Whoooo, I said the S word. I must be evil, some bleeding heart liberal with an axe to grind. Let the proletariat get the means of production and make a better world, Robin Hood and all that Jazz…not.
But, I do see an issue with the current state of affairs in America. I’m no Einstein, but I have come to the conclusion that the current system isn’t working, so I am not adverse to Obama making fundamental changes in government. Orwell warned of the dangers of totalitarianism and his take was that any vast disparity in class, be it caused by money, intelligence or power, created an opportunity for exploitation. We have been rapidly approaching a two class society in the last twenty years. This week the NY Times wrote about the recent concentration of wealth in the upper classes. I’ve always believed in Laissez Faire and the free market economy, but it appears the free market is a little too free.
So, what am I saying? Eat the rich? Not at all, but, I do think the current system of taxation is inequitable. When the middle class is paying 25-30 percent of their adjustable gross income in taxes and the upper class is able to shelter income and pay a much lower effective tax rate, the tax is regressive. It is neither fair nor moral. It needs to change.
That’s my rant for the week. Rock on.
Peace.
Spike
Friday, February 27, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Musings Regarding My Navel and Other Important Shit
Epiphany alert – yes, I know what the definition of epiphany is. To clarify, I will paste dictionary.com’s definition here: a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.
It is interesting that I assume that is the primary definition, yet it is listed as the third definition on the website, after a Christian festival and an appearance of a deity. It’s all good. I guess that after you see god, or a deity, you have a sudden, intuitive perception or insight into reality.
My epiphany was the realization that I can be a miserable fuck, and I am tight with a buck and “in London you’re a gonner.” I can’t substantiate the rumor about the English sense of humor, but I can tell you that I get fixated on dollars and lose sense. My misses and I make good coin, yet my house is a meat locker because I am paying close to $400 monthly in oil to heat it. Compound that with a $300 LIPA bill, electricity for the uninitiated, and that is $700 monthly for lights and heat. And, it’s prime location for dry aging beef. What is wrong with this picture?
Top pay in my milieu is around $115K per year. That’s in the top 10 percent of income in the country. Almost $11k monthly. After taxes, $8,000. Average home price is $380K. With ten percent down, your purchase price of the average home is $342K. At 6% interest, assuming you qualify, That is a mortgage payment of $1900 per month. Add taxes and insurance, $3000 monthly. Add day care for two kids, now it’s $4300, plus the aforementioned heat and electricity, $5000.
Two cars at $300 each, plus gas and insurance, $1000. Life insurance, phone, groceries = $750. Cars, gas, insurance, life, phone and groceries = $2050.
Take the $5K from two paragraphs ago, add the $2050, $7050. That leaves a negative cash flow without contributing to kids college funds, savings or retirement. Epiphany!
Or, better yet, I was stuffing my face with potato chips in the basement and one fell. My initial response was to let it go, but, Long Island, rats, mice, roaches and ants went through my head, so I picked it up.
Obama, Obama, wherefore art thou Obama?
Deny thy party and refuse your platform;
if thou wilt not, be but sworn my protector
and I’ll no longer be a Republican.
Life is expensive. I chose to live where I do for several reasons. I am not at the top of the food chain so my numbers are much more dire than the picture I painted. But, don’t cry for me Argentina. Just recognize a need for a paradigm shift in America. It’s time we stopped compensating those in power with ill gotten gains and wild bonuses. The money needs to be redistributed to the middle class. I’m not talking wild ass shit about the proletariat, though they need to get their share too, but, it’s out of balance. Let us all be able to own or afford a home, have health care, if working and earnest, and to eat meat once in a while…oh yeah, and heat our house.
Is that too much to ask?
It is interesting that I assume that is the primary definition, yet it is listed as the third definition on the website, after a Christian festival and an appearance of a deity. It’s all good. I guess that after you see god, or a deity, you have a sudden, intuitive perception or insight into reality.
My epiphany was the realization that I can be a miserable fuck, and I am tight with a buck and “in London you’re a gonner.” I can’t substantiate the rumor about the English sense of humor, but I can tell you that I get fixated on dollars and lose sense. My misses and I make good coin, yet my house is a meat locker because I am paying close to $400 monthly in oil to heat it. Compound that with a $300 LIPA bill, electricity for the uninitiated, and that is $700 monthly for lights and heat. And, it’s prime location for dry aging beef. What is wrong with this picture?
Top pay in my milieu is around $115K per year. That’s in the top 10 percent of income in the country. Almost $11k monthly. After taxes, $8,000. Average home price is $380K. With ten percent down, your purchase price of the average home is $342K. At 6% interest, assuming you qualify, That is a mortgage payment of $1900 per month. Add taxes and insurance, $3000 monthly. Add day care for two kids, now it’s $4300, plus the aforementioned heat and electricity, $5000.
Two cars at $300 each, plus gas and insurance, $1000. Life insurance, phone, groceries = $750. Cars, gas, insurance, life, phone and groceries = $2050.
Take the $5K from two paragraphs ago, add the $2050, $7050. That leaves a negative cash flow without contributing to kids college funds, savings or retirement. Epiphany!
Or, better yet, I was stuffing my face with potato chips in the basement and one fell. My initial response was to let it go, but, Long Island, rats, mice, roaches and ants went through my head, so I picked it up.
Obama, Obama, wherefore art thou Obama?
Deny thy party and refuse your platform;
if thou wilt not, be but sworn my protector
and I’ll no longer be a Republican.
Life is expensive. I chose to live where I do for several reasons. I am not at the top of the food chain so my numbers are much more dire than the picture I painted. But, don’t cry for me Argentina. Just recognize a need for a paradigm shift in America. It’s time we stopped compensating those in power with ill gotten gains and wild bonuses. The money needs to be redistributed to the middle class. I’m not talking wild ass shit about the proletariat, though they need to get their share too, but, it’s out of balance. Let us all be able to own or afford a home, have health care, if working and earnest, and to eat meat once in a while…oh yeah, and heat our house.
Is that too much to ask?
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