$900 A TICKET? For a “SUPER BOWL” FOR ONE DAY!!!

Oh hold on….what am I thinking, I thought this is a SUPER SIZED BOWL to mix food in to feed the hungry? Isn’t it?

What  do  you mean it’s a CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL GAME?

Well some folks may not have a clue either, so let me clear it up for all of you….first it’s  a rivalry game between the two best teams in the USA, they get paid huge amounts of money for being there, wearing a jersey and playing the “game”. There are extremely expensive ads, that companies pay for, that run during the televised game that often are hilarious, sometimes not so much so. And the outcome? The winning team gets huge contracts for commercials, a “super bowl ring” and the ownership of a huge trophy!!! WOW!!!! Where else but in the United States of America could something so elaborate and costly flourish?

According to the network anchors, “This is just what the country needs right now”…and of course they do an excellent job of covering, at least mentioning that for that $900 ticket price one can sample the extraordinary food of each team with the proceeds going to feed the homeless from the NFL ( National Football League)…don’t get me wrong, I know these players and teams donate tons to local charities, homeless, food banks many share their hard-earned incomes doing so, but we don’t really hear enough about that now do we?

Will a one weekend celebration of this grandeur really lift the spirits of those who have lost their homes and maybe even their televisions?

Will it actually put food in some childs mouth today? But, will it give a much-needed blanket or roof for the hundreds of thousands who are homeless in America today, living on the streets, some in the frigid North trying to keep warm? Will one weekend encourage each of us to investigate the humongous needs in our own communities? Perhaps not.

If you can afford and want to pay $900 a ticket to see the SUPER BOWL IN PERSON, and you save to do that, which of course doesn’t include airfare to get there, accommodations, or food for the weekend, why not decide to also use some of your huge incomes that afford that kind of luxury for a weekend and give the equal amount or maybe even a 3rd of the cost to your local charity that helps all the folks so struggling within our borders to merely survive too?

Even if the people attending donated $1.00 each, tax-free and all of it went to the charities trying to sustain the many folks in our country, the millions who have lost jobs because of corporate and shareholder greed and transgressions, don’t you think it would make a huge impact? What if the network advertising revenue took a third of its revenues and donated it to the charities in the worst hit states? Would that make an impact?

Perhaps the “SUPER BOWL” should be changed to aid our own people instead of bringing more and more billions of profits to the already affluent? Can we do that?

Can we still enjoy all the glamour and hoopla of a well-known sports weekend and create a buffer of relief for the many who need our help the most? What difference would it make to change policies and automatically earmark a percentage of all and each of the proceeds, then tell the world about it, that provides food, shelter, clothing and maybe a new job for someone far less fortunate than the fans who seem to be able to pay $900.00 for a ticket!

I am now going to look for MY SUPER BOWL….fill it with non-perishables and deliver it to my food pantry on Monday, will you?

And afterward will sit in front of my small screen television like billions of others to watch the game, er I mean commercials! After all, what do women really know about the world of football? But that’s another blog….Until the next time, “let’s play ball” and to the Saints and the Colts, may the best team in the Nation win!!!!!

CHECK OUT: WWW.GREATDANEPRO.COM

Be sure and use lower case when you Google it……I posted a copy of an awesome email I received from a relative this am here and also to Facebook, see “seasoned women” get so excited about positive ideas and thoughts….they lose sight of not having permission to do so from the creator, in this case Dane…..www.greatdanepro.com who has exceptional talent.

See for yourself wont’ you? Google his site, sign his guest book and view his outstanding work….you’ll be happy you found him.

Twofish13

He is the one who compiled “Life” and also the video of “Pray20%for20%ofAmerica”, both are outstanding as is his site. I am hoping he will also share his thoughts and opinons here….He’s definitely gifted and God is using his talents to bring emotional solace in this messed up world.

WHY DID SARAH PALIN HEAR US AND THE PRESIDENT & CONGRESS HAS NOT?

I found this article from Sarah on Facebook very interesting….she hit many great points, especially the fact we have all been apathetic and these issues didn’t occur overnight.

