Federal Tax plan my idea

For our Government officials in Washington here is my plan to help with our current debt crisis following some of the ideas of the Simpson & Bowles Commission Debt Reduction Plan with one exception.

1. Completely restructure the Federal Income Tax Structure by removing every income tax subsidy, loophole, credit from the entire tax code.

2. Provide one deduction to the Individual Income Tax based on Federal Poverty Level Guidelines for every household based on family size (not structure) and tax balance of all income at a 20% flat tax rate, of which 5% of that will be contributed to a Public Health Care Plan each year.

3. For Corporate Income Tax give a 5-10% deduction for research and development provided that they have created jobs in the US and a flat tax of 25% on remaining balance of all profits both onshore & offshore.

These two measures will completely eradicate the tax expenditures from our treasury will reduce total government spending related to tax expenditure which consumes 8.6 of GDP on average, and for corporations like GE who didn't pay any income taxes in FY 2010 but received $150 billion in tax subsidies, they will now pay 25% on all remaining profits (less a deduction for R&D and US job creation).

If you look at median income of Personal Income the average American now earns approximately  $61,000 per year (based on 2011 census for 2009 levels) total 2009 Personal Income was equal to approximately $12 Trillion US Dollars offer a baseline deduction of $10,890 (based on current FPL for one individual) and an additional $3,820 for each additional family member to a maximum of $37,000.

I'm not either a micro or macro economics expert, but to me this would create a fairness in our tax structure, where everyone would receive a deduction equal to their family size rather than whether they are married or single.  While I realize there will be some who will not be paying any income taxes due to being at or below poverty level, they also will no longer receive any tax subsidies such as EIC, Child Care Credit, etc.

I'm still researching and will continue to update this information as I discover current income levels of all Americans for people like Steve Jobs who's annual salary is only $1 (one) but has a net worth of $735 billion in stock and assets he'd be paying 15% on all of his worth less the baseline deduction + family size.  Warren Buffet would do the same, Bill Gates, and so on.

The problem with the Fair Tax aka Federal Sales Tax is that it only deals with new consumption, not purchase of used products, and big business' and the wealthy could end up getting around this by purchasing used equipment rather than new.

Also we need to re-write our trade agreements with other countries so that global trade is truly fair.  China is getting away with murder of our American Worker's Standard of Living. Stay tuned for more as I discover more data to prove my hypothesis.

If anyone has anything to add or suggestions please feel free to comment!  Maybe we as Americans need to take the reins and fire all of our officials in the legislature and show them what to do!

Jackson County DHS drops the ball again

Once again Jackson Country DHS fails to contact it's recipients via mail, email or phone to notify them of change in caseworker.  This practice is just plain wrong, how can a DHS recipient provide information of changes in a timely fashion when they are not notified of a change.  Even calling their last know caseworker proves fruitless, their only recourse is to contact the main office number only to discover that they have been re assigned to a new caseworker.  This is appears to be a frequent occurrence with Jackson County DHS branch office.  Not only does DHS not offer a toll-free number for their recipients, but because for much of the country a call to the office is long distance, those people in need spend what few dollars they might have in an attempt to contact their last known case worker without compensation for those lost funds.  DHS could easily offer a toll-free number for those unable to afford the extra expense to have long distance service, or have a line dedicated for those outside the local exchange, such as Springport, parts of Albion (that are inside the Jackson Country line) and other small communities that don't offer a circle calling service to the city of Jackson, Michigan.

Director Ahmed please investigate this issue soon and try to rectify this situation ASAP, it's time we made it easier for those trying to get ahead, or just get help during emergencies easier to get in touch with their worker.  As well as, knowing who their worker is at all times.  If it weren't for people in need, they'd be out of a job as well as you'd be out of a job making the DHS program obsolete.  Although some of the GOP members probably would like that to occur.

I realize that there is currently a huge caseload all over Michigan due to job losses, unemployment and business closings, but that doesn't mean we have to create an environment of despair for those in their time of need worse than it already is.

