Stop Pulling the Wagon

GIVING YOUR MONEY TO CONGRESS TO INVEST

IS LIKE GIVING WHISKEY AND CAR KEYS TO A TEENAGER

When I was young and gullible I once believed the Social Security Administration maintained an investment account in my name into which they put my, and my employers Social Security contributions and then added interest during my working career.

This was the BIG LIE we were all led to believe.

What was really happening was all this money was being stolen by Congress to spend as they saw fit and they were replacing the money in the Social Security “Ledger” with worthless I.O.U.’s to be paid out on a supposedly “Pay As You Go” basis from “future” anticipated revenues.  This is the textbook definition of a Ponzi Scheme which they would put us in jail for if we put in practice on others.

The system is structurally Bankrupt and “benefits” (more later) are being paid through a “smoke and mirrors” accounting trick using borrowed deficit spending.  

Instead of an “investment account” maintained in our name, Congress now calls the Social Security “payback” an Entitlement Program as if it was like a Welfare Program.

HEY CONGRESS!  This was money taken out of our checks, at gunpoint when needed, and put into an account supposedly in our name and into which an equal share was paid by our employers – money they could have given to us in salary if it was not being confiscated by the Federal Government.

It is not like these elected “Clowns, Criminals and Lunatics” don’t know what an Actuarial Table is.  They do.  But, they would prefer to treat us all as if we are stupid and not aware of their little “slight of hand” maneuvers with OUR money.

At the present time the Government withholds (confiscates) 6.2% of your gross paycheck for Social Security AND your employer pays to them an additional amount equal to 6.2% of your gross pay.  There are some “thresholds” (upper and lower) on this but for the vast majority of us these numbers apply.  Don’t forget that if your employer was not required to pay this to the Government, they could give it to you in salary.  That totals 12.4%.

Just for fun I took an Actuarial Table (readily available on line – Google) and did a sample based on an average 40 year working career – that is like going to work at 25 years old and retiring at 65 years old.  Some folks make more and some folks make less but for this example I assumed an average annual salary of $50,000 with no increases over the 40 year period.  That would be an average monthly income of $4,166 (and some change).  12.4% of  $4,166 is $516 (rounded down).  If you “plug in” $516 into the Actuarial Table for the first month and then add that amount to your account monthly over a 40 year period  at 4% interest (chump change to a competent Investment Firm) you will end up at the end of your 40 year period with…..  are you ready….. $614,474.00  

But don’t trust me.  Run you own numbers.  At 5% interest that number jumps  to $794,504.00.

You could easily live out the rest of your years when you retire with a nice income and leave the rest to your family or favorite charity.

HELLO CONGRESS!  Where’s my money.

Something to think about.

Bob Bandy

“When the public discovers they can vote themselves money from the public treasury, the [American] experiment will be over”-Tocqueville 1838.

Along with a good many other people I feel despair when I see a disaster happening right in front of me and I can do nothing to stop it.

One example is a friend who becomes addicted to a drug that will destroy their lives.  You can see it happening but no matter what you say or try to do, they will not turn away from the addiction.  It becomes the most important thing in their life.

This happened in my own life with a friend who became addicted to alcohol.  We tried to help him over an extended period of time but the addiction was too much and ultimately alcohol meant more to him than his life.

I have heard that “Meth” (methamphetamine), sometimes called “Crystal Meth”, is so addictive that as high as 99% of first time users will become addicted.  “Street Wise” Drug Pushers will give away “free” samples knowing they are creating a future paying clientele for their life destroying commodity.

Anything that creates an addiction also creates a form of slavery.

National Parks have signs that say “Do Not Feed The Animals”.  The reason for the signs is that they know that if you feed the animals many (or most) of them can become addicted to the food provided for them “free” and will lose the ability to feed themselves in the wild. 

I am not the only one seeing this happening in our country.