 

It seems that President Obama has been scattered all over the place…..he doesn’t get it I guess that priorities MUST be set, one at a time. Remember the saying: “How does one eat an elephant?…..One bite at a time’!!!!! The first issue is restoring jobs to Americans, the second controlling the lenders to make housing and cars affordable with money to loan, the third the pharmecuetical giants that are gouging those now retired who built this country with the high cost of prescriptions and lastly the insurance giants that control as well the very existence of our own people.  It doesn’t take a “rocket scientist” to see, no job=no income=no way to purchase anything=no way to make anything to sell=no profits for the huge corporations=the death of America! 

 

 I hope this doesn’t offend any of you I was intrigued with her candor and outspokeness on several of these topics and exactly the same questions I and many of us have been asking for months. Somehow she seems to get it….at least so it appears, but then it might just be more rhetoric huh?

 

Read the article, detemine your own opinions and then don’t forget when election time rolls about to vote out anyone we have previously heard of that are in office now!

 

 We need ordinary citizens with comman sense to begin to undo the huge roll government plays in our country. New blood, people NOT tainted by the millions of dollars in their paychecks and retirement benefits. If these officials were really concerned with Unemployment and Senior Citizens, they would decline these high wages and perks and contribute to the reform we need at a reasonable and fair compensation, is it fair people who make this country what it is are losing their incomes and homes? I don’t think so. Do you think the politicians are going to work in a manufacturing environment to produce the products we sell in this country, I don’t think so. Are the politicians going to continue to do more work with no pay and have to find ways to feed their families? I don’t think so…..What do you think?

Read the article and YOU decide. It’s going to take each one of us to renew this country with the love and help of God…..We need one another….this is a mess. Lets show our politicians we are NOT stupid people, we care about each other and demand they do too!!! LET FREEDOM ONCE AGAIN RING LOUD AND CLEAR.

  

Enjoy…..Marty

 

 

The Credibility Gap

 Yesterday at 2:17pm

While I don’t wish to speak too harshly about President Obama’s state of the union address, we live in challenging times that call for candor. I call them as I see them, and I hope my frank assessment will be taken as an honest effort to move this conversation forward.

Last night, the president spoke of the “credibility gap” between the public’s expectations of their leaders and what those leaders actually deliver. “Credibility gap” is a good way to describe the chasm between rhetoric and reality in the president’s address. The contradictions seemed endless.

He called for Democrats and Republicans to “work through our differences,” but last year he dismissed any notion of bipartisanship when he smugly told Republicans, “I won.”

He talked like a Washington “outsider,” but he runs Washington! He’s had everything any president could ask for – an overwhelming majority in Congress and a fawning press corps that feels tingles every time he speaks. There was nothing preventing him from pursuing “common sense” solutions all along. He didn’t pursue them because they weren’t his priorities, and he spent his speech blaming Republicans for the problems caused by his own policies.

He dared us to “let him know” if we have a better health care plan, but he refused to allow Republicans in on the negotiations or consider any ideas for real free market and patient-centered reforms. We’ve been “letting him know” our ideas for months from the town halls to the tea parties, but he isn’t interested in listening. Instead he keeps making the nonsensical claim that his massive trillion-dollar health care bill won’t increase the deficit.

Americans are suffering from job losses and lower wages, yet the president practically demanded applause when he mentioned tax cuts, as if allowing people to keep more of their own hard-earned money is an act of noblesse oblige. He claims that he cut taxes, but I must have missed that. I see his policies as paving the way for massive tax increases and inflation, which is the “hidden tax” that most hurts the poor and the elderly living on fixed incomes.

He condemned lobbyists, but his White House is filled with former lobbyists, and this has been a banner year for K Street with his stimulus bill, aka the Lobbyist’s Full Employment Act. He talked about a “deficit of trust” and the need to “do our work in the open,” but he chased away the C-SPAN cameras and cut deals with insurance industry lobbyists behind closed doors.

He spoke of doing what’s best for the next generation and not leaving our children with a “mountain of debt,” but under his watch this year, government spending is up by 22%, and his budget will triple our national debt.

