BRING BACK THE DRAFT

It's time and it could be a big boost to the economy, in several ways.  We need a larger Army and we don't need to have half the National Guard and Reserve overseas all the time.  Two years of compulsory national service would take about eight million young Americans out of the private-sector workforce.  We could channel half of them into the Army and half into civilian activities - a sort of domestic Peace Corps, providing teachers, infrastructure workers, etc.  And no exemptions or deferments, especially not for rich kids.  C'mon, let's do it.  December 28, 2008.

NOT SNOWING YET

MERRY SOLSTICE!

This morning, the sun rose earlier than it did yesterday.  This must mean something.  I dunno what, but let's celebrate!  December 22, 2008.

YOUR LOCAL POWER COMPANY AT WORK

Check this out.  This came from the EIA: if you can't read it, go to the source, here.  The left hand side shows all the inputs to the electric power generation industry in this country, while the right hand side shows where all that power goes.  That big arrow on the right is labeled "Conversion Losses".  Two thirds of the power consumed in generating electricity is wasted.  That's just physics, not incompetence, but it highlights the importance of conserving energy.  December 18/19, 2008.

OFFICIAL SUNRISE

Every morning, the perky guy at my local NPR station tells me that "Official sunrise today is at 7.02 a.m.", or whatever.  And every morning, I growl at the radio, "What's official about it?"  Somehow I doubt that even the current Administration, which so loves to assume unlegislated and unconstitutional powers, has presumed to take control of the movement of the solar system.  Is there a Department of Heavenly Motions somewhere in the Pentagon?  Or maybe it's an activity of the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives.  December 16, 2008.

STOP THE FART TAX

I am indebted to fellow maritime news provider Dennis Bryant - visit his column, the Maritime Spotlight, here - for drawing our attention to Senate bill 3729, the Livestock Emissions Tax Ban Act, which was introduced on Wednesday by Senator Dorgan of North Dakota, who is obviously not adequately challenged by the need to do mundane things like passing appropriations bills or bailing out bankers.  S. 3729 would amend the Clean Air Act to prohibit the imposition of a fee or tax for direct gaseous emissions by livestock.  Quite right, too.  We can't have the mental health of our livestock imperiled by a legislated need to hold it in.  December 15, 2008.

THE COLTON TAX PLAN

So let's solve our problems on the back of those who can best afford it, by whom I mean the stinking rich, including all those scumbags on Wall Street who've been roping in million-dollar bonuses for the past decade or so.  Here's the four-point Colton plan for economic revival - the figures shown are just suggestions:

(1) Institute a new income tax bracket - something like 95% of AGI over $2 million;

(2) Institute a real death tax - something like 80% of net worth over $2 million;

(3) Institute a gift tax -  something like 80% of the fair market value of any gifts in any one year to a relative (including any surrogate for a relative) in excess of $200,000;

(4) Institute a new tax deduction - something like 30% of any gift of over $2 million to a charity or worthy cause that's on a list maintained by the IRS, where "charity or worthy cause" means an organization that actually works to solve major problems, involving health, education, poverty, veterans' care and suchlike, not just your local church.  This could even be expanded to cover infrastructure projects: pay the cost of a new bridge and get both the tax deduction and your name on the bridge.

The predictable furor at such a plan is, of course, based on peoples' curious desire to featherbed their children.   If your children want to take over the family business, let them buy it from you.  December 14, 2008.

BUSH MOVES TO DALLAS

So what's wrong with Crawford?  The President who spent more time back at the ranch than he did in Washington, has apparently discovered the joys of city living and has bought a McMansion in Dallas.  What for?  What's he going to do in Dallas?  Not much brush to clear there.  Or was the ranch thing all just PR?  What a fraud!  December 14, 2008.

SCREW HEREDITARY ANYTHING

I am thunderstruck by the arrogance of the Kennedy clan that they think that one of their number should be appointed to the vacant Senate seat in New York.  I don't know why I'm thunderstruck: their behavior is, after all, standard for the Kennedys, but I am.  What is it with the predilection of so many Americans for the hereditary principle, in which people take over major positions of responsibility on the basis of their family background rather than their qualifications and experience?  It's the same with this thing about inheritance taxes.  I'm with Buffett and Gates.  If you do well and make a fortune, even a modest fortune, do something useful with the money, don't give it to your kids.  The only things you owe your kids are a good education and a decent upbringing.  If they are any good, they will then succeed on their own.  Have you forgotten that one of the principal reasons people come to this country is because it is still the place where merit and hard work can bring success and prosperity?  What kind of message does it send to perpetuate the hereditary principle, which has been so clearly discredited elsewhere.  A word that's been over-used lately is "un-American", but I think it's positively un-American to perpetuate anything hereditary.  December 10, 2008.

BACK AGAIN

I apologize to my readers - all three of you - for not posting anything in the last few days.  I've been busy celebrating the 75th anniversary of the ratification of the 21st Amendment.  December 6, 2008.