Property taxes! They are the bane of our existence here in the Empire State. The Empire State? What a joke! It used be to be a well deserved title due to the economic might of the state of New York but today this is the overtaxed state. It is the over-regulated state. It is the welfare state. It is the state from which so many New Yorkers want to escape.
Sure the City of New York is so much the center of American capitalism but government here is out of control. The state continues to run a massive budget deficit. State income tax is close to the highest in the country. A broad based sales tax is ruining consumer consumption. Corruption among elected representatives both state and federal from both sides of politics should be humiliating for everyone but it isn't, such is the low expectation of New York's voters.
But it is the property tax that kills economic growth here and funds all manner of governmental stupidity. Ordinary New Yorkers continue to pay America's highest property taxes and the burden just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Yes we now have a cap on this horrible tax but we need to have it reduced to a level where it no longer strikes fear into the hearts of those who have to pay it.
High speed ferries come and go but leave behind overwhelming debts. Now the same morons who gave us the ferry to nowhere wnat to give us a high speed rail service that no one else wants. tens of billions of dollars could be sunk into this economic madness. But we keep voting for these idiots. I wish we could call them useful idiots but there is no use for them.
Yes Virginia there is a Property tax and it haunts us all year long. Then one morning we get it up to find this smelly, disgusting gift from Albany in our mail box. A menacing demand for our hard worked for income. If we don't, or can't, pay the aforementioned government will take our house away from us and board it up until it gets knocked over. Only government can do this. It really is truly disgusting but it is the way of the Empire State.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Sunday, July 31, 2011
The War on Poverty
In March of 1964, President Johnson declared a "War on Poverty". Poverty has won the war.
I had always wanted to write this blog in a light hearted and humurous way but there are so many things here in America that are too, too sad and they make me very angry. I wish I could make people smile and have a little laugh at the wonderful differences between Americans and not just Australians but everyone else around the world because America does so many things so much better than everyone else.
But they also manage to convince themselves that they are just not worthy of their amazing success. They also believe some who tell them that everyone else around the world does pretty much everything better than they do.
To begin with today, let's talk about poverty. In a country where just about anything is possible tens of millions of people live in the most squalid and unimagineable poverty. Not far from where I live many people, sadly mostlly people of colour, live in and accept intolerable levels of deprivation. They live in houses that are falling apart. Most do not have a meaningful job if they have any job at all. Most do not have a decent education. Many have a criminal record. They live in neighbourhoods infested with drugs and the most appalling violence. Health outcomes and life expectancy for people of colour are unacceptable by any standard. Obesity and morbid obesity in African/American and Hispanic communities have become pandemic. The figures from the US government's Centre of Disease Control in Atlanta bear witness to this appalling condition.
The major causes of death for these deprived communities are gun violence, AIDS and obesity. Ban guns all you like but those people who kill with guns now are already barred by law from having a gun. The answer from many in the Democratic Party is to ban everyone else from having a gun. It doesn't make much sense but then many in the Democratic party rarely make much sense these days. As for Republicans they are not much better either.
America continues to throw money at these problems with little thought for the short or long term outcomes.
I wish I could be light-hearted and make you smile but when you meet a man on the street who is starving and cannot feed himself I cannot make a joke.
Yes the war on poverty is lost. The war on drugs is also lost and while we could decriminalize many drug offences we cannot ignore the deprivation of so many of our brothers and sisters who cannot shelter and feed themselves.
Is the answer more government spending. That is what has got us here in the first place.
President Johnson started the theft of the nation's wealth back in the 60's and politicians on both sides have allowed it to go on for far too long. It hasn't done any good and in fact has made it so much worse.
It is time for government ot get out of the way and be more of a servant than the one in charge.
I had always wanted to write this blog in a light hearted and humurous way but there are so many things here in America that are too, too sad and they make me very angry. I wish I could make people smile and have a little laugh at the wonderful differences between Americans and not just Australians but everyone else around the world because America does so many things so much better than everyone else.
But they also manage to convince themselves that they are just not worthy of their amazing success. They also believe some who tell them that everyone else around the world does pretty much everything better than they do.