He spoke of a spending freeze, but doesn’t he realize that each new program he’s proposing comes with a new price tag? A spending freeze is a nice idea, but it doesn’t address the root cause of the problem. We need a comprehensive examination of the role of government spending. The president’s deficit commission is little more than a bipartisan tax hike committee, lending political cover to raise taxes without seriously addressing the problem of spending.

He condemned bailouts, but he voted for them and then expanded and extended them. He praised the House’s financial reform bill, but where was Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae in that bill? He still hasn’t told us when we’ll be getting out of the auto and the mortgage industries. He praised small businesses, but he’s spent the past year as a friend to big corporations and their lobbyists, who always find a way to make government regulations work in their favor at the expense of their mom & pop competitors.

He praised the effectiveness of his stimulus bill, but then he called for another one – this time cleverly renamed a “jobs bill.” The first stimulus was sold to us as a jobs bill that would keep unemployment under 8%. We now have double digit unemployment with no end in sight. Why should we trust this new “jobs bill”?

He talked about “making tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development,” but apparently it’s still too tough for his Interior Secretary to move ahead with Virginia’s offshore oil and gas leases. If they’re dragging their feet on leases, how long will it take them to build “safe, clean nuclear power plants”? Meanwhile, he continued to emphasize “green jobs,” which require massive government subsidies for inefficient technologies that can’t survive on their own in the real world of the free market.

He spoke of supporting young girls in Afghanistan who want to go to school and young women in Iran who courageously protest in the streets, but where were his words of encouragement to the young girls of Afghanistan in his West Point speech? And where was his support for the young women of Iran when they were being gunned down in the streets of Tehran?

Despite speaking for over an hour, the president only spent 10% of his speech on foreign policy, and he left us with many unanswered questions. Does he still think trying the 9/11 terrorists in New York is a good idea? Does he still think closing Gitmo is a good idea? Does he still believe in Mirandizing terrorists after the Christmas bomber fiasco? Does he believe we’re in a war against terrorists, or does he think this is just a global crime spree? Does he understand that the first priority of our government is to keep our country safe?

In his address last night, the president once again revealed that there’s a fundamental disconnect between what the American people expect from their government, and what he wants to deliver. He’s still proposing failed top-down big government solutions to our problems. Instead of smaller, smarter government, he’s taken a government that was already too big and supersized it.

Real private sector jobs are created when taxes are low, investment is high, and people are free to go about their business without the heavy hand of government. The president thinks innovation comes from government subsidies. Common sense conservatives know innovation comes from unleashing the creative energy of American entrepreneurs.

Everything seems to be “unexpected” to this administration: unexpected job losses; unexpected housing numbers; unexpected political losses in Massachusetts, Virginia, and New Jersey. True leaders lead best when confronted with the unexpected. But instead of leading us, the president lectured us. He lectured Wall Street; he lectured Main Street; he lectured Congress; he even lectured our Supreme Court Justices.

He criticized politicians who “wage a perpetual campaign,” but he gave a campaign speech instead of a state of the union address. The campaign is over, and President Obama now has something that candidate Obama never had: an actual track record in office. We now can see the failed policies behind the flowery words. If Americans feel as cynical as the president suggests, perhaps it’s because the audacity of his recycled rhetoric no longer inspires hope.

Real leadership requires results. Real hope lies in the ingenuity, generosity, and boundless courage of the American people whose voices are still not being heard in Washington.

- Sarah Palin

OH NO!!!! She’s BACK!!!!… and all about men, again!

Romance begins with a kiss in the rain....

And with a head full of questions, comments, concerns and quirky thoughts and of course, the center of it all is the confusing nature of the male species!!! What else is new, eh?

