff at the hospital, York said.
Morales, a 20-year veteran of the department, has served suspensions over the past few months for accusations that he was not alert on duty, and a separate prior accusation of use of excessive force. Morales has a history of disciplinary action dating to 1991. At the May hearing, the board will listen to the chief’s recommendations along with the accusations against Morales.
Morales will have an opportunity to speak.
Any disciplinary action will not be taken until after that hearing.
Any allegation of an offense that could result in more than five days of suspension entitles an officer to such a hearing, the chief said.
--In another matter, the chief announced officer Aaron C. Johnson, a seven-year member of the force, served a one-day unpaid suspension in March for being outside of his assigned district.
Johnson previously received letters of reprimand for a police vehicle accident and failure to use a seat belt.
Last year he was suspended for an allegation that he was not alert while on duty. Johnson received letters of commendation in 2005 and 2008, according to his personnel file. ))
Now who says POLICE WORK isn't a STRESSFUL occupation, hmm?
Maybe the perp WAS resisting, and that more forceful measures had to be utilized...I can't say.
But of the HOSPITAL noticed it, it must have been severe enough.
There ARE perps out there who are wound tighter than a cheap clock on God know what substances, and many times, officers HAVE to resort to forceful measures to ensure control of the scene, as well as the safety of the officer.
The gray area is how much IS truly enough, when it comes to "force"?
Strongarm tactics and personal defense items such as the TASER and OC are often employed to subdue a subject (as was the old "billy club" or nightstick). Pressure points or a well placed knee against the neck while a suspect is to ground works wonders.
But all officers have to remember that line from the movie "Magnum Force", when Clint Eastwood says:
"Every man's got to know his limits."
Limits can equate to boundaries as well, and there comes a point when that line might be crossed.
Back before Miranda, crossing lines worked well to put down a perp, or garner a confession...today, not so much.
If an officer consistently displays overly-aggressive tactics when unwarranted, he/she will bring down the "headhunters" (Internal Affairs Department) on them like a pack of hungry coyotes.
And trying to defend one's actions when the people standing in judgment of you were not THERE, and didn't have corroborative first-hand sight or knowledge of the event is difficult at best.
The danger comes from too much emphasis on aggressive tactics. That can lead to officer hesitation...or worse.
It's like trying to balance on a razor's edge...DAILY.
When the REAL job of policing becomes compromised with an over abundance of dictates "from the top", it can impede the ability of any department to function AS DESIGNED. Conversely, knowing when "enough is enough" in the handling of any suspect should always be well-entrenched in every officer's mindset. That's what TRAINING is for, folks.
Wear the shield proudly, but NEVER hide behind it, or use it as an excuse for unprofessional behavior.
But hey, it's not like I know anything about this sort of stuff, right?
I just do what I do...as should we ALL.
Be well, make a difference to someone today, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

Monday Musings...
If you're like most Americans, you work hard, pay your taxes, and go on about your life. You may even cringe at the mere thought of defrauding the government, because you KNOW that sooner or later, doing something like that will come back and bite you in the ass, and always at the worst time, right? Besides, you were all brought up BETTER than that anyway, eh?
Now, if there's ONE harbinger of springtime in Indiana, it's the receipt of your PROPERTY TAX statements.
I'm sure every one of you LOVES to see LOWER taxes, and I'm not adverse to that one damn bit, either.
But there does come a time when LOWER taxes mean something a whole lot different that what you think.
Over the years, I've mentioned (here) about how OUR property was erroneously "assessed" so much HIGHER than most ANY other property around the area.
Wifey and I got this house from her parents on contract for $40K, back in '97.
About a dozen or so years back, it was pretty close to actual value, too. The assessment at THAT time was in the mid $50K range (property only, excluding the land, which was even worth substantially more than today).
So, we figured we weren't getting ripped off (at least certainly NOT by her parents). We were wrong.
The city/county was indulging themselves (monetarily-speaking) when it came to home-OWNERS in this part of town, and taxing them for properties that were "over-assessed" because they were the holdouts (that remained) from the massive increase of Section 8 properties (due in no small part to "white flight"). That went over like a pregnant pole-vaulter.
Those few of us remaining here were taxed for houses that could NEVER be sold for anything close to "assessed value".
One neighbor (Billy) watched HIS taxes increase 108% on a property that was LOSING VALUE every year (he moved a few years back, and took the hit when selling). We were "lucky", as OUR taxes ONLY rose close to 50%.
(and that was because someone thought our house was worth assessing near $80K...wow, time to trade up?)
