Day: June 5, 2012

Info Ink Book Review #7

I do not normally do many book reviews…..I read constantly and there are few books that I feel I need to offer my opinion on…….last Xmas I was given a book entitled “American Emperor:  Aaron Burr’s Challenge To Jefferson’s America” written by David O. Stewart…….I live in Mississippi and since Burr was arrested in the Mississippi Territory I have always been interested in his (Burr’s) activities and being a fan of political history……..I finally read probably the most interesting account of the actions of Aaron Burr.

I was given this book because most people that know me know that I am not one that worships at the alter of Jefferson……..while I consider him a splendid politician he was not the idealist that some seem to think he was….and for that reason I do not believe that he wrote the Declaration of Independence….he was working from notes for the ideas were already in print…in Paine’s “Common Sense”…

Enough of my dislike for the cult of Jefferson…….the book is an excellent read and I am kicking myself for not reading it soon after I received it……Mr. Stewart gave an account of the whole Burr conspiracy thing from about 1800 to his arrest and trial for treason……..Mr. Stewart’s research disclaimed a lot of the accusations against Burr…like his duel with Hamilton in which the later was killed….as well as Jefferson’s treatment of him (Burr) during the 1804 presidential election and then on to Burr’s attempt to form an army to go to New Orleans and westward and form a new country apart from the America of Jefferson.  The author’s description of the plotters interactions was well documented and extremely interesting…..and then there was the condescension of Jefferson toward Burr and the conspirators…..as if no one would dare oppose the father of the Declaration….was all too clear….well at least for me……

All in all an excellent book by an excellent author….Mr. Stewart wrote a brilliant account of the part of American History that few people know……..if you are a fan of political history and early American history I highly recommend this book….the reader will NOT be disappointed.

I apologize to the person who gave me the book as a gift and I apologize to the author for not reading it sooner….I shall not make that mistake again……..

It’s All About Income

The war of words has begun, well, it never really stopped, but it is heating up…..the magic word of the day is…..TAXES!

Obama is making his case for the rich to pay a higher rate (I refuse to succumb to the norm of labeling it)……Mitt is all over the taxes thing with his proposal of helping the well off and it will create jobs and revive the economy (trickle down does not work….period.) and the pundits dance!

Yes, I am one of those people that want EVERYONE to pay their share of this government…..my idea is simple…$0-$50,000–none, $50,001-$1 million–20%, $1 million-up–30%…I know that this will never happen but it is a more fair rate than anything anyone is offering now….

But let’s talk about it—there is one conserv pundit that says the same thing every time he is in front of the camera…..50% of all Americans pay NO taxes……apparently he and I have difference of opinion on the word “pay”…..if you work and draw a paycheck you will pay taxes!….they may get some or all back at the end of the year but they pay into the tax structure with every paycheck…..And the workers pay check is their ‘income’, right?

Wait!  Let us define ‘income’…….Revenues of an individual or legal entity.

Income is usually generated through sale of merchandise for profit as well as from salaries or commissions for the performance of services.

Now this is where I have a problem……..any and all income should be taxed at the given rate…..and that includes the capital gain stuff….in my opinion if money is made, no matter how, and the money goes into a bank account to be used by the person for stuff….then it is income, just like my check that goes into the bank for my use is income so is ALL cash that is gain by some form of employment…..so if it is income then it should be taxed at the going rate I posted previously.

We can have a smaller government without screwing the entire country because some guy wants to be the King On The Hill…….