Protest! Protest! Protest!

Happy New Year! Imagine my surprise when I realized that I haven't posted a political blog since last July! One of my New Years resolutions for 2015 is to blog more frequently this year than last. So, I'm writing my first blog this year on January 1st, 2nd, 3rd 4th.   Here lies the problem, time is going by too fast!  

The news story that caught my eye this year was the demonstrations in Ferguson, New York, and elsewhere.  Like many of you, I became very suspicious as I noticed the professionally printed signs being carried by some of the protesters. I wrote down the organizations, piecing together a small list: Peoples Power Assemblies, New Black Panthers, RevCom.US, and Occupy. Not surprisingly, when I Googled, most were affiliated with communist organizations.  

But, we live in a free country which means everyone has the right to protest, even communists, who openly support destroying our country. Right? But here is the problem. Well intentioned protesters, with legitimate concerns, are being hijacked by communists and anarchists who couldn't care less about peaceful protest, Michael Brown or Eric Gardner. Their sole purpose is to disrupt, instigate riots, destroy property and cause chaos. Their ultimate goal is to destroy this country by destroying its government. 

In 2014, I think the media was dishonestly silent about who the organizers and leaders are within these violent groups. In my opinion, the media failed to do their job by not explaining why these communist and anarchist groups were a major part of these demonstrations.   

What a protest or demonstration is meant to do is bring attention to objectionable situations or policy.  After all the demonstrations across the country, it is still not clear to many Americans what is actually going on. That’s because the details in the deaths of Gardner and Brown don’t justify the reaction of thousands protesting across the country. And the physical and verbal violence of the protesters are more frightening than the police action.  

After several months of vetting the dialog, I believe two reasons emerged for the angry protests. Black people believe the cases (Brown/Gardner) point to a systemic problem with justice in America, and there is a sense of institutional racism in America.  

Whether we believe it or not doesn’t matter, what matters is that 13% of Americans feel stuck in poverty and without hope. That’s what matters. I ask you, if instead, this situation were a natural disaster, or an apartment building fire, or a large industrial accident, wouldn’t you expect Americans to rally around and help? The answer is, of course, yes. 

But, there is another problem. Who wants to help a people who arrogantly defy you, who refuse to obey the laws of the land, who call the police pigs and advocate killing them just because they are police? Who wants to help people who have received enormous financial benefits and address our nation as Amerikkka, who advocate the violent overthrow of our government and blame us for their predicament just because of our color?  

Because of the protests, the divide between blacks and all other races have widened substantially.   Offering to organize and teach how to antagonize, riot, burn and loot, Communists and Anarchists stand smiling like Cheshire cats. They have thrived on the unrest and they are hell-bent on making things even worse.  

Communist Radical Lisa Fithian in Saint Louis organizing, and teaching protestors in the art of antagonism.

Oprah Winfrey applauded blacks for taking to the streets in protest of Brown/Gardner. But lamented the lack of leadership in the black community saying, "What I'm looking for is some kind of leadership to come out of this to say, 'This is what we want. This is what has to change, and these are the steps that we need to take to make these changes, and this is what we're willing to do to get it.’"  Because Winfrey expressed her desire for leaders and solutions, she was hammered on Twitter by thousands of ungracious respondents. I’m afraid the rioters, looters and burners don’t want resolution.  They love their hate and want to bask in their unrighteous behavior.  

I’d like to end this blog with a positive thought by siding with Winfrey.  I hope 2015 will be the year strong leadership emerges within the Black community and they determine the necessary changes and commitments to make it happen. When that happens, they will be embraced whole-heartedly by the remaining 87% of Americans. 

California Water Crisis

A couple of weeks ago CBS evening news reported that an estimated 1,700 farm jobs could be lost as more than 620 square miles of farmland will go unplanted.  This didn't’ surprise me.  When we drove I-5 this year much of the San Joaquin Valley looked more like desert than farm land.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects produce prices to rise by up to 5 percent, adding $500 to the average American family’s grocery bill.   

However, CBS’s report failed to mention that much of the economic consequences of the drought could have been avoided. In May 2007, a Federal District Court Judge ruled that increased amounts of water had to be re-allocated towards protecting the Delta smelt - a three-inch fish on the Endangered Species List.  

Because of this ruling, in 2009 and 2010 more than 300 billion gallons (or 1 million acre-feet) of water were diverted away from farmers in the Central Valley and into the San Francisco Bay - eventually going out into the Pacific Ocean.  

Rather than suspend this policy to protect an endangered three-inch Delta smelt, President Obama chose to continue the federal water policy of releasing water for smelt instead of using that water to irrigate croplands in California.   

This country is blessed with some of the richest water resources in the world.  The United States has 22,000 liters per capita per day, more than enough water for ten times the current population.  For us, it is just a matter of getting the resources to where it is needed.  The lack of long term vision to build water storage facilities and canals to transport water is nothing more than bad government.

All of this will play out in a future crisis for the climate control lobby who can’t wait, I’m sure, to claim higher food prices are the result of climate change. The green lobby has stopped any constructive projects that would collect and save water resources for decades, while advocating we must ration our existing resources with an ever growing population.  

Droughts are never good, but the bright side of the California drought is it may finally drive some sense into our lawmakers, who hopefully are beginning to recognize the need for a more balanced ecology.  One that is slightly tilted towards favoring human beings.

Adams-Farwell' Automobile

Instead of the crank shaft turning inside the engine, the engine spins around the crankshaft!