Well, that's what you get for being white and a homeowner on the SOUTH side of Fort Wayne.
At one point (about 6 years ago), OUR house WAS assessed at $76.4K...!
This is while other houses were being sold for $7500 within a few blocks of our place.
So, we had a "showcase" on our hands (which is a work in progress every year - houses do NOT fix themselves)...or DID we?
Two years ago, we had to get a new garage roof.

Cost - $6K (approx.).
Last year, we had to have a fence replaced.

Cost - $1200 (and change).
Now, one would THINK that with such improvements, that the price would remain (at least) static for the property.
Guess again.
THIS year's tax bill rolled in, and our (modified) Cape Cod house (much like this one pictured HERE) that USED to be assessed at $76.4K was not even close to the (recently adjusted) $72K it went for just THREE YEARS AGO. Not by a country mile, friends.
Last year's assessment of our property (with that new garage roof and fence I mentioned) was $50.9K...!
But, hang in there...it gets even BETTER...
THIS year's assessment of the SAME house that used to be (at one time a few years back, that same $76.4K) is now "worth" a whopping $24.9K...!
(feel free to utter "W...T...F...???". I know I did - several times)
That's right, people....without doing much more than blowing a few thousand for IMPROVEMENTS, our corner property house is worth about 50% LESS than it was TWELVE years ago...
Our GRAND TOTAL of taxes we owe this year is a mere $89 (and change).
That's a far cry from that $1100 we USED to pay when we moved in (even with the homestead credit).
Imagine that.
Like I said, LOWER TAXES is aways a good thing, EXCEPT when it comes with it's own "price" tag attached.
The price we pay for these (much) lower rates and assessment, can be summed up simply enough.
SECTION 8 HOUSING TAKEOVERS.
Now, the ONLY thing that has changed in the 12 years we lived here (other than a few more gray hairs to go with that receding hairline of mine) is the increase of RENTAL properties, and the subsequent ethnically-diversified crap that accompanies such "people" that move into such hovels.
As it stands right now, I certainly would NOT mind paying higher taxes, IF it would promote several key things:
a) A much better quality-of-life for current homeowners down here (all 17 of us...lol).
b) Flipping most of these rentals into the hands of RESPONSIBLE OWNERS who have a REAL JOB and also PAY TAXES.
c) A more secure neighborhood, free from the crime we are privy to NOW (thanks to the rentals).
d) Accountability from ALL landlords with much more comprehensive background checks of prospective tenants.
Now that doesn't seem too daunting a task for someone in our city with a few functional brain cells, hmm?
This equal housing BS I've seen over the years (and in various cities) has NEVER done ANY area of ANY city ANY GOOD...period.
Much of this program (and others) rewards the lazy, and punishes the decent homeowner by forcing them to either adapt their own lifestyle to fit the dregs of society that move into such areas, or (worse)...forces the homeowner to vacate the area all together, allowing more rentals to surface, along with the human flotsam that infests these once nice houses.
Look at any of the data from major cities across the nation, and you invariably see that ethnic diversity in neighborhoods such as mine are leading to ruin, as well as depleting (further) an already tenuous tax base FOR those cities.
I stated years ago in our church that with such an eroding tax base, thanks to Section 8 takeovers of neighborhoods, Philly was destined to become a "welfare state"...and lo, and behold, it's a cesspool in hock up to it's neck.
Now, if you are like Wifey and me, living in a newly-founded (and funded) "Ghettohood" (which was actually in the making for several decades, courtesy of your local city "leaders", who couldn't see past their own billfolds), you wind up staring at a "perfect storm" of something I like to call a CATCH-22.
Anyone familiar with such a phrase (or has read Joseph Heller's novel) knows what I'm talking about.
Here's the WIKI *411* in case you want specifics:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_(logic)
At the least, our current situation is paradoxical.
But which PARTICULAR paradox becomes the issue.
We can no longer rely on the sale price of our house to "fund" a substantial down payment on a NICER place away from these assholes, now.

And staying put isn't the best option either, considering all these locals want IS your house (with you out of it).
But it IS the only option available right now, unless some miraculous event occurs, and sees fit to dump a truckload of dirty (and unmarked) $100 bills at our door to assist us in getting the hell "outta Dodge".
Funny thing, all it would take to oust us would be something catastrophic like an arsonist with some time on his hands.

I say that because the COST of renovation would far exceed the (new) "value" of the house outright.
