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Politicians - and we need them for?

A very interesting column. COMPLETELY NEUTRAL

Be sure to Read the Poem at the end.

Charley Reese's final column for the Orlando Sentinel...

He has been a journalist for 49 years.

He is retiring and this is HIS LAST COLUMN.

Be sure to read the Tax List at the end.

This is about as clear and easy to understand as it can be. The article below is completely neutral, neither anti-republican nor democrat. Charlie Reese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, has hit the nail directly on the head, defining clearly who it is that in the final analysis must assume responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every day.

It's a relatively short but good read. Worth the time. Worth remembering!

545 vs. 300,000,000 People- by Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations.

The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash.

The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. 

Who is the speaker of the House now? He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan ... If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.

Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.
They, and they alone, have the power. They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses, provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees...

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

What you do with this article now that you have read it... is up to you.

This might be funny if it weren't so true.

Tax his land,

Tax his bed,

Tax the table, at which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,

Tax his mule,

Teach him taxes are the rule.

Tax his work,

Tax his pay, he works for peanuts anyway!

Tax his cow,

Tax his goat,

Tax his pants,

Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,

Tax his shirt,

Tax his work,

Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,

Tax his drink,

Tax him if he tries to think.

Tax his cigars,

Tax his beers,

If he cries tax his tears.

Tax his car,

Tax his gas,

Find other ways to tax his ass.

Tax all he has, then let him know that you won't be done till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers; then tax him some more, tax him till he's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,

Tax his grave,

Tax the sod into which he's laid...

Put these words upon his tomb,

"Taxes drove me to my doom..."
When he's gone, do not relax,

it’s time to apply, the Inheritance tax.

Accounts Receivable Tax

Building Permit Tax

CDL license Tax

Cigarette Tax

Corporate Income Tax

Dog License Tax

Excise Taxes

Federal Income Tax

Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)

Fishing License Tax

Food License Tax

Fuel Permit Tax

Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)

Gross Receipts Tax

Hunting License Tax

Inheritance Tax

Inventory Tax

IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)

Liquor Tax

Luxury Taxes

Marriage License Tax

Medicare Tax

Personal Property Tax

Property Tax

Real Estate Tax

Service Charge Tax

Social Security Tax

Road Usage Tax

Recreational Vehicle Tax

Sales Tax

School Tax

State Income Tax

State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)

Telephone Federal Excise Tax

Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax

Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes

Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax

Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax

Telephone State and Local Tax

Telephone Usage Charge Tax

Utility Taxes

Vehicle License Registration Tax

Vehicle Sales Tax

Watercraft Registration Tax

Well Permit Tax

Workers Compensation Tax

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world.

We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom, if agreed, stayed home to raise the kids.

What in the heck happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'

I hope this goes around THE USA at least 545 times!!!

YOU can help it get there!!!

GO AHEAD. . . BE AN AMERICAN!!!

Homeowners Gain Average of $13K in Equity

DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

In the second quarter of this year, homeowners saw their equity increase an average of 10.6 percent—or $12, 987—year over year, according to CoreLogic’s Q2 2017 Homeowner Equity Report. Western states are posting some of the highest upticks in equity. Washington homeowners, for example, saw an average of $40,000 in home equity gains in that period; California homeowners saw increases of about $30,000.

“Over the last 12 months, approximately 750,000 borrowers achieved positive equity,” says CoreLogic chief economist Frank Nothaft. “This means that mortgage risk continues to decline, and given the continued strength in home prices, CoreLogic expects home equity to rise steadily over the next year.”

In the second quarter, 2.8 million homes—or about 5.4 percent of all residential properties—were in negative equity, meaning the owners owe more on their mortgage than the house is worth. The number of properties with negative equity has dropped 21.9 percent year over year, according to CoreLogic’s report.

Source: CoreLogic

5 Things Buyers Should Never Compromise On

DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

Sure, compromise between the buyer and seller is part of the game when getting to closing. But there are some things buyers should never acquiesce—or they’ll likely regret their home purchase. Realtor.com® recently asked real estate professionals to weigh in on some of the top items their clients regret about the home they bought.

