We need Stimulus Offsets

The Pork, Democrat Control & Theft Act divides out to costing about $2,600 per person, not counting interest.  That's $13,000 for my household of five.  Now, it is true this hit isn't all in one year and will be spread, along with the 2 Trillion or so debt we already have, over the rest of our children's lives.

As part of the Malicious Compliance Campaign, I'm suggesting everyone get themselves some Stimulus Offsets.  How, you say?  Get into the game.  We need to dissect the Pork Act and find ways to get a piece of it.  If you can get some of it, you'll offset you personal tax bite.

This will take some time, but we have it.  The first that strikes me as possible is this: the Weatherization Assistance Program.  It's been funded with $4.5 billion in 2009, $9 billion in 2010, and $10.5 billion a year in subsequent years.  First of all, if you qualify, for God's sake, apply!  But even if you don't, there may be a good business in doing it for others.

More ideas as I learn more about it.

Malicious Compliance: your next task

1. Go here: https://www.dtv2009.gov/

2. Sign up for 2 converter box coupons.

3. When you get them, go exchange them for the boxes.

4. Find an interesting use for them, such as bookends, door stops, targets.

5. Send me a picture of you not using them as converter boxes.

That is all.

And now, an opposing point of view on the Big Three Bailout

By Mitch Albom at freep.com, titled:

Hey, you senators: Thanks for nothing
A few parting words for the senators who squashed the auto rescue

I've pulled a few quotes and added my responses.

Do you want to watch us drown? Is that it? Do want to see the last gurgle of economic air spit from our lips?

If we're talking about the UAW, then yes.

Suddenly, the worker is the problem? Suddenly, unless union members, overnight, drastically slash their wages with a hard deadline, you pull the plug on an industry?

No, the union is the problem. The "plug" is not government's to pull. If the automakers can't stand on their own four wheels, it's their problem.

Suddenly, Detroit is the symbol of economic dysfunction? Are you kidding? Have you looked in the mirror lately, Washington?

Touche', but I'm not defending Washington. I'm saying it is not Washington's job to feed a bloated beast with taxpayer's money. You seem to think it is.

In a world where banks hemorrhaged trillions in a high-priced gamble called credit derivative swaps that you failed to regulate, how on earth do we need to be punished? In a bailout era where you shoveled billions, with no demands, to banks and financial firms — who created the problem in the first place

Not true. It was government regulation by Democrats that caused the problem. Those firms were doing exactly what the government forced them to do. I know that 52% of this country doesn't know that, but it's true.

— why do need to be schooled on how to run a business?

Makes no sense. Apparently, the Big Three do need to learn some lessons, like how to stand up to the UAW for starters. How to make reasonably priced cars that are still running great at 150,000 miles is another. How to service and repair them without gouging their customers would be a third.

At least in the auto industry, if folks don’t like what you make, they don’t have to buy it.

True. That's why Detroit has been in a downhill slide for 30 years. And now, after decades of screwing the American consumer to the point that the free market is killing you, you want the taxpayer to keep Detroit afloat, while the UAW refuses man the pumps. Screw Detroit, and screw the UAW.

Corker, you’ve got Nissan there and Volkswagen coming. Shelby, you’ve got Hyundai, Honda, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota. Oh, don’t kid yourself. They didn’t come because you earned their business, a subject on which you enjoy lecturing the Detroit Big Three. No, they came because you threw billions in state tax breaks to lure them.

Hmm. Tax breaks bringing big businesses and jobs..... hmmmm. But there's a night-and-day difference between offering a tax discount at the front end and and a bailout near the end.  Not charging tax isn't a handout.  In the end the state makes more tax revenue, that's wise stewardship and good economic sense.  A bailout check to prolong a failing industry is not.

At our nation’s most uncertain hour, you stood ready to plunge tens of thousands of families into oblivion. Push them onto public payrolls, unemployment, no health insurance. And you were willing to put our nation’s security at risk — by squashing the American manufacturing we most rely on in times of war.

Blah, blah, blah. Those UAW families make double or triple what mine does, and have done so for decades. My heart bleeds for the poor UAW- not.  Yes, non-union suppliers will get hurt, too. It's not the taxpayer's job. And that old saw about the automakers being important to National Security hasn't been true for 40 years.  Give it up.

And why? So you could stand on some phony principle? Crush a union? Play to your base? How is our nation better off today now that you kept $14 billion in the treasury? Are you going to balance the budget with that?

The free market isn't a phony principle, it's how a capitalist country works. Crush a union? I'm good with that. "Playing to your base" is actually called "doing what your constituents want". It's a nearly-forgotten concept in government, I'm not surprised you'd be confused. Frankly, I was surprised to see it myself.

