patrick.net

Kevin says

Fix social security by raising the retirement age to 75 (phased in over 20 years, 6 months at a time), and, if necessary, raise contribution limits from the current $106k / year maximum (lots of other variations on this, but social security is not the hard problem)

Social security isn't broken and doesn't need fixing, not until it runs through at least half of the $2.5T t-bonds it holds. The FICA cap might need to be raised since rich bastards are living longer, but if we need to make social security actuarially balanced, RAISING FICA is a million times better than expecting people to work as great grand parents.

Troy says

terriDeaner says

He fell to a vote of no confidence this year, courtesy of the liberal party:

He’s not out of the picture yet. No confidence just means they have to have an election, and if anything Harper will come back stronger this time around.

We'll see... but don't be too sure. Check it out:

NDP winning support on the right and left, poll suggests
http://patrick.net/?p=688601

"Treat landlording as a business. Develop a system and a set of written procedures for all steps in your rental process. "

The one thing he never mentions is making sure that renting is actually economical. You need to calculate your capitalization rate to make sure you're getting adequate return. Otherwise, why take so much risk for so little reward? This should be #1 and is the most important part of treating landlording as a business.

"How about just hiring a good property manager?"

That can work, but you need some oversight of your property manager even if they are "good." That said, it's hard to find a good property manager who isn't trying to screw you when you're not paying attention.

Another mistake that people make is having a rental property nowhere near where they live. You need to keep an eye on your property and what's going on with it.

@Kevin,

You may be right. Do you also see wage inflation picking up in 2012 or 2013?

I wouldn't mind seeing inheritence tax rates go up for over $5,000,000 (40% marginally) and $15,000,000 (50% marginally). At the same time I would like to see no inheritance tax on the first $500,000 and only 10% on the next $700,000.

Kevin says

Fix social security by raising the retirement age to 75 (phased in over 20 years, 6 months at a time)

The age needs to be raised 6 months every year until the minimum age for any benefits is 75. Not any of thie nonse about people born after a certain year like last time.

Kevin says

- Fix medicare / medicaid by copying the health care system of just about any other country that has a decent one.

Actually the fee for service needs to be replaced with something more along the lines of a HMO type of thing where they get a monthly fee instead.

Note the race of the Father. African. Wasn't it Negro back in the early 60's? That's strange.

Was this a mistake? I've said before that they should have saved this silver bullet for after the RNC selects a presidential candidate. With this action, Pres. Obama has declared he doesn't want to run against The Combover, but instead relishes competition from a real Republican candidate. Will be interesting to see if a Bill Bradley emerges to run against Obama in the primaries, as he is now effectively running a ship slightly to the right of center. Perhaps he can drop Biden from the VP slot and pick up Romney on the 2012 ticket -- I joke...

About time - now the kooks can move on to "Bill Ayers wrote Obama's first book" conspiracy or some such drivel.

Troy and others practically screaming denials instead of being smart and screaming ’show us the long form’ to get this out of the way instead...
Have you even read Troy's posts, they are a bit more nuanced than you suggest. At one point, Troy even hinted that there may be 'buried bodies' on the long form and that may be why it hasn't been released. Your brush paints with too broad a stroke...

shrekgrinch says

Tax receipts history proves this absolutely

It would prove it, if there was any evidence that the government actually tried to raise more than 18%... See, that's the flaw in your theory.

“I’d never vote for him,” he said. “I will never vote for anybody who has a terrible record like that, who’s done what he’s done for Wall Street and turned his back on the people who need him.”

Ditto!

shrekgrinch says

Likewise, I don’t think the same type of damage caused by the entire birth certificate thing will just ‘go away’ either. Maybe out of direct sight, but it still took root like the Muslim thing. These things take on a life of their own after a certain momentum is reached, apparently.

I'm laughing my ass off. Democrats would LOVE this to be the issue. They win every day and twice on Sunday if the birthers run the Republican party!!

watching you chatter around on these subjects is like watching a ball roll around on jello... there's never really a position, just endless reactions...

just sayin'... and yes, I suppose this was a troll post...

