The repudiated "trickle-down" theory of tax cuts has been resurrected. For the younger folks, "trickle down" means that if you give the rich a big tax cut they will invest the money in the economy. This investment will create new products and factories and, eventually, jobs.
The problem is that we don't need new products and factories. There are more products out there than most of us can afford and the factories are operating at 80 percent of capacity.
When Reagan originally proposed this theory in 1980 during the primary campaigns, the elder George Bush called it "Voodoo Economics." After the election, Reagan pushed the proposal through Congress with the result that government tax revenues from personal taxes decreased by almost 10 percent over the next four years while personal income increased by 4 percent. With the reduced tax income, federal debt exploded by over a trillion dollars. This made the federal government the big gorilla in the borrowing market and made borrowing money expensive for private businesses. The economy went into a tailspin and unemployment soared, eventually costing the elder Bush a second term.
The younger Bush's tax cut for the rich two years ago hasn't helped the unemployment rate very much either.
What we need now is tax relief for the middle and lower economic classes. This group will spend these additional funds and drive up demand. Increased demand will require factories to expand production and hire more employees.
To create more jobs, let's eliminate the Social Security tax for employees below the poverty level and raise the maximum taxable rate to balance the Social Security books. Let's eliminate the "marriage penalty," and let's increase the dependent deductible to a realistic value. Both changes will dramatically reduce the income tax for those that really need it.
BOB TOLSON
Diamondhead
Very well-written. Too bad it's a bunch of gloss-coated lies.
7:33 AM
Thursday, May 08, 2003 Dear LeBaroness
DEAR ABBY: I am only 11, but I'm having boy trouble. I
like this guy whose name is "Rusty." He is in the
fifth grade with me. He asked me to meet him at the
movie. I said yes, but my parents said no, and I
didn't show. Now he hates me. What should I do? -- SAD
CHICK, ANNISTON, ALA.
Dear Sad:
I will overlook the fact that you are too young to date and address your question. What you should do is hate Rusty. You don't really owe him any kind of apology at all, but if he can't accept "my parents don't let me meet strange boys at the movies because I'm 11" as an excuse, he's probably a nutcase and you should steer clear of him. And don't meet guys at movies. If someone wants you to watch a movie with him (when you're old enough to date), he should pick you up at your house, ideally bearing gifts, meet your parents, and take you to the movie.
2:49 PM
So a VEGAN advocy group speaks ill of MEAT-containing salads sold by a known (and hated) purveyor of MEAT products, and the Wall Street Journal is investigating why they would ever be saying bad things about a salad? Again I ask "Why?"
12:23 PM
Wednesday, May 07, 2003 A Tremendous Problem -or- A Ton of Women
This little quip has the substantial student body at Purdue up in arms.
12:10 PM
Dear LeBaroness
DEAR ABBY: I am a divorced mother of two young
children. My mother has always been a tremendous
financial and emotional help to us, and I'm proud of
our relationship. She's a terrific person, but a
pushover when it comes to "Ray," her husband of two
years. Mom believes whatever he says -- wherein lies
my problem.
Ray has been coming on to me for the last year. I
don't know how to tell my mother. It's tearing me up
inside, and I can't live with it anymore. My little
sister told Mom a year ago that our stepfather came on
to her, but Mom didn't believe her. Ray said my sister
was the one who made the advances. (She was only 14 at
the time!) Mom stood by her husband, and to this day
maintains his innocence.
In an effort to make sure my mother believes me, I
audiotaped my stepfather on the phone begging me to
have sex with him. Do you think I should tell Mom I
have evidence and insist that she listen to the tape?
