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
Where's the proof of price gouging?
Here are facts from a mostly-accurate email circulating the Internet. The emphasis is on the size and impact of Walmart.
The part that interests me most is the profit margin. When all is said and done –- including paying corporate income taxes, Walmart nets about 3.4 cents per dollar of sales, an amazingly low figure for a retail non-grocery store. And this is a consistent pattern year after year.
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.
Deluged by ads from insurance companies for Medicare products?
People covered by Medicare have more options for getting benefits than in years past. In 2008, choices include Original Medicare and many Medicare Advantage plans. It's an important decision about a complex matter. Here's a comprehensive explanation of what you need to know.
Richard Rider Rant
I've been suspicious about all the exhortations to save gas by driving slower. Of course, it is true -– to some degree. But just how much? And what's that savings worth per hour?
Are you struggling to finance your child's higher education? A new trend may give you hope.
Several Ivy League schools are offering reduced or even free tuition for students who come from lower- and middle-class families.
HawkTrek
A laptop computer is wonderful, but more expensive than a desktop computer -- to buy, and to keep running. A laptop's battery wears out, providing less and less power, and replacing the battery is amazingly costly. But does it have to be?
For more than decade, I've been an IBM ThinkPad user. Period. When I try to use another brand of laptop/notebook, I get annoyed immediately at the poor keyboard and lack of TrackPoint.
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