The Democrats have become so anti-succes that I'm ready for them to propose giving the poor who don't pay taxes $500 free, while raising everyone else's. The fact that they are willing to only give back $300 billion of the $23 trillion that will be collected in taxes over the next ten years is utterly ridiculous and shows just how addicted to spending the party has become.
The top 10 percent of taxpayers, those with incomes of at least $72,092, paid 60.5 percent of the taxes in 1995, the latest available breakdown, according to the Tax Foundation. The top 50 percent, making over $22,360, paid 95.4 percent. The bottom 50 percent paid only 4.6 percent of the taxes. Indeed it is so, that a 10 percent tax cut across the board would benefit the rich. They pay all the taxes! Of course, like you I don't think of $22,000 as being rich, but apparently the Democrats think so.
Do Democrats believe that the rich should pay 60 percent of their incomes just because "they can"? Yes, and that is when we should start accusing them of being what they are, socialists. Gee, next they'll want free health care for all. Oh, that already happened?
I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to moving up the economic totem pole, and would like to keep most of what I make for my family, savings and retirement, choosing how I'll spend my money on charities that make a difference rather than government giveaway programs that eat 80% of funds in bureaucracy.
Who says Republicans don't listen to the American people? A House subcommittee is looking to abolish the 1992 law that mandated the sale of 1.6-gallon, or "low flow", toilets. They realized that the new toilets are so weak, we have to flush twice as much to prevent blockage, which in the end negates the idea of saving water. Now let's abolish the similarly ridiculous law requiring "low flow" showerheads!
This talk of toilets reminds me that when I was south of the equator in Brazil last month, I never got to see the toilets flush the opposite direction! They all sucked straight back instead of rotating counter-clockwise. Darn. I wonder, what direction does it flow if you sit directly on top of the equator?
For all the hoopla around Monday night's Showdown between golf's biggest draws, Tiger Woods and David Duval, I have another showdown that could be just as good: Pete Sampras vs. Andre Agassi. No, seriously! I'd watch the best men's player ever in tennis play the embodiment of tennis style. And as seen from Wimbledon and a recent title match, they bring out the best in each other, making for a wild ride.
As much as Tiger Woods has created a spark for minorities in golf (and whites as well), the Williams sisters have yet to do the same for tennis, as was predicted a few years ago.
Venus and younger sister Serena, while talented players, have not lived up to expectations as great role models for young African-American girls who could have a future in the "high society" sport of tennis.
Why is that? I believe in part it is because they're too controversial, spouting self-praise constantly while not treating fellow professionals, veterans, the public and the media with respect. They have also allowed their father to continually make boneheaded comments about the Tour and other players (mostly cries of racism), not realizing how much he hurts rather than helps. Last week Venus made a remark where she stated that nobody in women's tennis has the power to hit with her. A few days later she lost in straight sets when the No. 1 player in the world, Lindsay Davenport, overpowered Venus to win the Bank of the West Classic championship. I couldn't help at smile at such a turn in events after her comment. It's okay to be confident, but blatant conceit is not something fans care to hear.
Tiger learned early to rein in his father from making similar mistakes. When a controversy over racism arose (the Fuzzy Zoeller fiasco) he stayed away from the fray, not biting the media's hook. He thus learned that all we want from him is to play well, smile and be respectful of other players and his fans. The rest will follow, and still does two years later as it is clear that Tiger is no passing fad.
Here's hoping the Williams sisters let their amazing athleticism speak for itself, and allow the media and fans to build the hype they deserve for them.
John Hinckley, Jr., the nut who tried to assassinated President Reagan in 1981, is now being allowed to take supervised day trips from the mental hospital where he has lived since 1982.
It's already bad enough that he was allowed to stay in the mental hospital/hotel rather than the dirty, grungy, solitary jail cell he deserves to live in all his life, but now he can walk with the rest of us on the streets. The government will not appeal the court ruling that allows Hinckley to take the daily trips.
Congratulations to the Navy for appropriating funding to build two new aircraft carriers. Every time there is a conflict or hint of a conflict, the Navy has to move a carrier from a sensitive area, possibly risking American interests if some wacky leader decides to challenge our superiority.
Even though submarines that cost half of what a carrier does may do the same job, nothing projects U.S. force abroad and demands respect from our enemies more than our aircraft carriers.
What to do when you're dropping in the polls? Many politicians would say that it is time to talk about some issues and get the word out, such as the minor Republican candidates for president have done.
But in the case of Hillary Clinton, running for the Senate in New York, your opinion will most likely cost you points. So what does she do when her poll numbers start slipping downward? All of a sudden she decides to speak out about her husband's affair with Monica Lewinsky. She has to resort to something, because with all this silence during the "listening tour," she has yet to reveal an opinion about anything. Even George W. Bush has given us his stance on some issues. Hillary won't even give us her stance on whether she prefers green peppers or red peppers!
In trying to excuse the president's behavior last year, she wrote it off as Clinton being a victim. Typical liberalism; he's not responsible for his actions because his mother and grandmother fought when he was four years old. I'm serious! Here's the quote: "He was so young, barely four, when he was scarred by abuse. There was terrible conflict between his mother and grandmother." So I guess that is supposed to make up for the consistent infidelity for 20 years and lying to the American public and under oath in the judicial process.
Even with this excuse, the president doesn't fit the mold Hillary makes for him. He doesn't care about pleasing women, he only cares about self-gratification. For instance: allowing Monica Lewinsky to do all the work in the Oval Office, and he didn't even know her name until the third or fourth visit! Another, the groping of Virginia socialite Kathleen Willey in the Oval Office, then there's the alleged rape of Juanita Broadderick in the '70s and of course, the sexual harassment of Paula Jones in Little Rock ten years ago. He had a decade-long affair with Gennifer Flowers, then dismissed it as a one-night stand after denying it happened altogether for years.
Every woman who has come out to report their experience with Clinton has also been threatened and trashed in the press. Monica would still be called a lying stalker if the dress didn't exist. No, this is a man who is vindictive towards women, not trying to please them.