God Bless President Bush

[Dr. Love]

I just did my taxes.

[Guitar Shark]

LOL, I agree Doc, that's one reason to love him.

(The only reason, in my opinion, but a reason nonetheless.) :D

But don't tell my future children that! ;)

[ELVIS]

:elvis:

[Nickdfresh]

Buy now, pay later.

The Federal Deficit is now
http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/debtc.gif

[Bob_R]

Originally posted by Nickdfresh
Buy now, pay later.

The Federal Deficit is now
http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/debtc.gif

LMFAO!

When he took over there was a SURPLUS!

[WARF]

I think i'm gonna throw up!

What an idiot!

[WARF]

Originally posted by Nickdfresh
Buy now, pay later.

The Federal Deficit is now
http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/debtc.gif

I agree, but that term is from the 1993 Van Hagar album! LOL

[WARF]

http://www.ilovewurstbrot.de/Promi_s/P1/George-W-Bush-Goes-Undercover-To-Find-Osama-P277.jpg

[ODShowtime]

It's immaterial when you consider all the damage done.

[fe_lung]

My taxes doubled since he took office, so I'm not so much on the blessing thing!

[Dr. Love]

Originally posted by ODShowtime
It's immaterial when you consider all the damage done.

Cool, can I have your refund, then?

[blueturk]

Here are the REALLY happy campers!


