| Author |
 Topic  |
|
JimF
USA
1014 Posts |
 Posted - 12/22/2002 : 18:30:54
|
Aw shucks John, everyone knows Santa Claus is a liberal, and since he only works one day a year, he has to be on some kind of government welfare program.
But then again, Jesus was probably history's first liberal.
And as I recall he rode into town on a donkey and not an elephant, so no doubt he was the first 'Democrat' as well.
Merry Christmas John! |
 |
|
|
olderthendirt
USA
370 Posts |
Posted - 12/22/2002 : 20:53:56
|
| Ah the rightous rancous repetitive reguritates rumbles of republicans, they have such an easy answer to the words ills. Merry christmas to you anyways. |
|
|
|
KileAnderson
USA
875 Posts |
Posted - 12/22/2002 : 21:37:32
|
I don't know, Jim. Is Santa Claus really a liberal? He gives toys to the good girls and boys, and the bad ones get a lump of clean burning coal. He believes that kids should EARN their rewards by being good. Sounds like Santa believes in consequences and accountability, plus he created hundreds of jobs for elves, so he must be a conservative. And when you think about it, Jesus was a non-union carpenter and he believed in family values. He supported a 10% flat tax and I'm pretty sure that he would be on the side of Isreal. He was the first Christian, he had no problem professing his beliefe in God and he had no problem with prayer in school. Maybe he was a conservative too. Oh, and he was persecuted for his beliefs by an oppressive government, he definitely was a conservative.
Just food for thought. Sorry I haven't had time for that beer Jim, I'm trying to get all these claims closed so I can get home for Christmas.
|
|
|
|
Justin
USA
137 Posts |
Posted - 12/22/2002 : 22:35:49
|
Hey JimF. was it not Jesus who said; "If any would not work, neither should they eat." Does that sound liberal to you?" Also, Jesus died for everybody's sins, he didnt assign someone else to. He also said; "Suffer the little ones to come unto Me and forbid them not." Certainly not a liberal idea by any stretch. I think the beliefs of Jesus transcend liberals and conservatives and most of all political parties and governments. REMEMBER, JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON.
|
|
|
|
olderthendirt
USA
370 Posts |
Posted - 12/23/2002 : 08:23:32
|
| Next we'll be hearing how Jesus and the Disciples were wealthy men after all they were able to leave their jobs and travel around. And if he drove, he'd abviously drive a large SUV (american built of course). Conservatives are soooo predictible. But amongst all the capitolist feeding frenzy, please do remember what this time of year is supposed to mean. If you are on the road, instead of sitting in your room, why not contact one of the local food kitchens and spend some quality time. |
|
|
|
Newt
USA
657 Posts |
Posted - 12/23/2002 : 08:28:24
|
| Moses tied his ass to a tree and went up on the mountain, now thats a stretch for you. |
|
|
|
Gale
USA
231 Posts |
Posted - 12/23/2002 : 14:12:35
|
Hey, we made it to page 11. Many states are actually in deep trouble. From my research our company is taking the position that the stock market will make a long-term bottom between Labor Day and Christmas of 2005. If that school of thought turns out to be on target it would be more like 2007 before the states can expect much of a relief short of raising taxes which could delay a recovery.
The Murray city school system held a meeting last Thursday where they invited in business leaders from the community for input into what businesses actually need from the school system. There was a state agency employee that painted a bleak funding picture at the high school level and this was stemming from cuts at the federal level.
A lot of professional traders have made a lot money out of the market crash of the last couple years but most individual investors, especially if they were playing in safe with mutual funds (as they were advised) have really been burned in their 401 and other plans.
Many in the 50+ age group will never see their balances in their retirement accounts reach the level they were in Jan of 2000. Folks this will play out in the economy for years to come.