You wonder whether it's a good thing to "improve" when you KNOW that money you sink INTO the house will NEVER be recouped.
Most people tend to realize maybe a 50% loss on ANY improvements they make. They only get back 50 cents on every buck they shell out (sometimes less, depending on the TYPE of improvement made). We wouldn't even get a damn DIME back for every dollar we spend on improvements (or even repairs) at this point.
And it all is thanks to our dear, sweet "AFRICAN'T-AMERICAN neighbors".
(yes, that's my *NEW* term for them - AFRICAN'T-AMERICANS - nothing positive about them, other than being positively annoying)
When it comes to neighborhood blight, the typical victicratic inner urban black has to be at the TOP of the list, and I speak from experience seeing this occur in several cities over thirty-odd years of travel.

Wherever they seem to go, trouble and crime soon follows, along with litter and other forms of decline. All by choice.

(Some will no doubt view such claims as racist, or bigoted, but until they live down here, and expereience the overwhelming "joy" of being among such people, they can blow all the smoke they want out their uneducated and unenlightened asses...so there.)
Hell, even in white-trash trailer parks, you will still see flower planters or at least some nicely mowed lawns (among the rusted out cars, which can often be used AS flower planters...lol).
Hispanics tend to be a bit more meticulous when it comes to personal property, such as a house or an apartment. They enjoy maintaining what they've earned.
Asians are just plain fastidious!
I've got no problem with that, either.
I have never met a sloppy one yet (in America), and Chinatown in Philly is SO clean, you can eat off the damn sidewalks.
Around MY neighborhood, you can ALSO eat off the sidewalks, but that's because the "locals" toss a lot of half-eaten food along the streets...and the crows just LOVE it.
It always astounds me when I hear things like "The Southeast has the highest concentration of disposable income in the entire city". Remember that quote from last week's post? I'll never forget it.
So it makes 'ya wonder WHY we have little shopping down here, or more home-OWNERS, and HIGHER prices for the housing (here) with the appropriate taxation ON such houses (which would make the city smile IF it were true).
I mean with SO MUCH MONEY around here (as was said), where the hell is it all GOING anyway?
It certainly isn't going into ANY home improvements...or landscaping...not when houses are selling for at least HALF of what they used to be worth a decade ago...or lower (like those "bargains" for $7500 near us that helps to lower MY property's worth).
And yes, there ARE (more than a few) blacks who DO have nice houses and/or apartments, and I've been in quite a number of them, but this has become (much like our house here) the EXCEPTION, and not the norm among many neighborhoods that find themselves in a state of decline. You just have to love those government programs that cost decent people money and bankrupts the economy, don'cha?
Yasureyoubetcha!
Hell, some days I can "feel" my property value DECLINE when I see certain people walk past our house...it's THAT noticeable.
So, when you sit back and wish for lower taxes...be VERY careful what you wish for...
You just might wind up GETTING it.
But you may NOT like the manner it was presented to you.
And you certainly will NOT like the outcome, nor your new "neighbors".
Therein lies the lesson for today.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

Friday Follies...
Okay boys and girls, we made it to another weekend, and here in the Heartland of America, we've seen both record high temps as well as lake-effect snow flurries. Talk about a roller coaster ride, hmm?
But today, we're going to get your 72 hours of "weekend" off to a flying start with something I wanted to talk about ever since I read it in the papers and heard it on the radio talk shows. (Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh had fantastic progrms devoted to it)This story hits a bit closer to home for me, because I used to work for our wonderful U.S. Treasury Department (IRS Division), so those of you who already detest the IRS, don't hold anything against me personally.
I was just another cog in the massive machine, OK?
And I have a conscience...that's why I left, but that's another tale for another time...
If you haven't read about this yet, all of you taxpaying Americans should, so here it is, straight as it appeared from the AP:
(( 47% of homes avoid income tax
Stephen Ohlemacher - Associated Press
WASHINGTON – Tax Day is a dreaded deadline for millions, but for nearly half of U.S. households it is simply somebody else’s problem.About 47 percent will pay no federal income taxes for 2009. Either their incomes were too low, or they qualified for enough credits, deductions and exemptions to eliminate their liability. That’s according to projections by the Tax Policy Center, a Washington research organization.
Most people still are required to file returns by the April 15 deadline. The penalty for skipping it is limited to the amount of taxes owed, but it’s still almost always better to file: That’s the only way to get a refund of all the income taxes withheld by employers.