Well I don't care who wins, I just want to hear some whining and pissing and moaning out of Left, when Sarah Palin wins. Then we can start to look for effective leadership and put the age of Patsyism, that has been around for the last two decade or so behind us. Obama is continuation of Regan, as has been every son of a bitch that has been in the Oval office since then.
And it is all possible because people follow politics like it's their home football team going to the playoffs. No matter how shitty the politician.

We need the Donald/Palin to win, then we might take politics more seriously in this country.

Unfortunately, the long-form doesn't show "Frank Marshall Davis" as Obama's father.

Now the next line of attack will have to be trying to figure out if Dr David Sinclair was the actual attending physician . . . he died in 2003 . . .

As for what I was saying about the birth certificate, I guess this is the best summary:

/?p=618795&c=718482#comment-715997

shrekgrinch says

As for the Dems loving it to be an issue, with inflation and national bankruptcy on their plate…I bet they really would like the ‘distraction’ (as Obama calls it) instead of having to face their real record

Uh, that was my point Shrek. You start off telling me I live in la-la land, and then go on to write 3 paragraphs explaining my point. Perhaps you should actually think before you post.

The Obama team has said as much in unattributed emails--they wanted to keep this birther stuff going as long as possible. The word is that Obama finally decided that it wasn't good for the country to keep focusing on this nonsense....

If you truly think the birther stuff has helped the Republican party then you really do live in a fantasy world.

(And fyi--that last quote you attribute to me was from Troy)

Why do I fear this interchange from Oprah will become birther fodder. She inadvertently gave him a question that was tough to answer without sounding a bit silly:
"When it first came up, were you thinking, I hope I was born here?" Winfrey asked, according to a transcript provided by her production company.
"Can I just say I was there, so I knew," Obama said. "I knew I had been born. I remembered it."
"Of course you did," Winfrey said.

Trump: 'I've done a great service to the American people'

i.e. My Ass

Goalpost moved!

"The word is," Trump told the press, Obama "was a terrible student when he went to Occidental [College]. He then gets to Columbia. He then gets to Harvard."

"I don't know why he doesn't release his records," Trump said. "Why doesn't he release his Occidental records?"

Trump On Obama's Birth Certificate: I'm 'Honored' -- But Where Are His School Records?

jvolstad says

Note the race of the Father. African. Wasn’t it Negro back in the early 60’s? That’s strange.

He was actually African (not just black, ie African Amercian). But you're right, maybe some sophisticated types at the Hawaii Hospital were ahead of their time.

But I think it's cool if the conspiracy theory racist types have something to sink their teeth in to.

As far as I can tell, Donald Trump is an Obama supporter. He wants Obama to be reelected.

Think about it, he wants to turn everyone's attention to Obama's academic history?

OH, wait, I forgot, republicans don't respect "intelligence." So, maybe I'm wrong.

shrekgrinch says

A large majority of the public at large has always believed that Obama is a Muslim

Not a majority, but sizable percentage. And almost all of them are "conservatives".

What does that say about the intelligence of the average "conservative"?

marcus says

OH, wait, I forgot, republicans don’t respect “intelligence.” So, maybe I’m wrong.

Marcus I have serious doubts you are qualified to teach. The fact that you are a union man, a teacher and say completely atrocious things like this just proves why public unions are a bad idea. Perhaps your constant one sided tunnel visioned political views should explain why so many students fail to learn, they have marcuses "teaching" them.

This issue will never die. Conspiracies abound. Actual verifiable proof that you simply can't fix stupid.

Did you stutter, or are you so excited you had to tell us multiple times? And out of curiosity, why should we give a shit? Is it because you (once again) blame something on the Democrats?

ChrisLA says

Perhaps your constant one sided tunnel visioned political views should explain why so many students fail to learn, they have marcuses “teaching” them.

Yes being the extreme moderate that I am, and being upset that there are too many hyper ignorant people with views such as yours(*), is sure to effect my teaching.

* ChrisLA:
(from other thread)
ChrisLA says

It’s a matter of opinion. AM talk radio is not nonsense to me, as I often find the ideas reasonable.

