Tag: Taxpayers

Taxation Without Representation

An old bitch but holds true today as it did in the 18th century.

What the Hell am I going on about?

Tariffs.  Remember those half ass ideas?

I have tried to get people thinking about this stupidity…..all tariffs are paid for by the consumer (that would be you)….

A new study of President Trump’s tariffs will not please the president: The research finds that Americans are footing nearly the entire cost of them, reports the Wall Street Journal. Specifically, the study from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy in Germany finds that US consumers and importers are paying about 96% of the costs tied to the tariff hikes, with foreign exporters absorbing the remainder. That runs counter to Trump’s frequent assertion that tariffs function as a kind of tax paid by other countries, and it suggests Washington may have less leverage than advertised in ongoing trade tensions with Europe.

“Foreign exporters did not meaningfully reduce their prices in response to US tariff increases,” reads the report, per Bloomberg. “The $200 billion surge in customs revenue represents $200 billion extracted from American businesses and households.” The researchers examined roughly $4 trillion in shipments between January 2024 and November 2025, concluding that the tariffs have effectively operated as a consumption tax on Americans, pushing up prices over time.

“There is no such thing as foreigners transferring wealth to the US in the form of tariffs,” co-author Julian Hinz of Germany’s Bielefeld University tells the Journal. He added, however, that foreign exporters might eventually absorb more of the tariffs if American companies find other sources of products. Earlier studies from Yale’s Budget Lab and Harvard Business School reached similar conclusions, though Harvard economists found that only about 20% of the tariff costs had fully shown up in consumer prices after six months, with much of the hit initially borne by US importers and retailers.

If that is not enough info then maybe this will help….

https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-tariffs-impact-study

Why taxation with representation?

The cost of tariffs are a hidden tax that we all MUST pay…..plus it was foisted upon us without the use of Congress (our representation)…..ergo we are taxed without representation.

Do you get it now?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

WTF?

My regular readers know that I have been a staunch critic of using US taxpayer dollars to fund Ukraine’s war with Russia.

I think those billions of dollars could be better spent on the problems this country is having than spending it on a cause that few think is necessary.

So when I read a story about the US spending a billion dollars to buy Ukraine made weapons to give to the Ukrainian army I went ballistic.

But let you see for yourselves….

The US will purchase $1.6 billion in Ukrainian-made weapons for Ukraine, The Defense Post reported on Monday.

The $1.6 billion is included in a $6 billion tranche of weapons the US announced on April 26. The arms will be provided through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which allows the US to purchase weapons for Ukraine.

The US and its NATO allies have made clear that part of their long-term plans for Ukraine is to help the country develop a military-industrial complex. Western arms makers are also looking to manufacture weapons in Ukraine.

Arseniy Pushkarenko, deputy chair of the Ukrainian Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation, said Ukraine’s military-industrial complex should entice other countries since the weapons it produces are battle-tested.

“This is one of the factors in the development of the Ukrainian economy. Today, the military technologies that we have are tested in combat conditions, which makes our military-industrial complex attractive enough for many countries of the world,” he said.

It’s unclear what types of weapons will be purchased with the $1.6 billion. According to the Pentagon, the $6 billion USAI package includes “components to support Ukrainian production of [Unmanned Aerial Systems] and other capabilities.”

(antiwar.com)

SO the US will buy weapons from a Ukrainian weapons maker to be used by the Ukrainian military…..why cannot a Ukrainian company make weapons for the military.

This is getting ridiculous at this point……

We will pay their government officials salaries and now we will prop up a business in Ukraine….WTF?

To say I have a problem with this would be an understatement…..

Time for the US to stop worrying about Ukraine and start worrying about the people in this nation.

PERIOD!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–09Jan24

Do you pay your taxes?

Of course you…..but there are some that get a free ride on their taxes…..

An analysis released Wednesday shows that in 2022, the wealthiest people in the United States collectively held a “staggering” $8.5 trillion in wealth that is not—and might never be—subject to taxation.