2005 Inauguration Donor List


ACS State & Local Solutions, Inc. Washington DC $250,000
A.G. Spanos Stockton CA $250,000
AFLAC, Incorporated Columbus GA $100,000
AFLAC, Incorporated Columbus GA $150,000
A. J. Scribante Omaha NE $100,000
Alan B. Fabian Cockeysville MD $100,000
Al Hoffman, Jr. Fort Myers FL $100,000
Alagem Capital Group, LLC Beverly Hills CA $250,000
Alexander F. Treadwell Westport NY $100,000
Altria Corporate Services, Inc. New York NY $250,000
American Bankers Association Washington DC $25,000
American Chemistry Council Arlington VA $25,000
American Financial Cincinnati OH $250,000
American Health Care Association Washington DC $50,000
Ameriquest Capital Corporation Orange CA $250,000
Amgen, Inc. Thousand Oaks CA $100,000
Andrew C. Taylor St. Louis MO $100,000
Anheuser-Busch Cos., Inc. Washington DC $100,000
Argent Mortgage Company Orange CA $250,000
AT&T Washington DC $250,000
Bank of America Corporation Charlotte NC $250,000
Barbour, Griffith & Rogers, LLC Washington DC $25,000
Bensco, Inc. Metairie LA $100,000
Benson Football Metaire LA $100,000
Benson Mineral Group, Inc. Denver CO $100,000
Beverly Enterprises, Inc. Fort Smith AR $50,000
Beverly Enterprises, Inc. Fort Smith AR $20,000
Bill G. Hartley Tyler TX $25,000
Blank Rome, LLP Philadelphia PA $200,000
BlueCross BlueShield of Florida, Inc. Jacksonville FL $100,000
Bob Tuttle Beverly Hills CA $25,000
Boone Pickens Dallas TX $250,000
Bradford M. Freeman Los Angeles CA $100,000
Bristol-Myers Squibb Washington DC $250,000
Broadcast Music, Inc. Nashville TN $25,000
Burlington Norhtern & Sanata Fe Corp. Topeka KS $250,000
Burton J. McMurtry Portola Valley CA $50,000
California Farm Bureau Federation Sacramento CA $100,000
Carl H. Lindner Cincinnati OH $250,000
C. Edward McVaney Greenwood Village CO $100,000
Century Homebuilders, LLC Miami FL $100,000
Charles E. Cobb, Jr. Coral Gables FL $25,000
Charles D. Miller Pasadena CA $100,000
Cherie and Robin Arkley Eureka CA $100,000
CheveronTexaco Concord CA $250,000
Cinergy Corporation Cincinnati OH $250,000
Cisco Systems, Inc. San Jose CA $100,000
Clearwire Corporation Kirkland WA $100,000
Computer Associates International, Inc. Islandia NY $100,000
Corporate Capital, LLC New Orleans LA $250,000
Cove Partners, LLC Santa Monica CA $100,000
Cove Partners, LLC Santa Monica CA $25,000
Credit Union National Association Madison WI $50,000
CSC Federal Sector Headquarters Falls Church VA $25,000
David Girard-diCarlo Washington DC $50,000
Direct Supply, Inc. Milwaukee WI $25,000
Donald J. Carty Dallas TX $100,000
Dr. Miriam Ochshorn Adelson Las Vegas NV $250,000
Duane Acklie Lincoln NE $100,000
Dwight C. Schar McLean VA $100,000
Edison Electric Institute Washington DC $25,000
Edison Electric Institute Washington DC $25,000
EDS Plano TX $100,000
Elliott Broidy Los Angeles CA $250,000
Entrepreneurial Capital Corporation Newport Beach CA $100,000
E-Team Communications Austin TX $50,000
Exxon Mobil Corporation Washington DC $250,000
Fairfax Reality, Inc. Salt Lake City UT $100,000
FedEx Corporation Memphis TN $250,000
First Data Corporation Greenwood Village CO $250,000
Ford Motor Company Dearborn MI $250,000
Frank Baxter Los Angeles CA $100,000
Frederick R. Meyer Dallas TX $25,000
George Richmond Earth City MO $50,000
GMAC Horsham PA $100,000
Golden Eagle Industries, Inc. Charlotte NC $250,000
H. Edward Baher Bluffton SC $250,000
Horizon Bay Management, LLC Tampa FL $25,000
Hratch Kaprielian New York NY $25,000
HSBC USA Inc. Mt. Prospect IL $25,000
Hunt Consolidated, Inc. Dallas TX $250,000
Hunter Engineering Company Bridgeton MO $100,000
Ilene L. Flaum and David M. Flaum Rochester NY $100,000
Independent Community Bankers of America Washington DC $100,000
International Paper Memphis TN $100,000
International Traders, INC Nashville NC $30,000
Intervest Construction, Inc. Daytona Beach FL $100,000
J. Ronald Terwilliger Key Largo FL $100,000
Jack Overstreet Englewood CO $100,000
James A. Haslam, II Knoxville TN $50,000
Jerome V. Ansel Boca Raton FL $100,000
JM Family Enterprises, Inc. Deerfield Beach FL $25,000
John Elliot Associates Charleston WV $30,000
John L. Kemmerer, III Morristown NJ $100,000
John W. Childs Boston MA $100,000
JPMorgan Chase Houston TX $100,000
KB Home Los Angeles CA $100,000
Kenneth J. Kies McLean VA $25,000
Kojaian Ventures, LLC Bloomfield Hill MI $250,000
Lawrence Auriana Greenwich CT $100,000