I have taken a break from my political and superficial bantering to actually get out and about in the “dating arena” with others 40+! Geesh what an eye opener! First of all, let me assure you, my life would not be as colorful or complete without my best girlfriends and my daughters….We women need our circle of female friends, just to deal with the roller coaster ride of life it seems, what would we each do without their wisdom and advice even if we stubbornly refuse to take it, except with a grain of salt….for me it’s now with a grain of sand because I live in Florida now and also because I have learned that the “world is my oyster” and oysters often capture a grain of sand that irritates them to the point they coat it with a slimy substance, I am sure it has a scientific name, but slimy works for me as that’s what most of my relationships seem to be coated with, slime! And from this slime, I hope to develop and grow a pearl….just like an oyster but without clamping my “shell” shut. Wow….I didn’t know this thought process would link together so well, sometimes I amaze myself!!

I have occupied my time as of late with knitting feverishly beautiful belts/scarves selling them in a local boutique, Water Sister Dry Goods in Safety Harbor, my home town that specializes in natural fibres, colorful OH MY GAUZE ensembles and fabulous flax outfits….artistically created purses and jewelry, an eclectic shop of fun, pizzaz and color and I have also been creating and selling a few seascapes too, painting on canvas used to be my fav pastime, until I started dancing with a “Blog”. My creative juices have flowed and swirled and danced in the river of my life and so has the occasional handsome suitor that has crossed my path, nothing serious mind you, but definitely interesting!

A large issue for me has been the unavailability of my girlfriends and advice they so willingly used to impart for their lives have become even more full with work, grandkids, parties etc, very little time for “us” to try to figure out the minds of the men we meet.

I have attended many Plenty of Fish Meet and Greet events, my girlfriend that loaned me the male pants for my bedpost met her intended at one, so the inevitable, may be come the evitable, how? No clue!

It seems to me that most all the men I have met aren’t really looking for a “long-term” relationship even if they say they are. If they’re in one, they attend events looking for someone better, more compatible I guess. And of course at the top of their list of requirements is hott sex!! Go figure, it’s been that way since the beginning of time hasn’t it? No surprise here. But my questions, even knowing that, do they really think that sex is going to be ultimately all that different considering it evolves to the same end?

Don’t get this confused now ladies with romance, there is a difference there, there is candlelight, flowers for no reason or to cover up a reason perhaps, there is tons of affection and each one of the couples actually gaze into the eyes of the other for minutes on end, seeing the other for who they are, opening the tulle covered curtains of the eyes and touching upon their souls….ahhhhhh bliss. And in trying to create that beautiful first impression and maintain the original excitement of the “honeymoon” phase, they seem to bend over backward to spread the most desired attention to details to the other. Creating moments meant to be  cherished, remembered and fertilized for consumption down the pike.

Men it seems from my very short sabbatical from the creative world, find pure and satisfying delight in only the exchanges of physical passion. It doesn’t seem that they hold the same wish for companionship, friendship, protection and affection and safety we as women so crave. So what do we do ladies?  Do we burn the lists that took years to compile of the most desireable characteristics we feel will compliment each other and SETTLE? Or do we continue our course looking beyond the reasonable for the magic to light up our lives, make us smile and often roar hysterically? Do we as we “season” just get to a point of acceptance that perhaps we’ve been wrong, perhaps there never was a “Prince Charming” only toads with really great fashion designers! Perhaps the honesty and romance we long to hear and feel just isn’t gonna be. What then? How do we respond? How do we go on…..alone without being dragged down by hopelessness? How do we accept 80% of those elusive qualities we hope to find, as Dr Phil so stated on his morning show today, to be much more realistic, and live in gratitude and creativity developing the lives we so want to experience?

I, as the years pass by, yearn for the touch, the sweetness of a kiss in a gentle rain, reading in bed on a Saturday morning or fixing a yummy breakfast for my love, attending art fairs, concerts, visiting museums, enjoying a delightful glass of Merlot while engaging in a controversial conversation about the state of our union and political affairs or perhaps sharing the delight of grandchildren and the pride of our own offspring as they work themselves to their bone. The joy of being one of those seasoned couples brazenly walking hand in hand at the mall or down the main street even stopping once in a while to plant a cherished kiss on the lips of the other and all the while wondering, is it simply women that want this kind of union? Or are there men out there too that want to feel like they are lying in a bed of aromatic wildflowers, staring aimlessly at the wispy fragments of clouds in a bright blue sky, lazily sharing and enjoying the sounds of the springtime birds mating and building their nests, the whispers of the wind and the warmth of the sun caressing aging bones? Where are you?  How do we meet you? Where do you hide when we are looking and how do we seem to overlook you and all the specialness you are able to bring to us?

