Traffic Report

The latest statistics say that our highways are less traveled. The volume of vehicles is down.

Speculations are that with the cost of fuel very high last year, fewer of us hit the roads. Plus, the economy has left many semis idle.

Also, many people work from home or work away from the office from time to time. The internet and communications are such that physical presence is not always required.

As Bob and I leave home for a few days, I'll take notice of traffic on the Indiana tollway and the highways around Chicago.

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Eight Track

The only newspaper with stable and increasing circulations in the last six months is The Wall Street Journal.

The media of newspapers is about to go the way of the eight track. However, not without a bailout from We The People. That's right, they are lining up for assistance.

As those of us who still enjoy our morning coffee with the daily paper that was delivered before dawn die off, there will be no audience. Those of us who remember the eight track systems will be the last ones with print smeared fingers.

Does anyone doubt the big newspapers will get $. They will. They have been faithful politically-sided companies.

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Invest Now

The day after Mother's Day, the cost of a first class postage stamp will increase from $.42 to $.44. That's an increase of nearly 5%.

The United States Postal Service offers a "Forever " stamp without cost designation. If you buy them now at $.42, you can use them when the costs increase. They are good for a first class mailing no matter how much the costs increase in the future.

Invest now. Buy your stamps for your Christmas cards at 2008 rates.

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Dividing Equals More

Bob and I dug up 6 very large clumps of hostas in our backyard on Saturday morning. I think I planted them 18 years ago. They are tucked in a corner bordered by the porch and the house under the shade of a mature maple tree.

I cut each clump into 6ths and returned one to the original location. The other 6ths were carried to the front yard.

Under an ash tree near the drive is a bed that was once full of astilbe. Astilbes are gentle bloomers. Evidently I am not a good gardener of astilbes although I planted a dozen of them over the last 12 years under that tree.

Saturday we planted that entire bed with the extra hostas. We spaced them far apart from one another by about 3 feet. These hostas are called Big Blues. They will span the separation and fill that bed with large deep blue green leaves getting sun briefly in the mornings.

So in dividing, which will allow more room for the originals to thrive, we increased our front bed with new life from old plants. It cost us nothing but time and some sore muscles.

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Who Pays

When corporations have to pay large income tax bills, who pays?

When people default on loans, who pays?

When government subsidizes farmers for leaving fields fallow, who pays?

When industry pays "cap and trade" for the usage of too large a carbon footprint, who pays?

When the gal in the next apartment gives birth to her third baby outside of marriage, who pays?

When Planned Parenthood opens another office with nearly $700,000,000 annually from the government to fund abortions, who pays?

Hold up a mirror. We all pay for corporation income taxes which are passed on to their customers. Carbon footprints will be added to the cost of production of consumer needs. Bad debts are "written off" books as an expense that figures into the cost of goods and services that will be covered by increased costs of things. You and I fund abortions. Through aide for dependents, we help the helpless but we also under mind families and fathers.

We need to understand who profits from cap and trade. Whose pockets will be lined with the purchase of carbon offsets. I think Al Gore needs to be asked harder questions. He claims all profits from his movie and book have gone to non profit organizations. I call for full disclosure of his investments and profits.

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Car Ads

Have you noticed the competition between autos lately? Each one offering to make your car payments for you if you lose your job. One promising if you default, it will not harm your credit rating. Another guaranteeing your car's trade-in value.

Competition is great. I'd rather see them compete like this than only offer tiny tin-can electric coffins. Have you seen the latest Honda on the road? Not much room for a baby seat or a stroller.

I have to ask. Would you buy a Chrysler? a GM or even a Ford these days? Maybe you would thinking it would have the backing of the full faith of the federal government and not merely a corporate guarantee.

Did you know that the extended shut downs at the car makers this summer will still cost the companies wages and benefits? Nice vacations. Yes, maybe I am jealous. I'm also concerned that the auto workers are not "getting it." Someday the vacations will be permanent with only unemployment benefits.

