Thursday, May 29, 2003

This damned tax cut merits some attention.  Rant coming. Most of the arguments regarding the wisdom of this thing, and the falseness of the claim that the tax cut will save jobs, and the class bias, all of that I'll skip over.  Let's look at two things that have come to my attention today: 1.  This article on The Nation's website (citing a lot of other sources) discusses an SUV tax break for those who file a Schedule C tax return.  I guess this is folks who have a small business--the article mentions doctors, lawyers, real estate agents.  If anyone in that category buys an SUV weighing over 6000 pounds--Excursions, Hummers, Lincoln Navigators, et. al.--they get $100,000 write off.  Can someone--anyone--explain this as anything other than a handout to auto manufacturers?  The environmental arguments on SUVs--particularly these big mothers--are well documented, and I won't bother.  Maybe you can justify, on free market grounds, not doing anything to inhibit them.  But promoting them?  Absolutely indefensible. 2.  The increase in the child credit means that most folks with kids will get a $400 check for each one.  UNLESS you're in the $10,500-$26,625 tax bracket.  Then you get jack.  That's right.  The tax bill excludes the child credit for those at or just above the poverty line.  Apparently the money was in the Senate bill, and it just mysteriously disappeared in the conference so that they could fit within the number they'd settled on.  As Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) pointed out: "These are the people who need it the most and who will spend it the most. These are the people who buy the blue jeans and the detergent and who will stimulate the economy with their spending." Amen to that.  If consumer spending is going to help the economy, wouldn't you give the cash to those who need it?  And then, of course, there's the principle of the matter.  Poor working families get shut out.  They could have shrunk the size of the dividend cut.  Or almost anything.  Maybe the SUV benefit, which will cost a billion dollars.  Instead they chose to simply leave out disposable cash for the poorest families. Do you hear me, GOP "the sanctity of the family is paramount" jerkoffs?  Do you hear me, Santorum and Frist and Lott and DeLay and Hastert, etc?  Take your vision of "family values" and shove it up your ass. 10:04:24 PM    Let's hear it. []

Today I almost killed a man.  Twice.  The first time, he stepped out into moving traffic on a busy street from behind a truck taller than he is.  I couldn't swerve because their was traffic in the other lane.  I slammed on the brakes.  I skidded for a bit--not because I was speeding, but because Tunisian roads are made with some super-soft material that results in slippage and squealing even if you're going really slowly.  I squeal on every turn, no exaggeration.  Anyway, I missed him by a couple of feet.  The second time, I almost got out of the car beat him to death with my bare hands when he gave me a fierce look and waved his arms at me for nearly hitting him.  In the end, I gave him the finger (a Western gesture that probably means "good luck" or "Allah loves you" or "may you eat fine harissa" or whatever in Tunisia) and drove home.  Maybe it's time to get back to the States for a while. 11:38:52 AM    Let's hear it. []