Voter, voter, how does your gov't fumble?

LIES: The Republicans will tell you that one answer to job creation is for the administration to stop impeding gas and oil drilling operations. They overlook (and hope you will overlook) the fact that the current rig count, at 1985 active rigs, is the highest it has been in three years. This figure is up by 324 from 1661 during the same week in 2010, a 19.5% increase. This data is from Baker Hughes.

LIES: Trade: Obama says Congress needs to pass pending trade legislation. Congress tells us Obama has not sent those bills to the legislature for action. Wow.

ARROGANCE: During the past 2 – 3 weeks, the Prez has held several news conferences to announce various plans. He has consistently arrived late for these conferences. This is nothing short of disrespectful. One positive thing can be said for Prez Bush: he was near anal about being on time.

DYSFUNCTION: Obama said last week in his address to Congress that Americans cannot wait fourteen months until the election, for a solution to the country’s problems. Maybe we can’t, but it sure looks like we will. (And then the next election, and …)

HYPOCRISY: I missed this point during the recent Republican candidate debate, but one astute AP reporter picked up on it: While the candidates all seem eager to drastically change or dismantle Social Security and Medicare, not to mention “Obamacare,” most of them seem to want to KEEP the prescription drug plan for seniors implemented by Bush, despite the huge contribution this program makes to the deficit. I’m just sayin’…

TAX REFORM: Every politician who can find a camera and mic talks about tax reform. Nothing gets done. This has been going on for DECADES. When laws are enacted that deal with taxes, they amount to more loopholes and accounting tricks and smoke and mirrors, not reform. It is said that the tax code amounts to a stack of papers over five feet high. I can fix that in about fifteen minutes, with a match.

So what to replace it with? Presidential candidate Herman Cain has a nearly viable idea that he calls his 9-9-9 plan. That is, a 9% national sales tax, a 9% tax rate for individuals, a 9% tax rate for corporations. I might adjust those rates marginally, but he is damn sure on the right track.

Who do you suppose is standing in the way of such grand schemes that periodically appear? The lobbyists for accountants and lawyers would be my guess.

ALMOST, BUT NO CIGAR: Speaking of taxes, Obama said in his speech this A.M. (when he finally showed up) that it is unfair to have an investment advisor with an income of $50,000,000 pay the same 15% rate as a school teacher with a $50,000 income. There are a whole bunch of ways to parse this nonsensical statement, but let’s start with the fact that a teacher with a $50,000 gross income is not going to pay 15% on that income. It would be nice if our politicians would first understand the tax code before they go spouting off about it.

SMOKE AND MIRRORS: And, finally, we come to government accounting tricks. Some years ago, in the 1990s, if memory serves, the gov’t came up with a scheme to save money during a given fiscal year. In order to do this, they moved the end-of-month military payday from the last day of the month to the first day of the next month. (I am not making this up; I was there!) This had minimal impact on military personnel, but an impact for the gov’t of hundreds of millions or so when a payroll was delayed from Sept 30 to Oct 1, thus shifting one payment to the next fiscal year.

NOW, today, there is another shift. (I am also not making this up.) According to an article on military.com, the military payrolls for Oct 2011 and Jan 2012 will be shifted backward, to the last day of Sep and Dec 2011.

Why? Military.com does not say this, but I will. The short answer is smoke and mirrors. The 2012 government fiscal year begins Oct 1, 2011. The shift of a payment BACK to Sep 30 will take one payday out of fiscal year 2012. THEN, the TAX YEAR for most individuals ends Dec 31. By shifting a payday to Dec 31, that means individuals will have to pay 2011 income taxes on one additional payday. That will INCREASE gov’t income for fiscal year 2012 (calendar year 2011.) Are you confused? Well, this is just one simple example of Bureaucratic Think.

THIS IS ALL BY DESIGN!? Congressman Boehner said this weekend that our government, with three (he almost said two, then corrected himself) branches, was designed NOT to work. Congrats! It is living up to expectations.

Are we happy yet?

One in six Americans in poverty! So What?

This week’s media hysteria reports that 46 million Americans (1 in 6) live in poverty. The inflammatory television “tease” or print headline is always followed by the intrepid reporter’s discovery of one family whose story is developed so as to bring at least one tear to the eye of even the mildly sympathetic.

During the media blitz this week telling us how bad off we are in America, I have not found even one report explaining the actual details of how the poverty rate is measured. And it doesn’t take much to explain that. To wit: the “poverty rate” is based on reported income. Assets and unreported income do not count when determining this statistic.

