I was scanning various news sources earlier and ran across a few interesting stories on CNN that I thought I would share with you. While these are deserving of some commentary on my behalf because... well because I just don't know how to shut it and just read the news (don't hold your breath on that ever happening either), I don't particularly have enough to say about each to warrant three separate posts (but really really couldn't resist blogging them anyway). So... love it or leave it. You're getting it all regardless.
Lovely thought, ain't it?
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In a new twist on the age old "to drink or not to drink" debate, psychologist Stanton Peele, author of "Addiction-Proof Your Child", has publicly stated that he feels allowing kids to drink in moderation demystifies the entire process and reduces the risk of binge drinking that so many teens face. While I hope his take on teens and alcohol gets taken into consideration, I'm not holding my breath hoping that any big changes will come about because of it.
Alcohol and teens in the same sentence tends to get people all hyped up in our society. We don't face the reality that teens will find ways to drink. We prefer to stick our heads in the sand and say we have to find ways to prevent it. Guess what folks... it ain't happened yet. Perhaps it's time to try another tactic and teach responsible drinking on the off chance that your teen is one of those who do get their hands on the mysterious stuff. Better responsibility at home than responsibility as a member of the "I snuck out, got drunk, caused an accident and spent 10 years in jail" crowd.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/09/27/kid.drinking/index.html
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We all knew the IRS was full of crap most of the time, didn't we? But, I bet not many of us knew that someone making 5.50 an hour washing dishes could even come close to racking up $69,000 in taxes in 11 years. I didn't know it either, but Pedro Zapeta, an illegal Guatemalan immigrant, had his $59,000 in cash taken two years ago when he tried to board a plane with it in a duffle bag. Now that the story has hit the news, Zapeta has been given $10,000 in donations. The IRS isn't happy with the $59,000 that was seized two years ago; they now want access to the $10,000 in donations to cover taxes that Zapeta didn't pay.
I'm all for making illegal immigrants pay taxes... but anyone that believes someone making 5.50 an hour racks up $69,000 in taxes in the United States is probably certifiable. What makes it even worse, to me, is that federal prosecutors offered to give him $19,000 of his $69,000 if he'd just STFU and GTFA. Meaning: don't talk to the media and we'll only gouge you for $50,000. That has to blow.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/27/immigrant.money/index.html
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And my final piece of news for the day... George Bush is yet again King Dillhole of Dillholedom. He's apparently feeling like he hasn't exerted enough authority up on Capitol Hill lately, so he's working double time this week, threatening to veto the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act and the expanded SCHIPPS (read: insurance for children) program. Apparently the SCHIPPS program is too close to universal insurance for Mr. President's comfort. And we all know that according to far too many for me to even count, hate crime legislation that extends protection to gays and lesbians from violent hate crimes is just "not freaking fair" to those in society who think it's acceptable to beat the hell out of people that they aren't comfortable with.
I just love how freaking odd our President is. Insurance for the children of families who can't really afford it is a bad thing... but beating the hell out of gays and lesbians is acceptable? Only in America could we find such an ass backwards President.
Sorry kiddies, no free or affordable health care for you. But, if your parents want to kick the crap out of the gay couple down the street simply because they're gay, we'll protect them from the hate crime of strenuously objecting, via tossing their asses in prison to rot (or not depending on how you look at it), to violent morons who find it acceptable to bash (literally) gays. And just think, even if they do spend a little time in jail, they'll have free health care! You'll still be screwed, of course. But maybe you'll survive it and grow up to be normal-well-adjusted-not-insane-like-your-parents adults.
If that's conservatism at its finest... paint me a big fat liberal wouldja please? Oh right... you already did when I mentioned gays and insuring children without choking on it. Hmm, now that I think of it... are we sure there was ever a pretzel involved?
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I love your sense of humor. Although I don't always agree with what you say, you've definitely got a unique way of saying it!
And... I absolutely agree with you about the Pedro Zapeta incident. Seriously... the man didn't fill out ONE SHEET OF PAPER and he would have made it out of this country with all the money he worked his butt off for. On one hand, he intentionally dodged income taxes while benefiting from living and working in this country... not cool. But, giving him the benefit of the doubt, he probably did not realize the extent of his crime. Let the poor man pay his back taxes and get the hell out, rather than make a martyr out of him. What is wrong with this country? *sigh*
my brother and sister will have any kind of health insurance...I'm too old to qualify for CHIPP now, but in the past, that;s how i got my orthodontic treatment and my glasses throughout 6-12.
Both of my siblings need prescription glasses, my brother has braces
and My dad makes right around the cut off for the poverty line for a five member household...and people ask me why the hell do i hate Bush so much, well because he has never thought of life and how hard it is for people in situations similar or worse than my family's and basicallly he's an idiot without a heart or soul.
Thanks for the blog and your commentary- always appreciate and enjoy reading it !
"Things have a life of their own. It's just a matter of waking up their souls."
--Gabriel García Márquez
http://www.progressiveu.org/231615-this-is-a-muslim-girls-plight
If you were US District Judge James I. Cohn, what would you have done? It's clear that laws were broken. What penalties should Mr. Pedro Zapeta have had applied in the delivery justice for his failure to file the correct form and tax evasion infractions?
In pursuing this case, Judge Cohn had a choice, a criminal or a civil proceeding. Clearly, everyone who feels like Mr. Zapeta is guilty of something here would agree this should have tried as a criminal matter. Had he been found for a criminal violation, the fine would have been up to $5000 on the matter of the form.
Judge Cohn, however, instead chose to try this as a civil matter. What's the liklihood he knew enough about the case in advance to suspect Mr. Zapeta's guilt? Hard to say. We would like to believe our federal judges are honest and ethical and are commited to delivering justice. What Judge James I. Cohn did know in advance, and very well to be sure since this is the essence of his job, was that the damages Mr. Zapeta faced as a civil defendent against the government were vastly higher.
This is injustice, not justice.
As to the taxes, an appropriate claim for taxes due could have filed by the IRS. Even the additional punitive charges for failure to file/pay could have been applied. Damages would still not equate to the justice Mr. Pedro Zapeta has received as a result of this civil suit.
If anyone disagrees with this ruling of US District Judge James I. Cohn, they should let him know what they think. They should hold him accountable.
After a quick google search, this is the phone number to his office. You can leave him a voice mail by dialing:
1-954-769-5490
and then pressing 6
Or you could write him, this is his address:
299 East Broward Boulevard, 203F
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301
and his email is cohn@flsd.uscourts.gov
This is a federal judge, he works for you.
Let him now how you feel.
Wow... thank you for that information. Before I call and write, I would like to learn more. Can you post a link about the difference between the criminal and civil proceedings, and how I can learn about the choice?
Thank you!
Mr. Zapata admits that he didn't pay taxes during his 11 years of working. If he was able to work 80 hours a week every week of those 11 years, he would have made about $251,680. This would have put him in the 15% rate, so over the years, he should have paid $37,752 in taxes, which meant that he really only had $21,248 in savings to begin with (ignoring state and local taxes, which would reduce this amount even further). Then, given interest and penalties on that over 11 years, 30% of the amount of the taxes due (which means 3-5% interest compounding annually) doesn't sound that outrageous - interest alone would easily take $13,000. So the $10,000 figure isn't that far from what would be left after properly deducting what is due.
It is easy to feel bad, but at the end of the day, until you have paid your taxes and made your contribution to the society that supports you, you have not yet earned anything.
Where did you learn that he was working 80 hours a week?
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~Fallon~
"I stood
Among them, but not of them; in a shroud of thoughts which were not their thoughts" -Lord Byron
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