about to transform into board mode for my first run in the wendy thompson area.
17 April 2007
16 April 2007
really earning your turns
This weekend I rented a split board (thanks Tree@Prior!!!) and really, really earned my turns making my way into (and up) the mountains by my own power.
13 March 2007
Republican Defintion of Free Market
For Republicans, "free" means tax money that comes from rich liberals with college degrees. Check it out:
See Taxes paid by state, per capita.
Complete data on which states are giving and which states are taken to produce my above summary came from the Tax Foundation. Thanks.
- 25 out of 31 total red states get more Federal tax $ than they contribute
- 13 out of 18 blue states give more Federal tax $ than they receive
- The Top 12 Federal tax contributing states are blue
- The Top 8 Recipients of Federal tax money are Red
- Blue states, not including MD and VA (where much of the Federal Gov't. is located), paid $1.4 trillion more than they got back
- Red states received $800 billion more than they paid
- Blue States lost $8916 per capita
- Red States gained $8,499 per capita
- Red states take in $17,415 more per capita than blue in Federal tax dollars
See Taxes paid by state, per capita.
Complete data on which states are giving and which states are taken to produce my above summary came from the Tax Foundation. Thanks.
12 March 2007
Where the Pork Goes
My overlay of the two maps is quite interesting . Basically shows that areas with the heaviest agricultural pork vote Republican -- so it's "welfare" when it goes to Democrats, and it's "helping America" when it goest to Republicans.
Map showing $ amount of farm subsidies received by county.
Map showing blue and red by county.
Conclusion: Red counties are enthralled with the welfare money provided to them by blue county voters via the Republican party. Write to your congress person and demand an end to farm subsidies now. Let the free market work. If Brazil can provide sugar-derived ethanol more cheaply than American farmers can provide it from corn, they should suffer the consequences and be incented to grow a crop that is profitable without you and me paying for it.
03 March 2007
Dear Senator Grassley: get out of the way
Dear Senator Grassley--
I was sad to read your comments in today's New York Times about the White House's latest intiative with Brazil. One of the fundamental values of the Republican party used to be that of free-market enterprise. As I'm sure you know, the Washington Post has been reporting on the record growth of farm subsidies, including $1.3 billion to people who don't farm.
Rather than trying to protect the corporate agriculture industry that has destroyed a true American way of life, I urge you to consider looking at non-corn-based ethanol alternatives that can bring back the American family farm. Any kind of cellulosic product, from sugar to switch grass to trees, can be grown quickly and cheaply and without federal subsidies.
The Republican party has become exactly what it was supposed to be against: a machine that siphons tax dollars away from tax payers and towards special interest groups. The only difference between Republicans and Democrats is who they give my tax money to -- because it sure isn't me.
This country is in danger of a financial catastrophe because we'be borrowed ourselves into oblivion to pay for the Medicare Drug benefit, billions in farm subisidies, a failed war in Iraq (instead of the promised war on terror), and tax cuts for the rich etc. Meanwhile most American tax payers do not benefit from any of these policies, and the recent volatility in the stock market highlights how vunerable we really are.
I say all of this because you are in a position to do something about it. Stop protecting your corporate benefactors from free market competition. Stop spending my tax dollars to prop up companies and business practices that can't survive the free market your party is supposed to stand for. Get out of the way of progress please.
I was sad to read your comments in today's New York Times about the White House's latest intiative with Brazil. One of the fundamental values of the Republican party used to be that of free-market enterprise. As I'm sure you know, the Washington Post has been reporting on the record growth of farm subsidies, including $1.3 billion to people who don't farm.
Rather than trying to protect the corporate agriculture industry that has destroyed a true American way of life, I urge you to consider looking at non-corn-based ethanol alternatives that can bring back the American family farm. Any kind of cellulosic product, from sugar to switch grass to trees, can be grown quickly and cheaply and without federal subsidies.
The Republican party has become exactly what it was supposed to be against: a machine that siphons tax dollars away from tax payers and towards special interest groups. The only difference between Republicans and Democrats is who they give my tax money to -- because it sure isn't me.
This country is in danger of a financial catastrophe because we'be borrowed ourselves into oblivion to pay for the Medicare Drug benefit, billions in farm subisidies, a failed war in Iraq (instead of the promised war on terror), and tax cuts for the rich etc. Meanwhile most American tax payers do not benefit from any of these policies, and the recent volatility in the stock market highlights how vunerable we really are.
I say all of this because you are in a position to do something about it. Stop protecting your corporate benefactors from free market competition. Stop spending my tax dollars to prop up companies and business practices that can't survive the free market your party is supposed to stand for. Get out of the way of progress please.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)