The United States is divided into opposing forces in the quest for the hearts and minds as well as the future of the American people. 

One group feels that American citizens will ultimately be happier, with greater self respect and knowledge of the real  joy of freedom,  if they are independent of the need to have government take care of them and prefer the pride of taking care of themselves with government restricted to the role of providing a National Defense and Public Safety – primarily protection from foreign enemies and domestic criminals – along with Emergency Services plus care for the Biblical “Widows and Orphans”.

The second group, much like the “Street Wise Drug Pushers” seeks to achieve power by first creating and then feeding the addiction of a voter base to government provided “free” programs to provide for their daily needs.  This group, either unwittingly, or under the misguided notion of charity (using other peoples money) seek power for themselves and in the process to build a dependent, addicted class of “clientele” to the governmental “pushers” of  dependency.

This second group will do anything to grow their power by creating a majority voter base.  Either by conversion of existing needy groups or importing new clients for supposedly “free” government services. Their plan is to achieve, maintain and expand a majority voter base to keep them in power and control.  Power and control being this groups own addiction and drug of choice. 

Which group is achieving the greatest number of new voters?

What I see, fear and observe is a greater and greater number of people who are, by choice or self inflicted circumstances, unable to care for themselves and are willing to become slaves to a more and more dominate and corrupt State and Federal Government holding out a false promise of security based on debt and the confiscation, often at gun point, of “other peoples property and money”. 

Government confiscation of personal property, including land for redistribution is happening in South Africa as this is being written.  Is the United States a candidate for something similar?

I am very much afraid that we have already passed the “tipping point” and the majority have become the “glassy eyed” drones of the “pushers” of government dependency.

Makes that cabin in the woods look pretty good.

Bob Bandy

“I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretence of taking care of them.” Thomas Jefferson

Someday Son – All This Will Be Yours

President Ronald Reagan once said: “No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size.  Government programs, once launched, never disappear.  Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth!”

Please don’t view the above picture as some poor souls overflowing storage unit or even my own garage filled to the bursting with the forgotten debris of years past.

Instead, consider it as a visual symbol of one of the many of our Governments programs which have exceeded their “best if used by” date and now resemble something that looks like a science experiment gone bad you find in the back of your refrigerator.

Our government is filled with departments and agencies on steroids which have metasticized past their original intent and charter, have budgets in the Billions and employees in the tens of thousands.

There are dozens of excellent examples of Government Departments and Agencies that began life as a well intended, “We’ve got to do something” pregnant thought in the mind of a bureaucrat. 

One good example of how government programs become bloated, employee heavy, overgrown, self sustaining, ineffective, unnecessary rat holes for tax dollars can be seen in the U.S. Department of Energy. 

Created in 1977 it was originally chartered to make the U.S. independent from the need for foreign oil.  What it has become is a Thirty Two Billion Dollar a year, Ten Thousand plus employee boondoggle. 

What was really needed was an examination of government policies and regulations that was choking the life out of energy producers. 

Forty years and about a Trillion Dollars later the Department of Energy never met its original goal. 

We are now trembling on the verge of becoming energy independent, not because of the Department of Energy but by getting government out of the way of private market energy producers.

Are we hearing any plans to shut down, or downsize of the Department of Energy?  No!

What about the Federal Department of Education?   Ever wonder what it does other than get in the way?  Think a few minutes, you will come up with many other examples.

I have written on similar themes before.  April 4, 2012 – “Bring On The Clowns”.  February 21, 2015 – “Paperwork Reduction”.   And in full disclosure, many of my writings – dare I say “rants” – have tangential themes.

Is there any way  to “de-crapify” our lives without doing permanent psychological damage to our addiction to “stuff” and dependence on inefficient and wasteful government programs?

Seems to me that with a little determination, a yard sale and a couple of trips to the dump with a good sized truck, I could clean up much of my own litter.

Is a more Spartan existence even possible for Government?  

Just something to think about.

