Tag Archives: money

17

Mar. ’24

My Social Security

Over sixty years ago I started paying into Social Security. Being young and dumb, I knew nothing about social security or even there was such a thing. All I knew was one thing or another was taken out of my check each payday. I’ve been working since my teens, making very little money, and did whatever the government said I had to do. I didn’t know about all the laws the government had nor did I care, with the exception of one law, the draft, and they would be coming for me when I turned eighteen.

               I dodged the draft by joining the air force when I graduated high school and quit my job. I remember I was shocked to work 24/7 and, after everything was taken from my pay, got sixty dollars every two weeks (on day fifteen and thirty of the month). I made more as a civilian and only worked eight to ten hours a day five or six days a week. I figured it was only for four years and I wasn’t in the army. I actually stayed in the air force twenty years.

               Here I am receiving my social security and I read the who, what, and why about it. It’s a beautiful thing to know I will receive my money to help me in my old age which is also helping me pay my mortgage. Now I heard and have read that Trump want to take my earned money. The money I worked for, looked forward to, and now depend on is to be taken away if and when he becomes president again.

               A couple of people laughingly said he is only joking. I say, if a person has a gun to your head and says he will pull the trigger, believe him. I did not steal this monthly money. I did not beg for this money. I worked for over fifty years for this money. It is not a ‘give me’, it is an entitlement that the government owes me and promised I will get it until I die.

               Why does Trump want to mess with social security I do not know. When I am homeless, I guess I will pitch a puptent in the White House (it’s the people’s house). Getting a retirement check and social security is just enough to pay the bills I have to pay and have a little left for a little fun.

               I still don’t see why people are for Trump with all the entitlements under attack. There are many other things that he has said he will do that I think will change the way most of us live and it is not for the better for me and my entitlements. I say, leave my way of living alone and let me receive my entitlements. In other words, to keep my social security by keeping Trump out of the White House. It’s crazy that people still want him with all the federal and civil charges against him.

               Remember, he has padded the SCOTUS, civil and federal courts, and other agencies with people that are loyal to him and those that are not loyal to him will be fired, like the RNC. Almost a dictatorship. But that is for another blog.









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26

Nov. ’23

Casinos

 Richmond, Va. voted, for the second time, not to have a casino. The casino was to be built in the south Richmond area, which we consider ‘the poor side of town’. This time and the last time a great amount of money went toward ads (tv, radio, etc.) to get people on board. The mayor and many top officials were for the casino saying it would bring a great amount of money into the city, especially the southside of Richmond.

               The mayor and others said most of the money gained from having the casino would go toward funding the schools (which is badly needed) and other needed improvements around Richmond. The same was said about the tolls on I-95 (before they were removed) and not much was seen. There are still tolls on other roadways around Richmond and still I haven’t seen much improvement except in downtown Richmond. The same was said before there were lottery tickets (scratch-offs, etc.), it was approved, it’s still ongoing and still not much is seen of the money gained.

               They were against Petersburg, Va., a city twenty miles down I-95 to the south of Richmond, also that is my hometown. Both times I wanted Petersburg to get the nod, but Richmond got it on its ballot instead. I live just outside Richmond therefore I could not vote for or against the casino. I really don’t know what all the fuss about the casino was because Virginia already has casinos. I don’t know why they were against Petersburg getting it either, so I decided to take a little ride.

               I have fond memories of Petersburg although it was during segregation. The Bill of Rights came to be the year I entered the U.S. Air Force. The city is known for the Civil War Battle of the Crater, among a few other things. When I retired from the air force, I became a policeman in my hometown.

               As I drove around the city, I saw vacant houses everywhere and vacant lots where houses or buildings used to be. There were plenty of nice homes scattered around but the mostly Black neighborhoods were in very bad shape. Trash and overgrown weeds and grass, vacant houses, empty lots, no businesses everywhere. I could see why Petersburg needed the casino to have a money flow, but I wonder if they would put it to use in the downtrodden areas.

 When I was on the police force the officers used to joke about the city council by calling them the city clowns. When I was on the force back then the city council was almost evenly split between White and Black members. When one side voted yes, the other side voted no and vice versa. I don’t know what is going on today. This is why I wonder if casino money would be used for great benefit.

I left Petersburg and started thinking about casinos (I’ve been to a lot of them all over the country) and thought about where a lot of them were located. Then when I pictured where a lot of them were it dawned on me that it was impoverished areas. So much for making the areas better.

