“I don’t care”. Those words were spoken to me by an agent of the Colorado Dept of Revenue recently as I tried to explain why I didn’t have any money left after paying for food, rent and utilities. I only owe them $300 now in back taxes and have faithfully been paying down my debt for more than a year. This month, my utilities were higher because of cold weather, groceries keep going up but my fixed income hasn’t. I have my daughter and two grand kids living under my roof since she lost her job and kids love to eat. What was the result of my telephone conversation? an attachment on my bank account, essentially wiping it clean, that in addition to the bank charging me $100 for doing so. So between now and the second Wednesday of December, I have less than $20.

As I still have my internet connecton, I began searching the state’s web sites, trying to figure out exactly how they can legally take every dollar without so much as a thank you or kiss my a**. It turns out that states base their laws on the federal government, especially the Infernal revenue Service. Did you know that the state, and IRS, don’t have to prove to anyone, like a judge, that you owe the money, they can simply serve a paper on the bank, usually electronically, and freeze your assets and they don’t even have to tell you. That’s right, the first inkling you have is when a check bounces or you check your balance and its sitting at zero. Don’t count on ever seeing that money again, it is GONE and you’re left with the financial disasters it causes. The states are bad enough but can’t hold  candle to the IRS.

Several years ago the IRS was dragged over the coals when they were tied to several suicides because of their tactics. They had hounded so many people for small amounts that the people saw no way out except suicide and they took it. It was only found out later that the IRS had made a mistake. Oops!!. Now here’s a fact you may not have known, you can’t sue the federal government without their permission. You have to go before the federal tax court and essentially prove your case before you can continue. If the tax court rules against you, you have nowhere else to go but home and forget about it. The IRS has their own set of rules, classified for obvious reasons, that details the methods approved for collection agents. They can arrest without warrants, seize assets without showing just cause, seize assets of relatives and then sell them off for pennies on the dollar and then bill you for the cost of selling them. Talk about adding insult to injury.

With the economy in the toilet, unemployment staying above 10%, foreclosures at unheard of numbers, families sleeping on the streets and children going to sleep hungry, our government thinks nothing of taking what few dollars remain. We didn’t have a say in whether we wanted a trillion dollar federal deficit, we don’t have a say in how and where our tax dollars are spent but yet we are expected to pay for it. Do we really need to send $30 billion to foreign countries when that money could be better spent right here? Again, we aren’t asked.

It is a small wonder that there’s a mini-revolution brewing against the very people who should be held accountable. It will only grow until the voice of the people can’t be ignored. I’m seriously thinking of lending my voice to the growing uproar.

Yes, its my fault and I shamefully admit it. I don’t know all the major players in Washington, I should but there’s just too many, in front and behind the scenes, to keep track of. The ones I do know, like my state Senators and Representatives, just don’t have the juice to get anything done, or have the time to listen to the average American. So like a blind idiot, I sit in front of the TV during the evening news and shout insults to the talking heads. I rant and rave my dissatisfaction and in the end, all that’s happened is my blood pressure has risen dangerously. I’ve often given thought to the situation, I know, bad for the mental health and wondered just what I, just one senior citizen, can do about it.

In another post, I stated that we’re a non-issue because we don’t contribute enough money to political campaigns for these blowhards to get reelected. I still fell that way but thinking in a different direction, I have to ask why should we, after all, they work for us, draw their paycheck from the public treasury, have benefits the rest of us can only dream about and have a Colgate smile. I wouldn’t care if they had wooden teeth like George Washington if only they would do their jobs, represent us and not big business and special interests. We all know that is not going to happen because they know where their extra money comes from and it isn’t the little guys like you and me. Can anyone name even one politician who DID NOT become a millionaire while in office? I can’t and it sickens me.

