You won’t hear this too often, but I actually have to commend a politician for coming UP with a good idea.  I normally stay away from political issues here on Redneck Latte Ravings, but this is just too good to pass UP.

We’ve been paying dead people. 

The US government has issued checks to over 20,000 people who are dead.

Dead, that’s right, casters in the air, bit the dust, bought the farm, asleep with Jesus, D-E-A-D dead!

And it’s added UP to $180 MILLION!

So, President Obama has come UP with a “do not pay” list.  It’s just a simple idea to save the tax payers’ money.  Once it is UP and running, and of course, we’re dealing with the government – bids – contracts – bull$hit, and all – so who knows when that will be, all agencies sending out checks will have to check the list before they put the check in the mail. 

“We’re making sure that payments no longer go to the deceased — it sounds ridiculous even to say it,” said  Vice President Joe (always check the mike first ) Biden in describing the database.

The new list not only includes the newly dead, but contractors who’ve fallen behind in their payments or landed in jail, and companies that have been suspended or otherwise declared ineligible for government work.

“This stuff seems obvious on its face,” Biden acknowledged. “The voters will go, ‘My God, isn’t that happening already?’”

There’s already a list – the Social Security Administration does have what it calls a “Death Master File”.  But not every agency checks it before mailing out the checks.  President Barack Obama on Friday signed an order that  would centralize the information from several sources.  Sort of a “Checkland Security”. 

The figures on payments to the deceased came from the White House Office of Management and Budget, which also says checks went to 14,000 convicted felons, both in jail and on the run. The three-year total there: $230 million.

The White House guesses that improper payments of all kinds — from outright fraud to checks to inmates to simply mistyped pay stubs — totaled $110 billion in 2009.

“We think we have the tools now to take a real bite out of this,” Biden said.

Well, let’s hope so.  I’d hate to think our government wastes my hard earned money!

…that’s right, it’s Income Tax Day.

I put it in the category with Hitler’s Birthday (4/20)

The Burning of Atlanta (9/1)

Lee’s Surrender at Appomattax (4/9)

and the birth of Kate Gosselin (3/28).

All black letter days to me.

Income Tax in The United States was levied for the first time in 1861.  Abe Lincoln, 16th President and a Republican, had to pay for the War Of  Northern Aggression. 

It was a flat tax.  Hmmmm…and we thought that was new.  3% of ALL incomes over $800.00 was levied.  In 1862, the first tax was repealed, and a new one was instituted.

In 1892, The Democrats (see…I’m playin’ fair)  in Congress passed the Wilson-Gorman Tariff which was 2% on all household incomes over $4,000.  Fewer than 10% of the people in the country paid it.

In 1913, the 16th ammendment was ratified by the requsite number of states and became law.  It states:

“The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.”

This along with the rest…is history.

Happy Tax Day.

Sometime in the 1980s, it became “the law” that folks should have a million dollars for their retirement.

Frankly, I was on my way, but then Lucent stock took a dip tumble spill nose-dive fell into the crapper.  And, alas, I don’t even open that envelope any longer.

Too depressing.

Well, now “experts” are saying that a million dollars isn’t enough.

Over 200 investment advisors were polled and they all say one million won’t cut it for the next go round.

We Baby Boomers had it better than our Depression/WW II era folks, and learning from their hardship, we “stocked” money away.

Then the criminals on Wall Street stole it all.

And you know who you are.

Generation Xers, those born in the decade following the Viet Nam war, are probably going to need TWO million.  Generation X is also called the 13th generation by some, since these kids were born during a “spiritual awakening” that produced free love, recreational drug usage, and art and movies that featured protagonists that were evil or demonic in nature. ex. Rosemary’s Baby, The Omen, etc.  Sorry – I didn’t come UP with the name.

Generation Y (and when did generations go to just Letters to define them…are we that lazy?), will probably need THREE million!!

Generation Y is the group born from 1970 to the mid 1990s. they are also called the Generation Next which is not to be confused with the Net Generation.  I’m  so glad names are back!  Some super fussbudgets claim Generation Y ends with the 1980s, and some call them Echo Boomers, since birth rates went UP.  (See paragraph above mentioning ‘free love’ – supporting a child for 18 plus years flies in the face of FREE if you ask me!!)

All the kids being born now, and since 1995 are the Net Generation, not a terribly creative name, but fitting at best since every child out there is hooked UP to at least one internet connecting device. 

Well, these kids, they’re gonna’ need FIVE million.  Wonder how that’s gonna happen in a service economy gone bad?

Like I said, I’m a million short – and a little bitter!

…but, is she really worth $20 million a movie?

I mean, c’mon, Enough is Enough!!

Recently, the Wall Street Journal reported that Regal Cinema Corp. is raising movie prices.

Thanks, Hollywood.  Aren’t these economic times hard enough without you screwing us out of a little more cash.

The last trip to see a movie, the name of which I no longer remember, cost me about $40.

Tickets – $20

Popcorn, Cokes, and Raisinettes, because ya gotta have ‘em - $20.

And I can’t even remember what the name of the movie was or who was in it!

With millions of people out of work, prices out of control, and the economy in the toilet, can’t Hollywood give us a break?

Really, Julia, George, Meryl, et. al.  don’t you think a pay cut is in order for you as well?  Afterall, teachers everywhere are getting furloughed!

There are disasters aplenty in Hollywood, and we all pay dearly to see them…which reminds me, the next time there’s a disaster in the world, don’t hold a telethon and ask me for money. 

You make $20 million plus per picture…you build a new school in Haiti!

Thank goodness the library’s still free!