Here’s
a depressing comparison of California taxes and economic climate with the rest
of the states. The news is breaking
bad, and getting worse, so I keep updating this
article.
INCOME TAX: California has the 3rd worst state income
tax in the nation. 9.55% tax
bracket at $46,349. 10.55% at
$1,000,000
Richard Rider Rant
Richard Rider Rant
One of the modern day rationales for bigger, more expensive public libraries is free Internet computers. Supposedly vast numbers of San Diegans lack Internet access. Maybe that was true 10 years ago – but not today. It’s sad to see library lovers flailing around for such silly reasons to justify not only maintaining but expanding public libraries.
Today, computers are a cheap commodity. A netbook computer can be purchased new for under $300. Fully functioning used desktop systems on CraigsList can go for under $100 -- about the price of one expensive video game for a PlayStation III.
Richard Rider Rant
The best solution is under our feet
Many folks look back fondly on FDR’s efforts to pull us out of the Great Depression. Killjoys point out that FDR’s deeply flawed policies didn’t work – we had the longest, most sustained depression since perhaps the Renaissance.
At least some solace is taken from the widespread assumption that WWII finally bailed us out. Perhaps some see today’s overseas adventures as serving a similar purpose in this economic tailspin.
But we don't need no new stinkin' wars to "stimulate" the economy. I have a FAR better plan.
Mr. Rider, I can see why you weren't elected for mayor. You obviously suffered from the Adlai Stevenson effect! Thank you for pointing out the absurdity of the money system.
Richard Rider Rant
Here is a depressing comparison of California taxes and economic climate with the rest of the states (version 1.37 of my report). The news is breaking bad, and getting worse:
California has the 2nd highest state income tax in the nation: 9.55% at $48,000 income, 10.55% at $1,000,000 income.
California has by-far the highest state sales tax in the nation, 8.25% (not counting local sales taxes).
California has the highest state car tax in the nation, at least double any other state: 1.15% per year on value of vehicle.
Great article I must say. California is where our home and business are. We are experiencing all of the above, BIG time. I don't know why I was urged to read your article, but I did. California is...
Richard Rider Rant
Casino indians receive enormous windfall profits from their government protected gambling monopoly. The actual dollar amounts are hard to glean -– the indians are no fools in this matter, keeping their cards close to the vest. Most tribes in California are rather small -– unlike their casinos. Of particular interest to me is the per-indian gambling profits.
From time to time a number leaks out -– an innocuous factoid in a story about tribal activities. Such is the case in a recent story on the Sycuan Casino in San Diego County.
Imagine a country where Vegas resort clones are just like any other business, and they can be opened anywhere there is space. The appeal of this is that casinos rarely fail - after you deal with the...
Richard Rider Rant
Rider's Financial Advice of the Week: Buy food.
Three reasons:
1. Inflation -– our dollar is losing value because we put so many in circulation via the mechanics of the Federal Reserve.
2. Growing demand for food worldwide -– especially in the rapidly developing nations such as China and India.
3. Floods in the U.S., and droughts elsewhere -– especially Australia. More than usual this year, apparently.
Richard Rider Rant
The California unemployment figures for May 2008 constitute some misleading good news. We moved from the third worst state in April to the fifth worst state in May.
The bad news is that California's improvement is due to the fact that a handful of other states' unemployment rates are rising even faster. Michigan -– which used to build cars -– is in the toilet with an 8.5% unemployment rate.
Feel any better?
How I spent a week immersed in politics -- and rock 'n' roll.
How did a young San Francisco radio station DJ go to Washington, sit in the President's chair in the White House Oval Office, then play rock 'n' roll piano with a dozen legendary performers?
It all happened to ME -- one week in 1972, and especially one amazing night. Here's my Boomer Years experience.
How you feel affects your desire for new things.
Here's research that hits close to home. Because when you're feelin' blue, home is where you want to be.
This is more than common -- it is behavior you can count on, say researchers at University of California, San Diego (UCSD).
An international team of social and cognitive psychologists devised experiments to confirm that a negative mood makes us seek the familiar. And the opposite: Feeling happy makes us want something new.
This article has some interesting points. Like the baby example is so true, my baby always wants to run away when he's happy. I should of known about this information all along. But good stuff, I...
Richard Rider Rant
- CEO's are now playing miniature golf.
- Even people who have nothing to do with the Obama administration aren't paying their taxes.
- Hotwheels and Matchbox stocks are trading higher than GM.
- Obama met with small businesses to discuss the Stimulus Package: GE, Pfizer and Citigroup.
- McDonalds is selling the 1/4-ouncer.
- Parents in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their children's names.
- A truckload of Americans got caught sneaking into Mexico.
This list is awesome. Thanks for the laugh!!
Epic lol - Even people who have nothing to do with the Obama administration aren't paying their taxes.
Cheers,
Chris
Richard Rider Rant
One bad aspect of the current downturn is that politicians are desperate to collect "their" revenue from the hapless population. It looks like a major push is on at the federal level to require out-of-state vendors to collect sales tax from buyers. Fortunately y’all can afford it – and politicians assure us it is a FAR better option than actually reining in runaway government spending.
Richard Rider Rant
Government's actions to "fix" the financial situation are both amazing and disheartening. The magnitude of the nonsensical bailouts is simply breathtaking. I just can't keep quiet about it.
Richard Rider Rant
My column in North County Times questioning the ancillary functions of public libraries brought a storm of protest from library lovers. Well, a squall at least.
http://nctimes.com/articles/2008/05/29/opinion/rider/doc483ee3f9b66bd295...
What struck me about the criticism is that many of these supposedly well-educated folks apparently read no further than the headline before firing away in the online comments section. Either that, or their vaunted reading comprehension remains at third-grade level.
Richard Rider Rant
Here's an excellent article from an odd source: Karl Rove. Printed in the Wall Street Journal, this piece exposes the economic nonsense of both Obama and McCain when it comes to raising taxes on oil companies. Good stuff.
Richard Rider Rant
The state again leads by example
We're number one! Yup, California has the highest total taxes on gas of any of the 50 states. As of January 2008, we wealthy West Coast folks pay 63.9 cents of federal and state taxes a gallon, vs. the national average of about 47.0 cents.
Actually, total California state taxes are even worse than it first appears. All gasoline has a federal 18.4 cents a gallon tax. Hence the rest is all state tax. Thus California state tax is 45.5 cents a gallon vs. the average state tax of 28.6 cents. That means that California gas taxes are an outrageous 59% higher than the average of all states.
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