Examining recently released data Federal Reserve data for 2022, Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF) found that the roughly 64,000 U.S. households with at least $100 million in wealth—less than 0.05% of the population—controlled more than one in every six dollars of the country’s “unrealized gains,” profits that aren’t taxable until the underlying asset, such as a stock position, is sold.

“But the ultra-wealthy don’t need to sell to benefit: They can live off low-cost loans secured against their growing fortunes. And once inherited, such gains disappear completely for tax purposes,” ATF’s Zachary Tashman and William Rice explained in the new analysis. “While most Americans predominantly live off the income they earn from a job—income that is taxed all year, every year—the very richest households live lavishly off capital gains that may never be taxed.”

That small, ultra-rich fraction of U.S. society is sitting on more unrealized capital gains than the bottom 84% of the country—roughly 110 million households—combined, Tashman and Rice noted.

Most of the typical U.S. household’s unrealized capital gains are in the form of their homes, which face state and local property taxes. But 93% of the unrealized gains of America’s wealthiest are tied up in businesses, stock portfolios, and mutual funds, ATF found. As a result, mega-rich individuals such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk—the wealthiest man on the planet—wind up paying little to nothing in federal income taxes.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/rich-untaxed-wealth

This country has a debt of $34 trillion….

In September, the United States broke its national debt record, reaching $33 trillion. Now, just three months later, a new record has been set. CNN Business notes that, per year-end figures released by the Treasury Department last month, our government’s debt shot up to $34.001 trillion on Dec. 29, which Maya MacGuineas, head of the watchdog group Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, calls “a truly depressing ‘achievement.'” She adds in a Tuesday statement: “Though our level of debt is dangerous for both our economy and for national security, America just cannot stop borrowing.”

Here is a couple ideas…..stop funding every goddam war on the planet…..tax the bastards that are escaping their debt to the country and find and return all the offshore cash these rich bastards have squirreled away.

So yeah I am all for a ‘billionaire tax’.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Ever Wonder Where The Money Goes?

I know most people walk around in a haze and believe the hype that is spread by the War Department on the need for more and more cash…..

So keeping with my attempts to be an FYI blog I offer this info on the Pentagon budget…..if you care where your tax dollars go then you might want to read this carefully and decide if it is money well spent.

This will give my reader an idea of just how much money is being spent under the guise of defense and where these dollars will go.

Now that I have your attention let us look at how the media plays into to censorship of information around our War Department and our lust for war…..

If I have peaked your interest then by all means read on…..

On January 17, 1961, outgoing President and former Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower gave one of the most consequential speeches in American history. Eisenhower for eight years had been a popular president, whose appeal drew upon a reputation as a person of great personal fortitude, who’d guided the United States to victory in an existential fight for survival in World War II. Nonetheless, as he prepared to vacate the Oval Office for handsome young John F. Kennedy, he warned the country it was now at the mercy of a power even he could not overcome. 

Until World War II, America had no permanent arms manufacturing industry. Now it did, and this new sector, Eisenhower said, was building up around itself a cultural, financial, and political support system accruing enormous power. This “conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience,” he said, adding:

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. 

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes… Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together. 

This was the direst of warnings, but the address has tended in the popular press to be ignored. After sixty-plus years, most of America – including most of the American left, which traditionally focused the most on this issue – has lost its fear that our arms industry might conquer democracy from within. 

https://www.racket.news/p/report-on-the-censorship-industrial-74b

Keep an eye on the news….there may be a request for even more cash for Ukraine by mid-Summer….

The last massive aid package Congress authorized for Ukraine has about $6 billion left, which is expected to be used up by mid-summer, POLITICO reported Monday.

So far, the US has authorized about $113 billion in spending on the war in Ukraine, which includes military aid, direct budgetary aid, training, funding for US troop deployments in Eastern Europe, and other types of assistance.

Once the final $6 billion dries up, the Pentagon won’t be able to ship more weapons to Ukraine. That means the White House is expected to ask Congress to authorize more spending on the war soon.

