End the Manipulation.

End The Manipulation

Jeffrey Schaben

    Sometimes, I just get tired of it all. It seem as if spamming and mindless reposting has taken over the world. I don’t care about what someone else thinks, about any given topic. I am more interested in what you think. If I want to know how they think, I will follow them. I thought the Tea Party may have been a remedy for this. However, the Tea Party, like anything else is slowly becoming just another marketing tool. Is this because we accept the notion that in the end it is all about mindlessly gathering followers, to manipulate the government to serve our own agenda.

    I have supported the shutdown of the government. Not because I have this illusion that it will stop the implementation of ACA. The ACA is already law and the only way to truly stop it is by removing it piece by piece. The damage done by it’s implementation has already happened. We are like an animal caught in a trap. Any reckless movements may only further damage us. We need to brave the pain assess the damage. Then using all tools available, and our collective minds, extricate ourselves from this trap. I support the shutdown for the hope that the process will revert back to the intended process, formulated by our constitution. Not this abrogation of responsibility by all parties. They have handed off the responsibility of issuing government bonds to the fed. They have given up on any thoughts of a budget, to the status quo of baseline budgeting and continuing resolutions. The only cuts that happened lately, happened in a vacuum of inaction. These meaningless cuts were suppose to cause armageddon. Well, maybe we need a real armageddon so the current prophets in the media can tell the difference between fear mongering and disaster. If I was in congress I would stand up and say. “Yes, Mr. President. We have shut down government because of a budgetary impasse. However, the administrative branch has chosen how and what to shut down. Therefore, you are equally at blame for any pain felt by the American people.” In the end, We The People are only collateral damage. Nothing more, nothing less. Politics is a civilized less barbaric form of war. Real people will get hurt no matter which way this issue is resolved. So, drop the charade that you are working in everyones best interest.

    I use to think that we are overtaxed. However, after writing the book The CUT Tax. All of my subsequent research has pointed to the fact that we are not overtaxed per say. Just the distribution of taxes is heavily burdened on the middle class wage earner. That is because of the manipulation of the tax code for years. When I quit as an owner operator of a truck. My “annual income” did not change that much. only my tax liability.  I may have done less work overall, for the same amount of annual income. However, I lost all them nice deductions of items that were expenses as a small business. In the end, on paper I was making the same amount, However I had more disposable income as a small business. We need an honest discussions on taxation.

    An Author and Talk Show host, Dave Ramsey, has a saying about credit card companies. “If you play with snakes, you're going to get bit.” I feel the same way about the Income Tax Code. If we are only trying to manipulate the tax code, we are going to get bit. There is too much power invested in the current tax code. It needs to be abolished.

    Of the few people that have read my book, the consensus is that first we need to get a control on spending. Part of me agrees. However, if we were to redistribute the tax burden evenly again, then there may be a larger and more influential cry for fiscal responsibility. If I am a company, what do I really care about spending, if I can manipulate my tax burden down through the current tax code, I would be more concerned with losing my tax deductions.

I feel that that tax code must be distributed equally on all individuals and organizations, including the poor. This can be done now if we resolve to do this. If the rate is below 4% on gross. This should not unduly harm the poor. Then if rates do go up this is also hurting the poor, so maybe we should look at spending before raising taxes. Currently, if you divide 2012 GDP(BEA statistics, US Department of Commerce) $64,978 billion into 2012 Federal tax receipts $2,450 billion. You get .0377 or 3.7% These are very conservative numbers. The rate could be a lot less. My unscientific estimate for the tax to deliver a balanced budget is 3.2%

My 4 cents worth.

   

My 4 cents worth.

     I have found a number that should blow any middle class taxpayers mind. That number is .0377. You will say this does not look significant. What does it mean? That number is the total tax liability on a dollar bill for 2012. For every dollar made. Under, 4 cents was the federal tax burden. You wonder. “ How can this be true?”  “When they take at least 15% of my payroll  check.” It is the myth they sell you that the income tax code is designed to tax the rich. You may not believe my numbers, but check them for yourself. Oh, I am sorry you can’t with Federal Gov. shut down. What a joke that is. A web site cannot operate because no one is there. Mine works fine if I shut off the computer. This is the current number, $64,978.  2012 (BEA statistics, US Department of Commerce). All numbers in billions. Then, $2,450 for total receipts into treasury. If you divide the big number into littler number, you get  3.77% . Or , under 4 cents for every dollar. However, that number is three times larger when you figure average state and local taxes in. Not sure of exact amount on that one. Just something to think on. Just a quick blog. to busy to go into details.

Welcome to ACA Limbo

By Jeffrey Schaben. Writer of The CUT Tax ebook on kindle.

