CygnusX-1

Broken is a relative term. To me, the consumer, it is not broken. I actually buy most of my stuff (besides food, household items, gas, etc) on line because there is no tax. The tax just increases the cost of those items. To the state legislators it may be broken because they feel like they are being cheated out of more free money. To the brick & mortar store, it is broken because this puts them at a disadvantage to internet retailers. For me personally, I think the problem isn't that there is no tax on internet purchases, but that the sales tax is too high. It costs internet companies money to ship an item. So if we made taxes relatively in line (not literally) with that cost then the B&M stores could compete. For me I'll wait a few days to have an item if it saves me money vs going to the store and buying that item right now. I'm also more willing to buy at a store if they have items that I can touch and feel vs buying on-line. To me that means something on certain items. So I think each type of store has it's purpose. Of course, I'm a big Darwinism person. This is the evolution of shopping. If you can't compete, you must die out and be replaced by the better species.

Because if the FEDERAL government has to chip in even $10,000 we all have to pay - no matter what state you live in. $9,999 then the US government will only take that money from the income taxes of those living in Texas.

Because Chris Rock is a comedian. In your act people are given certain artistic liberties. Who knew?

Now if we could just get to the point where everyone in the world is issued a bar code that is tattooed on their arm, it would solve all our problems. My new name will be Not Sure.

I'd think it would be more appropriate to say it had 5.9736 x 1024 kg under it. (the mass of the earth)

How is it BS? I was just in the market for a new (to me) car within the last 2 weeks. The dealerships or more importantly the salesmen who didn't have the type of vehicle I was looking for (something that would get at least 36 MPG) were still peddling the fear that batteries would have to be replaced every 5-7 years. Fear mongering is still alive and well in the auto industry if you don't have the vehicle customers want. I also remember why I hate car shopping to begin with. Even if they had the car I was looking for, the dealer would lie about practically everything to make a sale. "Sure you will get a 5 year warranty on the car. I can even get you a 2% interest loan. And free for life oil changes with synthetic oil. Just sign here." But of course I have instantly become one of those obnoxious drivers on the road since I switched from driving my gas guzzling Frontier to a 2010 prius. But I don't mind, I like driving 420 miles and only putting in 9.6 gallons.

And not really news for those who own a 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, etc. prius. (Although I believe they are not Li based.) http://www.designnews.com/document.asp?doc_id=261882&cid=NL_Newsletters+-+DN+Daily&dfpPParams=ind_184,industry_auto,aid_261882&dfpLayout=article

Or the patriots for that matter.

Really? What type of system do you have installed that monitors the water pressure 24/7/365? I've been looking for one that monitors the pressure and logs the data so that I will know if and when the pressure drops to unsafe levels. The only thing I can come up with regarding the grid is if something (not someone) get struck by lightning like a diving board, slide, or whatever else my be protruding above the surrounding area. Then you would want a lower resistance to ground than through the water of the pool. Just in case you were too stupid enough (or unlucky enough) to be swimming during a lightning storm or with one near by. I think we can all thank lawyers - but more importantly juries - for these types of laws. We are our own worst enemy.

You can take my cue from my cold dead hands!!! Oh, wait, wrong type of pool. Guess I should read before I spout off rhetoric.

It is not fair. Argument over. But something to consider, $3 million cash is like having a $70k retirement income for 42.8 years! (Provided at retirement age you take your $3M and deposit it into a checking account that pays 0.00% interest.)

I think it is pretty clear that he would put money back into putt[ing] carriers to sea and keep[ing] combat squadrons flying and take it from gardening and landscaping one house in Brussels.

Ya, put that $6k in the bank at the going interest rate of 0.05% that most checking/savings accounts are giving and you earn a whopping $3.00 per year.

The biggest problem with that is that nothing would get done in government. First of all, they are too lazy to do it. Secondly bill are so big and long that it would take weeks to months just to read them - let alone understand them. Today's government has just become too big and complicated for everyone or any one person to completely understand everything. I am not commenting on whether this is a good or bad thing. I'm just stating a problem with your proposal with the way government operates today.

What about the aging public? I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you and lawrocket are older now than you were in the 70's and 80's. And maybe, just maybe you use health care now more than you did then. I can tell you I've used it more now than I did in the 80s. Now if we could just kill off all the old people. Then our problems would be solved. Ahh the blissful society in Logan's Run.

What is not said in the article (maybe they covered it up) was about the hole in the eagle's body from a scary looking assault rifle.

Yup, the terrorist won. The only ones we have to blame is ourselves. But after going through all that effort in getting into the USA, don't you feel much safer then being in your grossly unprotected country?

And then we could all bring our guns into school. Lets keep the good ideas coming.

Ya really. The only thing I got out of the OP's long post (that I didn't read in it's entirety) was: 20 years!? Come on, that is just ridiculous.

At least you were helping the economy by buying all that stuff.

+2 I never understood why the government always wanted to plan budgets long after they are not in office. We need to have some type of law that states that the president, congressman, senator, etc cannot propose a budget beyond their current elected term!

Need to read that again, the first time I glanced at it I saw: I eat panties on my salad

As they should. The navy should not be in the business of going after the drug trade. IMO, the navy is there to protect us from the real threats to the US. They should be used to protect us from terrorists. They should be used to protect us from nations that want to overthrow our government. They should not be used to interfere with trade of product that people want to supply to us and we so desperately want. Now if that product is illegal, then it sounds like a law enforcement problem not a national security issue - no matter what the politicians want to say. Drug cartels I'm sure have no interest in overthrowing our government and setting up a new one or killing our population in mass (their customer base). All they are interested in is keeping the money flowing. And like it or not the best (only) way to do that is keeping drugs illegal.

Looks like this was written for the power industry. In a veiled attempt to convince consumers not to use certain power saving lighting. But the real reason is what I quoted above.

That is because I want a raise this year. And the only way for that to happen is for you to pay more for the service I provide, duh.