Ho-Hum

So, first with the good news...I do believe all this New Years family drama may have been solved. YAY! After going between the folks for weeks in some childish telephone game, Jen, Frank, and I figured it out enough that dad, Karen, and I will be there the 31st and the morning of the 1st and then mom and Joe will visit the 1st evening and the morning of the 2nd. All we're waiting for is mom's acceptance email on this plan :::fingers crossed::: but I have faith the drama is over....for now.

In other good news, I actually got to talk to my brother for a few minutes today. I had called to ask him if he'd heard anything about Aunt Diana's estate (as it is getting late in the year) but he hasn't heard anything either. I had talked to American Funds earlier and they explained to me that the amount we got back in early November was all we were getting (waaaaaaaaaaay less then we were told) and that the other account was apparently going to her estate, which is executed by the lawyer. So tomorrow, I will be calling the lawyer to try to find out what is going on. They sent us a letter about having to claim taxes, but since we haven't received anything and may not before the year is out, I don't know how all this is going to work :-/

Speaking of taxes....be ready for a crazy political rant to follow. And, yes, apparently I am becoming Republican...but I like to think I'm just sane! On with the rant:

So the Bush Era tax cuts are set to expire at the end of this year. The Democrats want to keep the cuts for families making less then $250,000 or individuals making less then $200,000 and then bring back pre-Bush levels for the "rich." Republicans want to keep the tax breaks for all for the next few years. President Obama has worked out a deal with the Republicans that the tax break will stay for 2 years, in exchange for re-uping unemployment for 13 more months (that is another issue that will not be in this rant :-/). It was a fair compromise, but now the Dems are screaming foul....at their own President (idiots!) and possibly ruining everything so that EVERYONES' tax breaks will expire.

Here is why the Democrats are puerile idiots when it comes to this issue:

1) A couple making $250,000 a year is NOT rich!!!! Everyone keeps defending this that millionaires and billionaires don't need the money. Last time I checked $250K was A QUARTER of a million!? Also, when living in most any metropolitan city now a-days, that really isn't that much money at all for a family. Living expenses alone make sure that income level isn't "rich."

2) What happened to "all men are created equal"?!!! Excuse me, but we're now punishing people because they are successful?!!! Isn't the American Dream supposed to be working hard, being creative, and making it big through your blood, sweat, and tears? Couples who have $250,000 a year are NOT trust fund babies who do nothing. They are highly motivated, educated individuals who work very hard for their money, just like anyone else. If we're raising rates for one group they should be raised for all...and the same rule applies for keeping the tax breaks. Being "successful" is NOT a grounds for punishment!

3) I am soooooooooo fed up with the new "American Dream" being, if I have no talent, no motivation, and no actual skills/usefulness in society and mostly want to sit on my ass and wait for someone to make me rich and comfortable while not having to pay taxes or contribute myself, then I'm going to sit hear and whine and bitch and moan like a child throwing a temper tantrum until the "government" gives in and just gives me everything I want for nothing. So very sorry, but aren't we all adults here! NO ONE is entitled to shit, there are NO free lunches, if you have a problem with where you are in your life and your money then get off your ass and do something about it!!!! I know the "working poor" all work really hard for little money, blah blah blah. Well guess what. If you don't make enough, either get another job, get a better education so you can get a better job, or think outside the box and get creative to make ends meet. Stop relaying on the people who are also hard working but happen to make more then you to pay all of your bills. There used to be shame in accepting hand outs....now a-days people are petitioning for them.

4) I can't find much sympathy for these people any more. Oh, I lost my job and unemployment barely pays my bills, boo hoo. First off, why are you unemployed for 99 freakin' weeks?!!! And why the F*** am I paying for you to be unemployed?!!!! You paid for 26 weeks of state sponsored unemployment insurance and that money should be yours, no doubt. But get the hell out of my federal taxes! You have looooong since given up your right to say you're a contributing member of this society. You're a leech...you don't spend you just suck and suck and want more. Why didn't you have your 6-8 month emergency fund? Why were you so in debt even before you lost your job? It is your fault = it is your responsibility. TAKE IT!
I know from my 2.5 years of experience not having a full time job that it's a harsh world out there, but I worked 2 or 3 freelance jobs, I saved my money, counted my pennies, and I made it work. I worked hard and I worked long and it was noticed and now I have my full time job. Do the same!
(I guess those unemployment benefits did make it into the rant :-p)

5) (back to the taxes). People keep saying the "rich" don't pay their fair share and that's why we should tax them more. NO! They do pay their fair share, and they pay your too. I know how it works. I've been poor and unemployed. I didn't pay barely squat and I got all of it back in April. Now I have a good paying job (not nearly Democrats definition of "rich" but I survive) and I see what they are taking out of my check already at this rate. Now, I wouldn't be affected by the Dems proposed idea of taxing the "rich" but it offends me that people think hard work should be punished and given as hand outs to the lazy and the illegal (don't get me started on the Dream Act now.....uuurrrgggggggg). Taking from the rich to give to the poor is what they call socialism! And while it sounds all lovely on paper, it has been proven so many times that it does not work. Arrrrgggggggg. I'm not saying the perverted capitalism we have now is wonderful, but it is better.

6) Raising taxes will kill this economic recovery that I can actually see happening. I am seeing people spend in droves. Finally, confidence has come back into peoples lives. This will kill it dead. There is no denying that if you ask who contributes more money into the economy (not just in taxes, but in consumerism dollars, services, etc.) it is clearly the "rich." They spend because they have the capital to spend. And guess what...jobs are not made because it's the right thing to do for humanity, jobs are made because there are customers and there is a demand. If you up the "rich" taxes and they have less to spend and freak out that the government will rape them for even more to go giving away to others, they will stop spending. There will be no demand and hence no jobs. Plus, if small businesses are really the backbone of this country and do the most hiring of people in this country, then tell me how hitting small businesses with higher taxes and hence less profit is going to give them the capital to stay in business and hire/keep employees?! That's just simple logic if they'd only look at it clearly.

7) I can not believe how angry and divided America has become? People seriously need to first: calm down ad take a deep breath; second: start thinking creatively and informatively and get back to that hard work mentality that made this country so great in our grandparents generation; third: STOP FEELING YOU'RE ENTITLED TO ANYTHING....YOU ARE NOT! If you don't like where you're at, change it yourself...it's called responsibility; and fourth: have some compassion for everyone, rich, poor, whatever...we all want the same things out of life and we are all struggling to get/find them no matter how much $$$ we make.

I probably have more in me, but I just can't think of it/let it out right now. This was cathartic though. I'm just so very frustrated with lazy, selfish people. And stupid politicians that can't accept that they lost and have to fight within their own freakin' party for something that is so dumb and harmful to begin with. It makes me sad, and I am still too young to be so jaded :-/