    The reason federal government solutions do not work well is because they are rigid. Even their carrot and stick approach is backwards. They tend to place the carrot behind the horse with the stick in front. That is because they base their models on statistics. Not on individual needs. No two communities or areas are exactly the same. The cost of living is completely different in NYC compared to Omaha as an example. And, peoples needs are not always the same. Therefore, how can the government design a comprehensive health care plan with four options that can satisfy the needs of all individuals. Also, in a society that places great value on the illusion we don’t have classes. Why four? One size should fits all. (Possibly the goal.) How does this four tier system work if you qualify for free care? Do you automatically get the free platinum plan? What do you mean it does not? That is unfair. That is why this plan is flawed. In a system that has financial bars to get under to qualify. That person is encouraged to manipulate their income to try to get under the lowest bar possible.  However, the government loves to see us bend over backwards for them.

    Now, that we are gravitating towards a part time employment society. Will the person that is working hard turn down the full time job they are offered? They could, if it ends up costing them more in health insurance cost and jeopardizes other benefits. These are the questions we need to answer.

    You may have heard of the term, a marriage of convenience. That is when two people though still married carry on like single individuals. They may keep up the appearance of marriage for many reason: Kids, money, social pressure, upward mobility, or just convenience.  A thought occurred to me today. Could we have divorces of convenience? Where the main breadwinner says. “Hey honey, I love you but we just can’t afford to stay married.” So, here is the deal. We get divorced all nice and legal. Write up our wills so all our money goes to the kids in the event of death. You get custody of the kids. You live here under the pretense that it is an amicable divorce, and I could not throw you and the kids on the street. And, will move out when I find something affordable for you. But, there is no hurry. You and the kids can qualify for public assistance and free health care. You will pay me back the child support in rent. And with the money we save we can really make ends meet. You would probably get by with that for a long time. This may technically constitute fraud. However, with the current administration, they may see you as a valuable voter. So, they may not pursue this. If you were planning to try this? Sorry I let the cat out of the bag. Don’t worry nobody will read this anyway. So, you're safe.

    I am not against public assistance. However, there is a point at which these so called needs lures otherwise capable individuals into the system. When based solely on financial statistics. I hate using a cliches. However, here is one. Figures never lie. But liars can figure. And with so many benefits at stake, the schemers will find ways in. This leads to the dilution of resources for those that truly need help. This is the unsustainable part of all public assistance. This system needs to be addressed not added too.

   

    I am writing this to not only highlight the problems with the ACA, but with the tax code and public assistance programs that are also written to drive people to crawl under the lowest pole possible. This manipulation has to stop on all levels. Before this country loses the concept of a land of opportunity. If the carrot is placed behind you, you are tempted to remain behind. Why move forward?  Is that is the true meaning of the communist slogan. “Moving forward.” Long live the proletariat, we need their sacrifices.

   

Welcome to ACA Matrix

   

Welcome to the Matrix. We are already suffering the effects of the altered reality that the ACA has implemented, as business, the medical profession, and health insurance providers have altered their business to conform to ACA. To turn it off now would not revert the system back to its previous form. So, we are left with a choice of the blue pill or red pill. The blue pill offers the promise that soon you will forget all about this unpleasant experience with only a few “minor discomforts” felt over the next few years as we are prepared for single payer health care.  While the red pill offers an attempt at a complete but painful reemergence into reality, to survey the destruction of our health care program. This come with the slim promise that the damage can be reversed and we can have an even better and more responsive health care policy. Neither, one of these ideas are ideal.  And both could end up as a sudden transition into single payer, so the advantage now goes to the blue pill. The reason, I am negative about this is simple. The Democratic Party has always had the long term goal of creating single payer health care. While the Republican Party has largely ignored this as an issue until it was forced upon them by a Democratic coup. There were many ways to head this coup off years in advance. However, they counted on the fierce public reaction to head off ACA like it did when Hillary Clinton worked on a health care plan. This did happened in 2010. However, they were more worried about the influence of the Tea Party than any legislation to stop ACA. It was left to the Supreme Court to rid us of this system. Failing that, they figured after winning the White House in 2012 , they would be able to deal with it then.  Well it is 2013 and the plan is enacted, even with all the waivers. It’s tentacles are deep and embedded. Why else do the people that enact it want to be excluded from it. I always said they would have the same health care as everyone else, the only difference would be you get county general and they get best research hospital at the time. See all the same. But, with their new  waivers I guess I missed that prophesy. It won't be the same health care.

Most of the success of implementing ACA is due to the fact that the Democratic Party always had this as a long term goal. They have been slowly pushing this for some time. My question is, what are the Republican Party's long term goals? Yes, they have short term election goals. However, not far reaching and long term goals. Not a unified vision for the future. Therefore, they have justly been labeled as a reactionary party. A party focused on the short term acquisition of power. This has created a political landscape where the Democrats make short surges towards their intended goals, as the Republicans gain small victories holding these surges down. If this was a football game. It appears as if the Republicans have an outstanding defensive lineup. However, with no offense they are slowly giving up field position. For the fans in the stands the outcome looks obvious. In any game, defending your goal is only half of the game.

 

 

Rain poem

$16,669,000,000,000

Not all rain that falls on the mountain high

will nurture the fertile plain.

From the mountain we hear their cry,

send us more rain.

