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And now, for this years John Galt award, the nominees are:
11-21-2007, 07:21 PM
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#1
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: minnesota
Posts: 13,228
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And now, for this years John Galt award, the nominees are:
Trial lawyer Gary Baise is the "lower taxes, limited government ... less spending" candidate for chairman of the Fairfax County (Va.) Board of Supervisors, but an October Washington Post investigation revealed that he had collected nearly $300,000 in federal subsidies between 1995 and 2005 on an already profitable farm he owns in Illinois. At first, he appeared outraged at himself: "There's no way you can justify this for guys like me. This is what's wrong with government." Nonetheless, he said, he'll continue to take the subsidies. [Washington Post, 10-4-07]
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No more lawyer stuff, no more political stuff, so no more CYA
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11-21-2007, 07:42 PM
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#2
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 26,856
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Martha
Nonetheless, he said, he'll continue to take the subsidies.
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He must've realized that he still has to pay his pollsters, even if they predict that he's going to lose by 40 points...
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Co-author (with my daughter) of “Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence.”
Author of the book written on E-R.org: "The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement."
I don't spend much time here— please send a PM.
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11-21-2007, 07:43 PM
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#3
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Losing my whump
Posts: 22,708
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He's not a good enough John Galt unless he's standing up to his knees in water in his own garage.
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Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful. Just another form of "buy low, sell high" for those who have trouble with things. This rule is not universal. Do not buy a 1973 Pinto because everyone else is afraid of it.
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11-21-2007, 11:10 PM
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#4
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 193
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What ever happened to John Galt? He used to post here often.
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Retired in 2001 at age 49.
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11-22-2007, 05:44 AM
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#5
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,004
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Quote:
Originally Posted by template
What ever happened to John Galt? He used to post here often.
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After an altercation on the forum with someone who claimed to be his ex-wife, JG apparently decided to fold his tent and disappear into the sunset.
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Numbers is hard
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11-22-2007, 06:46 AM
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#6
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern IL
Posts: 26,821
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So is Gary Baise any different than any of us?
I'm all for smaller govt, but of course I'm going to take any legal tax deduction or credit due me. Whether it is a subsidy, deduction or credit is just semantics - it all means less money flowing from us to the govt.
And if one is NOT for smaller govt, why take any of those deductions/credits? Why not just give a little extra to the govt for all the good work they supposedly do?
My 'holier than thou' detector is clicking just a bit.
Time to brine a Turkey - good day all - Happy Thanksgiving!
-ERD50
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11-22-2007, 06:50 AM
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#7
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,004
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ERD50
So is Gary Baise any different than any of us?
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Hey, if the shoe fits...
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Numbers is hard
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11-22-2007, 07:48 AM
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#8
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 837
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Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo
After an altercation on the forum with someone who claimed to be his ex-wife, JG apparently decided to fold his tent and disappear into the sunset.
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If I remember correctly he was also having problems with his PC and was posting from the library, then eventually faded away.
Is it possible he came back under a different forum name?
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Newbie
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11-22-2007, 08:13 AM
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#9
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,670
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Quote:
Originally Posted by My Dream
...Is it possible he came back under a different forum name?
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His writing style would quickly give him away, no matter what name he would use.
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No man is free who is not master of himself. --- Epictetus
Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think). --- Guy Lombardo
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11-22-2007, 08:28 AM
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#10
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 577
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The shoe fits me. I am for lower taxes and less government. As a young fella I was just outraged (now I am old resigned to the system etc.) that able bodied folks could collect welfare and do nothing all day. I was unable to make the government stop taking taxes from me and disbursing to these folks.
So I bought rental property and had the state and federal government send me money for their rent payment. I found this very cathartic.
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I highjacked a rainbow and crashed into a pot of gold - Bon Jovi
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11-22-2007, 08:42 AM
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#11
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 26,856
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Quote:
Originally Posted by My Dream
If I remember correctly he was also having problems with his PC and was posting from the library, then eventually faded away.
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Maybe his ex-spouse got it as part of the divorce settlement.
For a guy of the dumpster diving LBYM skills he claimed to have, Galt experienced the most amazing problems with technology. I think "problems with my PC" and "posting from the library" were euphemisms for "I don't feel welcome here anymore" or "I'm outta money".
Quote:
Originally Posted by My Dream
Is it possible he came back under a different forum name?
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It's possible, although posters with multiple IDs frequently neglect to change their IP address. However they usually give themselves away within the first dozen posts-- failing to pretend to be a newbie by introducing themselves, gravitating toward the same topics & opinions, using the same writing patterns, and even using the same vocabulary.