By the time things get turned around good then we will be looking at the predicted housing crash starting in 2009. The logic behind that prediction seems sound but I have not crunched any numbers personally. It has something to do with the number of current homes that will be coming on to the market place because of their owners going into rest homes or the grave at the same time the number of first-time home buyers will be on the decline. That situation will be compounded if that generation cannot find employment that will support the ownership of a home.
One thing that hit me hard at that meeting last Thursday was when the principle said that many parents were setting their kids up for a fall. When I asked what she meant she said just look at the parking lot. It seems that many kids are driving a newer and better car than they can expect to earn and pay for themselves for years to come (many of the cars were many times as valuable as mine). Do we have a generation that expects to leave home and have the same level of life style that they will be leaving? If that is the case what might be some of the results of those unmet expectations?
|
Edited by - Gale on 12/23/2002 15:48:23 |
|
|
|
fivedaily
USA
258 Posts |
Posted - 12/23/2002 : 14:54:47
|
Gale you make such an important point in your last paragraph. My husband is a career counselor at the Univ. of Central FL and students come in all the time with crazy expectations of salary and lifestyle. He asks, "what kind of job do you want?" They say, "I'll take anything." He says, "would you work at McDonald's?" And of course, they say no.
He asks, "how much do you want to make?" They say, "$50,000." He asks, "How soon do you want to make that money?" They say, "right away." Now for some fields, like engineering, this is not unreasonable... but how many engineering students are there?
Now, I was very lucky that I was hired by a Cat Team and actually did make close to that my first full year of working... but I am definetly the exception. My husband drives a 96 Nissan pickup and I am 98 Nissan Altima. Both bought used... both will be driven until they don't work... and then we will probably just replace the engines if the bodies are in good shape.
Kids driving SUV's as their own car is just plain ridiculous. They will have a big shock when it comes time to pay their own bills!
Jennifer |
|
|
|
Ghostbuster
476 Posts |
Posted - 12/23/2002 : 18:01:51
|
Gale, I would like to personally thank you for your last post. This is the kind of prognostication I have been seeking. My intuition has been screaming lately about the phenomenym of the astronomical property taxes inflicted on Texas homeowners. This combined with our 'leading the nation in insurance rates and executions' has made fear the day when the income stops but the taxes go on. For many of us, the drop in income from storm trooping has been a harbinger of your predictions.
Increasingly, I am curious about other states to live. I heard there is one storm trooper that lives in Dewey, Arizona. If he visits our playhouse, I would appreciate his viewpoint on how living expenses are there from the standpoint of taxes, utilities, and other costs of living. In our travels, we see many places. But, in our haste, we often forget to inquire as to how green their grass may be. Well now, I'ma asking.
(I've held off long enough about the politics.)
I recall the sentiment expressed by an elderly veteran from several wars and assorted conflicts that observed, "In spite of the best efforts of the State Department and the War Department, I survived!" When I was 20, I was a Democrat. When I was 30, I was a Republican. When I was 40, I was a Libertarin. Now at 50, I just want to be left alone by all the political charlatans and con artists with their inflated sense of ego and desire to save the world from itself.
As for the mouthpiece of the Republican party, Rush Limbaugh, without the Democratic mouthpiece of the day, he wouldn't have a job. For Rush, the Clinton years provided him with tremendous job security. Without ol' Billy Jeff, he'd be broke and be a disc jockey back in Podunk-ville. I honestly beleive that Rush Limbaugh is here solely to promote Rush Limbaugh.
