Tax Cuts: Good or Bad?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2010/12/06/131847191/bush-era-tax-cuts-a-bipartisan-compromise-or-an-obama-cave

This got me thinking. I'm not so sure that extending the Bush-era tax cuts on incomes exceeding $250,000 is such a bad thing.

Why?

First off, don't get me wrong - the Bush-era tax cuts were, in my opinion, a part of what helped to drive us into this recession. It seemed that the economy was already over-stimulated, so to speak, by corporate practices and federal de-regulation. How do I connect this? Well, the rich are usually your business owners or corporate decision makers. How much corruption was revealed during the meltdown of 2008? Risky financial instruments (which were little more than fudging numbers over and over again to create pseudo-growth), outsourcing of American jobs to foreign countries at a fraction of the price - the type of things that crushed the lower class, stagnated the middle class, and empowered the upper class to keep growing.

Add in a fantastically over-inflated real estate market, and a mentality that was raping the suburban middle class: "everyone deserves a house, and dammit, we can get more than we responsibly should!"

Giving the rich a break on their taxes makes sense in a white-washed, unrealistic worldview. Sure... cut their taxes and they'll spend more on creating jobs. They'll buy more stuff and it will trickle down to the lower class. Right?

Wrong. They hoarded their tax cuts in FDIC insured CDs, invested it in high value stock (which primarily benefits more upper class - corporate heads, etc), or spent it on things like boats, BMW's or other expensive things, which do not realistically trickle down to the middle/lower class at all.

By the time that money "trickles down", it's been so heavily taxed and re-taxed that it's all but gone. Whether it's sales tax, income tax, real estate tax, or taxing you just because you fucking spit on the sidewalk, $1,000 spent by the upper class means $0.10 in the hand of a lower class family. Big effing deal.

However, we are in an economic recession with a lame duck administration. America voted for political grid-lock when the voters gave more power in congress to the GOP. This means that America voted for more bickering, less action, whether the voters really realized that or not.

(Side note - I'm not really sure that 75% of the voters in this country have a clue what they are voting for. I believe they vote for whatever emotionalism is spat at them by the media. But that's another point for another post.)

I don't think anyone with half an ounce of political knowledge didn't expect the GOP to make every possible effort to extend the Bush-era tax cuts. It's just the right wing mentality... things like "trickle down economy" and "pro-life" are like the Sovereignty of Christ to the Christian faith. It's not something you barter on in that party, period.

The GOP is clever. They struck a crafty deal. "extend tax cuts for everyone, not just the middle class, and we'll let you extend unemployment benefits."

It's a win for the GOP because they get their tax cuts for the rich, but not only that - they also brokered tax cuts for the middle class and the extension of unemployment benefits. Even if the latter two aren't really in the party's best interests, dammit, they made it happen.

What does this do to Obama? Infuriates the left? Probably, but I'm not sure that's very smart on the left's front. I'm not unemployed, but if I was, and if I was one of the millions who try to find work every day and still haven't been able to get a job for well over a year, I'd be happy. I'd also be happy that my taxes weren't going up.

If President Obama had to cave on the Bush-era tax cuts in order to continue helping the middle class and the unemployed, so be it. This country elected a Republican-led congress, so this is what we get, and the President is only doing what he feels is in the best interest of the people. A lesser of two evils. The needs of the many. You get it. I applaud it.

The article quotes some writers who scathe Obama for giving in to these demands. Well, I think the problem isn't ultimately with tax cuts or unemployment benefits. It's about the way this country has been driving itself into the ground for the last ten to twenty years.

We need to stop shipping jobs overseas.
(I pay more for internet service because I deal with a company who's call centers are in America, not Zimbabwe.)

We need to encourage local business.
(I pay more and deal with a bit more hassle to buy from my local grocer and hardware store than going to Wal*Mart.)

We need to get off foreign oil dependance. The best way to do that is not hybrid cars, but the re-vitalization of our urban core.
(I wish I could take the bus, but Cincinnati doesn't have a morning/evening route to/from my place of business. Better than that, I wish there was a 24/hr train service here, so that when I'm drunk at Grammers, I could take a train home at 2:30am.)