My mind is still wondering if the casino is the best thing to have in either city. I just threw it out there, to clear my mind and to see what others think (like me you don’t have a dog in the fight either). I am also wondering what Richmond and Petersburg are going to do now. I believe many higher-ups still want to fight for a casino.

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30

Apr. ’23

Burn Baby Burn

Every day looks gloomier, and gloomier when you look at the world of politics. I guess I am looking for a country set in a world of utopia but, as I wrote in a previous blog, there is no such thing as utopia. There will always be mistakes, miscalculations, and the inevitable upper crust people greed. Greed is one thing but being overly greedy is too much for me. However, there are those that are mindless about all of this and want the rest of us to fall into the same fire that has engulfed them.

               I am thinking about all the problems our country is mired in and there seems to be no end to any of this. Especially when there is a faction that wants to unravel what is good and decent and only wants to cause discontent. When you add the craziness of some of these people into the mix, there is nothing but chaos and either nothing gets done or there is a slowdown of everything. Then again you add into the mix liars that are only out to destroy everything.

               There are many things on the table that need to be resolved including the abortion issue, the Supreme Court issue, our conflict with China, Russia and, in minor form, some other countries. Add in humanitarian aid to several countries and aid to many states in this country. There is still a big border problem which is not going to go away any time soon. Yet, there is a blockage in Congress to get the money to resolve some of this plus we have the upcoming debt ceiling deadline.

               Thinking about the upcoming debt ceiling deadline, I cannot see why Republicans want to cut money to our military, especially VA (Veteran Administration) hospitals, when they have said they wouldn’t. They want to cut employees from the VA as well as funding. How can we care for our injured vets (we can barely do it now) with fewer personnel and less money? Who would want to join our military knowing that if they get injured care is not a priority?

               Looking again at the Supreme Court and I see a court I would not want to handle my case, if I had one, because I would know they will decide on which way the money, politics, and friendship flow. This is the highest court in the country, and it is so tainted that being corrupt is the lowest I can think of without using a cuss word.

               The country is on fire, and we are all burning in the flames that are thrown in our direction. As the perpetrators of this mess will burn in hell for continuing to cause this, those that condone this mess and are attempting to drag others into this mess will burn also. I wrote about this in my other blog www.faithingodministries.net and I see it all coming true. The devil needs more fuel for his fires, and we are supplying it. Souls will add to the fuel, and I do not want any part of it. There is so much more I could write but I do not want to write a book. We all will burn because of this fiasco. Burn, baby, burn.

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02

Oct. ’22

Book Sense and Common Sense

When I was in the military, we had a saying about many officers and it was, ‘lots of book sense and no common sense’. This also applies to some NCOs as well. Not all of them were like that but there were plenty to go around. These people stayed in some sort of school, always into their books but when it came to thinking outside of the box, what is not found in a book, they were lost or would do or say something crazy.

               There are a lot of people in Congress, state and local government that run in the same pact. They can say what you need to hear or want to hear but never enacted what they have said. They are good at telling you what need to be done or tell you what to do but have never done it themselves nor realize what the outcome will be. Every situation is different with all sorts of variables which mean there must be some sort of fine tuning to complete the task.

               There are many people that cannot think beyond the box and have been put into a position due to who they know or who they owe, etc. but they do not have the knowledge, expertise, or anything that qualify them for the position. I have seen a lot of them when I was in the military. There is one in Congress (there may be others that made it in because of this situation) that was elected because her opponent had to drop out for personal reasons, and she ran unopposed. If the opponent had not dropped out, she would have never won the election. Now the state and the country are stuck with this unqualified person.

               Then you have those that get into politics to gain wealth. All they want to do is make money anyway they can. They will say and do anything. They will take money to say and do certain things as long as they can climb up the ladder a little further. In the meanwhile, we the people suffer for the wrongs that are being perpetrated by these people. They do not care if the law that they want enacted helps the constituents or not as long as they get theirs. If they can garner a fan base, all the better because that will ensure they can stay in place and make more money.

               There is a Congresswoman that constantly break the rules and is fined for them. Now she is complaining she don’t have money because her pay is going toward paying off the fines imposed on her. Common sense tells anyone not to break the rules that carry a fine in which you will not get paid on payday.

               Thinking about book sense and common sense; there is a leader of a violent group from the right that is a Yale Law graduate but is now considered a jailbird because of his and his group’s actions. He has plenty of book sense, but I don’t think he ever had enough common sense to stay out of jail and to keep those radical views out of his head.