Even those voted out of office continue to make money at our expenses, they are called lobbyists, the scum sucking, bottom feeding, lower than whale sh*t form of useless life form. Example, Karl Rove and Dick Cheney. We all remember our former vice president who continued drawing a salary from Haliburton while steering no-bid government contracts their way, but did nothing wrong, so he claims. If you believe that, I have some prime beachfront property to sell you east of Denver. Haliburton’s contract to build housing for our GIs has resulted in numerous deaths by electrocution, faulty grounding of electrical systems. But they did nothing wrong. You won’t read anything about that in the news now, its been buried.

Now we have our government trying to shove their version of health care reform down our throats while extolling its virtues, as if it had any. If I’m reading the bill correctly, and I have read it, unlike our Congressmen/women, it was written by the health care industry in cooperation with the pharmaceutical companies, designed to maximize profits at the expense of the American taxpayer. And we’re supposed to fell good about it. That is bad enough but now there are rumors floating around that there will be another round of bailout funding for those who missed out the first time, that doesn’t include those of us who would need it the most. President Obama has in his first nine months in office, driven the United States to a new record federal deficit, $1.4 trillion, with a capital T, trillion and he still has three years and three months to go. I shudder as to what he’s capable of in those three years.

Yes, I’m writing my Congressman, I know who he is now, and telling him that I don’t suport the current policies of spend, spend, spend. It has to end and let the market sort itself out. If AIG, Bank of America, Chrysler or insurance companies can’t compete, then the American taxpayer shouldn’t bail them out, There is no such thing as “too big to fail.”

Call me crazy but I think $1.43 trillion is a lot of money and that is exactly the amount the federal deficit has reached. I have a tough time imagining a couple of thousand dollars, much less a number with twelve zeros in it. Just think nine years ago, then President Clinton left office with a budget surplus but it only took King Bush less than a year to wipe that out and start adding the red. Now we have a crazy African-American who just keep adding to it while paying off his campaign promises, needless to say, the American voter isn’t on that IOU list. First he bailed out AIG, then other insurance companies, then the banks and finally the auto makers while flipping Americans the bird and lying through his white teeth.

Now he wants to reward the health insurance industry and pharmaceutical companies, all noble ideas, if his proposed programs benefited the American public, which it won’t. I just don’t cotton to the idea that we’ll be giving free medical services to undocumented workers (read that as illegal immigrants). Talk about opening the flood gates, that alone will do it. Under his proposed program, each American family would be required to purchase health insurance or face a hefty fine at tax time. Now how fair is that? Of course our elected representatives would be immune from this requirement, as we’re already paying for their excellent coverage. I don’t know about anyone else but I can’t afford health insurance, I’m living on a fixed income and supporting my daughter and her two kids as it is, she’s been out of work for a year the job prospects don’t look good. That doesn’t leave any money left for such luxuries as health insurance.

There are so many government mandated “must haves” that littler money is left. The state of Colorado mandates car insurance, a law that the insurance companies jumped on like a frog on a June bug. Jack the prices out of sight because the average driver can’t complain. Look closely at your utility bill (gas, electric, phone, internet, etc) and count up all the little charges that’s tacked on. They add up in a hurry. To date, our local utility company, Xcel Energy, has shut off power to more than 38,000 customers for non-payment and winter is coming on. I under stand that its even worse in the mid-northern states. Do they care? you bet they don’t.

So, yes, I’m going crazy trying to keep my head above water, to survive from one week to the next, scratching my head bald figuring out where the money is going to come from. As so many people have done so far, I’m thinking about just ending it all and let the state bury me. Serves them right.

Disclaimer: The following opinions and thoughts are my own, conceived by observation, reading and listening. I welcome any and all comments, just keep them civil and on topic.

Anyone been following the news lately? I have and I don’t like what I’m hearing and reading. If the polls are to be believed, President Obama’s approval rating is below 40%. That’s the good news, the bad news is he doesn’t care. Why should he, he and his family has a roof over their heads, a soft bed to sleep in, three squares a day, makes $400,000 a year and still has three years, four months in the White House. Short of impeachment, he’s there for the duration.