What does this mean? Well, the media does tell us that a family of four with an income less than about $23,000, or an individual with an income in the neighborhood of $14,000, is living in poverty. BUT, it is a fact that you can have $1,000,000.00 in a money market account or some other investment and still statistically fall into poverty.

That’s right. $1,000,000 in a money market or other low yield investment (or a higher yield tax-free investment such as a muni bond) at today’s rates will pay out a reportable income that puts a couple or a family near or below the poverty level.

Okay. You are from Missouri? I will show you. Suppose you have $1,000,000 in a non-retirement account that you can access without reporting a withdrawal. Suppose you are getting a sky high 1.4 % interest on that account (typical MMAs today are paying less that .5%.) So, your reportable income here is $14,000. Now, suppose you are “unfortunate” enough to have no other “reportable” income, or no other income at all. You believe you cannot live on $14,000, so you augment your income with a withdrawal from the $1,000,000 principle of, say, $40,000 (4%, which is within retirement advisory guidance.) So, now you have a spendable allotment, or income, of $54,000, with only $14,000 reportable. Of course, with the standard deduction and personal exemption, you won’t pay any income tax on that $14,000 and you might even qualify for a tax credit for the “poor.” And, with no job, you of course have paid no payroll tax. And, with that amount in savings, you most likely have paid off your mortgage, so you are living mortgage free.

You might scoff at this, but the scenario is entirely realistic and not uncommon for someone at or near retirement age. The Heritage Foundation, in a July 19, 2011 report, states:

… if poverty means lacking nutritious food, adequate warm housing, and clothing for a family, relatively few of the more than 30 million people identified as being “in poverty” by the Census Bureau could be characterized as poor.[2] While material hardship definitely exists in the United States, it is restricted in scope and severity. The average poor person, as defined by the government, has a living standard far higher than the public imagines.

Go to http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2011/07/what-is-poverty for their entire report and an enlightening survey.

I understand there are a large number of people out of work, and some of those people are legitimately suffering. There are more millions who believe they are “underemployed” or not employed to their fullest potential or who have not reached their dream level of existence or whatever. (My keeper is intimately familiar with such an individual.) But before you let hysterical media sound bites convince you that America is in horrible shape because 46 million people “live in poverty,” please take a minute to understand what that statistic means, and what it does not mean.

Here is a test: How many cars run the Indianapolis 500 race? How many can finish in the top 10%? The race is not totally unlike life. Statistically, we cannot all finish on top.

Firearms: To carry or not to carry?

This question has come up a lot lately: a couple national news stories mentioned armed citizens; my son, a United States Marine, is pondering the advisability of owning a weapon for home security; good friend Steve and I discussed the issue at some length recently; and, the issue came up at the Escapade. I am not opposed to the second amendment interpretations or gun ownership in theory. In practice? Well that is something else again. Read on.

The case for allowing all law-abiding people to possess and carry firearms goes something like this: the police can’t be everywhere; if good citizens are armed, they can stop the baddies.

This arguments would seem to make some sense, but what is the reality?
Maybe you heard about the recent shooting at the IHOP in Carson City, NV. A fellow with an AK-47 or some such took out a bunch of people, one or two on the street, then several people (including some unarmed military folks) eating breakfast in the restaurant.

One witness to these events claims he had a firearm on his person, but that he did not have time to stop the shooter before he entered the IHOP. Perhaps that is true. None of us can ever know the exact timeline. But I suspect that this good citizen merely hesitated for a few brief seconds while trying to decide if he 1)was good enough with his own weapon to hit his target with the first shot (as opposed to some innocent bystander) and 2) was willing to draw the maniac’s deadly fire toward himself. These are legitimate precautions that a responsible gun-carrying citizen should take, but those seconds of hesitation may cause a lost opportunity to take out the bad guy.

Then, on the morning news today was the story of a pharmacist in a Michigan Walgreen’s or some such. The story goes that two masked and armed punks entered the store to rob it. One punk goes over the pharmacy counter, trying to fire his weapon. The bad guy’s weapon did not fire. The pharmacist on night duty picks up the phone and pulls out his weapon (he was licensed to carry.) The punk continues to try to shoot his weapon, but it won’t fire. The pharmacist fires his weapon THREE TIMES toward the punk at close range, and misses all three times! (Where did the bullets go?)

These events show how unlikely it is that an armed good guy can bring down a bad guy. To be effective with a weapon, you have to act instantaneously and with confidence and accuracy; that requires extensive and constant training, something the average armed citizen usually lacks.