Re-focusing on our city schools will help re-vitalize the urban core, stifle the expansion of the suburbs, and ultimately result in stronger job growth and less dependence on foreign oil.

See where I'm going? See how the dots connect? If I don't have to live in Maineville and drive to Newport every day, just because the school district is "better", then I'm also not sinking 60 miles per day into gasoline. If I lived in Deer Park or College Hill and, (gasp) could take the train to Newport every day, then... viola. Problem solved.
Should the President take a stand and call the GOP's bluff?  I dunno.  What would that accomplish except drive millions to the streets when unemployment runs out, encourage even less middle-class spending when our taxes go up, and give the rich more of a reason to hoard their riches.  You want to see this country take a nose dive in depression, there you go.

Kudos, Mr. Obama, and shame on everyone else who keeps fighting good, progressive ideas, like universal health care and urban recentralization.

MPMF.10 Day Two

Boy, this blog post is probably going to suck. The second night of MPMF ended up being kind of shitty, but it was nobody's fault really.

I started out at Grammers. While I swore up and down that I wasn't going to see a bunch of local bands, I really wanted to see Caribou. I also really like Enlou, and there's never a problem with seeing the Seedy Seeds. So, I enjoyed the last couple of songs in Enlou's set first. As always, they sounded smooth and the Grammers tent is a good place for shows.

Enlou performs at the Grammers tent.

Now I will complain a bit about the unnecessarily overpriced drinks. If the bands are getting a chunk of the overhead then that's fine. $4 for a PBR in a small plastic cup (I think it was at least a pint) is a bit offputting, but like I said. If the overhead is going to the bands, fine. I did only pay $30-odd dollars for three days of unlimited venue access and busses to cart me around - though apparently people say that, as usual, the metro doesn't know what its doing. I haven't even tried. I miss the Scions.

At any rate, the Seedy Seeds played next. I'm actually kind of stoked I saw their show. I've seen them so much that I only half paid attention, until they debut a new song that they had been tweeting about all week. I was very excited to hear what they came up with, and I have to say, it was pleasantly different from their usual stuff. Come to think of it now, their "usual stuff", while it does have a signature sound, does not sound all alike. That being said, the new song has a more chilled out, slower, almost intentionally lower key vibe about it and I liked it. Good job!

The Seedy Seeds perform at the Grammers Tent.

There was about an hour's wait to get Caribou on the stage. Everyone was pissed. The tweets were hilarious. People were leaving. Others were trying to convince people that it wasn't the band's fault. I don't really know what was going on. There were sound problems of some time - I'm not sure if it was the booth, the stage, or the instruments. I didn't really let myself get annoyed until the end, but I stuck around. It was an awesome set.

Caribou plays at the Grammers Tent.

Cool lighting effects.

























About halfway through Caribou's set, I decided I was going to head over to Blue Wisp to catch some friends and try to con them into going to Below Zero for "Not Blood, Paint". I did run into one of my friends who helps run a local label and pitched an idea to her... (ooooh, secretive) But shortly after parting ways, my left eye's contact lens got all scewy. So, at 11:15 Friday night at MPMF, this son of a bitch had to drive home with a fucked up contact lens. By the time I got home safely, I was so pissed that I said "fuck it" and stayed home. Didn't want to drive back downtown in my glasses only to find that by the time I parked, I'd see the last five minutes of NBP's set. So needless to say, it was a shitty end to a potentially great night, which was nobody's fault.

Let's hope that Saturday can redeem the ballsuck that was Friday.

MPMF.10 Day One

My God, I forgot about this blog. I blame Animus. Anyway, I thought I would write about MPMF 2010 in Cincinnati.

I don't like to write about music festivals. I'm not one of those hip kids who know all 200 local bands and all 20,000 midwest regional indie bands. So I'm also not going to tear into each band's act comparing them to whoever or whoever. Whatever. I like music, I get stuck on a band forever and miss out on other new and hip acts because of it. It's what I do.

