Sunday, September 26, 2021

DEATH: FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR BILLIONAIRES

 

The wealth gap is increasing.

And it will still increase beyond belief until our leaders come to the realization that it is killing Democracy!

The incredibly rich billionaires, many of whom head corporations worth trillions of dollars are legally hiding their money and handing it down to their scions free of taxation.

This ‘step up’ tactic is a scam similar to the ‘trickle down’ scam of the Reagan era and it must end or America will.

We are headed in the direction of a full on feudal state of masters and serfs!

The once so-called ‘death tax’ could easily be reformed so as to not harm those with moderate inheritances.

Congress could decide upon a number below which funds would be exempt from the tax.

That ‘monetary floor’ could be changed periodically to mirror changes in the cost of living.

It could start as low (high?) as 10 million dollars.

In other words when the owner of an incredibly wealthy estate 'passes on' the first $10,000,000 of his/her wealth is tax exempt for the heirs.

Any money over and above that amount would be taxed at a rate decided upon by Congress.

And the rate could be a progressive scale, increasing with the size of the estate in consideration.

The spawns of the obscenely wealthy would not lose any of their abilities to donate to super pacs or bribe their favorite politician to do their bidding.

They would merely have a tiny amount less with which to do so.

And there would still be no need to hold a telethon or start a 'go fund me' page on their behalf!

Republican President Eisenhower presided over a prosperous period of economic growth, and he did so while the IRS wielded a top tax rate of 91%!

And no billionaires were harmed during the length and breadth of his administration’s tenure.

It is WAY past time for America to stop coddling the least needy of our Nation and start cuddling the rest of us!

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

CHOOSE WISELY

In "The Last Crusade" Indiana Jones chose wisely and lived to tell the tale.
Not everyone does!

We make thousands of decisions daily without giving most a thought. If we actually stopped to think about all of our choices our indecision might cause us to never leave our beds!

But choosing wisely is, well, wise!

The light is red, should we step on the gas or walk through the intersection?

Most will wait for the light to change to green because we were taught the system and learned the dangers of ignoring it.

Yet some WILL proceed.
And if they succeed in making it through the intersection unscathed may do so again in the future.

Do they ignore the law, let alone common sense, because it is the law?
Do they need  extra excitement in their lives?

I don't care which path they choose as long as it does not involve injury to others.

And that brings us to the current Covid-19 pandemic.

There are vaccines that are keeping us safe from severe illness and have proven track records.

Vaccinated people may still become infected but the reactions will be muted and should not require hospitalization.
In many cases vaccinated people might not even realize they have the disease.

There are an abundance of masks available to keep others safe from catching whatever we might be carrying.

So the choice to protect or ignore the dangers of Covid would seem clear to anyone who bothers to think for themselves and about their loved ones.

However a tremendous number of Americans are choosing not to vaccinate or even wear masks.
In fact they are so violently against either of those protective choices that some have attacked others for wearing a mask!

Even more interesting is the reasons they rail against a seemingly 'no-brainer' such as wearing a mask to keep from joining the nearly 700,000 already dead from Covid.

WHY?
Personal freedom and the right to choose for oneself how to live their lives.
That's a great argument until it infringes on the rights of others.

I believe the same individuals wear seatbelts when driving and don't drive through red lights.
And when they argue the government should stay out of their lives why do they not return the money they receive from Social Security?

Some argue that God will protect them from Covid-19.
Well, in a way, God IS protecting them from Covid-19, by giving scientists brains and the wherewithal to create vaccines.
And some could argue that God implanted the idea in the minds of manufacturers to make and market masks!

But the devout religious sect might still demur arguing that they have a God given right to decide for themselves.
Would they tell firemen to leave their house alone when it catches fire because it's God's will?

Near the end of that Indiana Jones film the Nazi 'bad guy' (an obvious redundancy) chooses poorly and pays with his life.

So do we vaccinate, mask up, and eradicate this deadly pandemic from the Earth?

The choice is yours
CHOOSE WISELY!