               I’ve always said that knowing the book is good but common sense is better. First, the book may not tell you everything. And second, is the book telling the truth? A mix of book and common sense go hand in hand to make a better person and a lot of Congresspeople need to make that change. There is a lot of stupid out there, even in those that elect these stupid people and keep them in office.

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10

Jul. ’22

The IRS

We are all afraid of the IRS and what they are perceived to be able to do to any of us at will. Whether they can harm us monetarily, jail time, or both is always in mind every April fifteenth. These things stay in our minds even if the tax filling is honest, without one iota of falsehood. Most of the time, I know I think this, we wonder if we made a minor mistake that would trigger an audit which will make the IRS tell us we owe more money plus interest and a fine.

               I watch the news or read articles that say how much rich and super rich people pay in taxes. There are some that can pay the tax bill of everyone you know and never feel the strain. These people make money from our labors and many other things I can not begin to explain. These people have so much money that they will never be able to spend all of it nor their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and more family members inherit. Yet not a penny or a very few dollars is paid in taxes.

               Our ex-President often said as soon as the audit on his taxes were completed, he would release his tax forms for all to see. I knew then as I know now that what he said was baloney. He is out of office now so what is the excuse for not showing the papers? Tax audits do not go on for years.

               Then there is the revelation that is happening now. The IRS is deep auditing the taxes of McCabe and Comey, both ex-White House employees and they spoke out against our ex-President. This is something that is so rare that only a few people know it can happen. But remember the head of the IRS is an appointee of our ex-President. He says it is a coincidence that it happens to both at the same time. I say that is BALONEY!  

               Just like the Congressman that said for him to testify before the January 6th Committee is purely political, I say the tax audit of the two men is political and revengeful in favor of the ex-President. Some of the ex-President’s people still hold the positions they were appointed and they, in turn, still love and will do anything for the ex-President. Why they are still in power I do not know. I do know they can and are doing damage and they should not be there. The IRS is a department that need a new head. We will then see the ex-President’s tax forms.

               I can not feel sorry for Comey and McCabe because they knew the man they worked for and what he was doing to the country but, on the other hand, I am not sorry. Maybe this will help shove the head of the IRS out and a fair person is seated. Then the backlog of unprocessed tax forms will be processed, and the people will get some relief from waiting. Maybe then we can breathe again and be not afraid of the IRS. We should not be afraid of any of our agencies.  

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17

Oct. ’21

Keep It To Yourself

I am a pro-football fan. I watch every game I can every week. I seldom watch college football, not because I do not like it but there are so many and those that I would like to watch is not on television. I do not get into techniques or coaches, the politics, nor do I know most of the players and their bios. I just like to watch the game and, yes, I have a favorite team. I also seldom watch the talking heads, the television analysts. I cannot tell you why, I just do not. Some say, especially my wife, I am not a true football fan but, to me, I am. I just love the game in my own way.

               My wife keeps asking me to go to a stadium to watch a live game. I do not want to go. I have tried to explain to her that I can sit in my mancave, relax, be warm and cozy, have my food and drink when I want it without any hassle, and if there is rain, I am dry. Another thing, I can watch a replay of a flagged call as many times as I choose, and it will be a close-up.

               As far as the Jon Gruden case is concerned, I knew it would be a matter of time before the bad actions of a coach came out. In my mind, I knew some coaches has said what he has said and done in their hearts also. Jon got caught from another investigation. If not for the other investigation he would have never been caught and would have continued. He is not the only one, he just thought others thought the way he does and would accept what he wrote. They did but kept the messages that was finally read by others that eventually outed him.

               I cannot feel sorry for him because, even losing his job, he is okay. He has made millions and will still make money. His family, as well as his brother, who is an NFL coach, will not suffer. People have known about this for years and have not said anything. What about them? It is okay to think it, believe it but not act upon it or write it. Keep it to yourself. If you do not want others to know, keep it to yourself. If you do not want to be caught-up in these things, keep it to yourself. If you want to keep your job and make more money, keep it to yourself (on the money issue read my other blog from last week ( www.faithingodministries.net dated 10/10/2021)).

               Many, many times I want to say something about a lot of things, but I keep it to myself. If I am the only one that know, I cannot be accused of saying something that will bite me in my rear-end. If people think good about you and you have another personality that is not shown, do not write it nor say it, keep it to yourself and not a single person will be the wiser. Jon Gruden should have kept it to himself.

