CHARLIE REESE'S FINAL COLUMN. A GREAT READ!!!!!
A very interesting column.. COMPLETELY NEUTRAL
Be sure to Read the Poem at the end.

Charley Reese's final column for the Orlando Sentinel...
He has been a journalist for 49 years.
He is retiring and this is HIS LAST COLUMN.

Be sure to read the Tax List at the end.

This is about as clear and easy to understand as it can be. The article below is completely neutral, neither anti-republican or democrat. Charlie Reese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, has hit the nail directly on the head, defining clearly who it is that in the final analysis must assume responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every day. It's a short but good read. Worth the time. Worth remembering!

545 vs. 300,000,000 People
-By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations.. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? John Boehner. He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan ...

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees...

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

What you do with this article now that you have read it... is up to you.
This might be funny if it weren't so true.
Be sure to read all the way to the end:

Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table,
At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.

Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for
peanuts anyway!

Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.

Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid...

Put these words
Upon his tomb,
'Taxes drove me
to my doom...'

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Sales Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax


Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax


STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What in the heck happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'

I hope this goes around THE USA at least 545 times!!! YOU can help it get there!!!

GO AHEAD. . . BE AN AMERICAN!!!

For the most part this is a true article, some stuff has been added since originally written.

Snopes

" I only hope that my generation and the one behind me is willing to stand up and be citizens in a way his failed in doing."

You aren't off to a good start.

Now now, his generation elected? Well HIS generation led the effort to end segregation AND DID, fought to give all the right to vote, forced and led the way giving all the same rights including women, hit the streets to end a war as others in the same generation fought the war and never lost a major battle, broke the mold of social values to bring sex and the human side out of the darkness, made the environment something to be saved. When he was young the D's fought for segregation, the R's did not believe in foreign wars ( remember Ike's warning ) the world at 18 that I lived in does not faintly resemble the present ............ thank god.

Where they went wrong is liberal or conservative is when they let let the two social issues of abortion & religion define the present two parties. A so called religious conservative trying to push there views on others is not a true Goldwater conservative anymore than a person that calls themselves a progressive is a true liberal but rather someone without conviction and nothing but a party HACK as liberal is a honorable title and they have led the way much of our history. No idea how old you are but starting the late sixties through the seventies the young generations that are the boomers led and pressed for change and social justice as none since the Civil War had.

We made a mistake as his generation ( and mine ) fought the good fight then wandered off and lived our lives without a lot of political thought and things went kinda nuts. What we have here is a major course correction that will play out over the next 10 years or so and if you think this country will look like it does now then your wrong. Do not know what the nation will look like then anymore than I did when I signed up to work for Robert Kennedy but it is going to change, dramatically.

There is nothing meaner than a boomer who is fed up and those two parties need to and in all likelyhood will pay the price they so richly deserve.

The problem, as I see it, is that most good people just want to live their lives. Most have neither the time nor the desire to spend their time in politics. I know I have none. So instead I trust my outcome to those who end up in office. Guess what? The only ones who end up in office are the dysfunctional, self serving, ego maniacs, who are having their moments of glory.......and are making the laws. How screwed up is that?

I'm hoping there are enough younger folks who don't live their lives as if they are "entitled" to much of anything. I think that is the only way that appreciation and gratitude for what we earn can be acquired.

Off the box now.

Lovin' Spoonful sang, "It's like tryin' to tell a stranger about Rock 'n' Roll."

Somehow seems appropriate.

Those who don't participate in the politics of running our city/county/state/federal gubmint doubly deserve the gubmint they get...and ought not whine about it when they do.

Fish on...

Todd

Hell, Todd.....you have a hard time finding people who even watch the news, read the news, or are in the least bit interested in the news. You can say what you want about how they live their lives, but for the most part they are happier not knowing wtf gov't is up to. Do you know a way to change that? When you run into someone who says, "I'm not interested."..........the conversation is over.

And there are lots who are "not interested". LOTS! And who can blame them? They listen and hope when they vote that the liar who says what they want to hear isn't just saying what they want to hear.

I agree...most people are totally disconnected, and many of those who pay at least a little attention are woefully uneducated about most every issue that is ever being discussed...your gubmint likes it that way.

That, however, does not stop them from having very strong opinions about issues that they played no part in framing, did not talk with their representative about...or have any clue about, either.

Can't have it both ways...know what you are talking about, and play a part...or STFU.

Fish on...

Todd

I hear the ding bat in tennis shoes is looking for a well versed doorman. Your read says you will fill the bill, you should apply!