U.S. Congressmen are you listening to your constituents, really?

As I sit here listening to the rhetoric coming from c-span today, I am amazed how repetitive the GOP is.  The GOP congress is refusing to accept any compromises whatsoever, so Rep. Walberg, Ryan and others, allow me to point out a few facts to you..

FACT: Albion, Michigan had a Steel Mill close in 2002, unemployed 800 residents, Springport, Michigan steel factory closed in 2005, unemploying 100 workers, prior to this during the '80s, we lost 3 steel foundries, a Union Steel plant, Corning Glass factory, McGraw-Edison plant, we have empty buildings lining Main Street,
when I graduated from HS in '73, in Springport there was a Drug Store, a Grocery Store, several restaurants, a hardware store, laundromat, clothing store, ice cream store, a realtor, a lawyer, a bank, a farm equipment dealer, now the drug store, the grocery store, hardware, realtor, lawyer and clothing stores are gone.

FACT: We have a doctor but he's only here once a week, a physician's assistant sees patients the rest of the week, and get this, if you're uninsured, you have to pay $100. for an office visit up front.

FACT: Maximum unemployment benefit in Michigan is $380 per week, the average is that every two weeks, who in their right mind would be willing to sit at home for that rather than go out and work and bring home more?  Answer: No one!  Can Michiganders find jobs, yes, full-time? possibly, close to home? probably not. If you live in a rural community like Springport, you'll have to drive at least 25 miles one way. If you're lucky.

FACT: Waitress earn an average of 3.39-6.39 per hour, of which 2.39-5.10 of that is supposed to be tips. Now if you work in a bar or tavern & serve alcoholic beverages, you might make a bit more in tips as the patrons get a little freer with their tips.

FACT: Most low wage workers, still drive a gas guzzling vehicle and drive more than 10 miles one way to work and most are working part-time here in Michigan, and gasoline prices are rising faster than jobs.

FACT: Representative Ryan wants to defund LIHEAP, Planned Parenthood, abolish Social Security as we know it, privatize Medicare, and block grant Medicaid & Food Stamps. Dismantle WIC program. and reduce taxes on corporations to 25%, (they're currently at 35%), and take away EIC for the low-income wage earners.

So you tell me who's kidding who?  Will the billionaire, buy a house here in Springport? No.  Can the little guy buy a home here in Springport? No. Will Microsoft, or GE or Cititcorp, or Hershey's or Maytag or any big Corporation build a plant or place their business here in Springport? No.  To the Rep. Ryan's of the world we're just one of those communities who will fall through the cracks. It's a fact of life, some succeed some don't that's just business.

So we'll continue to see our little community become more and more unbusinesslike, even Dollar General won't come here, because we don't have a population of 4500 or more, one requirement for them to come into a community.  So our choice for shopping is sparse, we don't have a clothing store, a drug store, but hey we've got a couple of convenience stores and you can buy all the beer and booze you want, we've got a tavern and you can go out and get drunk, we've got a gas station and you can get hosed, or we can drive 10-15 miles N-S-E or W and shop in a bigger community.  S

If we want our community to grow we have to stand up and start bugging these business' if you all want a Dollar General here, let's get a petition started and let Dollar General know they could make money here, that we're worth the investment.

Curious how much spending power you have

Do you have a full-time or part-time job? Do you work two jobs? Do you car-pool? Or are you like so many of us, working a low wage part-time job, without a mass transit service available to us and we can't afford a new more fuel efficient car, so our 10-20 year old gas guzzler is our only option to get us to and from work.

If this is the case for you and your curious how much less you earn because of drive time and fuel costs to get to that job, then enter the data below: Once submitted you can click on a link to see how much less you're earning because of current fuel prices.

GOP showed it's true colors today

Well, the new congressional leaders showed their true colors today.  Yes, they've all voted to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act in it's entirety but when offered an amendment to also commit to repealing their own health care coverage, that was voted against with a resounding NO! that reverberated throughout the chamber today.  Goes to show, while they're willing to harm the masses, the poorest of the poor, the least wealthy, they are not willing to walk in their shoes.