Bob Bandy

*picture taken from Facebook – origin unknown

I have often been amused at our tendency as a people to create cultural Icons out of some pretty unsavory individuals.  Black Beard the Pirate, Pancho Villa, Billy The Kid, Bonnie & Clyde and more recently, the Clinton Crime Family.  

Coming to us out of the State of Arkansas, a state of some three million citizens, they have left behind them a trail of abused women, phony cattle and land “deals”, death by “suicide” (Vince Foster – White House Counsel), heart broken interns, perjury, etc. etc.

Remember when Hillary said that she and Bill “Came out of the White House not only dead broke but millions of dollars in debt”.  Her words, not mine.  Ever wonder where all the money came from to turn them into millionaires in just a few short years?

When Port-Au-Prince in Haiti was devastated by a massive 7.0 Earthquake in 1993 over 13 Billion Dollars was pledged to help rebuild the City and surrounding area.  Several Billion of these dollars were “funneled” through the Clinton Foundation to rebuild housing and infrastructure in Port-Au-Prince.  Very little housing was rebuilt and the infrastructure remains a shambles to this day but the money disappeared – “Poof”.

The Clinton Global Initiative is presented as a way to provide aid to Africa for such things as fighting diarrhea and other health problems – a worthy cause.  What little information about the finances of the organization has been made public has shown that less than 10% has gone to actually helping the people of Africa and the rest of the money has been spent on “Administrative” and other costs – translation – funding the Clinton’s lifestyle.  “Poof”.

While Hillary was serving as Secretary of State somehow millions of foreign dollars (Saudi Arabia, Morocco, others) got “donated” to Clinton “Charities” and Bill was paid Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars for twenty minute speeches as he traveled, First Class, around the world in a quest to interview new “Interns” for Hillary’s upcoming, “in the bag” Presidency which was being engineered  by the Democratic National Committee (exit Bernie Sanders) and members of upper management at the (in)Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation with the State Department playing a supportive role in the wings.

Everywhere the Clinton’s have been they have left behind broken lives, ruined careers, lies, deception and a talent for evading justice themselves.  In the process they have convinced millions of gullible voters that they “really care”.  They do care.  About themselves.

In my mind we all must take some blame or credit, you choose, for making “Rock Stars” out of those who destroy the lives of others while enriching themselves.  

Still, it troubles many of us how some individuals can live their lives doing things that most of us would not only have our lives and reputations destroyed for doing, but would also find ourselves confined for long prison sentences, while folks like the Clinton’s and their ilk, are hailed as “Celebrities” and “Folk Hero’s”.  

Bob Bandy –

“Just one out of Hillary’s basket of Deplorable’s” 

This writing is meant to be a humorous look at life in the “new” Progressive California.

It is all true but it is not my intent to offend anyone, or perhaps, it is my intent to offend everyone, myself included, with the goal that we should all learn to laugh at ourselves when we view the results of our “good intentions”.

California is now a “Sanctuary State”, or more accurately a non-state since you cannot have a defined Country or State that does not have borders.  Everyone is now a citizen and you cannot be questioned about where you came from or how you got here.  No papers required.  Criminal history cannot be questioned.  

ISIS Bomb Maker – no documents required!  Drug Cartel Hit Man – You don’t need no “stinking papers”!  North Korean Saboteur – Come On Down!

If you want a practical demonstration of this take down all the fences around your house and allow free access to your yard and belongings.  While we’re at it, let’s also remove all the fences around all of California homes and businesses.  And, let us not forget to do the same for our friends in the Legislatures and all the folks in Hollywood.   Now lets see what happens to the Constitutional concept of “private ownership of private property”.

California is now a State where a prospective employer can be jailed or sued by a prospective employee if they question their immigration status, criminal history, Gender identity or belief in man made global warming.  This same prospective employer can also be sued by their customers if it turns out, for example, an employee has a criminal history and it was not disclosed to customers.