In recent years, credits for low- and middle-income families have grown so much that a family of four making as much as $50,000 will owe no federal income tax for 2009, as long as there are two children younger than 17, according to a separate analysis by the consulting firm Deloitte Tax.
Tax cuts enacted in the past decade have been generous to wealthy taxpayers, too, making them a target for President Obama and Democrats in Congress.
Less noticed were tax cuts for low- and middle-income families, which were expanded when Obama signed the massive economic recovery package last year.
The result is a tax system that exempts almost half the country from paying for programs that benefit everyone, including national defense, public safety, infrastructure and education. It is a system in which the top 10 percent of earners – households making an average of $366,400 in 2006 – paid about 73 percent of the income taxes collected by the federal government.
The bottom 40 percent, on average, make a profit from the federal income tax, meaning they get more money in tax credits than they would otherwise owe in taxes. For those people, the government sends them a payment.
"We have 50 percent of people who are getting something for nothing," said Curtis Dubay, senior tax policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation.
The vast majority of people who escape federal income taxes still pay other taxes, including federal payroll taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare, and excise taxes on gasoline, aviation, alcohol and cigarettes.
Many also pay state or local taxes on sales, income and property.
That helps explain the country’s aversion to taxes, said Clint Stretch, a tax policy expert Deloitte Tax.
He said many people simply look at the difference between their gross pay and their take-home pay and blame the government for the disparity.
"It’s not uncommon for people to think that their Social Security taxes, their 401(k) contributions, their share of employer health premiums, all of that stuff in their mind gets lumped into income taxes," Stretch said.
The federal income tax is the government’s largest source of revenue, raising more than $900 billion – or a little less than half of all government receipts – in the budget year that ended last Sept. 30. But with deductions and credits, especially for families with children, there have long been people who don’t pay it, mainly lower-income families.
The number of households that don’t pay federal income taxes increased substantially in 2008, when the poor economy reduced incomes and Congress cut taxes in an attempt to help recovery.
In 2007, about 38 percent of households paid no federal income tax, a figure that jumped to 49 percent in 2008, according to estimates by the Tax Policy Center.
The changes made it relatively easy for families of four making $50,000 to eliminate their income tax liability.
Here’s how they did it, according to Deloitte Tax:
The family was entitled to a standard deduction of $11,400 and four personal exemptions of $3,650 apiece, leaving a taxable income of $24,000. The federal income tax on $24,000 is $2,769.
With two children younger than 17, the family qualified for two $1,000 child tax credits. Its Making Work Pay credit was $800 because the parents were married filing jointly.
The $2,800 in credits exceeds the $2,769 in taxes, so the family makes a $31 profit from the federal income tax.
That ought to take the sting out of April 15. ))OK, now that your morning beverage of choice has switched from coffee or tea to HARD LIQUOR (over this), let's take a closer look at the story, shall we?
Now, we have close to FIFTY PERCENT of the people NOT paying ANY income taxes, due to all these (wonderful) "deductions".
And that seems all well and good, right?
Always nice to "ZERO-OUT" when figuring your tax "burden", isn't it?
Well, it's not ALL sunshine and lollipops.
The money the government was "supposed" to get, has been eliminated by the deductions that THEY have put in place to help "some", while basically screwing the REST of the people.
And you have other "families" that are gaming the system to the point where they DO, in fact, get something for nothing (who said America wasn't still a cool country to live in?), simply by not working and still having kids.
That tends to overburden a fragile system and drive more and more INTO poverty, instead of away from it and into self-sufficiency, does it not? Rewarding those who choose NOT to work,but instead RELY on everyone else as well as the government, doesn't help the REST of us one damn bit, does it?
And since the government is NOT getting income tax from the non-working stiffs, their total revenue tends to "wither on the vine", as it were. That leaves this huge HOLE in the treasury that needs to be FILLED...by everyone else, and it looks like those who DO pay their taxes are paying more (my Dad used to gripe about this a lot, and now I know why).
Of course, these people that pay NO income tax are taxed ELSEWHERE, like with SALES TAX.
"But Bob, aren't the REST of us who are working ALSO paying that tax?"
(good question)
Right you are, and you're also paying taxes on much of your SAVINGS.
I used to call it the "triple-dip".
Your PAY gets taxed, everything you BUY gets taxed, and the money you SAVE in a bank gets taxed...
That's one helluva "taxing" situation, eh?
Almost makes one want to go "on the dole" to avoid that INCOME TAX, doesn't it?