It's okay for the American taxpayer to pay for their health care coverage, but it's not okay for the American taxpayer to help those less fortunate to have a viable health care solution.   So America, we'll continue to provide our congressional members 75% of their health care premium, hopefully the Senate will defeat this repeal that has been propagated by this new congress.

They've shown that they don't care about the common people, they feel it's okay for them to continue to receive health benefits paid for by the American Taxpayers, but it's not okay for that same offering to be available to all Americans.

Thank you Representatives Boehner, Cohen and all of the new GOP members for your choice to repeal the protection to those least capable to afford it, and the repeal of the pre-existing clause, instead of a true repair of the existing program, they've said repeal first, then fix.  I want to ask you, why did you not protect those portions you said you were for?

Repeal then fix?  I think not,  more like get rid of it and forget it.

Battling the Health Care System

Just got the report for the MRI I had last week and it doesn't sound to promising, for one I have Prominent Empty Sella Syndrome, what's that you ask?  Well, what I have found out so far is that it's a condition of the Sella Turcica "turkish saddle" surrounding the pituitary gland in which CSF (Cerebro Spinal Fluid) has entered the cavity and either a: flattened the pituitary gland or b: the pituitary gland is absent, causing hypopituitarism which in turn can cause other endocrine problems, however, it is not life-threatening in and of itself, but it can cause other life-threatening problems, I guess.

Next observation was a 6mm round white signal adjacent to the right ventricle wall best seen in axial image 15, and coronal image 14, but unseen in the weighted images, that did not diffuse.  Okay, so now what does weighted image mean, and what does it mean when "it did not diffuse" mean?  Does weighted mean with or without contrast or what?  Now for the impression for this part of the report.

Upddate: I'm Mad as HELL!

Well guess what! If' you've got a burial plat, casket, etc.  they count these items as assets now!  So I guess we're not allowed to prepare for our deaths in advance so that our families have one less item to worry about.  now explain to me why should this be counted as an asset? 

One more way our government limits what we as a people can have, Social Security only gives our family $255.00 in death benefits.  I guess we're just supposed to buried under a tree in the back yard, like we bury our pets.  In today's market you certainly can't afford to purchase a burial plot, nor a casket, nor the expense of being prepared for burial any other way with only $255.00. 

In this new Health Care Reform Bill they made sure that we don't have to count our guns as an asset in determining our eligibility, but to HELL with us doing any thing to prepare for our death, we all die some time so why is it more important to protect the rights of gun owners (which is an instrument of death) and not the right to have preparations in place for when we do eventually die?  Is that fair?  I think not.

I'm mad as HELL and I'm not going to take it anymore!

Well any of you remember the movie Network, and the scene where everyone started shouting out their windows "I'm Mad as Hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!"  Well that's me these days.. 

Here's why..

1.  I'm on Social Security Disability and I receive $751.00 before Medicare Part B premium and Part D premium.. Which are $97 and $30 each which leaves me with $624 per month to pay for rent, heat, utilities, food, and medical expenses. So how am I supposed afford to pay for a place to live, heat, utilities, food, public transportation and medical expenses with only 624.00  Here's how...
     
       a. Share an apartment with my 81 year old mother, who is also on a fixed income.
       b. Share the cost of all expenses, except medical. 
       c. Apply for assistance.
2.  Here's what's happened..
    
      a.  Mom & my combined income (before deductions equals 149% of FPL) or $1861.00 (seperately I am at 87% of FPL and mom's at 101% of FPL, figure that one out)
      b.  We are eligible for $9 in Food Stamps, I am not eligible for Medicaid or assistance for paying my part B premiums,  I've received notice from CMS that I'm 100% eligible for Extra Help on the Part D premium, but I'm still paying 30.00 per month for that. I'm stuck with these costs for the next 12
months.  ..