Out in the real world, unemployment is above 10%, thousands have lost their homes, thousands more are sleeping on the streets and going hungry, the sick remain sick and our children are crying themselves to sleep each night. Why should the politicians care, they are above all this pettiness and in a world of their own. They are secure in their cushy job screwing the American people and having fun doing it. They sit in their expensive homes and offices and laugh at the foolishness of the American people to keep voting them back into office. And fools we are.

During Obama’s campaign for President, I publicly stated that he was being expertly handled behind the curtain by big business and special interests. Soon after his inauguration, I was proven right when he bailed out insurance companies, banks, car manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and other special interests. What he did wasn’t in the best interests of the American people, we have yet to see any benefit, but in the interests of those who bought his election. I was called a racist for saying that he was was elected because of his race and I was proven right. I was called a doomsayer for stating that he’d drive this country close to bankruptcy and I was proven right. I was called an alarmist for saying that a civil war was coming, fortunately, I still have to be proven right on that one but we’re close. How close are we?

We already see the civil disobedience raising its ugly head as people barter between themselves for simple staples, against the law according to the income tax code. We see more and more people shooting wild game in order to put food on the table, also against the law. We see people collecting rain water, against the law at least in Colorado, to water their gardens and bath because their utilities have been turned off. Theft is on the rise as people do whatever is necessary to survive, including stealing bread. The homeless are camping wherever they can in order to survive the cold, also against the law in Denver. They are homesteading in vacate houses that banks have foreclosed on, have taken over abandoned farm houses and raising their own food in order to survive, also against the law. Jails are overflowing due to arrests of people doing whatever is necessary to survive. And I am close to joining the legions of homeless so I can sympathize with them and ask myself just how far am I willing to go? How far will I fall before I hit rock bottom?

So far, all I’ve seen is lip service from the very people who have been intrusted to prevent this fall. I see polished politicians stand up in townhall meetings and blantly lie to concerned voters, publicly stating that they are doing all they can to help when all they are doing is helping themselves. I wouldn’t trust one politician as far as I can throw a 1600 pound bull.

It boils down to this: if we are to survive, we must do it ourselves, we can’t count on, nor should we, the federal government. They have an agenda all their own and it doesn’t include American citizens.

Surprise, surprise, the answer is NO!! That is my position from watching college educated people try to run rough shod over non-college educated people. Specifically, college educated politicians in position of power in Washington D.C. I think it is safe to say that 100% of politicians have graduated from some college, usually one of distinction and renown. I think it is also safe to say that 90% of them are clowns who shouldn’t be allowed to manage a car wash, much less  a government department.

How does a college operate? Simple. A college professor writes a book and then makes it part of his program, thus insuring sales. Now where did that professor get his education? from reading books written by his instructor. Its all about book learning, not practical experience and it is practical experience that makes things work. Here’s an example. In order to get an electrical license, the electrician must know - as in intimately — the National Electrical Code (NEC). He/she must know formulas, calculations, conduit fill, amperage wire sizes and a thousand other need to knows. He/she must have the practical experience to install that conduit, size wires and pull the wires into the coduit. He/she must know, not guess, how to install an electrical system. That is practical experience.

Now, an electrical engineer has spent four years reading about how to do the same thing but doesn’t have the practical experience, they haven’t dug a ditch and installed the conduit, they haven’t pulled one wire and gotten their hands dirty. Yet they have the final say over the job and if they are wrong, the guy/girl in the ditch gets the blame. They don’t have the practical experience.

An aspiring politician has sat through four years of class room work but hasn’t the slightest idea of how the real world works, they lack practical experience. They do know how to rob Peter to pay Paul, juggle accounting books and make themselves look good in order to avoid criticism for the lack of practical knowledge. Just look at our present sitting administration. They have put the United States (read that American citizens) billions of dollars into debt and have the slightest clue as to how we’re going to pay it off. That’s where creative bookkeeping comes in handy. Call it slight of hand, they distract us from the real problem while giving us false hope. Does anyone really think that all this economic stimulas is about the American people. If you do, then get your head out of your a** and smell the roses. Its all about corporate America and bailing them out, not the American taxpayer. Its all about making them a profit at the expense of the age earner.