Pre-MPMF grillout was nice. It was a small crowd. Funniest thing was that I had mistakenly bought the non-self-light charcoal. Listen, folks, I'm not a man's man. I can hang PBR signs in my kitchen, I can cook a mean omelet, and I can change out a light fixture, but I can't change my own oil, and I'm barely competent enough to change a tire. Apparently, I also cannot light a grill, unless it's that 'self light' stuff. Suffice it to say that after three attempts, I basically DOUSED the charcoal in lighter fluid, let it soak, and then tried to light it.

Which is apparently what you're supposed to do. Who knew?

The burgers were damned good though. I'm not spilling my secrets. I may not be able to light a grill, but what I put on that grill is going to sear your tastebuds with awesome. Was stoked that my friend Bree came over too, because she's confined to a wheelchair and my back yard is wheelchair accessible.

So, on to Midpoint. Started the night off with Slothpop at Below Zero. Had never heard of them, liked the write up on mpmf.com, and got good referral from the peeps I was with. They were actually on my "I want to check them out" list, and I'm glad I went. I have to make a comment about the drumkit's tone. I've played drums/percussion for twenty years. The tone of his snare, his kick, and his floor tom were absolutely PERFECT. Thick, heavy, cutting, with just enough punch to keep it from being muddy. Damn, son. Nicely done. Impressive use of the violin, and I have to say that the two female singers were making me feel all warm and fuzzy. Especially the black girl who would occasionally play keys. Daaaaaaaamn!

Slothpop. Below Zero Lounge, MPMF.10

Next stop of the night was Blue Wisp to see Clare and the Reasons. This is one of those groups I DO know about and have been dying to see. I also love Brooklyn, and they are from Brooklyn. Started off the show with a filthy vodka martini that we affectionately named "The Oscar". Not as sassy as the Vesper, but it was so filthy that I'm pretty sure it put scabs on my lips.

Clare and the Reasons. Blue Wisp Jazz Club, MPMF.10

What can I say about Clare and the Reasons? Clare's voice makes my heart melt, and they cover one of my favorite Genesis songs of all time - "That's All". I also have a ridiculous amount of respect for any band that can play quietly. Anyone with half an ounce of talent can play loud. Silent, moving, poignant melodies only come from an instrument that you have taken the time and energy to know intimately. That's what I can say about Clare and the Reasons. Hey guys, are you playing in Brooklyn when I'm visiting NYC in November? Hope so.

Here's a link to a vid of Clare and the Reasons covering "That's All", linked from http://www.eachnotesecure.com.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujD3jCcYeF8&feature=player_embedded

Side note - little shout out to Van Dyke Parks. I'm pretty sure he was on before Clare and the Reasons, and was my backdrop for the first "Oscar". Good stuff.

Next it was off to MOTR to see the Super Desserts. I discovered the Super Desserts a few months ago at CS13 and fell in love. I typically do not enjoy that type of indie fluff pop. There was just too much of it out there in the last year or so, you know? Thing is, the Super Desserts have a fantastic live presentation and vibe. It doesn't come across as contrived. These people are genuinely having fun and its infectious. Every time I see them, it's like I'm watching a group of old college music major buddies who are using their music degrees as drink coasters, and decided, 'Hey, fuck this economy, let's go make beautiful music for a sad world'. Good choice. Plus, they are from Columbus, my home town.

Super Desserts. MOTR, MPMF.10

Side note - MOTR rules. New favorite hang out spot? Perhaps. Been seeing it all over foursquare this week. Def going there some time after MPMF.

I was enjoying the patio at MOTR when I realized, "HOLY FUCK! I'M LATE FOR HOLY FUCK!" Ran to my car and headed to the Cincinnati Club venue. Walking into the place was... odd. I kind of felt like a party crasher. Don't get me wrong, the actual venue was awesome, but the whole getting into it thing kind of felt out of place. You know what it was? It was the fact that the bar was only serving mixed drinks and Corona. I wanted a beer, and I got a Corona... and of course, there was some drunk bloke who had to do the whole put-your-thumb-on-the-bottle-and-spray-everyone-with-nasty-lime-corona-juice. Thanks dude, but I did not need your douche-bunk all over my face.