I don't want to lose my mother. I love her very much,
and my children and I wouldn't know what to do without
her in our lives. Please help. -- DESPERATE TO BE
BELIEVED IN NORTH DAKOTA
Dear Desperate:
Do NOT insist that your mother listen to the tape because you are "desperate to be believed." Have her listen to it because Ray has a serious problem she needs to be aware of. It seems clear that his intentions are not being misconstrued, and his advances toward a 14-year old child are cause for some serious alarm. Your mother's refusal to believe this is understandable, but her ignoring a possible threat to her child could be called criminal negligence. Your tape will show her what kind of man she's with. She needs to be come to terms and deal with the problem, whether it be booting Ray out, counseling, etc. This will not be fun and your mother will likely be angry with you, the messenger. But, it is better to have her find out from you now, while there is a possibility of this being brought under control, than for her to find out later from a law enforcement agency, after he's gone even further across the line. Explain that this is the reason for you informing her. If she resists, it is up to you to judge whether or not your younger sister is in danger from this man, and take appropriate action yourself. If she wants to foolishly live with a predator, that's her own business, but she has no right to endanger her child.
10:23 AM
For the Children
Ultimately, what they are most concerned about are the lessons their children learn. Cannan said it is difficult teaching children to use words to solve conflicts when their government is doing the exact opposite.
Do they have difficulty teaching their children not to steal when their government does it every day? Are they not concerned about their children stealing? Do they worry about their children becoming paralyzed with bureaucracy? Is teaching children to make asses of themselves whenever they don't like something really the best way to teach them about handling conflict? If nothing else this war should serve as an excellent example to children everywhere. The lesson: try to resolve the matter through discussion, then more discussion, etc. Then don't be afraid to use force when all other options have been exhausted. What is the problem here?
DEAR ABBY: I moved to Florida six years ago and got
involved with a man soon after I arrived. He had just
ended a 10-year relationship with his girlfriend. Two
years later, he asked me to marry him. I was overjoyed
-- and I was three months pregnant when I walked down
the aisle.
When our daughter was barely 6 months old, I caught my
husband having an affair with his ex. I was going to
leave him, but I discovered I was pregnant with our
son. He would leave for weekends, after fighting with
me and getting drunk, to go see his former girlfriend.
I finally had enough and filed for divorce.
My daughter is now 2 1/2 and my son is 15 months old.
They haven't seen their father in almost three months.
We all miss him. I thought he would return to me, but
he hasn't. He has moved on.
I'm in my 20s with two kids. I hate being alone, but
can't move on because my husband refuses to sign the
divorce papers. What should I do? -- SAD AND ALONE IN
FLORIDA
Dear Sad:
Make the bastard sign. You might also consider writing to Dear Abby, as she'd probably provide you with more information about Florida divorce and other legal options. And in the future, please make a conscious effort to do things in the proper order. For example, get married before getting pregnant. It is quite possible that he didn't marry you because he wanted to, but perhaps because you were 3 months pregnant. While that was the honorable thing to do, it's not a good foundation for a marriage.
3:01 PM
Breaking News: Bush Tax Cut Favors People Who Pay Taxes!!!
The venerable bums fishing with miniature liquor bottles at the Berkeley Marina don't seem hopeful that they'll be seeing any tax relief anytime soon. There you have it. Irrefutable proof that tax cuts are utter foolishness.
2:33 PM
Dear LeBaroness
DEAR ABBY: My live-in girlfriend, "Penny," and I are
in our mid-30s. We have two young daughters from
previous relationships. My problem is Penny's mother,
"Marge," who insists on being included in everything
we do. We can't make a move without Marge demanding to
know what we did, where we went, who we met, etc. She
even wants to know what we ate if we go out for a
meal!
Penny's mom invites herself on our shopping trips, to
the movies and dinners out. If we do something without
letting her know, we'll come home to multiple messages
on the answering machine from Marge, using the excuse
that she "worries" when she doesn't know where we are.
What I don't understand is the fact that this woman
has a husband at home. Why she can't leave us alone,
I'll never know. It's to the point that I am
rethinking my future with her daughter, because I
don't want to hang with "Mom" all the time. Please
advise. -- THREE'S A CROWD IN SOUTHERN IDAHO
Dear Three's:
Penny needs to put her mother in her place. If she can't, then you have to bolt. But if Penny genuinely wants her mother to stop being so meddlesome, you should do whatever you can to facilitate this.
8:27 AM