But if a rabble-rousing poster comes back under a new name and behaves then hypothetically it's not a problem.
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Co-author (with my daughter) of “Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence.”
Author of the book written on E-R.org: "The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement."
I don't spend much time here— please send a PM.
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11-22-2007, 09:02 AM
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#12
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Independence
Posts: 7,281
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Darryl
The shoe fits me. I am for lower taxes and less government. As a young fella I was just outraged (now I am old resigned to the system etc.) that able bodied folks could collect welfare and do nothing all day. I was unable to make the government stop taking taxes from me and disbursing to these folks.
So I bought rental property and had the state and federal government send me money for their rent payment. I found this very cathartic.
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Interesting. We fixed up a house and found that a great big lady with kid could afford it thanks to government assistance - no other job than being a Mom. The house was nicer than the one we lived in, we were both working and dumping our time and money into the rentals, and it was offensive that someone with no job (no offense Moms) could live in better surroundings than us, thanks in part to our paid taxes. Kinda like taking the money out of the wallet with the right hand, waving it, and putting it back with the left.
Since then we've taken a fair dinkum amount of dross from the Section 8 program but never enjoyed it - lots of paperwork, adherence to their rules rather than our own, annual inspections, the time lag in approval and paper shuffling... It has been distinctly pleasurable to have our Section 8 tenants move and then tell new applicants we no longer rent to Section 8, not because of them, but because of the program. Down to four, one moving at month end, one a wonderful old woman who won't last much longer, one a 15 year tenant, and one a go getter gal who will get off the program (hoping to sell her her house on contract - she's a gem). Government programs, at some point, are too much pain for the gain.
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11-22-2007, 09:49 AM
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#13
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: minnesota
Posts: 13,228
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Man, I am slapping myself silly for starting this thread.
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No more lawyer stuff, no more political stuff, so no more CYA
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11-22-2007, 10:03 AM
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#14
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 14,404
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I take all the breaks the idiotic tax code allows. In fact, as we found in another thread, failing to take deductions can be against the law. So, while I fight for a better system I live with the one we have. There's nothing wrong with that.
Someone really eager to fix the system might tap all the crazy government give-away programs legally available (helping to bring the system down by its own weight) and donate the gained money to charity, and to small government candidates (if any are left) and political action groups.
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11-22-2007, 10:12 AM
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#15
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by samclem
as we found in another thread, failing to take deductions can be against the law.
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Really? Can you point out that thread? I've skipped taking some deductions because it appeared obvious that the paperwork would be a pain, and the deduction would likely be minimal.
-ERD50
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11-22-2007, 10:25 AM
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#16
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Martha
Man, I am slapping myself silly for starting this thread.
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Well, at least your are not like Trombone Al with his inflammatory fresh milk posts.
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11-22-2007, 11:48 AM
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#17
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 26,856
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ERD50
Really? Can you point out that thread? I've skipped taking some deductions because it appeared obvious that the paperwork would be a pain, and the deduction would likely be minimal.
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One example is depreciation recapture on rental housing, which the IRS assumes is being taken even if the landlord is blissfully ignorant of the concept.
__________________
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Co-author (with my daughter) of “Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence.”
Author of the book written on E-R.org: "The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement."
I don't spend much time here— please send a PM.
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11-22-2007, 11:57 AM
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#18
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Losing my whump
Posts: 22,708
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__________________
Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful. Just another form of "buy low, sell high" for those who have trouble with things. This rule is not universal. Do not buy a 1973 Pinto because everyone else is afraid of it.
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11-22-2007, 03:47 PM
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#19
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 14,404
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ERD50
Really? Can you point out that thread? I've skipped taking some deductions because it appeared obvious that the paperwork would be a pain, and the deduction would likely be minimal.
-ERD50
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We're in about the same situation: the standard deduction comes pretty close to what we would get if we itemized, so we generally bundle our charitable deductions and itemize every other year. As the interest portion of our mortgage continues to decline, soon it will be the standard deduction every year.
Here's the thread to which I was referring http://tinyurl.com/yvgnka . Because the tax laws are so convoluted, it is possible for a situation to develop where the taxpayer pays less tax if he does not deduct all the expenses for his business (because he/she will thereby qualify for different tax breaks due to the higher income). In these cases, the IRS mandates that the business keep track of and claim all the deductions. Bizzarro world lives. NRST!
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