A senior Biden administration official told POLITICO that the White House is discussing a new package and is going to time it so the weapons can keep flowing to Ukraine. The official said the administration is “fully committed” to supporting Kyiv in the war “for the long haul.”

The POLITICO report said that massive aid packages for Ukraine might not be as easy to ram through Congress as they were before, citing the debate over the debt ceiling and dissent from a small but significant group of Republicans. But the majority of Republicans support arming Ukraine, including GOP leadership, who have been critical of President Biden for not sending longer-range weapons and fighter jets.

“Although there are dissenting voices, the large majority of certainly Republicans — for sure in the Senate and arguably in the House as well — believe strongly that we need Ukraine to win and that the outcome there is something that matters not only to that region, but to the United States and our national security interests,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

On the Democrat side, there is virtually no opposition to arming Ukraine. While there’s still strong support in Congress for arming Ukraine, hawks in Washington are concerned it could decline if Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive fails.

(antiwar.com)

For god sake please pull your head out of the proverbial sand pile….or better yet out of your ass.

Be Smart!

Learn Stuff!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Yet More Cash For Ukraine

Yes I know that I bitch about all taxpayer’s money being sent to Ukraine in their struggle….and guess what?

Even more money being funneled into Ukraine……

The US Congress is doing its part to piss away needed funds…..

Congressional negotiators agreed to include nearly $12 billion in new spending on the war in Ukraine in a stopgap spending bill that will likely be voted on this week, Reuters reported on Monday.

Sources told Reuters that the $12 billion will include $4.5 billion in funding for arms being sent to Ukraine and $2.7 billion for other military and intelligence support for Ukraine. The funding also includes $4.5 billion in direct budgetary aid for the Ukrainian government.

A source told The Associated Press that the stopgap bill is meant to fund the federal government through mid-December and could be brought to the Senate for a vote as soon as Tuesday evening.

The funds for Ukraine largely fall in line with a request made by President Biden. The White House asked Congress to authorize $11.7 billion in spending for Ukraine and for $2 billion for energy spending to offset the cost of the sanctions campaign against Moscow.

If the measure is passed, it will bring the total US expenditures for the war in Ukraine to about $65.6 billion. Including the $2 billion in energy spending to offset sanctions brings the total to $67.6 billion. To put the figure in perspective, Russia’s entire annual military budget for 2021 was $65.9 billion.

he Ukraine aid is not meant to last very long. When requesting the funds, the White House said it was needed for the first three months of the 2023 fiscal year, which starts on October 1 for the federal government. Ukraine is preparing to launch more counteroffensive next year and has asked the US to provide more advanced weaponry.

(antiwar.com)

You would think that the US has spent enough cash on this war….if so then you would be sadly mistaken….

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Monday that the US committed an additional $457.5 million in “civilian security assistance” that will go toward the country’s law enforcement agencies.

Blinken said that the new aid brings the total funds for Ukrainian law enforcement committed by the US to $645 million since last December. He said that funding has gone to the National Police of Ukraine and Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service.

The aid includes personal protective equipment, medical supplies, and armored vehicles. Blinken said the new funding would also go toward investigating alleged Russian war crimes in areas of Ukraine.

Aid for Ukraine is still being pulled from the $40 billion bill President Biden signed back in May. But Congress has reportedly agreed to include $12 billion in new Ukraine aid in a government funding bill that will be voted on this week.

The plans for new aid come as Ukraine is asking the US for more advanced and longer-range weapons. Blinken said Sunday that conversations on what weapons to provide Ukraine next are “ongoing.” US support for Ukraine shows no sign of slowing down despite the risk of provoking Moscow and President Vladimir Putin’s recent warning regarding nuclear weapons.

(antiwar.com)

Is this truly money well spent?

If you think so then why?

Will the purse strings ever close on this situation?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Congress–WTF?

Closing Thought–28Aug20

I read the other day about a bill that sailed through the Congress for money to be sent to Israel….

It made me say out loud…WTF?