Lawrence Lacerte Dallas TX $25,000
Leach Capital, LLC San Francisco CA $100,000
Linger Longer Development Co. Greensboro GA $100,000
LMD Properties, LLC High Point NC $50,000
Lockheed Martin Corporation Arlington VA $100,000
Long Beach Acceptance Corp. Paramus NJ $250,000
Lydian Asset Management Westport CT $25,000
Marathon Oil Corporation Houston TX $25,000
Marc S. Goldman Hoboken NJ $100,000
Marc S. Goldman Hoboken NJ $150,000
Marna D. Schnabel Los Angeles CA $100,000
Marriott International, Inc. Washington DC $250,000
Marriott Vacation Club International Washington DC $250,000
Matthew R. Simmons Houston TX $100,000
Max M. Fisher Detroit MI $100,000
MCI Ashburn VA $25,000
Michael W. Murphy El Dorado AR $25,000
Microsoft Corporation Redmond WA $100,000
Morgan Stanley Jersey City NJ $100,000
Nancy and Jeffrey Marcus Dallas TX $100,000
Nancy and Rich Kinder Houston TX $250,000
National Association of Home Builders Washington DC $250,000
National Association of Realtors Chicago IL $50,000
Ned L. Siegel Boca Raton FL $100,000
Nelson Peltz New York NY $250,000
New Breed Corporate Services, Inc. Greensboro NC $25,000
New Breed Corporation Greensboro NC $25,000
New Century Mortgage Corporation Irvine CA $100,000
New Energy Corp. South Bend IN $250,000
Nicholas Taubman Roanoke VA $50,000
Northrop Grumman Los Angeles CA $100,000
Nuclear Energy Institute Washington DC $100,000
Occidental Petroleum Corporation Los Angeles CA $250,000
Office of the Commissioner of Baseball New York NY $100,000
Oracle Corporation Rocklin CA $100,000
Peabody Holding Company, Inc. St. Louis MO $100,000
Pepsi-Cola Company Purchase NY $100,000
Perennial Strategy Group, LLC Washington DC $25,000
Pfizer, Inc. New York NY $250,000
Phil Wendel Charlottesville VA $100,000
Pilot Corporation Knoxville TN $50,000
Piper Rudnick Washington DC $25,000
PricewaterhouseCoopers Tampa FL $25,000
Qualcomm Incorporated San Diego CA $100,000
Retzer Resources, Inc. Greenville MS $25,000
Richard Warren Lake Forest CA $100,000
Rick J. Caruso Los Angeles CA $100,000
Robert Day Los Angeles CA $100,000
Robert C. Rhein Interests, Inc. Cincinnati OH $100,000
Robert Frank Pence McLean VA $100,000
Robert W. Johnson, IV New York NY $100,000
Rooney Holdings, Inc. Tulsa OK $250,000
R. T. Farmer Cincinnati OH $100,000
S. Davis Phillips High Point NC $250,000
Sallie Mae, Inc. Reston VA $250,000
Sam & Marilyn Fox St. Louis MO $100,000
SBC Communications, Inc. Washington DC $100,000
ServiceMaster Memphis TN $25,000
Sheldon G. Adelson Las Vegas NV $250,000
Southern Company Atlanta GA $250,000
Stanley P. Whitcomb, Jr. Bonita Springs FL $25,000
Stephen A. Schwarzman New York NY $100,000
Stephens Group, Inc. Little Rock AR $250,000
Strongbow Technologies, Corp. Burtonsville MD $250,000
Susan and Michael Dell Austin TX $250,000
TC Management Partners IV, LLC Washington DC $100,000
Terry & Jane Semel Beverly Hills CA $125,000
The Boeing Company Arlington VA $100,000
The Coca Cola Company Washington DC $100,000
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. New York NY $100,000
The Home Depot Washington DC $250,000
The Limited Service Corporation Columbus OH $100,000
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC Chevy Chase MD $250,000
The Shaw Group, Inc. Baton Rouge LA $100,000
The Timken Company Canton OH $250,000
The Washington Post Washington DC $100,000
Thien H. Nguyen Redington Beach FL $100,000
Thomas F. Petway, III Jacksonville FL $100,000
Thomas F. Stephenson Atherton CA $225,000
Time Warner New York NY $250,000
Titus Electrical Contracting, Inc. Austin TX $100,000
Tom Benson Metairie LA $50,000
Town and Country Credit Irvine CA $250,000
Toyota Motor North America, Inc. New York NY $25,000
TRT Holdings Inc. Irving TX $100,000
Tyson Springdale AR $100,000
Union Pacific Corporation Washington DC $100,000
United Parcel Service Roswell GA $250,000
United Technologies Hartford CT $250,000
UST Inc. Greenwich CT $250,000
Valhi, Inc. Dallas TX $100,000
Vernon G. Buchanan Sarasota FL $100,000
Wachovia Corporation Jacksonville FL $250,000
Washington Group International Boise ID $25,000
Washington Television Center Washington DC $250,000
Waste Management Service Center Houston TX $100,000
Well Care Health Plans, Inc. Tampa FL $100,000
William Earl Riggs Pleasantton CA $100,000
William O. DeWitt, Jr. Cincinnati OH $100,000
Williams & Jensen, PC Washington DC $50,000

