Ice Cream or Cow Feeder

A wonderful illustration that's being passed around the email circuit. While I don't take credit for the story, I definitely sympathize with the cow feeder.

This is a great civics lesson from a third grade teacher. "The presidential election was heating up and some of the children showed an interest.. I decided we would have an election for a class president. We would choose our nominees. They would make a campaign speech and the class would vote."

To simplify the process, candidates were nominated by other class members. We discussed what kinds of characteristics these students should have. We got many nominations and from those, Jamie and Olivia were picked to run for the top spot.

The class had done a great job in their selections. Both candidates were good kids. I thought Jamie might have an advantage because he got lots of parental support. I had never seen Olivia's mother. The day arrived when they were to make their speeches Jamie went first. He had specific ideas about how to make our class a better place. He ended by promising to do his very best. Every one applauded. He sat down and Olivia came to the podium. Her speech was concise. She said, "If you will vote for me, I will give you ice cream." She sat down.
The class went wild. "Yes! Yes! We want ice cream."

She surely would say more. She did not have to. A discussion followed. How did she plan to pay for the ice cream? She wasn't sure. Would her parents buy it or would the class pay for it. She didn't know. The class really didn't care. All they were thinking about was ice cream. Jamie was forgotten. Olivia won by a landslide.

Every time Barack Obama opens his mouth he offers ice cream, and fifty percent of America reacts like nine year olds. They want ice cream The other fifty percent know they're going to have to feed the cow.

Great Reagan Quote

A great pro-life quote from his speech at the Alfred M. Landon Lecture Series on Public Issues, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., Sept. 9, 1982

"Simple morality dictates that unless and until someone can prove the unborn human is not alive, we must give it the benefit of the doubt and assume it is. And thus, it should be entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Bar Stool Economics

This is an awesome example in how the tax system works. As far as I know David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D. Professor of Economics, University of Georgia was the author of this:

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer
and the bill for all ten comes to $100.
If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes,
it would go something like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.

The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed
quite happy with the arrangement, until one day,
the owner threw them a curve.
'Since you are all such good customers, he said,
'I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.
Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes
so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for
free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers?
How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone
would get his 'fair share?' They realized that $20 divided by six is
$3.33.
But if they subtracted that from everybody's share,
then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up
being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested
that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly
the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each
should pay.

And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100%
savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six were better off than before.
And the first four continued to drink for free.
But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their
savings.

'I only got a dollar out of the $20.', declared the sixth man.
He pointed to the tenth man,' but he got $10!'
'Yeah, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man.
'I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more
than I!'
'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man.
'Why should he get $10 back when I got only two?
The wealthy get all the breaks!'
'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison.
'We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!'

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks,
so the nine sat down and had beers without him.
But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something
important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for
even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is
how our tax system works.

The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a
tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they
just may
not show up anymore.
In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is
somewhat friendlier.

Are Gas Prices Really Going Up?

Great Video. Click Here

In summary:

In 1947 gas was $.25/gallon
In 1947 the price for a 1/4 ounce of silver was $.25
In 2008 the price for a 1/4 ounce of silver is a little over $4
In 2008 the price for a gallon of gas is $4

Similarities? Inflation?

Congress to the Rescue

Or... should I say Democrats to the rescue. Apparently Barney Frank (D - Ma.) and Chuck Schumer (D - NY) have voiced their opinion of government and Federal Reserve oversight of private financial institutions to insure that the public is protected... how nice.

Thoughts?

Also a great quote from Treasury Secretary Paulson: “I am not suggesting that more regulation is the answer, or even that more effective regulation can prevent the periods of financial market stress that seem to occur every 5 to 10 years,” Mr. Paulson will say in a speech on Monday, according to a draft. “I am suggesting that we should and can have a structure that is designed for the world we live in, one that is more flexible.”

????

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/29/business/29regulate.html?ei=5065&en=7ba12b1b93b17830&ex=1207368000&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print

The Conservative Creed - William F. Buckley

“I will not cede more power to the state. I will not willingly cede more power to anyone, not to the state, not to General Motors, not to the CIO. I will hoard my power like a miser, resisting every effort to drain it away from me. I will then use my power, as I see fit. I mean to live my life an obedient man, but obedient to God, subservient to the wisdom of my ancestors; never to the authority of political truths arrived at yesterday at the voting booth. That is a program of sorts, is it not? It is certainly program enough to keep conservatives busy, and Liberals at bay. And the nation free.”

-William F. Buckley 1925-2008

Spring Break - TAX PAYER STYLE

According to the article, Andrews Air Force base flew "atleast 13 congressional delegations to various destinations during the Easter recess - at an estimated rate of $10,000 or more per flying hour."

http://www.examiner.com/a-675671~Congressional_junkets_picking_up_steam.html