Stop Pulling the Wagon

God, having granted me the grace to reach my current age, has hopefully seen to it that I have learned a few things along lifes path.

Example: good intentions are not enough when creating a New Years Resolution list.  Reality and my own weakness has a way of  bringing even the most lofty and well intentioned promises crashing back to earth.

The first step I must take before preparing a list is to document some observations and hard learned lessons which include but are not limited to:

1. The people at my Bank are not my friends.

2. Expecting efficiency at any government run agency is like waiting up for the Tooth Fairy with a camera.

3. In the political arena it is probably wise to give up my quest for truth and join the increasing number of my fellow citizens who seem content with believing a good fantasy.

4. At my age I need to carefully consider whether buying green bananas with scarce retirement dollars is a wise investment.

5. That a promise not to maim or seriously injure the idiot who cut me off in traffic and then stopped right in front of me may not be realistic if I have to keep that pledge for a full year.

With these guidelines in mind I have decided to simplify this years list to just three pledges which I have a reasonable chance of  following through on:

A. To spend at least part of each day breathing.

B. To have as my goal to Love Much, Laugh Often, Live Generously and Forgive Freely.

C. To cherish and honor my family and friends and to spend as much time with them as possible.

Now about that idiot who cuts me off in traffic…….. hmmmmm?

Bob Bandy

Jon Corzine has joined a list of political and business leaders who seem to have short and long term memory loss.  Jon, the former CEO of MF GLobal,  former United States Senator and former Governor of New Jersey has seemingly done for MF Global what he did for New Jersey.  That is cause them financial ruin.

However, when questioned by Congress about the apparent disappearance of some 1.2 Billion (thats Billion with a B) Dollars that seems to have vanished under his watch at MF Global he can only answer that he “never intended” to do anything wrong, nor can he remember signing, as CEO, the companies Financial Statements with false and misleading information on them.

Seems that supposedly good intentions and bad memories are the current escape route for corrupt office holders, CEO’s, and other public figures.  For example, Eric Holder, the U.S. Attorney General, who can’t remember when he found out about the “Fast and Furious” gun running debacle that has already caused the death of at least one U.S. Border Agent.

I wonder if good intentions and a poor memory will suffice for errors on my tax returns with the IRS?

Perhaps Mr. Jon Corzine should become a cellmate of Bernie Madoff so the two of them could play Monoply with each other for a number of years.  Lets see, would that be 30 years or 40  years.  Sorry, I can’t remember.

As for our forgetful Attorney General Eric Holder.  Maybe he could spend some time in an orange jumpsuit in a prison cell with a 230 pound, heavily tatooed lifer named Bubba.  I was thinking of a prison in Texas but a good friend suggested a jail in Juarez Mexico might be a more appropriate destination.

Just a thought.  I never intended any of them should come to any harm…. honest!   

Bob Bandy

Lets see if I have this straight.  Eric Holder, the Attorney General of the United States, claims that until a few weeks ago he knew nothing about the “Fast and Furious” Gun Running Operation orchestrated out of the Justice Department of which he is the head.  He claims this even after it being documented that he was kept informed by people within “his” own Justice Department.

That leaves us with one of three possibilities:

(1) He is not telling the truth.

(2) He is not competent to be Attorney General.

(3) He is not telling the truth and he is incompetent.

At least he is surrounded by “good company”.  Washington D.C. is the Capitol of lies, incompetence and corruption.  A political Trifecta.

How else do you explain the 15 Trillion Dollars in debt and the continuing destruction of the Free Enterprise System which was once the foundation of our great nation.

The sad truth is that this same incompetence and systemic lies have spread to many, if not most, of our states, counties and cities.  We now find ourselves surrounded by leaders who will not tell us the truth and who continue to prove their incompetence by their inability to balance the public checkbook.

Bob Bandy

NONE ARE MORE HOPELESSLY ENSLAVED THAN THOSE WHO FALSELY BELIEVE THEY ARE FREE. – Goethe

While we like to believe that Slavery was done away with by Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st in 1863, the irony is that slavery in many forms is alive and well in our world.

Many of us choose slavery over freedom daily in our lives.  I include myself for many long periods of time.

Whether the addiction is debt, drugs, alcohol, a boat, a destructive relationship or most any other “master” of our lives, it is slavery.  Even an obsession with the pursuit of wealth can become a slavemaster.

The name of this blog is “Stop Pulling The Wagon” and the symbol shows a very tired Taxpayer pulling a wagon with the word “Government”  on the side.  The wagon is overloaded with those who want a free ride.  Unfortunately this is one form of slavery we have little control over unless we want to “drop out” and live under a bridge somewhere.  The most we can hope for is to elect leaders who are committed to tax us the least amount possible.