[CVHfan]

W is for wanker.

[BrownSound1]

Surplus...well not really. We had not paid off all of our debt. It was a surplus for, what 2 years worth of budget, so don't confuse it with us being out of debt...because we were never, and probably never will be debt free. Then again, who in the fuck is going to make us pay anyway. :D I say we go collect all the money we lent to other countries...that'll put a dent in it.

[Nickdfresh]

Originally posted by BrownSound1
Surplus...well not really. We had not paid off all of our debt. It was a surplus for, what 2 years worth of budget, so don't confuse it with us being out of debt...because we were never, and probably never will be debt free. Then again, who in the fuck is going to make us pay anyway. :D I say we go collect all the money we lent to other countries...that'll put a dent in it.

That's a good point, but a small Federal deficit I have been told is a good thing though I am not sure why. Their was no deficit spending under Clinton his final term, so things were very stable.

Perhaps everything isn't Bush's fault, but his priorities are way out of 'balance' when you 'buy now, pay later.':D

[Warham]

Yeah, I suppose we could save a billion dollars a day and deal with the terrorists over here instead of in Iraq. You don't mind having them over at your house, do you Nick?

[ODShowtime]

Originally posted by Dr. Love
Cool, can I have your refund, then?


It's immaterial to the big picture but it's still useful currency. And I'm gonna need every penny of it for my journey to the land of jeb.

I guess I can't be too hard on old gw, I am about to jump tax brackets. :cool: I'll probably end up with a smaller refund next year.

[Dr. Love]

Well... I don't give a shit about the big picture. :P

But I do give a shit about my wallet. So it's pretty material to me. ;)

[ODShowtime]

Originally posted by Dr. Love
Well... I don't give a shit about the big picture. :P

But I do give a shit about my wallet. So it's pretty material to me. ;)

Well, the big picture has a profound impact on most people's wallets. Especially over time. If gw's policies continue, most likely your quality of life will start to be severely downgraded. It already has been, maybe you didn't notice.

[Cathedral]

I owe this year, so i'm waiting until April to file mine.
It was a great year, but the absence of a $2,000 check will take some getting used to.
I just wish my wifes disability was taxable, I have to report it, but it doesn't get recorded as taxable income so it doesn't help at tax time.

All i know is that i am doing better than i ever have.
I'm not sure Bush had much to do with it, but until just a couple of years ago life was a bit of a struggle.

I'm looking into a couple of foreclosure properties that may be a way to make a few grand real quick.
We bought a condo from the bank once, spent a week replacing the nasty green carpet, painted and cleaned the place real good then had my mother sell it at market value.
We all made some crazy money on that deal, lol.
It was enough to make me laugh like a madman when i got the checks.

I suggest to anyone that buying investment property is the best way to build wealth, and you don't need a stupid Infomercial "Program" that costs $400 to do it.
Just don't buy a shit hole, Foreclosures are the way to go and with the interest rates so low the last couple of years there are a lot of properties that went into foreclosure before construction on the homes was even completed.
Those are money trees because the bank only wants the money they are out, this makes for a great investment for anyone.

Equity grows like a weed in developing areas. build a home, keep it 5 years, sell it and have 10 to 20K in spendable cash at the closing that you didn't have before.

All you need is $10,000 cash to start with, unless the loan is assumable then the sellers initial down payment applies to your loan.

I have a few questions about this "Bush Plan" for Social Security, but i definately see ways it can work really really well for people who make above average income.
And in the process it will strengthen the economy by bringing more money into the flow.
These things all lead to business growth, jobs, tax dollars, and ultimately, Security (by the way, i don't really believe in the term "Security").

If there is a way I can use this proposed reform to increase my retirement accounts, and if this reform means i can pass my Social Security on to my daughter when i die, which you cannot do now. a guy would be stupid not to take advantage of the opportunity for the future of his family.
Forget about Bush for a moment and really examine the concept here, it can work as well as it can fail, like anything.

It depends on the person applying it, and there are rules to prevent people from blowing it.
Or you can choose to stay in the 1% growth market as it currently stands and take your chances.
There are no handouts in life, nothing is free and if you want a better life the responsibility falls on the individual.