I must admit that I was anxious to hear how Obama would apply his problem solving skills to our problems as he campaigned for President, only to be disappointed as he plowed right into helping his campaign backers, those who handled him expertly before and after. Obama is now in the White House, for another 3 1/2 years and living the dream of every minority. It is unfortunate that he chose dept heads with little or no street smarts, a prime example of a college education going to waste. Obama is not helping the American people, he is repaying his campaign promises, at our expense. Maybe he can get a refund.

A “winter lawn” they call it; that means it looks lush and green in the winter.  In the summer, my lawn looks like a desert.  It doesn’t grow, so there’s no mowing to be done, but even watering the requisite 2x a week doesn’t help.  Might as well not water at all because it is brown, spotty with dirt patches where the weeds died away, and overall it looks like crap. 

The Orange County Water Department has decreed that residents can only water 2 x a week and there can be no overspray onto sidewalks, and all hoses must have a control nozzle.  I’ve spent $30 in sprinkler caps and control nozzles but this still won’t help our grass grow.  I give up.

About a year ago, I fell in love with the idea that rocks– huge, landscaping rocks and round, river-bed style rocks– would save our lawn by redecorating it.  So a couple of months ago, I took on the project.  I think I am a genius; my husband is skeptical.  I had a few mishaps attempting to get five 300 lb rocks delivered to our house by local gardeners, but in the end it got done.  I even moved the rocks into pre-dug holes with a shovel.  Have you ever moved a 300 lb rock with only a shovel?  I hadn’t before, but it feels awesome to have done it myself. 

 So, let it be said that I am creating — single-handedly– a dry river bed from our driveway upward toward the front of the house with salvaged rocks (thanks to my brother and sister-in-law, Craigslist, and public land sources) and drought tolerant plants.  What used to be a dry, ugly front lawn space is turning into a summer dry-rock bed I am proud of.  And, had I hired a landscaper to do this for me, I could be spending a thousand dollars by the time our lawn is finished!

Next step: looking for a bridge to go over the rock bed.

The spinners in the White House are starting to perspire. Support for health care might actually expire. Limbaugh’s mouth is on fire. He says Pelosi is a liar. He’d like to make her retire. Obama tries to inspire but he’s just preaching to the choir. How much support does his plan really require? His critics say the deficit will only go higher and cash for clunkers is no spare tire.

I’m just watching like a bird on a wire. A see a sharp knife in a quagmire. An innocent girl continues to aspire…With no insurance or fear, she only has desire.

You can see more photos by Mountain Dude at: www.dporterdvd.com

Yes a man who was light years ahead of his time penned this opening to one of the MOST influential documents ever written in history.

Sadly, today this means nothing to the elected officials governing our once great country. No it didn’t start sliding downhill when the Novelty Obama-nation uttered the statement, “We live in the greatest country in the world; help me change it, but that non hacker sure as fuck hasn’t HELPED things out a whole lot has he?

Motherfuckers (and father fuckers for you ladies who feel left out when I say it) Are lining up to defend this shitbird with statements like “No one can expect him to deliver on all of his campaign promises”. Then WHY the FUCK was he elected by a majority vote? If it doen’t matter what they say, why aren’t we picking a President’s name out of a fucking Fez? (Yeah a turban would just be a freaking hand towel with a bunch of clumps of paper inside it wouldn’t it?)

I’m getting off track here. HEALTH CARE for ALL should be FOR all not just one for us and one for them. I’f I’m having their shit crammed down my throat then at least tell me that they are getting the same lack of condiments that I am. REGULATIONS and REFORM are what the current System needs and not a Socialist, Eastern Block replacement for it.