Sorry if the comment about your disrespect for intelligence hit home just a little too much. MY belief is that emotional bias has no place in political decisions, and fortunately my lack of emotional bias, is also a good attribute for a teacher.

In hyper rethuglican world, this constitutes a "proof:"

ChrisLA says

The fact that you are a union man, a teacher and say completely atrocious things like this just proves why public unions are a bad idea.

Let's just say its a good thing you aren't a Math teacher. If you decide to look in to it, you might want to learn a little about logic and what it means to prove something. (Hint: it has nothing to do with your emotions).

I never bought into the Birther stuff either, I just don't believe a Grown ass man should be walking around that can't produce a birth certificate. Especially not the President.

I have to, he has to, that's the beauty of America, spite what you commie freaks might think.

By the way, intelligence wasn't always anathema to republicans like it is now (Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Donald Trump, Michelle Bachman, Gorge W Bush, ...the list goes on).

I guess to a certain type of person, there is something comforting in " he (or she) is a little below average intelligence, just like me," or "I would like to have a beer or go fishing with him."

Tenouncetrout says

I never bought into the Birther stuff either, I just don’t believe a Grown ass man should be walking around that can’t produce a birth certificate. Especially not the President.
I have to, he has to, that’s the beauty of America, spite what you commie freaks might think.

The sad thing is that the dim bulbs thought he hadn't produced it, LONG after he had, that is long after he had produced what would have been acceptable from you if you were getting a license or a passport, or any other type of proof of your citizenship. If you were willing and capable of understanding it, you would realize that it really was quite stunning.

Ok, I'm here in this thread. The truth will get out now.

Shrekgrinch - I thought this issue was layed to rest with you Birther Lite folks. (I'm calling you Birther Lite now because while you claim to not believe any of the Birther origination stories, you still support Birther policy like Birther bills).

So Obama produces a 'magic' long form and ... drum roll ... Birthers are still not satisfied.

Obama just punk'd the Birther movement. He even got to lecture the media about silly wastes of time, and then immediately flew out to tape a show with Oprah.

I think Palin and Beck are in a very tough spot now. They either need to dig themselves deeper in a hole and keep promoting Birtherism or move on.

marcus says

Sorry if the comment about your disrespect for intelligence hit home just a little too much. MY belief is that emotional bias has no place in political decisions, and fortunately my lack of emotional bias, is also a good attribute for a teacher.

But all you are offering is an emotional bias, bias that unions are great, and corporations are evil. Some sort of naive ultra left bias. Completely disregarding the fact that we are the corporations, and we are the only reason US is actually on the map and all other nations wish they were US.

marcus says

Let’s just say its a good thing you aren’t a Math teacher.

Unlike you buddy, I'm making it well in the private sector, and my mathematics are far beyond your basic high school math. I don't need to lose all my dignity and become a union man like someone utterly incapable of making it on their own.

SoCal Renter says

Obama just punk’d the Birther movement. He even got to lecture the media about silly wastes of time, and then immediately flew out to tape a show with Oprah.

What's interesting to this whole controversy is 1) why Obama took so long to produce the certificate and 2) why he spent $2+ million to fight its release. No matter how one looks at it, it amounts to some very strange behavior.

RayAmerica says

I just checked … you’ll have to trust me on this; Reagan is no longer President. In fact (and I was surprised at this too) he left office way back in 1989

Oh, is that how it works? Can I still blame WWII on Germany? Or is it now Obama's fault too?

Tenouncetrout says

I just don’t believe a Grown ass man should be walking around that can’t produce a birth certificate.

he did back in mid-2008 you fucking moronic ignorer-of-fact.

Wop! It says on the bottom "Any alteration invalidates this Certificate"

Sorry but the Certificate ID has been altered. Besides it being the short form and a reproduction at that.
How did a grown ass man in Washington get as far as he did with out a BC?

Rules are rules, and that document has been altered, call the Donald, he'll tell ya.

ack, trolled again. I forgot why I had you on ignore. brb.