The liberal agenda tries to take the wealth from the wealthy and spread it out to everyone with social programs.
The conservative agenda wants to teach you how to build wealth on your own and be financially self sufficient so you don't need social programs.
A liberal mind would raise taxes to make up for the unemployed's lack of tax contributions.
A conservative mind wants to give that person a job, lower taxes, and achieve tha same goal of increased tax revenue.

Argue all you want, these are facts as they pertain to me and Bush's idea does have potential to make people a lot of money.
The best way to get people to spend money is to put more in their pockets.

Oh, and the term "Surplus" is hardly what i would use to describe tax dollars that the people busted their balls for and was never returned to them until President Bush took office.
It wasn't surplus, it was my money and your money, not the governments money.

He gave it back, people spent that money, recession ended, end of story.
The deficit doesn't mean shit to me when i think of all the money other countries owe us that we'll never see again.

If we the people wanted to pull together and pay off the deficit we could do it no problem.

We are the richest nation on the planet are we not?

[Nickdfresh]

Originally posted by Cathedral



The liberal agenda tries to take the wealth from the wealthy and spread it out to everyone with social programs.
The conservative agenda wants to teach you how to build wealth on your own and be financially self sufficient so you don't need social programs.
A liberal mind would raise taxes to make up for the unemployed's lack of tax contributions.
A conservative mind wants to give that person a job, lower taxes, and achieve tha same goal of increased tax revenue.

Argue all you want, these are facts as they pertain to me and Bush's idea does have potential to make people a lot of money.
The best way to get people to spend money is to put more in their pockets.

Oh, and the term "Surplus" is hardly what i would use to describe tax dollars that the people busted their balls for and was never returned to them until President Bush took office.
It wasn't surplus, it was my money and your money, not the governments money.

He gave it back, people spent that money, recession ended, end of story.
The deficit doesn't mean shit to me when i think of all the money other countries owe us that we'll never see again.

If we the people wanted to pull together and pay off the deficit we could do it no problem.

We are the richest nation on the planet are we not?

I thought the '(neo)conservative mindset' was to effectively wipeout the middle class, ship our jobs offshore, facilitate a huge wealth disparity in America, and continue to enable the Plutocarcy run by special interests.

[Cathedral]

What can i say, I live in a dream world where everything and everyone are equal, lol.
Neither party is truly on track with their own core values these days.

[Warham]

To put it bluntly...

The liberals in the government think you are too stupid to control your own assets. That's why they want to hike up your taxes, and put it into a safe account, where it grows at a 2% clip. Then when you retire, you will receive enough money a month to buy a loaf of bread, and a few lottery tickets. When you pass on, nothing gets transferred to your children: after all, you've basically wiped out your savings accounts to pay for the cost of living since your Social Security really isn't security at all. So in other words, if you are poor to begin with, you will die poor, and then your children will gain nothing from your passing. It's a good way to keep people on government programs for generations.

[Cathedral]

So basically the Democrats consider the American people to be idiots?

Sounds about right to me.

Um, how does that work at getting votes again?
Oh that's right, they aren't getting many these days are they?

LMMFAO...

[lois]

Originally posted by Cathedral
If there is a way I can use this proposed reform to increase my retirement accounts, and if this reform means i can pass my Social Security on to my daughter when i die, which you cannot do now. a guy would be stupid not to take advantage of the opportunity for the future of his family.

Funny stuff, there. Have you read the fine print on the Bush plan? There is no "passing it on to your daughter when you die," that's a hoot.

"Any funds that remained available under these annuities after death would go to the Social Security program; the money could not be inherited. While that would assure retirees a monthly check while they live, it also could undercut what polling shows is one of the most persuasive arguments on behalf of personal accounts - that they can be inherited. "

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBEOOZ9Q4E.html

[frets5150]

.

[fe_lung]

It depends on the person applying it, and there are rules to prevent people from blowing it.

Yes. As I understand in, it works... well... kind of pretty much like social security. The acct ultimately belongs to the government and they cut you a check each month. It's not like an IRA or 401K where you get to decide how much you get per month - Uncle Sam still makes that decision for you.