Great story!

Scrap Public Unions

Unions in the private sector are fine but unions in the public sector should be forbidden.  Wages for public sector jobs should be set according to private sector jobs.  It is a conflict of interest for our lawmakers, who represent the citizens, to be  negotiating with unions and setting the wage scale.  

IRS Records Department

There was some question recently how long we needed to keep records of our tax returns.  My very efficient X-bookkeeper (my wife) decided to look it up at www. IRS.gov.  How long should you keep records?  Here is their answer.

 

How long should I keep records?

The length of time you should keep a document depends on the action, expense, or event the document records. Generally, you must keep your records that support an item of income or deductions on a tax return until the period of limitations for that return runs out.

The period of limitations is the period of time in which you can amend your tax return to claim a credit or refund, or that the IRS can assess additional tax. The below information contains the periods of limitations that apply to income tax returns. Unless otherwise stated, the years refer to the period after the return was filed. Returns filed before the due date are treated as filed on the due date.

Note: Keep copies of your filed tax returns. They help in preparing future tax returns and making computations if you file an amended return.

1. You owe additional tax and situations (2), (3), and (4), below, do not apply to you; keep records for 3 years.

2. You do not report income that you should report, and it is more than 25% of the gross income shown on your return; keep records for 6 years.

3. You file a fraudulent return; keep records indefinitely.  (Uh-huh, sure!)

4. You do not file a return; keep records indefinitely.

5. You file a claim for credit or refund* after you file your return; keep records for 3 years from the date you filed your original return or 2 years from the date you paid the tax, whichever is later.

6. You file a claim for a loss from worthless securities or bad debt deduction; keep records for 7 years.

7. Keep all employment tax records for at least 4 years after the date that the tax becomes due or is paid, whichever is later.

The following questions should be applied to each record as you decide whether to keep a document or throw it away.

Interesting, isn't it, how more serious the IRS is about your record keeping than there own!  

 JJ

Immigration Reform

I am for immigration reform, I really am.  But I am not in favor of the current immigration bill passed by the Senate.  That would be the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013. 

SB 744. has some good point  and I applaud the Senate - especially Senate Republicans - for their effort.  For instance, the path to citizenship requires over $2000 in fines and thirteen years before an illegal immigrant can even begin to apply for citizenship.  There is other stuff too like obeying the laws, learn the english language, and pay taxes, which a illegal immigrant must do before applying for citizenship.  

Some would say that any path to citizenship is amnesty, but I don't think that's true.  Thirteen years of paying taxes and steep fines for the wrongdoing is punishment enough.  It would be easier for them to go back to their country and start over.  And many probably would, saving us the cost or need to deport them.  In the end, many would not apply for citizenship either, and never be eligible to vote or receive any government assistance - including Social Security.  The bill also makes border security mandatory before any issues of the illegals can be addresses.   

Well then, what's the problem?  The bill is too big!  Unfortunately, the bill, 844 pages by my count (some say 1200 pages) is far too large for anyone to really understand.  And there lies the problem.  Like the infamous Obama Care bill, this bill is so big, and so complicated that, well, we won’t know how it will all work until it gets passed.  That’s plain crazy. 

There are five major parts to this bill.  The House should divided SB 744 into five separate bills, simplify and refine them. then pass them individually.  That way everybody, illegals, law enforcement, Congress and citizens like you and me can read the bills and understand them.  

Strengthen the Presidency?

I really appreciate articles that strive to improve our federal government, because they are more concerned with fixing problems than blasting opponents.  I'll give David Brooks, New York Times Op-Ed columnist, points for trying, with his recent article, Strengthen the Presidency.  

In his article, David suggested that a stronger executive branch could overcome the gridlock of government and enable the nation to develop the necessary reforms to deal with todays issues.  His reasoning is that the presidency can mobilize and organize quickly; has abundant specialized knowledge to deal with the problems; and it is more immune to political pressures and influence. 

While his reasons about the executive branch are partly true, I oppose this solution as would most Americans.  Dictatorships are very efficient and as one commented on his article, maybe we should just crown a king.  If maximum efficiency of government is all we are looking for then maybe he has a point.  However, our government is based on democracy which necessary makes governing more cumbersome and less efficient.  And that is why so many believe in limited government.

My thoughts are more in line with President and Founder James Madison, who said, “Numerous bodies are less subject to venality and corruption,” which pretty much nixes "more power to the president".  The smaller the body where power resides, the greater the chance for corruption.  George Washington understood this and declined the offer to become King of the United States.  

Our founders took Madison's admonition seriously and built in checks and balances to limit the dominance of any one branch of government.  Increasing the number of representatives in the people's house, as the nation grew, was another way to assure power would never be concentrated in just a few.  Unfortunately, in 1913 Congress thought it best to permanently maintain the number of representatives at 435 members. (The actual law was passed in 1929.)  From then to now, the people's power has been slowly slipping away.

The average size of a congressional district today is 710,767 - more than triple the average district size (225,500) of 1910.  From an individual’s prospective, citizens influence has diminished by two-thirds. 

What does this have to do with how our government runs?  The influence we lost (and continue to lose) didn’t just disappear.  It transferred from citizens to those willing to buy influence with money.  Corporations, unions, political pacs, foreign governments all compete for that 2/3 influence with money. 

My solution to fixing our federal government is not to increase the power of the presidency but to restore the power to the people by creating smaller congressional districts as was originally intended.