California is now a State where a worker in a Rest Home can be jailed if they address a patient by a gender title which the patient finds offensive on that particular day.  Subject to the patients right to change their gender identity “at will”.

California is a place where, if I wanted to, I could decide to be male on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Female on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  On Saturdays I could decide that I am a gender neutral Martian that is undocumented. No-one would be allowed to even question this, and, if they did I could sue them or have them jailed.  And, as a Martian I am only 44 years old.

The new “Progressive” California is a place where drug testing can be required to get a job to earn money (which will be taxed) but you cannot be drug tested to get “free” money in Public Aid to use as you see fit including spending that money on more drugs.

California is a State where you will not be jailed for stealing as long as you keep the total value of the items you steal to less than $940.  They can write you a ticket/citation but it is only a Misdemeanor and not a Felony.  There have been documented cases of thieves filling up shopping carts with items worth “only” a few hundred dollars and then giving Store Security the finger on their way out of the parking lot.  By the way,  Shopping carts are now “free” in California.  Note the “Citizen” in the photo above at his “residence” on the Streets in San Francisco.

California is the only State where if you steal a gun – worth less than $940 – it is a misdemeanor and you will be given a citation/ticket but if you buy a gun legally and are caught with it in your possession on the street without a State approved “Permit” it is a Felony and you can be given jail time and fines.  “Honest officer – I stole this gun – just give me the citation.”

I could go on with much more but why?  

California!  It’s a wonderful life!

You can’t make this stuff up.

Bob

I have information from reliable but nameless and secret sources that the State of California is very near announcement of a two fold plan for a Fair Share Universal Tax to help fund the War on Global Climate Change.

First, in recognition that exhaling releases carbon dioxide gas which is a contributor to Global Climate Change,  every resident or visitor to the State of California will be required to have a micro chip implant that will both monitor and report each time they exhale to the State of California.

This data will be forwarded to the Franchise Tax Board who will calculate the tax due and be responsible for collecting the scheduled tax from “Breathers”.  At the time of this writing the tax rate being considered is one tenth of a cent per exhale.  This may seem  a paltry sum until one calculates that the average adult respiratory rate is about 15 times per minute or 900 times per hour.  Do a little math and the average cost of exhaling in California will be about 90 cents an hour or $21.60 a day.

This tax can be avoided by simply no longer exhaling and residents and visitors can take comfort in the fact that inhaling is still free.  At least for now.

For the Second phase of this battle consideration is being given to the fact that methane is also a contributor to Global Climate Change and it is the responsibility of all of us to pay our Fair Share Tax in the battle to monitor and reduce the release of this gas into California’s breathable air resources.

It is also a scientific fact that flatulence is a major contributor to the release of methane into the atmosphere. Therefore, California is creating a new agency to monitor and tax the unwanted release of this gas.  To fund this Board and its employees a new source of revenue will be created through the establishment of a Flatulence Air Resource Tax.

Under development is a new monitoring device to be worn by all residents and visitors on the rear upper portion of the thigh which will sense, tabulate and report to the Board all releases of methane gas by the wearer.

The Board will then forward this information to the California Franchise Tax Board who will be responsible for billing and collecting the approved tax.  At this writing a rate of $1.00 per release is under consideration.  Think of it as an exhaust gas tax.

Taxpayers can avoid this tax by simply not releasing any methane gas through the monitored process.

The State agency for this Board is reporting some difficulty in recruiting, hiring and training workers who will be responsible for checking and monitoring individuals at random to be sure they are wearing the methane release and sound monitoring device and that it is working properly.

Formal announcement of this new Fair Share Tax and implementation of monitoring should be released through the media within the next 60 days.

All tax rates are subject to review and increase depending on Battlefield Assessment Reports from the ongoing War against Global Climate Change and subject to review and correction by former Vice President Al Gore.

What could possibly go wrong?

Bob Bandy