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25

Apr. ’21

Politicians

Many times, I have said, and I still say the politicians are elected to enact the will of the people that elected them. Often the politicians will do as they choose and the people that elected them be damned. They also, most of them, are out for the money that can be gotten from the campaign funds or from direct support. I cannot count the number of politicians that have gone to Congress with extraordinarily little money in their pockets and within a couple of years they are millionaires or almost millionaires.

               I am middle class; I am not broke but I am not close to being rich. I get by and, through charitable donations, attempt to help others. There are many people (families) that is having a hard time making ends meet and if I have a little leftover I try to help in some way. I see millionaires/politicians that have a life of plenty, more than they and their family need but they refuse to pass bills to help the downtrodden. Do not get me wrong, there are politicians that are trying to do their best to help.            

               However, I remember a couple of years ago those politicians (Republican) that were for many things if it would benefit them and their party. They would not reach across the aisle and work with the other side. Now the other side have power and the things that they were for have disappeared. They still do not want to work together or discuss any topic yet trying to hoodwink the people into believing they are reaching across the aisle and they are trying to help them.

               Many things they were for now they are suddenly against saying something have changed when there is no change. Bills that are attempting to help people in need they are against and, I believe, it is because the politicians across the aisle introduced them and are for them. Even when the great majority of people want the bills, they still turn their backs and are against them. Yet, they were elected to do the people’s bidding.

               Then look at them continuously asking for money so they can try for reelection and they can siphon off money for themselves (there are a couple or more investigations for this). These politicians are afraid of their king and not their voters. They want their king to return, voters be damned, and for their voters to send money to them and to their king.

               So, I say to you to not believe your politician and to closely look at what they do. They are masters of disguise and know all sorts of trickery. When your pockets are empty and you need a place to stay and food for your belly, do not call your politician because he will only help himself and only show sympathy. Remember, you voted for that person and there is no turning back. If you cannot open your eyes and see the snake your politicians have become, then you cannot cry about the way you are treated by them.

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14

Mar. ’21

He Wants Your Money

Not too long ago I wrote a piece about following the money and had a positive response. If you followed the news I was right as have others in the past. The saying about following the money have been said for many, many years. This time it seems like Trump have changed the tune to ‘send me your money’. He is talking to his PAC and other cult members that are fool enough to think the money will be shared with the Republican party.

               I have an exceedingly rare statement to make. I agree with Trump. I know some people are shocked at this but give me a chance to explain. Trump wants the Republican donations sent directly to him because the party is using his name and image to raise money. If the Republicans do not want the money to go to him, the party should not use him to raise funds.

               Here is the fly in the soup. Trump will use the money on the lawsuits, fines, attorneys, appeals, and his pocket for his businesses that are in deep trouble. It is said he is not broke (I do not know) but he does not want to use his own money for anything. He wants to use yours if you send it to him because the Republican party will use it equally among party politicians.

               Trump has a history of getting the money and wanting more. He does not care who he steps on, push out of the way, or lie to. Just give him the money, be very loyal to him and you will be smiled upon. Do not give him the money, disagree with him and you are forever ostracized. Money and power are everything. No one and nothing else matters.

               The Republican party is now two parties. One party that is trying to continue as a political party that does not include Trump and is trying to boost all party members. The Trump party (which have the acronym SAP (does it mean you are a sap)) is a party with Trump at the head with Trump getting the lion’s share of the funds and all other members getting what is left over, if anything.

               Everything to do with anything have a tinge of money on it. That is where Trump have his many problems. Not the political ones but the personal, civil ones. I will give an example. The people that have property and money is like a multitiered cake. First there is acquiring the property. Then there is maintaining the property. Next, and not necessarily in order, is staffing the property. Depending on the nature of operation of the property there are many companies that does work and supply things. The bottom line is lots of money to put out to make money, if possible. If you send Trump money, he does not use his money to maintain the property and he will not use his money to attempt to quash the lawsuits to keep the property. He wants your money and lots of it to do it.

               You say you are poor and do not have money to help him. That puts you on his wrong side. Okay, you send him money, but you still cannot set foot on any of his properties. I say, if you want to send money send it to the GOP not him.

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03

Jan. ’21

Caste System

Most of us mean well but we are only human and at times dislike this or that causing hurt upon our fellow human whether at the time we realize it or not. Our feelings are fragile, and we tend to look down our nose at those not in our group, our status. Most of the time we do not realize we are doing this and when we do realize it, we attempt to correct the situation, the wrong that we have inflicted.