|
|
|
|
Newt
USA
657 Posts |
Posted - 12/23/2002 : 18:31:00
|
| Alabama has the lowest taxes for those over 65. No property tax, no fishing license fee. Low,Low Wal-Mart prices. My pick of the area is the white sands of Baldwin county on the coast. A chance of a CAT every few years. You can impress the neighbors if you drive a car with out a garbage bag for one or two of your windows and all the tires match on your pickup. If all fenders are the same color you're considered rich. |
|
|
|
Johnd
USA
110 Posts |
Posted - 12/23/2002 : 19:32:40
|
Ghostbuster:
Greetings from Arizona, dry greetings indeed. You should consider moving to our state. While we do not have a log of prognostication problems here, there is an abundance of prostate problems. Our state symbol is the handicap wheelchair symbol and if you are proficent at dribble and drool you will probably fit right in. After turnint the golden age of over 60 I knew I had to either by law move to Florida or Arizona and I chose Arizona because I cannot stand 12 ounce mosquitoes. The state Taxes here are not too bad and the housing is very cheap by compared to yours in Texas. Insurance is cheap. The population dwindles down to about 30% in the summer as most folks do not want to cook in their own epidermus. You have winter visitors, we have hoards. A small town to the west of Phoenix, named Quartzsite has about 950 summer occupants and 1.3 million winter occupants. Most stay in RV's in the desert where they perform wierd ritual acts. When I moved to Surprise Arizona the population was 3500 (in 1994) and is now 45000. One spring I left to go adjust and when I returned they had built 1200 homes around the area where I live. You do now want to be here from May 15th to October 1st but I am sure you could find suitable habitat to park your body for that brief time each year. Actually there are some here in northern arizona, all you need is your old oxygen bottle and a beer can opener. One drawback is that Arizona has become Californicated, but they are going to open the season again this winter so we should be able to thin them out somewhat. The Phoenix area, 7th largest in US, has a lot os smog etc. so breathing has become somewhat of a problem for those of us that have developed that habit.
If you are planning to work where you live, then sun claims are about the only thing going here, last hail storm was in the late 1800's, and rain is something that falls from the sky, but seldom hits the ground. Also, if you are a tree hugger this is not the place for you. Most of the trees or Saguaros have large pointy things that can really ruin an afternoon of fun in the desert.
Even though the average age out here is about 100, (Gods waiting room) I know you would enjoy the torrid pace of shuffleboard and 3:30PM dinner parties. If I can send you any brochures, please let me know.
Also, Dewes is north of here at about 5500' and, well you know, that breathing thing again. Out here also we do not have any political parties because they require political contributions and the old folks just cannot get the hang of lettin go of the dough. Hope this answers your questions.
|
John Durham
sui cuique fingunt fortunam |
|
|
|
Gale
USA
231 Posts |
Posted - 12/23/2002 : 21:28:35
|
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/4797685.htm
Ghost you seem to have a good handle on Rush Limbaugh. Back when we were in the retail computer business as well as developing software I paid Rush a lot of money to help me sell computers. Actually he does have a loyal group of listeners. Because of the time he is on the air I have never heard one of his shows but have been to his website some but I find he is so predicable there is no long term suspense but my attention span is very short especially if I know what is going to be said before it is said.
It would be nice if the politicians were as easy to read as Rush is. Amway teaches one needs an income that will continue to increase each year until your death. As things are shaping up that sounds even more important today. What if property taxes increased to the point retired persons could not afford the taxes and there is a real melt down of property values? It would in turn lower tax revenues, which could trigger higher tax rates and even more would be forced to sell because they could not pay the taxes. With a collapse of home prices say by 50% then the carriers would be selling 50% less in coverage. If agents and adjusters pay were going to stay the same then premium rates would have to double. Well everyone that is reading this can figure out a downward spiral would be in progress and what every the outcome would be no one wants to think about it today or even tomorrow.
The link at the top talks about how the Pope is asking people to make more babies for economic reasons. The article even talks about countries that pay cash for making babies. I guess a lot of guys are getting really lazy.
Folks, Social Security is a misnomer. It was a good idea but if you are 70 years old you have NO money in the Social Security fund. Politicians have removed it to buy votes. Read the article how in Europe it will not be too long before there will only be two working for each living person that is retired. The dead ones typically do not keep getting checks but not always. :) Europe is a forerunner of what the U.S. can expect down the road.
