The Tide in the Affairs of Men

We know that new ideas do not take hold until an intellectual shift stirs the tide of opinion. Copernicus first discovered the heliocentric view of the world yet the Catholic Church would not recognize this as the major idea since it would create "disruption" in the world of man. Economics also shows this trend as it took centuries for man to adopt Laissez Faire economics after Adam Smith pubished The Wealth of Nations in 1776. Present day we find that collectivism seems to take hold and we see Government creating expensive departments with no improvements in our daily life. When will we see the implementation of a more freedom loving society promoted by Milton Friedman or Frédéric Bastiat?

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Related Links:

The Tide in the Affairs of Men - by Milton Friedman and Rose D. Friedman

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Related Quotes:

I am favor of cutting taxes under any circumstances and for any excuse, for any reason, whenever it's possible. - Milton Friedman

The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem. - Milton Friedman

Each of us has a natural right, from God, to defend his person, his liberty, and his property. - Frédéric Bastiat

Hung up?

How better to start the new year than with the execution of Saddam Hussein? If only our justice system worked as fast as Iraq's we could save taxpayers some money.

I'm sure he is thinking, "Oh Shit!"
Related Links: - Saddam Hussein Transferred to Iraqi Custody; Judge Says He'll Be Executed by Saturday - U.S. Preparing for Saddam's Execution

FCC Ridiculousness

The FCC and the ridiculous McCain-Feingold law are trying to include the internet as part of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. It seems that hyperlinking to a candidate's website constitutes as advertisement and bloggers could not face fines.

Read it here: The coming crackdown on blogging

It looks like Alan Greenspan is backing a consumption tax
Fed's Chief Gives Consumption Tax Cautious Backing
Greenspan Calls for Simpler Tax Code
Americans for Fair Taxation

Flat Tax in Russia...America's Tax Reform far in sight

It seems that Russia in its old ways have adopted a more sensible form of taxation than we have here. Although it isn't better than the Fair Tax it is something at least.

It is about time for Social Security...

It is about time that I get to invest (so to speak) some of my hard earned money into an account that is my own. At least at this rate I would be able to earn interest at a rate more than Social Security could ever imagine to pay out. Here are some of the facts related to the changes in Social Security. You can see President Bush smile as he sticks a thumb in the Democrats eye!

Polling in Iraq, Social Security and chills down my spine

Looks like polling Iraq may be a little bit cleaner than the polling here in Washington State. I'm sure that the terrorists are going to try to stop this vote and disenfranchise Iraqis...it isn't going to work!

Emergency Measures Begin in Iraq to Protect Polls

Privatizing Social Security...is it such a good thing? Don't you want control over your own money? I do. I know that some people are worried that either people don't know how to invest the money or that they will not have some type of retirement account. Let's face it...today if anybody says that they are soley going to rely on Social Security for their retirement I will laugh in their face. This is just an alternative to the current system in place. For those that wish to not invest their Social Security they can just keep on funding government programs becase your Social Security tax is not yours! It is merely a donation to the government...Your Money Goes Into Government!. If you think that there is a "lockbox" or some type of account you are crazy. Basically it is a way to subject our youth to pay for an older generation, or in other words...stealing. Government is the only entity that can take money away from another person through the use of force. Think about it...is it legal for you to take the law into your own hands and collect on a debt by shooting the person that owes you money? No...yet it seems that the IRS agents are acting like FBI agents and conduct raids to confiscate people's property. IT is wrong! Back to Social Security...the market will always do better than that Social Security could ever do. You may as well just let it sit in the bank if you wanted continue the current system.

Update 1: Bush Advisers OK Social Security Plan

This gives me chills down my spine: Child stabbed to death at parochial school

Globalists Unite! Where are the bombs when you need them...

From Chirac's "Tax the World to Help the Poor" to Tony Blair's "U.S. Must Work With World on Global Warming", Americans are under attack from these so-called Globalists that threatens our sovereignty. Screw the War on Terrorism...we need a War on Globalism. First we start by pulling out of the U.N. On another note, who cares what Bono (from U2) thinks anyway?

Related Link:
World Economic Forum Pushes Global Agenda

Global Tax to Help Tsunami Victims makes France feels good...

France again is touting a Global Tax to help the relief effort after a devastating tsunami hit Asia decimating resources and killing upwards of 150,000 lives. What this shows us is the difference between the French people and the American people. Before I go into this discussion we have to venture if it is appropriate for government donations to aid other countries. Government represents citizens and levies taxes to provide services for the nation. To use this money for foreign aid is making a blanket statement that the American people ALL want to contribute (Not that we don't). What happened to private citizens donating their money or private companies providing relief effort to the region?