The US is sending almost $4 billion to Israel for their defense.

Again—WTF?

Pro-Israel group thanks an array of Democrats and Republicans for authorizing funding, saying the money ‘will help Israel protect itself against continuing security threats’

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee praised the Senate and the House of Representatives for authorizing $3.8 billion in defense assistance for Israel.

The pro-Israel lobbying group thanked an array of Democrats and Republicans in Congress for shepherding through the funding this week as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, saying the money “will help Israel protect itself against continuing security threats.”

https://www.timesofisrael.com/aipac-praises-3-8b-in-israel-defense-assistance-after-it-sails-through-congress/

Is Israel not strong enough to defend itself from protesters with rocks?

If Israel cannot defend itself why do the American taxpayer have to pay for their defense?

If they cannot make their own way in this world then they deserve to perish.

Any debt that the US owes Israel was paid in full over the last 60 years….time for them to stand on their own two feet or fall on their face….

The US should not have to pay Israel a dime….it is money pissed away with NO redeeming qualities.

When will Americans start demanding that Israel stay out of our politics and our government…..they have had a free hand in both for too many goddam years.  Time for them to focus on settling their problems and stay away from our politicians…..and those same politicians that take money from Israel should be banned from Congress and political life forever.

Israel is NO friend to the US…..they use us and our money for evil…..time for that to stop!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Why Not Piss Away More Taxpayer Cash?

Closing Thought–26May20

Our form of government is masterful at wasting money….from useless wars to programs of stupidity to giving cash away for no other reason that “they can”…..

One such give-away is to the state of Israel during the pandemic…..the Senate Bill is…S3176……

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee quietly passed a bill yesterday to give Israel a minimum of $38 billion over the next ten years despite the ongoing devastation to the U.S. economy caused by the coronavirus.

The bill – S.3176 –  will now go before the full Senate. Since the legislation has already been passed by the House of Representatives, if the Senate passes the bill, it will then go to the president to be signed into law.

The bill was passed by the committee under two unusual circumstances and with almost no public awareness.

First, Senate Committee Chairman Jim Risch (R-Idaho) refused to allow a live stream of the meeting, despite the fact that the Senate Rules panel had recommended that extra efforts be taken to ensure public transparency while the Capitol is closed to the public and the presence of reporters is severely limited. The Senate’s Press Gallery Standing Committee of Correspondents had objected strongly to Risch’s decision.

Second, the bill was passed without being named, debated, or even discussed, even though it would set into law the largest such aid package in U.S. history. There has been no mention of the bill by most media in the United States.

US Senate Quietly Approves $38 Billion for Israel Amid Historic Economic Downturn

But please if you doubt my word read the bill for yourself (you can read right?)……

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/3176/text

Let me see….the Senate is willing to let the unemployment guarantees expire to save cash but will mail a check to Israel for $38 billion….now you tell me who these spineless ass wipes work for.

Now you know Israel is more important that the American worker….my thought is……. F*ck Israel….Let Them Make It Own There On Or F*cking Die…….

Help get this BS out for the world to see what our government will do for our “friend”….the media will not release this report so it is up to us bloggers to make it an issue.

Vote the slugs out and try to find someone who will put the American people first….and let Israelis worry about Israel.

Learn Stuff!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

As Tariffs Come And Go

Is that the sound of brakes being applied to this “surging economy”?

Trump once called himself , well he has called himself many things none of which are accurate but this time he was close, “Tariff Man”…..as of midnight a 25% tariff was placed on some Chinese imports.

The trade war is heating up: China said Friday it “deeply regrets that it will have to take necessary countermeasures” after the tariff hikes threatened by President Trump kicked in at 12:01am. American and Chinese negotiators met in Washington, DC, Thursday but were unable to reach a deal to prevent tariffs increasing from 10% to 25% on more than $200 billion in products China exports to the US, the Washington Post reports. The White House said that after a “working dinner,” chief US negotiator Robert Lighthizer and China’s Vice Premier Liu He “agreed to continue discussions.” The tariff hike only applies to products that left China after the deadline, which gives negotiators more time to work out a deal.