You tried to slam a stake into the chest of this business, and you don’t even realize how close to the nation’s heart you’re coming. Shame on your pettiness. Shame on your hypocrisy. This is how we behave two weeks before Christmas? Honestly. What has become of this country?

I- I- find it hard to- I can't- he played the Christmas card!? Oh woe is America! Where is our charity at this, of all times of year? There are fat UAW workers that have been making double and triple what other workers make for decades in trouble! Oh. My. God.

He's actually saying that because it's Christmas the taxpayers should hand the UAW a pot of gold so they can keep right on doing as they have for decades? Will they be back every December 1st with the same argument? You can bet they will.  This needs to stop here.

I repeat my pledge:

We, the undersigned American Taxpayers, pledge that if Ford, Chrysler, or General Motors accepts the taxpayer's money and the United Auto Worker's union does not take a 20% cut in wages, benefits, and pensions, we will not buy a new vehicle from any of those companies as long as the UAW has contracts with them.

Would you sign this?

More survival tactics

Something I've being using for most of my life: whenever possible, buy used.  I'm a dedicated yard-saler and flea-marketer.  I do it because it's fun, it's the thrill of the hunt and the kick I get when I find something I need for pennies on the dollar.  I do most of my own car repairs and all my home improvment, so I need a lot of tools.  I guess 90% of my tools are used and you know what?  They work just like new ones.

The trick is to maintain a mental list of what you need now or expect to need and when you see a good deal, grab it.  Example: just after we bought our 2.5 story house but before we even moved in, I found a linesman's 28 foot fiberglass extention ladder at a yard sale for $90.  They easily run $400 new.  Renting is possible, but a hassle.  It was used to do roof work almost as soon as we moved in.  Score!

My main focus these days is winterizing our old house.  Last week I found an expensive Larson storm door for one fifth the price of a new one.  It's already saving us money and will pay for itself in one winter rather than five.  Looks great, too.

Buying used does several subversive things beyond save you money.  It helps the seller, who is probably a struggling schmuck just like you.  Wouldn't you rather buy from him rather than the Big Evil Corporations who send your money to China?  It usually deprives the state of sales tax.  They still get you on vehicles, but everything else is off the books.

Ebay has its place, but the hot ticket now is craigslist.  It's free.  They have seperate sites for every metro area, find yours and have a look.  My favorite section is free stuff.  It's dumpster diving on steroids.  I've found many useful things there and gotten rid of stuff I don't want.  It's much better to find a new home for useful stuff than dump it in a landfill.

More tips to come.  Stay tuned.

Malicious Compliance

Rog said it all, but I'd like to expand one aspect: that a large chunk of the American people freely and knowingly chose a Marxist with an extremely shady background. We know a large percentage of voters are just plain stupid media dupes, but I don't think they are enough. It's the percentage of people that know exactly what Obama is and want him in charge that breaks my heart. That's the fundamental shift in the country that we've been fighting for decades and finally lost.

We can't change them and they aren't enough to win, so they've been very successful in raising a generation (or two) of media dupes, ignorant of history, and duping into supporting them with slick marketing. My only hope now is these very media/education dupes. Huh? That's right. My hope is that when they see what the Democrats and Obama do, the shock will wake them up and cause a massive backlash before it's too late. They need a big dose of bitter medicine before they get used to the taste.

Here's what I say we do: Malicious Compliance. Do everything we legally can do put load on the system. Sign up for every possible government handout. If you have a business, lay off anyone you've needed an excuse to get rid of. If you are in a position to do so, declare bankruptcy. If you can get by on Unemployment, stay on it as long as possible. Buy as little as possible. Suck up as much as you can while contributing as little to the GNP as possible.

I realize this goes against the Conservative nature. This is war and war often requires good people to do things against their nature.

I picture the country as a ship with 300,000,000 people on board. The throttle is locked, no one can control the speed. That represents travel through time. About 170,000,000 have their hands on the wheel, pulling to steer the ship the direction they want to go. The net result of all those hands on the wheel shifts the course to smooth waters, the swamp, the iceberg, the beach, or the rocks. At this point I think the only way to save the ship is to convince some that this is the wrong direction and the only way to do that is to drag bottom in the shallows before we hit the rocks.

So let go of the wheel.  Shove Socialism down this country's throat.  Bail out every mismanaged, union-crippled business. Support all Democrat programs.  Pass everything they want.  Latch onto the taxpayer's teat and suck for all it's worth.  Stop buying.  If you can, stop paying.

I'm sure you're familiar with the way to boil a live frog. I say crank up the heat now, fast.

Obama '08, Backlash '10!