This comes to the diference between the French people and American people, in France the government has to coerce people to make "donation" by instituting a tax. By doing this is saying that the French people are incompassionate and are unwilling to help others in need. On the other hand, America's citizens have raised more than $350 million and will continue to raise additional funds as they are needed. American are compassinate and willing to donate money when people are in need, no matter where in the world.

Related Links:
French Globalists Want to Tax U.S. and Rest of the World
Chirac urges aid tax
AP Poll: 3 in 10 in U.S. Gave Tsunami Aid

Fairtax NOW!

I hate it when people get a check back from the IRS and say, "I getting some money back." The government is the only body which can take money from another person to distribute it to another. I'm sick and tired of having my paycheck raided by the federal government to fund programs that I do not support, wars which are unjust, and infringing on people's rights under the guise of a fictional war (either on drugs or terror). Write your politician and tell them about Fair Tax!

Related Links:
Americans for Fair Taxation
National Sales Tax Promoted as Fairer System
HR25.pdf
S1493.pdf

Ronald Reagan--He had it right

Here's my strategy on the Cold War: We win, they lose."
- Ronald Reagan

"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help."
- Ronald Reagan

"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant: It's just that they know so much that isn't so."
- Ronald Reagan

"Of the four wars in my lifetime none came about because the U.S. was too strong."
- Ronald Reagan

"I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandment's would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress."
- Ronald Reagan

"The taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination."
- Ronald Reagan

"Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other."
- Ronald Reagan

"If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."
- Ronald Reagan

"The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program."
- Ronald Reagan

"I've laid down the law, though, to everyone from now on about anything that happens: no matter what time it is, wake me, even if it's in the middle of a Cabinet meeting."
- Ronald Reagan

"It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first."
- Ronald Reagan

"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."
- Ronald Reagan

"Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book."
- Ronald Reagan

"No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. "
- Ronald Reagan

Pork Barrel Politics

Are you happy about where your tax money is going? Every paycheck the American Government forces you to pay taxes to fund programs and social welfare programs. Did you ever think it would fund:

* $25,000 to study mariachi music in the schools of Las Vegas.
* $100,000 to fund a "weather museum" in Punxsutawney, Pa., home of the hokey Groundhog Day star, Punxsutawney Phil.
* $2 million to buy back the onetime presidential yacht Sequoia, sold off 27 years ago as a long-overdue economy move.

Think about this next time there is a tax increase on the ballot in your area.

 

Related Links:
Congress' Overstuffed Turkey
Citizens Against Government Waste

Save of Your Money, Bush Cuts Taxes

Today Bush signs another tax cut for an additional 4 more years! Kerry on the other hand, if elected, would not think that we deserve any of our own money back. In a Kerry Administration they would use our money to support Government assisted sex changes and more "compassionate" senior citizen health benefits even if you disagree with the programs morally.

The tax package that Congress passed last month will:

— Keep the per-child tax credit at $1,000 for five years.
— Extend the broader 10 percent tax bracket for six years, helping cut taxes for virtually all taxpayers.
— Retain for four years a provision giving married couples relief from the so-called marriage penalty.

Taken from: Bush to Sign Tax Cuts in Battleground Iowa

What is this Marriage Penalty? Why do the Democrats want to penalize marriage?

New Commission Structure - Hindsight and Foresight

My thoughts about my company's new commission structure.

This post regards the new commission structure and its failure to provide employees any type of commission in certain conditions.

Yes, we all know that we are underpaid. Per Hour, my guys make less than the Shoe Store next door! In the old commission structure the manager can award individuals based on total sales and performance. In the new commission structure we are faced with some sort of "Flat-Tax" rate that does not account for traffic driven to the store and/or any metrics remotely resembling any logical statistical models. It seems almost like picking numbers out of thin air. This type of commission structure assumes that all stores have the same traffic in which all sales people are able to acheive same the minimum commissionable margin amount. It does not account for region, traffic, or seasons. Here is where the fallacy lies.

We have a store goal to meet. Perhaps the margin goal is $39,000 in your store. You have 3 full-time sales employees (3 * $6,500 = $19,500) and you have 2 part-time sales employees (2 * $4,000 = $8,000). This amounts to $27,500. This gives a difference of $11,500 which is almost 2 additional full-time employees in minimum margin amount. If the individual cannot attain the minimum sales margin or more, is it prudent to replace the sales person with another individual that you have to then again train and invest time? What kind of worth are we trying to convey to our employees? That they are dispensible? If the employee achieves only minimum sales margain amount we still punish them for working so hard to achieve it and we have $0 to show for them at the end of the month. Even our technicians, when they meet the minimum tech revenue shows for considerable amount of incentive on their paycheck. We award inventory control points to the technician whereas the sales people do just as much work to keep inventory control at bay...yet we ONLY award the technician.

