21 December, 2011

How the Government Stole Christmas


Forget the Grinch -- it's the government that's stealing Christmas.

So reports Americans for Tax Reform, a non-profit group that works for lower taxes and smaller government.

The holidays are supposed to be a season for giving and spending time with loved ones. However, Uncle Sam has forced taxpayers to add him and his greedy local and state relatives to their gift list. Of an identified $10.72 billion of holiday spending, an incredible 43.36 percent is due to government taxes, fees, and other costs.

If you are one of the 93 percent of holiday revelers traveling this season, you will pay $69.65 in gas taxes for the average $152.47 round-trip excursion -- 45.68 percent of the cost of the trip. Taking a rental is another convenient option, but 38.77 percent of your car's rental cost is due to taxation, particularly from state and local governments.

Choose to fly to visit friends and family and 42.47 percent of your trip is made up of government costs. If you retreat from your in-laws to a hotel, remember that 39.39 percent of the cost of your stay is funneled back to the government. For Christmas 2011, the government will stuff its stocking with $3.79 billion in traveling taxes.

Holiday revelers enjoy an estimated $992 million in alcoholic beverages to celebrate the season. Savor your next mug of eggnog, because 56.31 percent of the price is taxes. Government guzzles 44.33 percent of your seasonal beer and drives up the price of your glass of wine at Christmas dinner by 32.77 percent. Sipping a soft drink won't let you escape frosty government fees -- 27.98 percent, or $61 million in taxes, is attached to the cost of soda.

When Santa comes down the chimney this year, he'll have to save room in his sack for Uncle Sam's gifts. Government gets $21 billion of a cumulative $69.1 billion spent on presents, consuming nearly a third of Christmas gift-giving.

All told, the government collects $25.9 billion in new revenues over the holiday season.

And still more is ahead. Not even Christmas trees are safe. The government has proposed a new 15 cent tax on each Christmas tree sold -- which would mean government would make up 31.19 percent of the price of an average 40 dollar Christmas tree. Public outcry led to the tax being delayed -- for the moment. But look for that little Christmas present in your stocking in the near future.

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by Liberator Online editor James W. Harris.

05 December, 2011

In Which I Explain Who Really Screwed Okie State and Stanford...

Fans of Okie State and Stanford are upset because Alabama and LSU, both from the SEC, will play for the National Championship, even though they have the same record as 'Bama.

Three years ago the commissioner of the SEC proposed a "Plus Two" playoff for the National Championship. If that format were in effect this year, Stanford would be playing LSU, and Okie State would be playing 'Bama, for a crack at the Championship game. Unfortunately the (now) PAC 12, (then)Big 12, and (still, inexplicably) Big 10 combined to block the proposal.

Stanford is from the PAC 12, while Okie State plays in what is left of the Big 12. Uh oh!

03 December, 2011

A "Stimulus" Primer


It's a slow day in the small town of Pumphandle and the streets are deserted. Times are tough, everybody is in debt, and everybody is living on credit.

A tourist visiting the area drives through town, stops at the motel, and lays a $100 bill on the desk saying he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs to pick one for the night.

As soon as he walks upstairs, the motel owner grabs the bill and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher.

(Stay with this..... and pay attention)

The butcher takes the $100 and runs down the street to retire his debt to the pig farmer.

The pig farmer takes the $100 and heads off to pay his bill to his supplier, the Co-op.

The guy at the Co-op takes the $100 and runs to pay his debt to the local prostitute, who has also been facing hard times and has had to offer her "services" on credit.

The hooker rushes to the hotel and pays off her room bill with the hotel Owner.

The hotel proprietor then places the $100 back on the counter so the traveler will not suspect anything.

At that moment the traveler comes down the stairs, states that the rooms are not satisfactory, picks up the $100 bill and leaves.

No one produced anything. No one earned anything. However, the whole town now thinks that they are out of debt and there is a false atmosphere of optimism and glee.

And that, my friends, is how a "stimulus package" works! Makes you kinda feel warm and fuzzy all over huh??