Now, I mentioned earlier this week, that in MY part of Fort Wayne, (the ghettohood), it was stated that the SOUTHEAST part of town has the 2ND HIGHEST level of DISPOSABLE INCOME (aka BUYING POWER) in the entire city!
And the vast majority of these people DO NOT WORK...or even want to.
But, they DO have kids...lots of kids, which perpetuates this cycle of dependency upon the government, as well as increases the output of revenue TO those people, while taking from those who ARE paying into the system as required by law (dumb as that law is).
One can only guess as to how long this can operate, because we all know that ANY program our federal government undertakes is destined to COST...a LOT...seemingly forever, too. Nothing ever seems to get REPEALED.
You can toss stimulus money around until the cows come home, and THAT will never ease the tax burden on those who work and are paying the taxes for the others who sit back, suck down orange drink and munch on "hot fries" all damn day, will it?
And whatever taxes these (non-productive) people that comprise this 47% DO pay are the same ones YOU have to pay as well (as well as paying for them).
Granted, there are cases where certain people can honestly be "excused" from income tax payments, such as disability cases, the elderly, and so on.
But these people are not the majority of that 47%, are they?
Disabled or elderly people are not cranking out kids as tax deductions, are they?
Those people are aided by the government for the RIGHT reason...they can't fend for themselves, and would IF they could.
This administration would have us see more taxes to those that CAN pay them, and I'm sorry, but that's simply NOT fair.
It's time the government realized that no matter HOW HARD you squeeze, blood isn't coming out of that stone (the taxpayers) anytime soon. Time to wake up and return to reality.
Those that choose to "play the system" need to start being responsible, as well as being HELD responsible...period.
And if ANY changes are to be made that will help the already over-burdened taxpayers of this nation, as well as the country's coffers, it's to make sure that (as the All in the Family theme goes) "Everybody pulls their weight".
If you don't WANT to, fine...find another country to leech off of.
America has been rooted in people that knew what sweat, and toil was all about.
The immigrants that came through Ellis Island were more than willing to pull MORE that their weight, because America was a GREAT nation to come to and start over with a mere CHANCE to live free and become successful.
(talk about a leap of faith there)Isn't it time to get some of that (former) greatness BACK again?
Isn't it time to bring fairness back into play for everyone concerned?
I'd like to think so, because the path we're currently on is leading to a very high cliff.
And woe to us and this nation, lest we be led past that precipice.
The view might be breathtaking, but that first step is a doozie.
Have yourselves a great weekend, be well, make a difference today, and, as always...
Stay safe out there, America.

What Sights You'll See...
We picked up the other computer yesterday morning, and I decided to drive us on up there.
No biggie, right?
Well, that's where it gets "interesting"...
See, on the way up, it began to rain, and on a dry road, people often forget that the accumulated OIL on the roads will tend to make any vehicle handle with a certain level of unpredictability.
People were still driving like it was totally DRY outside...
Now, hold that thought, we'll be right back to this farther down in the post.
We got the system back, and it was there I discovered that when it comes to copying one system software to another CPU, all drivers are NOT alike. They are "special" to the particular machine. that's why *my* recovery efforts went for naught.
Okay...learned something today...check.
Now, a swing past DICK'S Sporting Goods for some .45 ACP ammo.
That went great...got a 50 rd box of Remington UMC (ball ammo-solid tip) for $25! Not too shabby at all, considering a while back, there was NO .45 ammo to be bloody HAD at all!
Got me more ammo...check.
Now, we're getting a bit peckish, so we're gonna go across the "boulevard" to Glenbrook Square Mall to hit up SBARROS for some late morning pizza (yummmmm). Getting out of the damn parking lot was a joy...had a few numbnuts that didn't know WHERE the turn signal indicators were on their POS cars! Luckily, I didn't get TOO pissed at them. After all, it IS Fort Wayne, and in MY neighborhood, I've got plenty of assholes living all around me.
So, we get to the mall, park the car, and as we're walking into the mall, a van full of mentally-challenged adults is emptying out for some sort of "field-trip" (they're going to the mall, too). I KNEW they were mentally challenged by the way they groaned (unintelligibly) like the living dead.
Reminded me of the movie "The Dream Team", only NO Micheal Keaton!
And they appeared to look as smart as a local politicians, just a lot less well-attired.
Not to mention, one of the men was told: "Harold, Pull your pants up".
By then, I was past them, my antenna was up and working and I heard all of that exchange.
I didn't want to look back at Wifey, because I know I would have "lost it".
It makes me wonder what that man was doing PRIOR to exiting the vehicle that required the return of his pants to their proper height?