 Now here's how they've figured our food stamp eligibility..
Standard deduction of 132.00
Housing expense of 535.00
Utilities expense of 98.00
Medical expense  93.00 ( not including my mother's expenses at all, nor all of my expenses)
Plus made the decision that I was overpaid in September, (however I was still living with friends, and my income hadn't changed and my mother and I were not living together at that time, so my status between August and September were the same)  I didn't receive any FS in October, November, nor December, so how had I been over paid, since I was eligible for all 3 of those months. Hence I shouldn't be in the red so to speak. 

Our DHS Caseworkers are becoming more and more difficult to contact, if I want a response from mine I usually have to send a cc: to Gov. Granholm, or one of my state representatives then I'll get a response quickly.  I never get a response otherwise.

I am confused as to how they calculate their data,  I think it's out of date big time..

Write to our congressmen, senators, both state and federal so that they are aware what these employees are doing to those in need. 

I'm also tired of those complaining about those of us who are low income.  I worked for 30+ years before I became disabled, before you make comments about others, walk a mile in their shoes.  Our companies are the ones, that have created much of this economic mess, by laying off employees, closing plants, etc.

We need to get our priorities straight again.

What will it be? Health Care Reform or Death Camps?

These days during the controversial Health Care Reform Bill, as it has moved through the House and Senate and soon to the President's Desk, will the President sign it, or will he send it back to the Legislative Branch with orders to remove the pork from the bill. Will it be crushed completely or will they actually come together and create something feasible. Right now, both parties are at odds as to how to create Health Care Reform.

But if health care reform isn't passed will more and more of the uninsured become disenfranchised even more than they already are? If we don't do something about reducing the cost of health care soon, and helping those least fortunate then we might as well sign their death warrents. Because we will basically be denying those most in need, and least able to afford it a reduction in their lifespan.

While much of this Health Care Reform bill is flawed, why aren't we as citizens writing to our legislators about what needs to be removed from the bill, what should be in the bill but isn't, our opinions on how to solve our health care crisis in this country.

Instead of complaining about everything let's start coming up with solutions, rather than just letting it go.

At least this congress has had the courage to attempt to solve our health care problems, several other congress' have had an opportunity in the past and haven't wanted to do one single solitary thing about it.

Is the Health Care Reform bill going to the President's Desk?

Well, the Senate has passed their version of Health Care, will it go directly to the President's desk to be signed into law? Or, will it go to conference to be blended with the House's version first?

Those who are against health care reform, try and walk a mile in the shoes of one of those without health care. The working poor, those that make less than 30,000 a year. Look at this from their point of view, before complaining over and over about how wrong this is.

The GOP rails against everything in this bill. scare tactics are just plain wrong, when you as a public servant make comments it shouldn't be just to scare their constituents with opposition, for the sake of opposition, it's time that they backed it up with facts, directing people to the actual portion of the bill where their concern is proven.

To the people who let these fear-mongers direct their dissent, go in and read every line of the bill, before you actually decide that it does what these fear-mongers say it's going to do. Just like those who are supporting it are trying to do. Educate yourselves to the truth, and stop following blindly like sheep.

There are parts of both the House and Senate Bills that I don't like, but there is much more that I do. Some I agree doesn't have anything to do with Health Care Reform, but much more of it does.

You decide. Go and read the bills, compare them side by side, highlight the phrases you don't understand, go to a dictionary and look it up. Then when you've done all that, you can complain about this bill.

One solution to Health Care Reform

The common man's solution to Health Care Reform.
1. Remove the cap from the payroll tax (FICA/Medicare) so all those employed pay into SS throughout their earnings rather than only up to $97K. Why should those making more than $97K get a free ride after that?

2. Change eligibility standards for Medicaid so that more low income workers can receive it, not free but pay a premium based on a sliding scale. Michigan's full eligibility is at 46% of FPL, then those above 46% have a deductible that they pay to health care providers, why pay this to the provider, why not have them pay a premium into the Medicaid Program instead? This would aid in refunding Medicaid at the State Level. Also, State's are allowed to operate Medicaid as they see fit, there is no standard.

3. Expand Medicare to those 55+ if they choose to opt-into it..