[Little_Skittles]

Guys I don't think we should have to pay taxes. I think our government needs a reformation. No one likes to fill out the forms, i've taken a gander at them and oh my lord it's like trying to read a foreign language.

[blueturk]

Originally posted by Little_Skittles
Guys I don't think we should have to pay taxes. I think our government needs a reformation. No one likes to fill out the forms, i've taken a gander at them and oh my lord it's like trying to read a foreign language.

The scary part is that they've actually been simplified over the past few years!

[Little_Skittles]

WHAT OH MY GOSH!!!! I'm so screwed.....guess that why they've those people who do them for you, then you get charged an arm and leg.

[Dr. Love]

Originally posted by ODShowtime
Well, the big picture has a profound impact on most people's wallets. Especially over time. If gw's policies continue, most likely your quality of life will start to be severely downgraded. It already has been, maybe you didn't notice.

Hmm, maybe you're right.

Over the last four years, my average income has grown by about just over 500%. In the last year alone my salary grew by about 85% from the year before.

Also, my tax refund has doubled and almost tripled.

My bills have grown with my increase in wages, but not anywhere near the rate at which my salary has grown. In fact, things have improved for me in the last four years to the point that I can save a complete 25% of my salary per year and still maintain a very comfortable standard of living. If it were to ever start to degrade, I would have an extra 25% of my wages to offset that.

If I lost my job, for whatever reason, it wouldn't be that hard for me to get another, given my age, relative experience and industry.

I dunno what you do, but if you've been suffering under this administration, then I'm sorry, and I'd agree that you should be looking for change.

But I don't care so much about who we go to war with as much as I care about how much is in my wallet.

[lois]

Originally posted by Dr. Love
But I don't care so much about who we go to war with as much as I care about how much is in my wallet.

One could paraphrase that as "I don't care who or how many people are killed, so long as I get rich."

[academic punk]

Originally posted by Dr. Love
Hmm, maybe you're right.

Over the last four years, my average income has grown by about just over 500%. In the last year alone my salary grew by about 85% from the year before.

Also, my tax refund has doubled and almost tripled.

My bills have grown with my increase in wages, but not anywhere near the rate at which my salary has grown. In fact, things have improved for me in the last four years to the point that I can save a complete 25% of my salary per year and still maintain a very comfortable standard of living. If it were to ever start to degrade, I would have an extra 25% of my wages to offset that.

If I lost my job, for whatever reason, it wouldn't be that hard for me to get another, given my age, relative experience and industry.

I dunno what you do, but if you've been suffering under this administration, then I'm sorry, and I'd agree that you should be looking for change.

But I don't care so much about who we go to war with as much as I care about how much is in my wallet.


Most of what you have to say sounds like personal achievement, rather than government policy (unless you're falsely claiming a bunch of unemployment checks under pseudonyms). So I wouldn't credit Bush with your current good fortune, I would credit your own hard work and ability.

As for your last sentence, you're of course free to feel free howveer you like, but fuck you.

[blueturk]

Originally posted by Dr. Love
Hmm, maybe you're right.

Over the last four years, my average income has grown by about just over 500%. In the last year alone my salary grew by about 85% from the year before.

Also, my tax refund has doubled and almost tripled.

My bills have grown with my increase in wages, but not anywhere near the rate at which my salary has grown. In fact, things have improved for me in the last four years to the point that I can save a complete 25% of my salary per year and still maintain a very comfortable standard of living. If it were to ever start to degrade, I would have an extra 25% of my wages to offset that.

If I lost my job, for whatever reason, it wouldn't be that hard for me to get another, given my age, relative experience and industry.

I dunno what you do, but if you've been suffering under this administration, then I'm sorry, and I'd agree that you should be looking for change.

But I don't care so much about who we go to war with as much as I care about how much is in my wallet.

I wonder who Dr. Love voted for?

[Dr. Love]

Originally posted by lois
One could paraphrase that as "I don't care who or how many people are killed, so long as I get rich."

Pretty much.