While we’re at it, lets think about this. Nancy Pelosi and the fucking DNC is all over this shit about Leveling out the WEALTH of the nation. Lets call this what it REALLY is. They want You and I to be in the poorest 85% of the nation so THEY can be in the RICHEST 15% (if they will allow that many people to be as “privileged” as they are for being good enough to get you fucking moronic, mouth breathing masses to vote them into office.

“From Each According to His Abilities and To Each According to His Needs” is the mantra that these fuckaholics are chanting and the Public is chewing that up like it is a NEW concept. Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov brought forth REFORM via these means in a little place that used to be called Russia with these EXACT words.

The FIRST thing that these radicals who wish to infringe upon OUR Inalienable Rights do is to take away the guns of the people that they wish to enslave.

Amendment 2 - Right to Bear Arms. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

This was written by men who had to shed blood to have the right to protect themselves from all enemies Foreign AND Domestic.

Hitler immediately took away every gun from the Jews and I hope you fucking idiots do remember what happened to them during his rise to power. NOW the Democrats have sought to take guns out of the hands of the people for many years and they always come back to the same thing. They SAY it is for OUR own good so that “Criminals” cannot get their hands on guns to harm us. WAKE THE FUCK UP. They are the criminals that wish to enslave YOU and make you work so that you get just enough to get by and they get MORE than they can possibly expect their grandchildren to be able to spend. if GUNS are so BAD, why are these people all Guarded by agents who have them?

AGAIN… WAKE THE FUCK UP PEOPLE! Our society is being dumbed down by the lack of a true Education System. Our Wages and Income are being attacked, we are being led like lambs to the slaughter and the apathy and brainwashing that our leaders MUST be right just because they hold that position is sickening.

We are soon going to need a Revolution to get the Government out of our wallets, schools, and privacy of our own bedrooms because the MASSES can no longer think for themselves or ask the simple questions and react to the answers that are given to them rather than just going with the flow.

I can no longer sit idly by and watch the destruction of the greatest nation in the world. Who has the guts to speak out with me?

I’m disgusted. What’s more depressing than the economy? What’s more of a bummer than all the people losing their jobs, their homes, their hope, their fucking everything?

I’ll tell you what. Walking down to Stillwater’s infamous FORMERLY FREE Lumberjack Days celebration and seeing it barred shut. Getting a load of the massive quantities of youngsters, huddled in huge groups, loitering, bored, and bummed on every curb just OUTSIDE the chainlink fences and gates barring them from the formerly FREE TO ALL Lumberjack Days celebration. I can’t think of too many teenagers that are going to fork over $10 so that they can then fork over another $5-$6 on the hotdog they were planning on scoring while watching a few interesting acts onstage and looking for familiar faces in the fun, festive, normally packed, sometimes weird, always entertaining crowd.

Teenagers weren’t the only people turning away from the ridiculously prison-like barrage of chain-linkfencing. In case you hadn’t picked up on it, for the first time, they’re charging a $10 cover to get inside what was before, a down-home, local, fun, free, old-fashioned small town annual celebration.

Yeah so it got out of hand when Lynard Skynard played a few years back. Whatever. Bad planning.

Hell, I won’t even pay $10 to get into the State Fair and that’s pretty big-time.

All I have to say is (edit this): City of Stillwater, you just fucked all your Lumberjack Days Vendors in the ASS. Way to stick it to the little guy trying to make a buck.

Major fucking Bummer. Guess I’ll go take my usual hike in a state park - the fee for that is only $25 a YEAR (not counting the $105 fine I had to pay for forgetting to update my annual pass in time.)

What a fucking money grubbing pathetic world we live in. I’m disgusted and ashamed Stillwater. Fucking disgusted. Take your infamous celebration and shove it up your money-grubbing touristy ass.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_L6pDyjqqsvY/Sl4Y4sr5fGI/AAAAAAAAc04/GcLzEjOYTac/s1600-h/healthcare+map.JPG