So what about self-defense? This question came up at the Escapade during a seminar on boon-docking. The questions concerned personal security in the middle of nowhere. (For those not familiar with RV travel, boon-docking is parking where there are no hookups, often in wilderness or off-the-beaten path areas.) Two retired police officers were in the audience. One of them pointed out that you are safer outside the city. The other said that you can have an arsenal in your rig, but the bad guy always has the element of surprise.

It is hard to argue with experienced cops. An even more subtle aspect of the surprise element is what well-intentioned gun-owners might do to actually assist the bad guy.

Friend Steve and I recently spent some enjoyable days at a Colorado lake. We got into a good discussion about firearms and those who carry them. Steve is well-armed, well-trained and a staunch defender of the second amendment. I have no heartburn with any part of what he does. Steve also has some interesting observations from his experience on the firing range and on the street.

On the firing range, Steve has seen too many dumb amateur mistakes. On the street, he has noted that many who carry concealed can’t wait to share the fact that they are carrying. He does a little pantomime where he imitates a gun-toter with a pistol on his belt, concealed beneath his coat, but oftentimes flipping his coat tail to showoff what he has concealed. (This little act is hilarious when you see it in person.) Steve rightfully points out that this removes the concealed, thereby the surprise, aspect of being an armed citizen.

This was brought home to me at the Escapade. A campsite neighbor and I were talking one evening and he was sharing the fact that after Escapade he was heading east to see his daughter, an officer in the United States military. I asked him if she had secured him reservations at the base famcamp. He said no, that if he went on base he would have to unload certain items from his RV for storage at his daughter’s house, due to base security. With the emphasis on “certain items” and the accompanying wink and nod, I immediately knew this guy was carrying firearms.

Good for him. But he did not know me from Adam- we hadn’t even exchanged names. And I then knew that he was armed. So, if I am a bad guy planning to do him harm, I make allowances for what I have learned. Now the element of surprise is even further onto my side of the court. With this knowledge in my basket of goodies, Mr. Good Self-defender can figure himself down for the count, if that is my intention.

Bumper stickers claiming “protected by Smith & Wesson” are hilarious. If I am a bad guy, and I want you, you better have that gun in your hand 24/7 and never sleep, cuz I can get you. (Yep, little old, weak, unarmed me.) And if the bumper sticker is a bluff—well, you are just a fool for inviting unnecessary attention. Better you should have one that says “second amendment rocks,” or something.

So much for the self-defense power of firearms!

So, what to do if you are concerned about self-defense? One solid suggestion that came out of Escapade was hornet spray. The stuff is an irritant and can spray up to 20 feet in a straight line. I would add to that a baseball bat.

If a bad guy means to do you harm and can shoot you from a distance, you are probably done for. But that is not the situation where most innocents go down in a self-defense situation. Most situations can be handled with something like hornet spray, and you won’t have to fret about killing someone (is that something you REALLY want to do?) or your spouse shooting you some late night or your kids shooting each other.

SO- what am I saying here? Bottom line: Yes, you have the RIGHT to carry and I do not believe that right should be taken away. Should you exercise that right? Probably not, unless you are willing to put in the significant time and effort and expense of highly training yourself and everyone else with access to your weapon. (Hint: that means more than a one-time hunter safety course.)

One final note: Do NOT advertise your abilities or weaknesses or vulnerabilities. Think about it.

Good luck and be safe.

Escapade - PT II - Volunteers

I would be criminally remiss if I did not touch on the tremendous volunteer efforts that go into putting on an Escapade. As an Escapee for some years, I have known of the volunteer spirit in the organization. As a volunteer at C.A.R.E. for a brief month in 2008, I witnessed firsthand the power of caring. Now, after seeing the tremendous volunteer efforts at Escapade, I am, to put it mildly, in awe!

The Escapade Directors (husband/wife team) hold the position for several years and to be honest I don’t know if that position is paid or not, but it seems like darn near a full time job. Beneath them on the org chart are ass’t directors and coordinators and, like the directors, it seems those folks must flat wear themselves out during the prep for the Escapade rally. But the above folks only scratch the surface of the effort required on site during the event, and this is where the big push of volunteers come in.