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String Him Up

Bush should be strung up for convincing the bad guys to spill their guts about plans to bomb buildings in California. How dare he.

I also want each and every member of the House of Representatives and the Senate that was aware of the convincing ways of the Bush administration and did not object. If they did nothing to stop the harsh practices of wall slamming, they are culpable.

Hang them all. Hang them high enough for the world to see that we have no convincing ways left. Come, bomb us.

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Customer Beware

Now I understand the President will dig his fingers into credit card charges. He doesn't seem to like the practices of raising finance charges, fees, and required minimum payments.

Let the customer beware. Let the businesses continue with their practices. The market will find balance.

If your card is demanding a larger minimum payment amd/or has added more in fees and finance charges, go shopping for another card. It is in the free market competition that these things will work out.

I believe the government controlling mortgages (forcing lenders to loan to unemployed, zero down, citizens or not), controlling banks (forcing TARP $ on many who did not want or need it), and wanting to help those who are victims of credit cards is dangerous.

I think it is unconstitutional. Let the buyer beware. Sign the adjustable mortgage and realize there is no "parent" who will protect you from the details of your mortgage. It will adjust.

Sign up with a credit card only after reading the small print and all the details included with your monthly statement. It is in those details and your action to accept them, that is the law.

The law does not allow for false presentations. These companies are within the law and the customer is free to find another relationship that better fits their incomes and needs.

Please, Mr. President, do not remove the law and remove our freedoms. Stop.

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Web Order

I ordered some prints of a professional photo session on line. The prints were not cheap plus there was a shipping fee. I think the photos taken of Kay, my granddaughter, were exceptionally good.

The order was placed and acknowledged. A few days later I received an email claiming the order was shipped. But when I received the package, only part of the prints were included.

It's only when there's a problem that I realize that on line ordering offers few paths to resolve issues. I filled out a form on line and received no response. I filled out another form on line and found a nearly hidden link to a phone number.

After about 10 minutes on the phone with their representative, the issue was resolved. It seems one type of prints comes from one of their labs and the other from another. The company credited my credit card with part of the shipping charge and the prints arrived in 4 days.

There's nothing like a live customer rep on the phone.

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No Give Backs

Our (yours and mine) Treasury Secretary stated this morning that banks that want to return TARP $ will only be allowed to if the system is strong. Not that particular bank, but the entire banking system.

Confused? I was as well. So, the strong will not be free until the weak are strong enough to be free.

Let us all watch very carefully. I feel that the government wants full control over banks and banking. A back door into nationalized banking.

There is no freedom if the strong ones are not free to do business as usual, to be about making $ like all other businesses. If the strong are not free, no one will be free.

Another point from this morning was Tim's admission that he has never been in the banking business. He has never been a banker. What has he been? All I recall is that he is the only one that can be our Treasury Secretary. Has he never worked for a company that's goal was to make $?

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Cutting Spending

Sound financial advice: Cut spending. Most of us are mindful of our budgets and the need more than ever of having some savings for the possible event of becoming unemployed. We are all cutting back.

President Obama is calling on his cabinet to find savings cuts of $100 million. That's $100,000,000. Commendable.

Now, is that 10% of his $3 trillion budget? No, that would be $300 billion of $300,000,000,000. Hmmm. Is it 5% of his budget? No, that would be $150,000,000,000 ($150 billion.)

So what is $100 million compared to $3 trillion? It looks like 1/30,000 or 3/100th of one percent. 0.03%.

If our household budget is $50,000, then we would be looking for a cut of $15. Let's confirm that. $100 million divided by $3 trillion is 1/30,000 or 0.03%. Our budget of $50,000 times 0.0003 equals $15.00. Close enough to make my point.

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Tea Party

There will be tea parties across the country today. I hope the message is clear and not thought of as a bunch of rich people complaining about taxes. We are a country of wealth envy. Our president's message of unfairness and the correctness of spreading the wealth upsets many.