Trump said Thursday that he had received a “beautiful letter” from China’s President Xi Jinping and while a deal is still possible, he is pleased that tariffs are bringing in “billions” of dollars for the government, the New York Times reports. The tariffs, however, are paid by American importers, who pass the costs on to the consumer. “It’s going to be a big shock to the economy,” Deborah Elms, executive director at the Asian Trade Center, tells the BBC. “Those are all US companies who are suddenly facing a 25% increase in cost, and then you have to remember that the Chinese are going to retaliate.” Despite the escalating trade dispute, world markets rose on Friday, with analysts predicting that a deal will be reached.

A Tariff?

How many Americans can define this economic tact?

No need for Google (but if you want to check my assertions then head to that magic button) the old professor will be glad to help with your refresher course.

What is a TARIFF?

The simple definition….. A tariff is a tax imposed by one country on the goods and services imported from another country.

How do Tariffs work?

Governments may impose tariffs to raise revenue or to protect domestic industries—especially nascent ones—from foreign competition. By making foreign-produced goods more expensive, tariffs can make domestically produced alternatives seem more attractive. Governments that use tariffs to benefit particular industries often do so to protect companies and jobs. Tariffs can also be used as an extension of foreign policy: Imposing tariffs on a trading partner’s main exports is a way to exert economic leverage.

Tariffs can turn into what some called a trade war…….

Tariffs can have unintended side effects, however. They can make domestic industries less efficient and innovative by reducing competition. They can hurt domestic consumers, since a lack of competition tends to push up prices. They can generate tensions by favoring certain industries, or geographic regions, over others. For example, tariffs designed to help manufacturers in cities may hurt consumers in rural areas who do not benefit from the policy and are likely to pay more for manufactured goods. Finally, an attempt to pressure a rival country by using tariffs can devolve into an unproductive cycle of retaliation,

But to help your education I have included a couple of short videos…..

https://youtu.be/zym1na6NhJw
https://youtu.be/JFCssAXaAAQ

One side effect that could come back to bite Trump in his massive ass is a bad jobs number and tariffs will produce that in most cases……

The tariffs will “drive down exports, and suppress job gains for the industry by as much as 400,000 over 10 years. It will also invite China to hit back at American businesses, farmers, communities, and families,” said Kip Eideberg, vice president of government affairs for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, which represents more than 1,000 U.S. makers of farm, construction and mining machinery.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-10/u-s-equipment-makers-see-trump-tariff-hike-costing-400-000-jobs

This is a TAX….do you get that? It is a TAX on the rest of us mere mortals…..then why is the entire GOP down with this attack on tax policies?

This is just a game to this president….he is trying to do something he promised so he has more to run on than his shaky positions elsewhere.

Hopefully his supporters are reading…..these tariffs are a TAX on you and your family.

Got IT!

Learn Stuff!

Then GO VOTE!

Closing Thought–21Feb19

More Economic Bad news.

Remember that tax cut thing a year or so ago?

You should! Thanx to that piece of political theater will see most of us with smaller tax refunds.

Remember refunds?

That cash that you get back from the IRS because unlike the rich you paid your taxes…..well yours may well be lower than you anticipated…..

The IRS is out with early numbers on tax refunds in 2019, and people hoping for a bump under the new tax changes are being unpleasantly surprised. In the first week of the filing season, the average refund was $1,865, down about 8% from last year’s average of $2,035, reports Politico. That has left many wondering what happened to the “$4,000 raise” the White House promised families would receive under the tax overhaul. Short answer: People are confusing their refunds with their tax burden. Details:

  • An example: The Washington Post highlights the example of a middle-class New Jersey couple whose income didn’t change but who received $3,000 less this year. “It totally feels like a scam,” says John Prugh. “I did still get a small refund, but compared to what I was expecting from previous years, it was shock.”
  • Feeling the same: NBC News notes that the hashtag #GOPTaxScam has surfaced, with people who have gotten decent refunds for years unhappy to discover that they’re getting far less or are even required to pay.