The “staff” volunteers are those recruited in advance and serve various functions throughout the week, some arriving days or maybe weeks in advance to set up the site and coordinate the activities. From what I witnessed, there are several dozen of these good people working their butts off to bring all the pieces of the rally together and make sure they stay together for the week. From the initial friendly greeting at the site entrance by a rover on a Segway to the parking, registration, volunteer and information booths, donuts and coffee every A.M. (great ladies- a place to find a smile every morning!) seminar scheduling, set-up, and assistance, main event organizers, vendor coordination, clean-up, and on and on, these folks are there and attentive to every small detail.

Then there are the on-site volunteers (my term) recruited during the rally registration. This gives everyone an opportunity to augment the staff volunteers and help out in one specific area for a three hour period. Another few dozen people volunteer in this capacity and I can tell you from personal experience, it is greatly rewarding to feel a part of the whole rally by contributing in this small way.

Now, lest you think this volunteer thing is “no big deal,” or that perhaps I am overstating the efforts, I suggest you bee-bop on out to your own county fairgrounds and spend a couple hours thinking about what you would do with nearly 1300 people arriving in nearly 700 RVs, all of whom expect to be parked and entertained for five days and evenings. Think of a five day wedding reception for 1200 of your daughter’s closest friends or a multi-day birthday party for your seven-year-old- times about
fifty. Good luck! Let me know what you come up with.

As for my thoughts, all I can do is remove my hat and bow deeply in recognition of the efforts of these fine people who contribute their time and sweat. God bless you one and all, and thank you for a fine rally in Gillette, WY.

51st Escapees Escapade

I might have lied, just a little. To say I have “been camping” is a bit of a stretch.

What I (along with Keeper and Dog) really did was pack some nice clean clothes, nice fresh food, and hygiene supplies (for a nice clean body) into a nice, dry space of approximately 8 x 17 feet with room still to live (the PUC – see previous posts) and drove to Gillette, Wyoming where we parked, “camped,” on the level, grassy terrain of the county fairgrounds with full hookups (so we could “camp” (sleep and eat) in a temperature-controlled, dry environment while we attended five days of seminars and other rally events inside the dry, temp controlled, Gillette Camplex.

The event was the 51st Escapees Escapade.

After thirty-plus years of various forms of camping and RVing, this was our first RV RALLY. There is a reason for that. We do not like crowds and are not particularly inspired by the artificial enthusiasm, we call it the “rah-rah hoopla,” that permeates such events.

We made an exception this time because after several years of membership in Escapees, I am convinced that ESCAPEES is the finest RV organization in existence and I let myself become convinced that I just might learn something new by attending an Escapade.

That said, I will tell you this. Because of my feelings toward large gatherings, I was still a bit skeptical. I have a shirt that says “Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.” I took this with me and planned to wear it the last day of the rally as a sort of “in your face” kick at the inanity I half way expected to deal with during the week.

But our idea is to live full time in an RV someday and we went to learn about various aspects of that life, and learn we did. There was a wide variety of seminars and most of the presenters were very knowledgeable on their topics. I am one who believes a day spent without learning something is a day wasted. Sadly, since I fell into my current position of “retired,” “between jobs” or what have you, I let too many days get by without improving my mind. I made up for many days of slacking off at the Escapade. By the end of the five days, my head was ready to explode. (Too much info in a small space, I think.)

Between seminars, there were enough vendors and other activities to keep us amused. Most of the vendors were more than willing to answer questions and just chat if you caught them at the right time. (After all, they are there to make a living, so “chatting” without “selling” may not be high on their agenda.) The rally entertainment and gatherings provided good information, many, many door prizes (not for me- I could not win a door prize if I was alone in the audience) and some pretty hearty laughs. The first night of the rally, Sunday, we were entertained by Jimmy Travis. If you ever get a chance to listen to him, do not pass it up. He is hilarious!

One consistent thread that ran throughout the event was support for Escapees C.A.R.E. (Continuing Assistance for Retired Escapees.) I got my introduction to C.A.R.E. three years ago as a one month volunteer and I have wanted to get back ever since. Someday I will. It is a wonderful organization. This Escapade showed just how caring the Escapees are as a group; more than $3,000 in donations were contributed during the five days of rally events. (Maybe well over; there was some counting not complete by the closing event.)

I am not a promoter so I will not gush at you that EVERY one we met was delightful and helpful and became a “friend for life” (or even a minute) or that EVERY seminar, event, and vendor was top notch. But I will tell you this. I did not wear the aforementioned shirt.

The Keeper and I are planning to attend the next Escapade in Sedalia, MO next September. We will see what comes to pass.

One final note for today. One of the presenters, Steve Anderson from Workampers, had this to say: “If you are ripe, you rot; if you are green, you grow.”

Words to live by.