All I could do was to say over and over to myself:
"Don't eat at Sbarros - don't eat at Sbarros..."
They did not...which made me feel a LOT better.
Better until I saw the "tab" for our brunch.
Seems Sbarros has RAISED their prices...a LOT.
(and no one there speaks much ENGLISH...when did that change?)
Which makes me wonder about all that talk I hear about them CLOSING this year...
We got 2 PLAIN slices, 2 SAUSAGE slices and two SMALL drinks...
Total: $17.87...!!!
I was like WTF?
I didn't want to BUY STOCK in the damn franchise...I just wanted to get something to bloody EAT, for Christ's sake!
When I was on the road, I ate at Sbarros at all those rest stops, and I never had to rob a bank to grab a bite there!
(note to self)...Next time, try Panda Express!
Better yet...eat BEFORE you go there!
Got something (expensive) to eat...check.
Yes, it's AMAZING what you'll see when you go to the mall, isn't it?
And here I thought we'd stop there to GET AWAY from weird sh*t (like what we see all the time in our neighborhood)...guess I was mistaken there, hmm?
Just a more "diverse" kinda weird...yeah, that's it.
Now, back to that traffic I mentioned above...
Not more than few hours later, that SAME area along Coliseum was the scene of a BAD traffic accident...(imagine that).
Nice to "dodge a bullet" once in a while, isn't it?
Then again, I'm one who like to get things done EARLY (as possible) for several reasons.
a) The store staff might be sleepy, but at least they're not pissed at the world or their job, OR you (yet - give 'em a few hours).
b) Traffic is typically LIGHTER than lunchtime, or either "rush hour" (which is SO wrongly named...no one can rush at all...that's the trouble. It should REALLY be called CRAWL hour. The only gear you'll use is FIRST.
c) It throws off the local Aborigines in my neighborhood,so they don't know IF we're home or not (to rob you)...besides, they "usually" don't get their non-working, lazy asses out of the sack until AFTER 11AM as it is.
d) It frees up the day nicely...in case something "else" comes flying at 'ya when you're not expecting it.
Yeah, it's a good deal all around.
The down side is that we always HAVE to return to OUR ghettohood (sighs)...
I can feel my demeanor change when I get near to it...
The tension level rises, the hairs on the back of the neck begin to rise...yep, back in the ghettohood...again.
And at least at and around the mall, I didn't hear the incessant thumping of a poorly installed BASS unit, cowering within the trunk of some POS hoopty-mobile.
But, as you drive south from the mall, along Lafayette St, the closer you get to "your" part of town, you can see the entire ambiance change drastically. It's like leaving the GREEN ZONE...for the WAR ZONE.
Houses are noticeably devoid of care, and people are meandering about like extras in a George Romero flick.
(Zombies - gotta love 'em, right?)
You see a lot more Cadillacs, which, in another neighborhood, might lead you to believe that you wandered into a suburban nest of DOCTORS or LAWYERS...nothing could be further from the truth.
You see a lot more pawn shops, bars, fast food joints, people SMOKING joints, and you hope you're not the target of some buttwipe with a gun and nothing to do with it, but fire it randomly at anything moving.
If you're lucky, you might even see a FWPD car behind someone they just pulled over...that makes you feel a tad better.
You roll back onto the street that leads to your garage, and by then, your head is really back on the swivel, and you're checking the mirrors to see if you've "grown a tail".
Wifey has had TWO cars follow her home over the years, but they seem to take the hell off when I come outside (to meet her) with a pistol on my hip...wonder why THAT is?
The garage door rolls open, you roll the car in, and your eyes are FIXED on the rear-view as you engage the remote to lower the door.
After all, you don't want someone sneaking in while you're under a belief you're "safe", right?
Many people tend to "relax" after they are in their garage.
I tend not to.
It's not easy being "on guard" so damn much, but at least if ANY sh*t is heading for ANY fan, I'll know about it well in advance.
Still, getting out and interacting with a lot more NORMAL people (yes, even those in that van at the mall are better by far, pants notwithstanding) is something I personally come to savor.
And the best part about it, is we get to do it all over again, when we head off to Menards later this morning.
It's not as long of a haul, but I still get away from the din and annoyance of "the locals" for a spell.
Now, if only THESE morons were told by THEIR "caretaker" to: "Deshaun, pull up your pants".
Yes, friends...whoever said that living in a recently created ghettohood was nothing if not "interesting", hmm?
Be well, make a difference today, and...
Stay safe out there, America.