Maybe it is time we stop bitching about lower standards of living that are going to be a fact of life for most in a decaying economy and get a personal game plan in place to ensure we are not personally caught by the trend. In deflationary environments cash, not property will be king. Wonder how many we will hear say, “Man if I had not spent $45K on that SUV, diesel dually, etc look at what kind of home I could buy with that money today.
One personal example and I will go. In 1951 my dad bought a 40-acre farm with a two-year-old four-bedroom frame house for $3500. He was a 30-year-old that was a grade school dropout because he quit school in the sixth grade in 1933 to become a full-time farm hand. He landed a construction job as unskilled labor building the uranium enrichment plant in Paducah in 1951. Twelve months later he had the house and farm paid for which was the time that his employer left that construction site for the next location. How many of us today would even expect to pay for a new home and farm in twelve months even with a ton of degrees? Income may go up but it is what it will buy that counts.
|
|
|
|
Ghostbuster
476 Posts |
Posted - 12/23/2002 : 23:20:14
|
Thanx, John. Actually the Valley of the Sun is too intense for my florid features. How about the north central areas like Prescott Valley or Flagstaff? I'd like a little altitude under my cheeks. How is the cost of utility bills and water bills?
Or, does anyone from New Mexico care to chime in with their tune?
Gale, another very sore point is the outright lying by the government and the media about inflation. I have in my grimy paws two J.C. Whitney auto parts catalogs. One is dated from 1989, (#512J), and the other is current, (#656J-11). Check this out, the carpet for my TR-7 in 1989 was $108.50. Now the same carpet is $169.95. After cranking up my steam powered calculator this computes to a 63.8423% increase. All this, mind you, AFTER, the great inflationary period of the seventies and eighties. This was during the Great Calming Epoch of nineties when we were told constantly that inflation was over. Is it over? Does the government really want it to be over?
I think not. I think not because inflation helps the government pay it's bills with devalued money at a later date. A few weeks ago on the Turner Classic Movie channel I saw a short one reel feature put out by the government back in the early 1930's as part of Pres. Roosevelts National Recovery Act. It touted the supposed benefits and rationale for a new program to help stimulate the economy to put Joe Lunchbox back to work and restore the family unit. This government created program was called, (clinch your colon), INFLATION!
That's right, inflation was a creation of the government. Your American government. They INTENTIONALLY devalued your money. Did the program work? Not for Joe Lunchbox, but yes for the government and big business. The cancer was self inflicted and it continues today. Newt may well remember seeing or hearing stories about how entire herds of cattle or hogs or crops were destroyed on advice from the government. That was all part of this program to devalue the dollar.
Folks, the more history I read, the more cynical I become about our goverment since it's beginnings. Even the U.S. Marine Corp hymn has a reference about the 'shores of Tripoli'. This is about where the Marines in the early 1800's defeated a larger force of pirates and then later that afternoon a diplomat from the State Department came in and gave it all back to the pirates. I could go on, but it's getting late. In closing, I love this country, but I distrust the government. |
|
|
|
Newt
USA
657 Posts |
Posted - 12/24/2002 : 10:17:16
|
Yep, I remember the paying for crops being planted and the paying for them to be plowed under, the dumping of pork bellies in the Atlantic.
The WPA, the road building with only picks, shovels and wheel barrow. The workers would lean on the shovel all day and take it home at night, then next morning they would go to the shed and get a new one. Some made as much as nine dollars a week, and that was the last of the big spenders. That was the good old days. (not)
For every one of us, there is five looking out for our welfare making sure we don't hurt our selves or get cheated and our dependants are well fed and treated, not family, just dependants. We don't even know and some that hate our guts in other countries |
Edited by - Newt on 12/24/2002 10:42:20 |
|
|
|
KileAnderson
USA
875 Posts |
Posted - 12/24/2002 : 18:53:54
|
| You're right Ghost, farm subsidies and the minimum wage are nothing but government inflation programs. I think you are finally starting to see the light. |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
|
|
Partisan Politics
Forum Locked
Topic Locked
