I do not consider myself to be a smoker but I do enjoy a handful of cigars every year. Today is a perfect day to sit outside with a beer and a good cigar. But, no matter how much I'd like to I am not able to enjoy a cuban cigar.
I have long questioned the embargo. It is a perfect example of special interest politics. Especially now that Florida has taken such a critical role in presidential elections neither party wants to do anything to risk angering cuban voters.
My dad was in a bunker under mortar fire in Vietnam the day I was born. It sure seems to me that if we can trade with Vietnam we should be able to trade with Cuba.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Lions on the prairie
Eden Prairie has a very active Lions group which I've always enjoyed. They're a great group of guys. They're dedicated to service but are more informal than some of the other community groups. They raise money for important causes and do it in a way which is fun--from a pancake breakfast, to Schooner days, the Corn Feed, the list goes on. And if they're at an event you can count on one other thing--there's a keg which has been tapped. They always serve beer.
I was at the Corn Feed this past August and spent time talking to three of my favorite Lions--Gary, Tom and Mike. Mike was trying real hard to get me to shuck some corn. I was trying real hard to drink my beer. We were at loggerheads.
I'm going to have time on my hands next year and I'm thinking real hard about joining the Lions. I'm pretty sure they serve beer at their meetings, too.
I was at the Corn Feed this past August and spent time talking to three of my favorite Lions--Gary, Tom and Mike. Mike was trying real hard to get me to shuck some corn. I was trying real hard to drink my beer. We were at loggerheads.
I'm going to have time on my hands next year and I'm thinking real hard about joining the Lions. I'm pretty sure they serve beer at their meetings, too.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Class warfare
This morning the Strib ran an article which addressed Dayton's proposal to increase income taxes on the "rich." Their polling suggested that his proposal was more popular than Emmer's to cut spending and Horner's to broaden the sales tax.
Dayton's supporters continue the cry that the "rich" don't pay their fair share of taxes. I reject this argument. And, i'll go one step further and bet that most of those who claim that the "rich" don't pay their fair share don't fully understand the "facts" behind the argument--they just repeat the rote phrase.
Let's begin with a statement which I think is uncontroversial--the income tax is progressive. This means that the more you make, the higher rate you pay. I think everyone agrees this is true.
But, if this is true, how is it that some argue that the "rich" pay a lesser percentage of their income in taxes?
Simple--they mix and match taxes and make certain assumptions which are impossible to prove but which raise interesting policy questions about what exactly it is that government should tax.
I know, that explanation is vague. So, let's go a step further and explain how this works.
Other than the income tax, all other taxes (sales tax, liquor tax, gas tax) are based on a fixed percentage of the VALUE of the item you buy. So a "rich" guy buying a keg of beer pays the same amount in taxes as a "less rich" guy buying the same keg. You can add the property tax into this mix as well as it, too, is based on value and is not intended to be based on income.
These "flat rate" taxes have what economists call a "regressive effect," in that the "less rich" guy has to spend a greater percentage of his income to buy the keg of beer than the "rich guy."
So, to make the argument (that the "rich" don't pay enough) work liberals make various assumptions about consumption, lump all of the various "flat rate" taxes in, and then argue that the rich are paying less than their fair share.
I hate this argument by liberals for a number of reasons. First, because it lumps a bunch of taxes which have different purposes together and treats them as though they were all intended to be income taxes. Second, because it ignores the choices that people make when they buy items which are taxable. And, third because most of these "flat rate" taxes were either enacted or increased by liberals.
Think about this last point for a minute using liberal taxation logic. When the liberals increased the gas tax--a tax with a "regressive effect"--a few years back they actually increased taxes on the middle class and poor and further increased the gap by which the "rich" don't pay their fair share. Kinda ironic, isn't it?
Dayton's supporters continue the cry that the "rich" don't pay their fair share of taxes. I reject this argument. And, i'll go one step further and bet that most of those who claim that the "rich" don't pay their fair share don't fully understand the "facts" behind the argument--they just repeat the rote phrase.
Let's begin with a statement which I think is uncontroversial--the income tax is progressive. This means that the more you make, the higher rate you pay. I think everyone agrees this is true.
But, if this is true, how is it that some argue that the "rich" pay a lesser percentage of their income in taxes?
Simple--they mix and match taxes and make certain assumptions which are impossible to prove but which raise interesting policy questions about what exactly it is that government should tax.
I know, that explanation is vague. So, let's go a step further and explain how this works.
Other than the income tax, all other taxes (sales tax, liquor tax, gas tax) are based on a fixed percentage of the VALUE of the item you buy. So a "rich" guy buying a keg of beer pays the same amount in taxes as a "less rich" guy buying the same keg. You can add the property tax into this mix as well as it, too, is based on value and is not intended to be based on income.
These "flat rate" taxes have what economists call a "regressive effect," in that the "less rich" guy has to spend a greater percentage of his income to buy the keg of beer than the "rich guy."
So, to make the argument (that the "rich" don't pay enough) work liberals make various assumptions about consumption, lump all of the various "flat rate" taxes in, and then argue that the rich are paying less than their fair share.