Read more: How to Prevent Buyer's Remorse

1. The floor plan. It’s difficult and expensive to reconfigure a home’s floor plan. Sarah Garza, MRP, a real estate pro with Trident Homes Realty in Arnold, Md., suggests that if a home does not fit your buyers’ minimum criteria in terms of number of rooms and the flow of the main living areas, they should cross it off their list. “You can change a layout to make it an open floor plan, but it’s a lot more difficult to change the bedroom and bathroom count,” she says. “In the long run, you could end up having a lot of problems and taking on a really big financial undertaking.”

2. The school district. Even buyers who don’t have children—but wish to one day—should carefully consider their neighborhood’s school district. Encourage buyers to visit the school district’s website to get a map of its exact boundaries. “Often, agents will advertise a property as being near such-and-such school area but not necessarily specify the district, which can be very confusing,” says Tina Maraj, SFR, e-PRO, an agent with RE/MAX of North Orange County in Fullerton, Calif. “It can be a real eye-opener if a buyer closes, and they’re on one side of a main street that is the dividing line between the top-rated and the lowest-rate high schools.”

3. The neighbors. Buyers should be cognizant of the condition of neighboring homes, as it can affect their future resale value. “You can’t change the house in front of you or to the side of you,” Maraj warns. “And if there’s a barking dog every time you’re viewing the property, that’s another thing that you absolutely cannot change.”

4. The budget. Tell your clients to consider the expenses beyond just the list price. For example, they’ll want to factor in monthly mortgage payments, potential homeowner association dues, utility costs, and real estate taxes. A lender’s pre-approval will tell buyers how much house they can afford, but there other factors determine whether they’ll be financially comfortable. “I try to do a lot of pre-planning with clients about what they can really afford, as opposed to what the bank tells you,” says Mike Kessler, a broker with TSG Residential in Davidson, N.C. “You never want to be house poor.”

5. The commute. Buyers should make sure they are comfortable with the time it takes to get to work. They should drive the route between the home and their office at the time they’ll be commuting. “Sometimes, buyers fall in love with all the shiny bells and whistles of a house that’s an hour away from work,” Garza says. “I tell them, ‘I know it doesn’t matter right now because you really love this house, but that’s two hours every day that you’ll be sitting in the car and not enjoying your house. Is that worth it to you?’”

Source: “Don’t Budge: 7 Compromises You Should Never Make When Buying a Home,” realtor.com® (Sept. 21, 2017)

Housing Predictions for 2018

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Housing Predictions for 2018

DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

New homes are expected to be a “primary driver of sales in 2018,” as 1.33 million housing starts are predicted next year—up from 1.22 million in 2017, according to Freddie Mac’s September Outlook report, which gauges future real estate activity. Total home sales are expected to increase about 2 percent from 2017 to 2018, according to the report.

Economists also predict that the uptick in housing starts, coupled with a moderate increase in mortgage rates, will help slow the run-up in home prices next year. Freddie Mac forecasts a 4.9 percent increase in home prices in 2018, lower than the 6.3 percent growth seen so far this year. Mortgage rates also are up from near-record lows in 2016, prompting predictions that refinancings will fall to 25 percent of mortgage activity in 2018—the lowest share since 1990, according to Fannie Mae.

Still, homeowners likely will continue building equity next year. In the second quarter of 2017, the dollar volume of equity cashed out was $15 million, up $1.2 million from the first quarter. As home prices rise, cash-out activity has been rising, too.

“The economic environment remains favorable for housing and mortgage markets,” says Freddie Mac chief economist Sean Becketti. “For several years, we have had moderate economic growth of about two percent a year, solid job gains, and low mortgage interest rates. We forecast those conditions to persist into next year.”

Source: “Looking Ahead to 2018,” Freddie Mac Outlook (Sept. 21, 2018)

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