It is good business practice to maximize sales and profit. This I understand. But is it good business practice to turn over employees as frequently as we change our undershorts? What value do we put in our employees if we hold them to metrics they cannot attain in which they see no incentive and holds a job that only pays minimum wage? What loyalty do we instill in our employees to maintian their work ethic and motivation if we provide them a minimum wage with no incentives? This makes them only want to work less and to continue search for another job because it seems that this company does not value its employees. We can spout out that benefits are great, indeed they are great, however what matters is the amount of money we receive in our pockets at the end of the day to pay our bills. I'm sure that some employees will sacrifice some benefits to earn more on their paycheck.

What we can do instead, to motivate our salespersons, is to set the minimum commissionable margin amount that is suitable according to previous margin numbers. Perhaps take the mean of 3 months, set that as the goal and use the standard deviation added to the mean to model High Goal. Set minimum margain amounts according to their status by dividing the margin goal amount between FTE count. If we can do this and consistently provide some sort of incentive to our sales people we can see morale boost and the willingness to improve individually as an employee and as a salesperson. Not to mention, an attainable goal to earn commission for our employees. If we continue to keep our sales people down through unrealistic goals and show no incentive we will continue down this continuous spiral of employees using this job as a means to find another job in the process. Continuity of employees is a big factor, as a familiar face in a store provides the customer a welcome experience and comfortability which not CompUSA nor Best Buy can compare. How many of our customers know our sales associates by name whereas walking into CompUSA we have no idea one guy from the next. Let's keep this in mind and see what we can do for our employees.

Rights vs. Privileges, Do you know the difference?

Michael Badnarik, 2004 Presidential Candidate for the Libertarian Party, teaches an 8 hour long class on the Constitution. I have watched this and I highly recommend this to anybody that is American. You will learn what your Government is doing without your knowledge or control. He clearly details the rights and liberties that the government has infringed upon and leave it up to the individual to determine what needs to be done. A lot of eye-opening realizations in his lectures!

Download the movies here: Constitution Class taught by Michael Badnarik

Website: Michael Badnarik, 2004 Libertarian Presidential Candidate

President Bush stealing a page from the Libertarian Platform

It seems that President Bush is more Libertarian than we thought...NOT! Recently, President Bush made a comment that he was in favor of replacing the current income tax structure with a National Sales Tax. I think that this is a great idea and with President Bush mentioning this it fuel discussion on fair ways to tax citizens. Currently, Government takes taxes right out of income you earned without your permission or consent. It is all too bad that President Bush is not going to further this discussion.

Related Links

• Scrap the tax code? Bush floats a national sales tax
• Bush Backs Away From National Tax Comment

Kerry = Canadian Socialist

Kerry, just like all Democrats, is trying to get the senior citizen vote by instilling the notion that Republicans want to take their prescription drug benefits away. It seems that Canadian Pharmaceutical companies have bought John Kerry and now Kerry is on the stump encouraging Americans to buy low grade drugs from Canada. I thought Democrats were for keeping the jobs here at home...what happened to that anyway? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a free market economy, however by instilling fear in senior citizens is not necessarily a moral way to get votes. A vote out of fear is a vote coerced. Since he is blaming Bush for being in cohorts with the so-called "Big Drug Companies" we need to point the finger at Kerry that he is promoting outsourced prescriptions from another country and he is in the pocket of the Canadian pharmaceutical companies. I find this to be a valid statement. If they are to use this logic, we can use the same logic against the liberals.

I'm just plain sick and tired of hearing this Kerry guy running his mouth and making claims without any facts and foundation. Whose problem is it that any particular senior citizen does not have enough money to buy their drugs? Are we the caretakers of senior citizens? Why don't they have a retirement fund to help pay for these expenses...oh I forgot they have "bought" into the Socialistic Security System (Social Security) and it doesn't pay their bills...Go figure! Perhaps this is just one way to show that the current Social Security program does not remotely provide enough to survive on nevertheless to support oneself. Just keep on thinking you are going to collect on Social Security and I will pray that you have either invested some money or Bush privatizes the system in time.

Related Links

• Kerry calls for Canadian drug imports
• Kerry pushes for importing medicines
• Kerry asks 'greatest generation' for votes

Did you enjoy the Democratic National Convention? You should have...you paid for it!

The taxpayers are footing the bill for the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. It doesn't matter if you are Republican, Democrat, Green, or Libertarian...you are paying for these candidates to be in the spotlight to campaign their cause even if you disagree with them. The Libertarian National Convention was purely privately funded as any political convention should. I think these politicians need to step up to the platform and stop leeching from the American Taxpayer. I have no problem with Republicans and Democrats footing the bill for their own convention. Actually it may make people think twice before joining any particular political party.