I heard someone over the weekend suggesting that the unfairly treated would understand better if they paid any income taxes. If we were all in this together, maybe the entitled generations would better understand the pain of taxes.

This is where my thinking of a flat tax or a national sales tax instead of income based taxes starts to sound good to me. I think I prefer the national sales tax. That would at least give us choices.

There would be more freedom and power given Joe the Plumber. He could make purchases or save toward that plumbing company he would like to own. His wealth would not be taken and spread to those not able or willing to work.

I go back to Thomas Jefferson: "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

Today is tax day but not tax freedom day. Many people have to work into May to earn what they will need to pay in taxes for 2009. After that they can keep the $, save the $, spend the $. Freedom for them is a few weeks away.

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Panic?

No. Tomorrow is April 15.

Are you ready? Will you be spending tonight finalizing your returns or will you be crunching figures in order to file for an extension?

Will you vow to start earlier next year?

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Orthodox Easter

My best friend is Greek. The Orthodox church ties Easter with phases of the moon and often it falls after the traditional Easter and Passover. So yesterday was Palm Sunday for the Greek church and this is their Holy Week.

Here in lies the bargain tip. The Orthodox folks will be purchasing chocolate bunnies and Easter bonnets this week often at half off. They will find deals on ingredients for their Easter baskets and dinners as well.

Many of us buy up staples after holidays like greeting cards, baskets, fake grass, plastic eggs, and the like. After Christmas is the best time to buy greeting cards and gift wrap. After Halloween, costumes and home decor are discounted.

I do not recommend purchase of chocolates or Peeps for next year. They may last another year but I would not care to try it. Look for staples and gift items on sale this week.

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He is Risen

The sun is risen. The Son is risen.

Death could not hold Him. The grave is empty. He is not there. He is risen.

Let us celebrate the risen Lamb.

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The Price Paid

The life given for my salvation. What a costly gift.

In order to celebrate the risen Christ, I must face the execution of my Savior. He was capture, tortured, and put to death. He was innocent. The most innocent.

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Passbook Earnings

I discovered our passbook savings account at our local bank is paying a whopping 0.17% annually. Could they get closer to Zero?

If we had $1,000 in there for one year, it would earn $1.70 or slightly more than 14 cents a month.

Where is the motivation to save? Safety. We know that our bank accounts are guaranteed or insured. So we continue to park our budget savings in our local bank.

By budget savings, I mean what we will need to cover parts of our budget that lay ahead. Like our real estate tax payment due June 1 and summer vacation trips.

One good thing, if our earnings are less than $10 for 2009, the bank will not send us (or the IRS) a 1099-INT form reporting the unearned income.

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Crunch Time

One week. Only 7 days left. April 15 is a date that effects all of us. Your tax return needs to be postmarked on or before April 15.

If you need more time to complete your forms, you can file for an automatic 6 month extension. This gives you more time to file a final return but does not give you more time to pay up.

Between now and next Wednesday, you need to work the numbers and estimate if you owe the government for 2008 or not. If not, just file Form 4868. This can be done electronically. If you owe, remit with the form. You can pay electronically as well and use a credit card. This will incur further fees. Check irs.gov for help.

Tick, tick. Time is passing. Time to file your 2008 taxes. Uncle Sam wants to hear from you.

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Loving Europe

It seems President Obama has apologized for his country while touring Europe. Way to represent.

One thing he refuses to consider that his European friends have gotten right and we could certainly use here is nuclear energy.

Obama hates coal and will not discuss nuclear. He wants wind energy which sounds wonderful except the cost of handling the power from hill getting it to a grid - which would need to be built as well. Plus the maintenance is difficult because of the location of the windmills.

Obama does not want us to drill for more nasty dirty oil. He would rather we not use petrol except to make packaging materials.