To begin with today, let's talk about poverty. In a country where just about anything is possible tens of millions of people live in the most squalid and unimagineable poverty. Not far from where I live many people, sadly mostlly people of colour, live in and accept intolerable levels of deprivation. They live in houses that are falling apart. Most do not have a meaningful job if they have any job at all. Most do not have a decent education. Many have a criminal record. They live in neighbourhoods infested with drugs and the most appalling violence. Health outcomes and life expectancy for people of colour are unacceptable by any standard. Obesity and morbid obesity in African/American and Hispanic communities have become pandemic. The figures from the US government's Centre of Disease Control in Atlanta bear witness to this appalling condition.
The major causes of death for these deprived communities are gun violence, AIDS and obesity. Ban guns all you like but those people who kill with guns now are already barred by law from having a gun. The answer from many in the Democratic Party is to ban everyone else from having a gun. It doesn't make much sense but then many in the Democratic party rarely make much sense these days. As for Republicans they are not much better either.
America continues to throw money at these problems with little thought for the short or long term outcomes.
I wish I could be light-hearted and make you smile but when you meet a man on the street who is starving and cannot feed himself I cannot make a joke.
Yes the war on poverty is lost. The war on drugs is also lost and while we could decriminalize many drug offences we cannot ignore the deprivation of so many of our brothers and sisters who cannot shelter and feed themselves.
Is the answer more government spending. That is what has got us here in the first place.
President Johnson started the theft of the nation's wealth back in the 60's and politicians on both sides have allowed it to go on for far too long. It hasn't done any good and in fact has made it so much worse.
It is time for government ot get out of the way and be more of a servant than the one in charge.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Driving to Survive
If there is any difference between Australia and the US it is the side of the road on which we drive. Here in America of course we drive left hand drive cars on the right hand side of the road. In Australia it is reversed. And therein lies the biggest problem for any Aussie in America.
Its just not that we forget where the cars are coming from when we are walking but the whole driving thing can be quite dangerous. I have been here for nearly 6 years and it is just now becoming more natural. In the process I have found myself quite confused in both countries.
There have been times when I have walked to the wrong side of the car, either as the driver or passenger. One time I did get right into my car on the right side and wondered for a second or two just where the steering wheel was. A good thing I was by myself.
Even walking tends to be a little unoffically regulated to the right side prompting a few laughs and jokes about how I am on the wrong side when I instinctively move to the left.
What's the point? If you are thinking of coming to America and want to rent a car while you're here, think very carefully and if you go ahead, concentrate and drive even more carefully. Most people won't know where you're from and most likely you will be on the receiving end of some very unfriendly advice on your ability to drive. Of course the same applies to Americans going to Australia. You might not understand what is being said but you will know its not very nice.
Its just not that we forget where the cars are coming from when we are walking but the whole driving thing can be quite dangerous. I have been here for nearly 6 years and it is just now becoming more natural. In the process I have found myself quite confused in both countries.
There have been times when I have walked to the wrong side of the car, either as the driver or passenger. One time I did get right into my car on the right side and wondered for a second or two just where the steering wheel was. A good thing I was by myself.
Even walking tends to be a little unoffically regulated to the right side prompting a few laughs and jokes about how I am on the wrong side when I instinctively move to the left.
What's the point? If you are thinking of coming to America and want to rent a car while you're here, think very carefully and if you go ahead, concentrate and drive even more carefully. Most people won't know where you're from and most likely you will be on the receiving end of some very unfriendly advice on your ability to drive. Of course the same applies to Americans going to Australia. You might not understand what is being said but you will know its not very nice.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
And spring comes slowly.
Spring in the north east of the US comes slowly this year. Its much different from Australia. As I have said, winter is colder and the early part of spring is more like winter in Melbourne. Very cold and lots of rain. Right now people are coming out of hibernation; fixing the garden, walking the dog and re-introducing themselves to their neighbours. And yes there really is a driving season. I used to scoff at such an idea when I lived downunder. This really is the land of the road trip because there is so much to see and do. Not that there isn't in Australia but everything seems so much closer. Other cities are much closer and are easy to get to. Flying is another matter altogether. That has become no fun at all. Driving is a whole better. The roads here are very good, for the most part. Clearing the snow off them really wears them down and in states like Arizona the roads really are pristine. Yes the weather sucks right now and everyone has had enough of the cold but it will get better. When is another matter and everyone is getting impatient. Where is a little global warming when you really need it?
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