I believe that giving the government the power to tax is giving it the power to enslave.  If you don’t believe I am right then try not paying your taxes for a while and see what happens.

I also believe that if we truly want more freedom in our lives, we need to not enslave ourselves in those areas where we can choose.

Most of us have a lot of “stuff” in our lives.  Do we own it or does it own us?

While I have little control over the governments ability to tax me, in many ways and with many things the choice is mine.  I can choose Slavery or Freedom.

Just something to think about.

Bob Bandy

I am amused at all the “hand wringing” and finger pointing about our Governments “Debt Problem”.  Whose fault is it?  How are “they” going to “fix” it?  Who is going to “pay” the debt?

Being a student of the history of money and the governments who issue that money I can tell you I am absolutely positive how this will be “fixed”.  The only real question is timing.  It is said that in email and electronic messaging the way to shout is to use all capital letters so I will shout my answer to these questions.

OUR GOVERNMENT WILL DO WHAT EVERY OTHER GOVERNMENT SINCE AT LEAST THE TIME OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE HAS DONE WHEN THEY GET INTO FINANCIAL CRISIS.  THEY WILL USE INFLATION.

It works like this.  If you owe 14 Trillion Dollars but you inflate (spelled de-value) your currency by 50% you only have to repay the equivalent of 7 1/2 Trillion Dollars.  If you deflate it by a factor of ten, then you would only have to repay the equivalent of 1.4 Trillion Dollars.  In todays world that is “chump change”.   Play with this concept a little using your own inflation factor and do the math.

If you will look at the currency note pictured above,  it was issued by the German Government in December 1922 for the amount of 1000 Marks.  In September of 1923  that same German Government overprinted  and changed the value of the note to 1,000,000 marks.  So in nine months the government changed the value of (devalued) the currency by 1000%.  This is called hyper-inflation and it destroys the value of whatever money is in the hands of citizens (often their life savings) at the time of the “re-valuation”.  Another way of doing it is simply by inflation through run-a-way interest rates which has the same impact on the value of money in circulation.

At first glance this might look appealing because a person is tempted to think “okay, my dollar bill will suddenly be worth a hunred dollars” (or whatever) but it doesn’t work that way.  Remember, Government is the one with the power to print money.  So the money you have is now worth that much less.  Think of it this way: If our own Government were to revalue the dollar by 50% your local Dollar Store would become the Two Dollar Store only you would still have the same dollars in your bank account or wallet, but now they would buy you only half as much.

Do I think we will get into a hyper-inflation scenario like Germany did following the First World War?  Probably not, but, the government will have to do something with our ever growning National Debt.  All too soon we will reach the point that it becomes ever more difficult, or impossible,  just to pay the interest on that debt in todays dollars.  Inflation will be the only option left unless we are willing to make sacrifices I don’t see the American public expressing the discipline or desire for.  If interest rates were to rise sharply, as in the Carter years of the 1970’s, then “Katie Bar The Door”.

Just my thoughts.  You don’t have to agree.  But consider the very real history behind the currency note above.

Bob Bandy

I remember when my daughter was young and used to go to birthday skating parties with her friends.  They had an Arcade at the skating rink and I would often pass the time with the games there.  One of my favorites was Whack-A Mole where the object is to whack the moles on the head with the mallet as they pop their heads up through the holes.  I was remembering this recently and it got me to thinking…….

I keep hearing members of our government asking why businesses are not hiring more employees and why they are re-locating to sites outside the United States?

Have any of these people asking these questions ever tried to start a business?  Have they ever tried to keep a business going?

Being a business owner, or potential business owner is like being a Mole in a game of Whack-A-Mole. Only you are not trying to avoid just one “Whacker” but multiple “WHACKERS”.

You will need a permit or license.  WHACK!  Your city, county, state will require an application and fees.

Where is your Environmental Impact Report?   WHACK!   The EPA will need a completed report and a fees.

Need to hire employees?  WHACK!  More forms, more requirements, more regulations.

You will need insurance against everything that could possibly happen or create a potential liability.  WHACK!

Need to terminate an employee?  WHACK!  WHACK!  WHACK!  More forms, more regulations, more requirements and sometimes attorneys.

Government mandated Health Insurance.  WHACK!

Did I mention potential Union involvement?  WHACK!

You finally beat the odds and make a profit.  Its now tax time.  WHACK!

And the game goes on.  Can be a lot of fun…….   unless you’re the Mole.

Bob Bandy