I Think, Therefore I Owe. New York’s mayor wants to tax everything that moves. Here are some things he forgot.

Deficit Yoga (link to article expired) – Just looking at the dollar amount isn’t a proper analysis.

A Tax On Fat (People)?

A Dog Running For City Council – It’s hard to imagine a Canine-American screwing things up any worse than the HomoSapien-Americans who traditionally hold elective office. Maybe it’s because of the environment in which they have been raised, but I have never sensed any attraction for tax increases in any of the dozens of dogs we have had here. I don’t think such a mind-set is possible for Canine-Americans; but we may find a different attitude in dogs raised by lefty DemonRats. This isn’t unprecedented. Sunol, California, near where we used to live, had a dog for a mayor, who did as fine a job as any human.

Farmer Offers Rental Cows on Internet – It will be interesting to see if this idea pans out. It’s hard to imagine anyone paying $276 for the cheese produced by one cow over a Summer.

As I’ve always said, stocks are great investments if you like the excitement of never knowing how you stand until you check that day’s stock prices. Other kinds of investments, such as real estate, are just too boring for investment thrill sekers.

Suit asks to freeze sale of Browns’ personal assets – This obviously should have been done before last weekend’s auction.

Harrison Abstract analyzed

Aug. 26 deadline for submitting claims against Harrison Abstract

Why You Waste So Much Money. Research Says People Don’t Use Services Like Gyms Enough to Justify Their Cost (link to article expired)

It’s not hard to come up with dozens of examples of of how things that look like bargains up front turn out to be big wastes of money. Buying a gallon jug of mayonaise may reduce the per ounce price you pay over a standard size bottle; but the actual cost for what is used works out to be much higher when you have to toss three quarters of the contents away.

The other frequent example that comes to mind is timeshares. The promoters sell the concept based on how much you would save over hotel costs. Real life almost always works out the other way. With the annual maintentance fees, and missed usage, along with the terrible resale values, hotels are much cheaper ways to stay in resort areas.

I have long been a supporter of the big cat wildlife refuge outside of Eureka Springs. One of the first projects I was involved with when I first started working with them was to try to put together a loan package for them to refinance the original property purchase loan with a new bank loan. Another goal was also to clean up the name on the title for the property from that of the foundation’s president, Tanya Smith, to the foundation itself.

The true non-profit nature of Turpentine Creek’s finances made it impossible to satisfy the banks’ loan criteria. As the old banker’s joke goes, they only want to loan you an umbrella when it’s not raining and money when you can prove that you don’t need it.

The title issue has created a problem with the county property taxes. If the foundation’s name were on it, the property would be tax exempt. However, with Tanya’s name on it, they have been assessed the full amount of taxes. They are in a very real Catch 22 situation. Tanya can’t transfer the property to the foundation without triggering the original seller to demand payment in full for the loan, which obviously can’t be afforded.

The Carroll County ruling authorities have been complete jerks about this situation and are threatening to sell the property at the end of July if the $26,000 in back taxes for the past five years aren’t paid. I’m not involved enough in local politics to understand why they are being this nasty to a charity that has been filling a very real need; but it’s obvious that some people have ulterior motives for trying to shut them down.

Here is Tanya’s explanation of the problem. She is absolutely right that they should be exempt from property tax and the county is being completely unreasonable in not taking into account the difficulties in straightening out the title issue.

Who’s Rich – As we all should know by now, if our superiors, the rich lefties, don’t need a tax cut, then none of us common folk need one either.

Court activism makes Balanced Budget Amendment a bad idea

Climbing Deficit Renews Battle Over Tax Cuts Versus Spending

Hillary’s Scheme: Inside the Next Clinton’s Ruthless Agenda to Take the White House – People have been calling me crazy over the past few years for claiming that Queen Hillary has always been planning to run in 2004 for a third term in the White House. Actually, I have always explained that her plan was for the rest of the DemonRats to field such a pathetic bunch of losers that she will be “drafted” to save the party, and the country. That plan is right on schedule.

Five Financial-Market Fallacies

The Sixth Supply-Side President. Bush is in league with Grant, JFK, Reagan, and more. – However, spending like Teddy Kennedy is not an admirable trait in Bush.

Needy local, state governments tack more taxes onto travelers – Tourists are popular targets because they can’t vote and punish the rulers who nail them with those taxes.