I hate this argument by liberals for a number of reasons. First, because it lumps a bunch of taxes which have different purposes together and treats them as though they were all intended to be income taxes. Second, because it ignores the choices that people make when they buy items which are taxable. And, third because most of these "flat rate" taxes were either enacted or increased by liberals.
Think about this last point for a minute using liberal taxation logic. When the liberals increased the gas tax--a tax with a "regressive effect"--a few years back they actually increased taxes on the middle class and poor and further increased the gap by which the "rich" don't pay their fair share. Kinda ironic, isn't it?
No diving allowed
If you visit the pool at the Eden Prairie Community Center you will notice "no diving" signs everywhere. That's not unusual for a pool. What's terrible, though, is that our pool doesn't allow diving from blocks for competitive swimming. The high school league changed the minimum depth a few years back and ever since the best swim program in the state has had to compete across town at an intermediate school.
As a former competitive swimmer I feel the pain. I remember all-too-well how a 5th place showing by my high school's hockey team in the state tournament received more recognition than a state championship by the swim team I was on.
The wound still hasn't healed. And that was over 25 years ago.
It's not realistic in today's economic times for our city to build the pool which EP swimmers deserve. But, I wonder how much it would cost to simply deepen the pool which we have.
As a former competitive swimmer I feel the pain. I remember all-too-well how a 5th place showing by my high school's hockey team in the state tournament received more recognition than a state championship by the swim team I was on.
The wound still hasn't healed. And that was over 25 years ago.
It's not realistic in today's economic times for our city to build the pool which EP swimmers deserve. But, I wonder how much it would cost to simply deepen the pool which we have.
What is a godsmack?
That was the question my wife posed to me when i told her I wanted to see Godsmack at the Roy Wilkins in October. Well, actually, she ignored me the first time I mentioned it and only began showing interest when I told her that i wanted to take our 14 year old along. I then made what proved to be a fatal mistake--I took her to the Godsmack website and without really thinking clicked on the first audio clip I saw so that she could hear the music. Well, in retrospect "Crying like a bitch" probably wasn't the song I wanted her to hear.
I attended my first concert in 8th grade--ELO. I couldn't name one of their songs today but I'm sure they were more tame. I guess we'll have to wait on that concert.
I attended my first concert in 8th grade--ELO. I couldn't name one of their songs today but I'm sure they were more tame. I guess we'll have to wait on that concert.
Who will take charge in Eden Prairie
The race for Eden Prairie mayor starts to heat up this week with the League of Women Voters "debate." It's not a true debate, but it will be one of the very few opportunities for candidates to try to distinguish themselves. The problem, of course, is that you'll also have six city council candidates at the same forum; so 8 people trying to divide up 1.5 hours.
I appreciate that the LWV puts on these events. But, in honesty they should call themselves the League of Liberal Women Voters as it is clear that liberals dominate this group. This is important at the debate primarily because you'll have a LWV member screening the audience questions--that's a lot of power to have and pretty much guarantees that any questions about taxation won't be asked.
Recently, the LWV has always permitted the question "should party endorsements be a part of local elections," so all the GOP candidates should be ready for that question. I reject the notion that party endorsements should be any less useful to voters that newspaper endorsements or former elected official endorsements. In fact, I suggest that party endorsements are far more relevant to voters as voters will have a much clearer idea of what a party endorsement means than, for example, an endorsement by the local paper. Knowing nothing more, a strong liberal will likely shy away from someone holding a GOP endorsement; but, they likely will have no real idea why the local paper endorsed a candidate.
I appreciate that the LWV puts on these events. But, in honesty they should call themselves the League of Liberal Women Voters as it is clear that liberals dominate this group. This is important at the debate primarily because you'll have a LWV member screening the audience questions--that's a lot of power to have and pretty much guarantees that any questions about taxation won't be asked.
Recently, the LWV has always permitted the question "should party endorsements be a part of local elections," so all the GOP candidates should be ready for that question. I reject the notion that party endorsements should be any less useful to voters that newspaper endorsements or former elected official endorsements. In fact, I suggest that party endorsements are far more relevant to voters as voters will have a much clearer idea of what a party endorsement means than, for example, an endorsement by the local paper. Knowing nothing more, a strong liberal will likely shy away from someone holding a GOP endorsement; but, they likely will have no real idea why the local paper endorsed a candidate.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Football Saturday in Eden Prairie
Pat's 6th grade White Sharks and Ian's 3rd grade Orange Crush both played games today.
Pat's team won. Pat had a pretty good game. He remains the best kicker on their team. He blocked reasonably well, but needs to drive his legs some more to keep the defender from making a play.
Ian's team lost. On offense, Ian suffered a fumble and got pancaked. Blue had a linebacker who shot the gap every play; the center couldn't protect Ian and Ian couldn't get rid of the ball fast enough. Not his fault. He played well at linebacker.
Pat's team won. Pat had a pretty good game. He remains the best kicker on their team. He blocked reasonably well, but needs to drive his legs some more to keep the defender from making a play.
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