So, send us the rain

and you will see your rivers, and streams flow.

We can regulate the water on the plain.

Just see our majesty grow.

Watch as the people are drawn to our river,

to partake in our bounty.

Where so magnanimous it makes us shiver.

Our wealth is distributed in every city and county.

On the dry dusty plain I see,

the animals and trees gathered round your shore.

Half your abundance travels to the sea,.

and you curse my ignorance for the needs of the poor.

Jeffrey Schaben

http://thecuttax.com/

Don't follow jackasses.

In a team of horses, the strongest horse does not expend more effort, it just produces more work for the same amount of effort. This in turn may lead to not having to follow the other jackasses. This may not be fair it is just a fact.

Jeffrey Schaben

thecuttax.com

    The true moral to this story is not to follow jackasses. Think for yourself.

    I say this even as I am trying to become one of the jackasses. Braying all the time trying to get your attention, and probably at the wrong time. After all I am trying to convince you of the value of my tax plan compared to others. And I believe that taxation is still a form of slavery, albeit a civilized less savage form of slavery. Maybe slavery is too strong a word, I should step the rhetoric down and instead call it indentured servitude. However, the horse team analogy does work well for my form of taxation. It treats all levels and forms of income as equal. We are all equals according to our constitution. why not treat us as equals. Even, if this means taxing the poor and nonprofits. There are reasons for this that I hopefully explained in a way you may understand in my book.

    Part of the reason I am writing this is because I do not have the instincts for sales. There are a few people that are very talented at sales. They could sell ice cubes to Alaskans in winter. My style is closer to, here it is, you can buy it if you want to. That leads me to come up with hopefully catchy items to draw your attention to my ideas.

Recently, I have become acquainted with Twitter (@thecuttax). Twitter is a fascinating place. You can broadcast almost anything, and it is available to anyone who follows you or an entity that happens to retweet you. Or, the holy grail, become a hashtag. It is a good model of Capitalism. You can express almost any idea, your only limitation is the amount of followers you acquire, and 150 characters. Well, Shakespeare wrote. “Brevity the soul of wit.” You even have all the aspects of a Moroccan Bazaar. You have the hawkers to try and sell you their ideas. The herders, that are trying to get you to a specific stand, and the twitter farms, that are just trying to collect you for referral fees. The only problem with this is the same flaw that is in capitalism. The best ideas do not always win. It is usually the more flashy and exciting items that distract you from your original idea. Or, you are the best salesman. But, this is a flaw I will gratefully accept, nothing is perfect, all systems have flaws, and I would rather have this flaw than some state office store that only offers one item. Or maybe 4 in bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. That brings me to my thoughts on ACA (affordable care act).

Welcome to the Matrix. We are already suffering the effects of the altered reality that the ACA has implemented, as business, the medical profession, and health insurance providers have altered their business to conform to ACA. To turn it off now would not revert the system back to its previous form. So, we are left with a choice of the blue pill or red pill. The blue pill offers the promise that soon you will forget all about this unpleasant experience with only a few “minor discomforts” felt over the next few years as we are prepared for single payer health care.  While the red pill offers an attempt at a complete but painful reemergence into reality, to survey the destruction of our health care program. This come with the slim promise that the damage can be reversed and we can have an even better and more responsive health care policy. Neither, one of these ideas are ideal.  And both could end up as a sudden transition into single payer, so the advantage now goes to the blue pill. The reason, I am negative about this is simple. The Democratic Party has always had the long term goal of creating single payer health care. While the Republican Party has largely ignored this as an issue until it was forced upon them by a Democratic coup. There were many ways to head this coup off years in advance. However, they counted on the fierce public reaction to head off ACA like it did when Hillary Clinton worked on a health care plan. This did happened in 2010. However, they were more worried about the influence of the Tea Party than any legislation to stop ACA. It was left to the Supreme Court to rid us of this system. Failing that, they figured after winning the White House in 2012 , they would be able to deal with it then.  Well it is 2013 and the plan is enacted, even with all the waivers. It’s tentacles are deep and embedded. Why else do the people that enact it want to be excluded from it. I always said they would have the same health care as everyone else, the only difference would be you get county general and they get best research hospital at the time. See all the same. But, with their new  waivers I guess I missed that prophesy. It won't be the same health care.

Most of the success of implementing ACA is due to the fact that the Democratic Party always had this as a long term goal. They have been slowly pushing this for some time. My question is, what are the Republican Party's long term goals? Yes, they have short term election goals. However, not far reaching and long term goals. Not a unified vision for the future. Therefore, they have justly been labeled as a reactionary party. A party focused on the short term acquisition of power. This has created a political landscape where the Democrats make short surges towards their intended goals, as the Republicans gain small victories holding these surges down. If this was a football game. It appears as if the Republicans have an outstanding defensive lineup. However, with no offense they are slowly giving up field position. For the fans in the stands the outcome looks obvious. In any game, defending your goal is only half of the game. The only way a defensive team wins is by a recovered fumble, or interception. I don't see that here. Can always hope.