  • The Issue: Financial experts explain that what these people are overlooking is that their overall tax burden went down; they likely got bigger paychecks during the year, even if they didn’t notice. “There’s a difference between taxes and your refund,” a senior research associate at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center at the Urban Institute tells the Post. “People generally got a piece of their tax cut last year gradually in the form of lower withholding on their paychecks.”
    Lost deductions: The tax law may have lowered tax rates and increased the standard deduction, but it also limited deductions for state and local taxes, per Yahoo Finance. In fact, the new tax code eliminates or modifies many long-used deductions, including those related to mortgage interest, student-loan interest, and moving expenses.
    It’s early: Tax-filing season runs through April 15, and it’s possible trends could change. In fact, people seem to be delaying filing, perhaps because of all the changes: The IRS received 16 million returns in the first week, which is down 12.4% from last year.
    They’re doing it wrong: Those who have traditionally gotten fat refund checks from the IRS may think it’s great, but it’s more likely a sign that they need to examine their withholdings. “A large refund from the IRS may seem like an advantage, but it isn’t the best or most effective use of your cash flow,” a rep from Robert W. Baird & Co. tells CNBC. “You’re basically giving the IRS an interest-free loan.”

Not to worry this is just another way of Making America Great Again.

Some things seldom change…..especially the lies about tax cuts……

Peace Out!

 

Wonder Where The Money Went?

I like to know where my tax dollars are being spent….how about you?

War seem to be the big drain on our national budget…..that is right the waging of war is flipping expensive…..right, how damn expensive could it be?

Glad you asked and I have the answer for you……

A new report from Brown University is aiming to provide a close estimate of the cost of the overall cost to the US government of its myriad post-9/11 wars and assorted global wars on terror. The estimate is that $5.933 trillion has been spent through fiscal year 2019.

This is, of course, vastly higher than official figures, owing to the Pentagon trying to oversimplify the costs into simply overseas contingency operations. It is only when one considers the cost of medical and disability care for soldiers, and future such costs, along with things like the interest on the extra money borrowed for the wars, that the true cost becomes clear.

That sort of vast expenditure is only the costs and obligations of the wars so far, and with little sign of them ending, they are only going to grow. In particular, a generation of wars is going to further add to the medical costs for veterans’ being consistently deployed abroad.

Starting in late 2001, the US has engaged in wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Yemen, and elsewhere around the world. Many of those wars have become more or less permanent operations, with no consideration of ending them under any circumstances.

Those wishing to read the report can find it here.

Those are just words…….try this on for size……$5,900,000,000,000

That is right…..more damn “zeroes” than most of us can imagine……

The Pentagon has lied to us for years, grossly underestimating the cost of its military operations against enemies largely manufactured by intelligence agencies.

“That sort of vast expenditure is only the costs and obligations of the wars so far, and with little sign of them ending, they are only going to grow. In particular, a generation of wars is going to further add to the medical costs for veterans’ being consistently deployed abroad,” writes Jason Ditz.

https://www.globalresearch.ca/heres-youll-pay-neocon-wars-5900000000000/5660051

Something else for taxpayers to watch……the Pentagon FAILED a recent audit……that’s right FAILED!

After years of empty promises and demands from frustrated members of Congress, the Pentagon finally conducted its first-ever comprehensive audit—and unsurprisingly failed it, Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan revealed Thursday.

“We failed the audit, but we never expected to pass it,” Shanahan told reporters at a press briefing. While expressing irritation with the poor money management, he added, “it was an audit on a $2.7 trillion dollar organization, so the fact that we did the audit is substantial.”

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/16/insult-american-people-outrage-after-pentagon-fails-first-ever-audit

Just some of the sh*t in DC the waste of American taxpayer funds and NO ONE cares….why is that?

Are Americans ignorant, lazy, stupid or just plain moronic…..or could it be all of the above?