My govt check ended today. I just got out of the army.
So tomorrow, I sign up for unemployment.
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My govt check ended today. I just got out of the army.
So tomorrow, I sign up for unemployment.
Been getting mine since the 70's, free medical care, too!!!! I must be double bad, huh???Quote:
Originally Posted by cffisher
I worked 50 years for my 'worthless' SS check. Then the fantastic Medicare coverage. Nice, huh? Wrong!! You still need supplemental insurance as Medicare ain't what we were told about 1965 that it was going to be the cure for all your ills. Then my 401(k), both of them are doing nicely - but I also put a bunch of money away for a government such as we have today. And yes, I do expect reasonable return on them as the monies that I put in are being used by my investment firms as seed money and loans for establishing new companies or to purchase updates for existing companies land and equipment. And my piddlin' pension - which I contributed to for 40 plus years - that hasn't given me ANY increase since I started taking it even though it's one of the biggest in the US (GE). The GE retiree's insurance - garbage. I refuse to take it. Then the fact that I have a useless ex wife that I have neither seen nor communicated with in over 20 years - she receives 37% of that piddlin' pension only because I was married to her for over 10 years (Majuskas vs Majuskas, 1984).
Those with small businesses - you are caught between the rock and the hard place. Spend money, increase your staff and maybe you will survive - if you have a reasonable and workable business plan. If you are a one man shop - shouldn't be too much of a problem, again, if you have a decent business plan. More employees then yourself, you get caught up with the 6000 or so new Federal regulations plus Obamacare, all since 2009 then add in your state's new regs.
Will Romney "cure" these past 4 years worth of government disaster - probably not, but the current occupants sure will make it worse if they have another 'turn'
I have contributed to SS since 1969 and have made the maximum contribution every year. I just turned 65 and if I retire at 67, I get a measly $2900 a month....doesnt even pay the taxes on the house, the utilities, my Viagra prescription, and gasoline. Had I invested the money in a semi reputable firm, I would be in tall cotton.
You're right, Mike. In recent months we have stood in awe of the success our government has had investing our money for us.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike P
[QUOTE=herbet99;478104] ( 4) create a government sponsored project(s), akin to the Manhattan Project or putting a man on the moon, to a) design a better and cheaper electric car and/or b) design a better and cheaper hydrogen car and build a nation wide infrastructure for hydrogen delivery. /QUOTE]
That sounds okay, too, but .........
What if the government could be taken out of the picture?
In 1908 the London Daily Mail put up a prize of 500 Pounds Sterling for the first person to fly across the English Channel in an (other-than-lighter-than-air) aircraft. A man named Louis Bleriot collected that one.
Then a hundred years later (2009) Burt Rutan won the "Ansari X" prize of $10,000,000 bucks for being the first non-government organization to accomplish sending a reusable manned spacecraft into space. He had to do it twice in two weeks to collect the prize.
What I'm leading up to is this: Put up a huge prize, a billion maybe? ..... to do what Herbet99 said in his hydrogen car quote (above) ...... with the money to be payable when the system is proven to work?
Putting up the billion would be a better use for government cash than Solyndra or a lot of other Obama schemes.
Okay. feel free to tell me the idea is dumb. It won't be the first time.
Jim
direct tv has 2016 the movie on ch157 pay per view everybody needs to see it ...ted
Interesting idea. The hard part with hydrogen though, is the distribution.Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Tracks
I think that perhaps the FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) may be the answer, with hydrogen as the fuel, derived from Natural Gas. Some of the prototypes since 2009 have gone over 250 miles between refueling, much better than having to recharge batteries every 100 miles, but still not where it needs to be. One has to wonder if some closet scientist might not find the answer to having a range of say, 1000 miles with efficiency in the 75% to 80% range, good acceleration up to a max speed of maybe 90 mph (120 for police applications??), and capable of being re-fueled in less than ten minutes from a readily available fuel source - that is, already readily available, and lower in price than gasoline, with a sufficient prize dangled out there to be claimed. Throw in a set of lithium batteries for backup in case of fuel cell problems, and you might have the bases covered. I kind of like the idea, and I for sure like it better than our government handing out millions to snake oil salesmen who happened to be big campaign contributors.
Fox news just showing OBama voting in Chicago---What do you think it cost????? Saw a c5a or something like it landing at Dupage County airport yesterday afternoon--with the Marine One choppers---NOW, they just flew over the house on way back to airport---I got outside in time to see two of them, sometimes there are 3 or more----plus his armored cars and escorts---couldn't he of just mailed his ballot in??????????
Ya' know, that could have been done to create a valuable "campaign moment", him and Michelle walking out to the corner mailbox with their advance ballots, placing the stamps on the corner, and then dropping them into the box with plenty of time to spare, along with a message, "I just saved the American taxpayer's $300,000 by mailing in my ballot instead of taking Air Force One to Chi-Town..... Opportunity missed I'd say!!Quote:
Originally Posted by jerry clayton
The plane that is used to carry the president, which is typically a Boeing 747, costs the Air Force $179,750 per hour to operate, according to a new Congressional Research Service report. This is just the cost of Air Force One (designated as such only when the POTUS is on board).
Typically, there are other costs associated with the planes that are required for the entourage of a president. Air National Guard planes also fly approach and take-off sorties. It costs (per aircraft) $20,516 per hour to fly the F-15 and $9,366 to fly the F-16, according to data published by Defense Department comptroller’s office.
So yuppers – probably cost the taxpayers $250K each way for Mr. Obama to come to Chicago to cast his vote. It’s a bit more than a first class stamp. Probably the annual salary with benefits of five well qualified K12 teachers.
Well, certainly not the only incumbent ever to travel home to vote...... Remember lots of "photo ops" of incumbent Presidents doing that... Just more wasted tax dollars that the government doesn't seem to give a hoot about... DDSS
Nope, definitely not the only incumbent to make a show of traveling home to vote, and will not be the last. My point is that it was still an opportunity lost, IMO. Seems that there is no accountability for money spent in any political office anymore, again, IMO, and that crosses party lines! We had a mini-scandal about politicians "overlooking" their personal property taxes on luxury jets that were owned by their businesses. Caused a mini uproar, and some scrambling to write checks to cover past sins.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Severson
Just politics as usual, cut everybody's program except mine.....
Nothing new there either, I guess.....
Vote out ALL the incumbents a couple times, maybe they'd get the message??
Andrew Jackson supposedly said "they should hold elections every year so all the fools could have a shot at it"