Related Links

• Useless Conventions
• Publicly Funded Conventions
• Democrats should reimburse taxpayers $40 million for their convention

Parents, Face the music...You're not doing your job.

When Bill Cosby mentioned that parents are not doing their job, he was right! We have fought so hard for civil rights in this country and it has created a civil class of minorities that believe in their "entitlement". Their entitlement is causing the Black community to venture backward. If minorities want to succeed in the United States they can't do it by using the Gun of the Government, they need to speak English (not Ebonics), get a good education, and move forward to equality. Do you think that using Ebonics furthers the black community in the work place? Does wearing jeans that hang down to their knees and baseball caps to the side help the image of Black Americans? For all of the civil rights that Martin Luther King, Jr. fought for we have Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson moving backwards and causing inequality and animosity between Americans.

Bill Cosby:
They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English. I can't even talk the way these people talk: 'Why you ain't,' 'Where you is' ... And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk. ... Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads. ... You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth!

Related Links:

• Cosby's Harsh Words
• ‘Stand up and take responsibility’: Community leader calls on dads to help curb shootings
• Bill Cosby: Poor blacks can't speak English

Unemployed by the Minimum Wage

So what is the big deal about Libertarians and their issue on the minimum wage? The minimum wage is good right? It guarantees people a certain wage that seems "sustainable." It seems pretty fair and the only people it affects are the low-income workers anyway right? Wrong! Minimum Wage does more harm than good.

For example, you are an unskilled worker. You desperately need a job so that you can learn some type of skill to potentially earn more. You apply for a job doing...let's say entry-level computer work. Assume that you have no prior knowledge of computers. Well, at any cost you would like to take this job because you will be trained to learn a valuable skill. You and the employer then bring a salary figure to the table. Once negotiation is over you get hired for $3.00/hr.

OMG! How are you going to pay your bills??? Here is where there is a common error in thinking. The employee and employer set the wage. Obviously the person was not worth more than $3.00/hr. The free market has decided that the wage was $3.00/hr. This was acceptable to the employee otherwise he would not have taken the job had he thought he was worth more.

Let's apply this to todays standards, the same worker would not have the job because it is illegal to hire a worker for under the minimum wage. In addition, the worker is unemployed, without skills, unable to better himself and to increase his earning potential due to the minimum wage. Taxpayers are now paying for him to be at a standstill with unemployment or other social programs rather than him increasing his earning potential by learning a trade at $3.00/hr. Not to mention, because of the minimum wage the employer has to charge more for his product to compensate for the minimum wage requirements that the government had set. Is it Government's role to control the wages that private businesses offer to their employees???

Here, read up on some articles and you might learn something.
The Minimum Wage: Washingtons Perennial Myth
Enlightened Altruism

Worthless Piece of...

The Federal Reserve came about through the deceptive workings of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, our nation's first successful Socialist President. What did he do? He expanded our government beyond the limits granted by our Constitution, he created a welfare state that relied on the work of high-achievers, and he took us off the gold standard to create the Federal Reserve System. We won't go into details about the disservice FDR did to our government system, however we will concentrate on one thing, how he stole our gold and replaced it with worthless paper in the creation of the Federal Reserve. In 1934, FDR told American citizens that it was their "duty" to turn in their gold in exchange for paper notes. So the American citizen, who thought that the notes were still backed by gold, turned their gold in only to be made worthless by the United States going off the gold standard. It probably is the biggest robbery of the American citizens to date, besides social security that started from FDR's New Deal. Since the establishment of the Federal Reserve, no longer is our money worth anything in precious specie, no longer is the government limited on its expenditures, and no longer does our money ward off inflation. Today our money is worthless, its worth is based on our belief that it has value, and it does not fight inflation with current standards. There was a time when buying groceries with $20 would give you a cartload of food for the family. Now, by inflation, $20 will maybe get you a sub, a bag of potato chips, a 6-pack of coke (beer if you prefer) and 5 lottery tickets (you may have enough to get an old movie also). How does inflation work? Well, the economist can explain that topic better. However, whenever government needs money all it has to do is call up Chairman Alan Greenspan and ask for a loan. In turn, they will print out more money (more than the government has in the bank) for circulation. Soon money devalues causing inflation because there will be an abundant supply of money and it becomes worthless. Why is it worthless? Well, if you have a lot of something does it have more value than that item you are lacking? Sure you can have an ample amount of food, but when water is scarce you are willing to give up a lot just to get nice cold glass of water because it has more value then your abundant amount of food. Therefore, common logic works in economics as well. Thus, if common logic is required for understanding then the Liberals will not be able to grasp the concept.