It's okay though, because Holy Fuck was awesome. My one complaint was that everyone in that venue was at least 6'4". That's nobody's fault, really, but it definitely was a bit of a spoiler. I think I saw one of Holy Fuck's band member's heads, that's it. I suppose I could have been an asshole and elbowed my way to the front, but I hate doing that.  At least the music was fucktacular. To make up for the fact that I basically got to stand and LISTEN to an awesome band rather than really see an awesome band, I bought the vinyl record. I am listening to it right now, in fact, and it's niiiice.

So, all in all, MPMF was exactly what I expected it to be. A lot of running around, drinking stuff I normally don't drink, watching AMAZING musical groups, and having a good time with great friends. Just gotta lose the Corona and I'm good.

Here's a little video I shot from the Holy Fuck concert.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz0gFqCf34k

Tea Party?

I don't like writing about politics. However, there was a very thought provoking interview on NPR today, and I must digress. This issue is almost too important to ignore.

Here's a link... you can listen to the program, and, of course, if you can stomach it, read the internet responses.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128624203

The discussion primarily addressed racial issues that have cropped up in the tea party movement. It also addressed the fact that there are black, democratic members of the tea party, in spite of what the general population believes.

But it got me thinking.

Let me first address the core fiscal concern of the tea party. From the outside, their message sounds like this:

"We hate Obama, we hate government spending, we hate tax hikes on the wealthy."

They are the few tea party members with loud, vulgar, hate-filled and occasionally racist mouths that give us this impression. But if you throw back to the Boston Tea Party, you see something different. Taxation Without Representation.

If I'm honest, I can actually support the idea of a modern day tea party - that being, that we don't have real representation in congress. It doesn't matter whether it's the right or the left - the lobbyists and big business owners run this country through their lobbying of lawmakers. That's something that any conservative or liberal politician with a shred of honesty will tell you, and in my personal opinion, it is one of the biggest threats to our nation's stability. People like you and I have almost no say over what decisions are made in congress.

Problem is, the tea party's supposed message gets lost in a sea of blatant right-wing lingo, which boils down to "don't raise taxes on the wealthy and stop spending money on government." Let's not even discuss the racism until later.

I don't favor excessive government spending. The national debt is deplorable. Fiscal responsibility is a high-minded and wonderful goal. But where has trickle-down economy gotten our society? I'll tell you. Take a look at GM executives flying private jets to Washington to get bailout money... or Wal*Mart moving into a small town and completely crushing out every ounce of local business... or the entire mortgage meltdown and the resulting Great Recession of 2008. That's where trickle down economy got us. If you honestly want to sit here as a reader and tell me that it's not the case, then you must have shit oozing out of your ears.

Government is spending in an effort to fix the preposterous amounts of damage done to this country by capitalists, who helped drive America into a painful recession. You can call that socialism if you want, and it very well may be, but you can't blame the Democrats or President Obama for that. If the rich fatcats aren't going to do something to fix it, then people like Obama will, because they are tired of watching the middle and lower classes getting trounced on by people who have far more than they ever could need.

What concerns me most is how violent things have gotten in the political realm. When I read about racist remarks from tea party members, or watch Glenn Beck act like a raving lunatic on Fox, I start wondering... how long? How long will it be before the guns come out, the riots flare up? To think that this country could see another civil war within the next five years is staggering, but altogether possible.

I think Americans should have the right to protest government spending. Free speech, the right to vote, the right to have your say are some of our most important core values. But when a group of people come across like child bullies in a school playground... well. First, you lose respect, and second, you plant a seed of division that is bound to turn violent at some point.

Usually, when the kid getting picked on decides to punch the bully back, it's not the fight of a proper boxer or the honor of a well-adjusted fencer. It's the brawl of a terrified, angst ridden wimp who fights ugly to preserve whatever he can, out of desperation.

I hope our society doesn't get to that dark place.