Can we just open the discussion about nuclear? The waste is >90% recycled back into the system. The <10% true waste is sealed in glass and buried. The true waste breaks down much quicker.

We need alternatives because soon the cap and trade tax will be passed on to you and me. It's a tax and it will be paid by the consumer just like all corporate taxes.

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Car Purchases

Now that We The People are invested in the manufacture of U.S. cars, do you feel more confident slapping down your hard earned $ (or a portion of what you will hopefully earn over the next 5 years) to buy a Chevy?

Now We The People are offering assistance should you lose your job. Now We The People are guaranteeing the value of your car in the future toward purchases of GM cars or trucks.

What?

I would suggest that if Obama decided to fire the CEO of GM, why is he not firing the other side of the biggest contributor to the over extension of GM's finances. I believe it only fair to see the head of the head of the UAW roll as well.

Wait. That's right Obama is in bed, as are all Dems, with the unions. One of the largest supporters of Dems across the land is Unions. How could I have forgotten. Of course, all UAW workers will continue to receive kid glove protection as the corporations are lambasted and persecuted. Those bad rich people.

How many people in retirement do you know who receive full medical coverage? Whose pensions are larger than many people working full time now?

Envy works both ways.

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Liar Liar

During his election campaign, George The Elder Bush pounded his fist and declared, "Read my lips. No new taxes." The press went nuts when as president he signed a new tax hike. He never lived it down and was not re-elected.

During the campaign last year, Obama declared no increase in taxes as long as you don't make $250,000. He was adamant. No taxes if you did not earn $250,000 a year. He lied.

He signed the bill that increased the excise tax on a pack of cigarettes this week by nearly $.62 a pack.

Years ago, I smoked. I could get a pack from a vending machine for $0.35. It was always cheaper to buy my cigs by the carton (10 packs/carton).

One patron in Colorado this week was lamenting the good old days when he could buy a carton for $49! Now it costs him $58! At 1.25 cartons per week, it will cost this person $3,770 a year.

The tax now comes to about $10.10 per carton, or $1.01 per pack. The same individual will pay $650 in "sin tax" or an increase of $396 a year thanks to President Obama.

Many of the people buying cigarettes do not make $250,000 a year. Yet, here's more tax on them. Liar.

But I wonder where the media is. They were quick to crucify George H.W. but no one has the guts to point the spot light on Obama and his tax lies.

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Pistachios

Pistachios have been discovered to be affected by bad bacteria. A large recall is underway. A processing plant in Rhode Island is now shut down as well as the operations in California.

The pistachio industry is going to need a bailout very soon. Evidently a sufficient cleaning and possible reconstruction will be very costly to say nothing of the PR problems caused by a massive recall.

With government in charge and with our $ purchasing controlling interest, the pistachio industry will rise again. There will be changes. Tim Tax Cheat Guethner will set salaries for all workers. President Obama will declare the manufacturing plants and warehouses shovel ready.

We will be safe to purchase government pistachios within 2 or 3 years. No problem. The great states of California and Rhode Island will receive subsidies to support all the union workers at these plants. Salaried workers or those not under union control, will be applying for unemployment.

The public will sleep better knowing that the package of nuts they shared with their family bore the seal of the U.S. Nut Control Company.

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Your Taxes

It's time to finalize your tax returns and get them mailed. Just a warning. Double check your math. Confirm all the social security numbers for yourself, spouse, and dependents. Report any income from garage sales, Ebay sales, or seemingly free transportation.

It's perfectly acceptable to forget a deduction or a credit but it's not OK to overlook or understate income. It's in your favor to check all 1099-INTs and 1099-DIV for withheld taxes but be assured the government will not volunteer that they "found" more of your $ when the big computers match the IRS' copy of your 1099 with your 1040.

If you later discover a mistake, something that requires filing an amended return, there are three options. File the amended and pay up. Wait and see if the Feds come after you. Or, apply for the current administration's cabinet.

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