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1A very interesting column.. COMPLETELY NEUTRAL  Be sure to Read the Poem at the end.
2
3Charley Reese's final column for the Orlando Sentinel...
4 He has been a journalist for 49 years.
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6He is retiring and this is HIS LAST COLUMN.
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8Be sure to read the Tax List at the end.
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10This is about as clear and easy to understand as it can be. The article below is completely neutral, neither anti-republican or 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 short but good read. Worth the time. Worth remembering!
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12545 vs. 300,000,000 People
13
14
15-By Charlie Reese
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17Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.
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19Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?
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21Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?
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23You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.
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25You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.
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27You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.
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29You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.
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31You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.
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33One 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.
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35I 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.
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37I 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.
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39Those 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.
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41What 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.
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43The 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 Housenow? 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.
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45It 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.
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47If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.
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49If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.
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51If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan ...
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53If 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.
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55There are no insoluble government problems.
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57Do 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.
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59Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.
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61They, and they alone, have the power.
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63They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.
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65Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees...
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67We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!
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69Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.
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71What you do with this article now that you have read it... is up to you.
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73This might be funny if it weren't so true.
74Be sure to read all the way to the end:
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76Tax his land,
77Tax his bed,
78Tax the table,
79At which he's fed.
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81Tax his tractor,
82Tax his mule,
83Teach him taxes
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85Are the rule.
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87Tax his work,
88Tax his pay,
89He works for
90peanuts anyway!
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92Tax his cow,
93Tax his goat,
94Tax his pants,
95Tax his coat.
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97Tax his ties,
98Tax his shirt,
99Tax his work,
100Tax his dirt.
101
102Tax his tobacco,
103Tax his drink,
104 Tax him if he
105Tries to think.
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107Tax his cigars,
108Tax his beers,
109If he cries
110Tax his tears.
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112Tax his car,
113Tax his gas,
114Find other ways
115To tax his ass.
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117Tax all he has
118Then let him know
119 That you won't be done
120Till he has no dough.
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122When he screams and hollers;
123Then tax him some more,
124Tax him till
125He's good and sore.
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127Then tax his coffin,
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129Tax his grave,
130Tax the sod in
131 Which he's laid...
132
133Put these words
134Upon his tomb,
135'Taxes drove me
136to my doom...'
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138When he's gone,
139Do not relax,
140Its time to apply
141The inheritance tax.
142
143Accounts Receivable Tax
144 Building Permit Tax
145CDL license Tax
146Cigarette Tax
147Corporate Income Tax
148Dog License Tax
149Excise Taxes
150Federal Income Tax
151Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
152Fishing License Tax
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154Food License Tax
155Fuel Permit Tax
156Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
157 Gross Receipts Tax
158Hunting License Tax
159Inheritance Tax
160Inventory Tax
161IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
162
163Liquor Tax
164Luxury Taxes
165Marriage License Tax
166Medicare Tax
167Personal Property Tax
168 Property Tax
169Real Estate Tax
170Service Charge Tax
171Social Security Tax
172Road Usage Tax
173Recreational Vehicle Tax
174
175Sales Tax
176School Tax
177State Income Tax
178State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
179Telephone Federal Excise Tax
180 Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
181Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
182Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
183
184Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
185Telephone State and Local Tax
186 Telephone Usage Charge Tax
187Utility Taxes
188Vehicle License Registration Tax
189Vehicle Sales Tax
190Watercraft Registration Tax
191Well Permit Tax
192Workers Compensation Tax
193
194STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
195Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
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197We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom, if agreed,stayed home to raise the kids.
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199What in the heck happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'