               Everyone know of the Hindu caste system, well, a lot of us know of the system but, in a minor way, caste is everywhere. Here in the United States, it is said that everyone is equal but, like a lot of people, I disagree. Like the Hindus we have a caste system also. Maybe not as strict but we do have the system and the last four years have recently put the spotlight on it.

               Caste is nothing but social and/or hereditary groups. Like the television program it is the ‘Have and Have Nots’. There is the CEO and then the others. There is the office worker and the others. There is the homeowner and the maid. I could go on and on, but I believe you understand what I mean. Their rankings on the ladder of success or the higher you are on the ladder the less you would speak to or rub shoulders with the people on the lower rung of the ladder.

               The caste system is definitely imbedded in skin color, race and nationality. The darker the skin the fewer chances there is for a person to advance except in sports or something that entertains the people on the upper rungs of the ladder or to make them more money. Nationality will put you into certain jobs that the people on the upper rungs need. If, by chance, a lower rung person get money, the distain for the person is hidden when outwardly there are smiles. Listen to the words of the song ‘Smiling Faces Sometimes’ recorded by The Undisputed Truth (1971). Lower rung, caste people, are not to have much money unless it benefits the higher rung people.

               But the more money a person has the more they turn their back on the people on the lower rungs of the ladder. The upper crust people will throw a little money to the lower people if it is a tax right off. They will interact with lower rung people for the photo op and then go home thinking that they did their civic duty for a while.

               Look at the United States structural system and most people think the head person is the President. However, he has a boss, and it is the citizens of the United States. It is a large circle, a never-ending circle where everyone has a boss. It would take a book to explain the workings and all that is involved. The people in the government were sent there to labor for us but today they are among those on the upper rungs of the caste system and they are for themselves. Our government is a large part of the caste system and they are flaunting it.

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16

Aug. ’20

A Dictator

There are many words I could use to describe our President. What a conundrum. However, the word I will use, among many I would like to use, and some are not printable, is ‘dictator’. Most of the time I use my on-line dictionary, mostly for spelling of words, for the meaning of a word. Dictator is a good word, or should I say, ‘wannabe dictator’? This is because he looks up to those that have acquired that position and thumbs his nose at those that governs over a democratic government that is overseen by the populace.

Dictator-noun: a person exercising absolute power, especially a ruler who has absolute, unrestricted control in a government without hereditary succession.

Looking at our President’s early life and the life of his father’s, I see absolute control over everything and if that thing does not go the way he wants it or benefit him, make a change, legal or illegal. If anyone stand in the way or sound the alarm or mutter in some way that it is not right, get rid of the person, no matter the means and let an underling do it so that he is safe from being known as the person that did it.

To have absolute power all walls holding him back from doing whatever he wants to do must come down, no matter if it hurts his people and if it does not hurt him. Along with power must be the money and the money must come to him and only him. Every situation consists of power and money. Nothing else counts. Shoulder-to-shoulder with this is having the love of the people, his people. These people look upon him as a God and he can do no wrong, no matter what he does or say.

Other dictators came into power through democratic elections and remained because of the changes they made after getting into office. They then gathered the militia to trample all opposition against him and, most of all, controlled the voting and vote counting (most dictators get 90% or more votes to keep him in office).

The people that oppose him (dictator) will have the secret arm of the government to deal with. They are met on the streets by either the police, militia, or kidnappers. There will be groups of people that will mix in with legitimate protesters that will cause trouble so that the militia can accuse them of rioting and, therefore, be violently dispersed. Sound familiar?

Dictators, also, will not talk to the people unless they are either praising their own rule, being praised by others, and speaking untruths without any type of correction or come back. To the dictator, a lie is never told, a correction is never received, and his word is absolute. The more money he makes, the more money he wants. He must live the life of royalty while others starve and/or die, it is no matter to him. If there is a problem, it is not his to fix but for someone else to handle. If it is fixed, he will take credit and say he did a good job. If it can not be fixed, he will say someone else did a bad job.

We have a ‘wannabe’ dictator and his supporters are attempting to make it possible for him to achieve that goal. He can be stopped as other countries have stopped theirs. Do your part and vote. Vote as early as you can. Vote in-person if you can. Either way vote. We do not need a DICTATOR.

As I completed this piece the situation with the USPS (United States Postal Service) came to a head. This have been brewing for some time and is another controlled department that the dictator has at his bidding. This need to be stopped and can only be stopped by voting the ‘wannabe dictator’ out of office. If you can vote in person, do so. If not, vote by mail as early as possible. Do not wait and chance a vote not being counted. That is exactly what the ‘wannabe dictator’ want.

 

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