Sharing the interests of the love in your life...

Sure there are people who pair up at the Meet and Greets and leave together, but will it last? Is it a momentary physical fling? Does anyone male or female ever really want to commit, to be intimate, to share the depth of who they are and to open their hearts to trust yet again? To toss and turn because the other snores or is a bed hog?

Interesting questions to say the least, and unfortunately for most of us, not many answers. We as women need the strength, the wisdom, & the protection of men in our lives and the guys, well, they could benefit from the soft, sensual, nurturing female to ease the stress of everyday existence couldn’t they? I, being the born dreamer that I am, hope to find that elusive male mate “somewhere out there” to grow older with, to share passion for living and love and complete my existence on this planet knowing I have taken lessons learned and captured  the opportunity to do things in different ways, to embrace life with my arms wide open, with a heart waiting to melt with passionate lust once again rushing through my veins.  I will continue my quest for that 80%  and hope that the men I meet have at least read some of my wonderings and the words of other women who definitely love themselves enough now, after surviving all life’s hardships to dance one more time in the rain….. by the way, I wonder, would you stop, look about you, see me  and share your umbrella with me if only for a few years in time?

WHAT MAKES JOBS? A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER SPEAKS…..

 

I RECEIVED THIS EMAIL FROM AN INFORMED CITIZEN IN WISCONSIN, IT EXPLAINS WHO THE “WEALTHY ” ARE, HOW THEY ARE AND WHY….A REAL EYE OPENER AT BEST! And am pleased to re-print the explanation….Marty

This is one of the most eloquently put descriptions of what small business is all about that I have ever read. It will take a few minutes to read, but it is the reality of the world we live and work in today and what future we may have to deal with. See what you think.

 

The Employee Meeting:

 

I would like to start by thanking you for attending this meeting, though it’s not like you had much of a choice. After all, attendance was mandatory. I’m also glad many of you accepted my invitation to your family members to be here as well. I have a few remarks to make to all of you, and then we’ll retire to the ballroom for a great lunch and some employee awards. 

 

I felt that this meeting was important enough to close all 12 of our tire and automotive shops today so that you could be here. To reassure you, everybody is being paid for the day — except me. Since our stores are closed we’re making no money. That economic loss is mine to sustain. Carrington Automotive has 157 full time employees and around 30 additional part-timers. All of you are here. I thank you for that. 

 

When you walked into this auditorium you were handed a rather thick 78-page document. Many of you have already taken a peek. You were probably surprised to see that it’s my personal tax return for 2008. Those of you who are adept at reading these tax returns will see that last year my taxable income was $534,000.00. Now I’m sure this seems rather high to many of you. So … let’s talk about this tax return.

 

Carrington Automotive Enterprises is what we call a Sub-S – a Subchapter S corporation. The name comes from a particular part of our tax code. Sub-S status means that the income from all 12 of our stores is reported on my personal tax return. Businesses that report their income on the owner’s personal tax return are referred to as “small businesses.” So, you see now that this $534,000 is really the total taxable income – the total combined profit from all 12 of our stores. That works out to an average of a bit over $44,000 per store. 

 

Why did I feel it important for you to see my actual 2008 tax return? Well, there’s a lot of rhetoric being thrown around today about taxes, small businesses and rich people. To the people in charge in Washington right now I’m a wealthy American making over a half-million dollars a year. Most Americans would agree: I’m just another rich guy; after all …. I had over a half-million in income last year, right? In this room we know that the reality is that I’m a small business owner who runs 12 retail establishments and employs 187 people. Now here’s something that shouldn’t surprise you, but it will: Just under 100 percent … make that 99.7 percent of all employers in this country are small businesses, just like ours. 

 

Every one of these businesses reports their income on a personal income tax return. You need to understand that small businesses like ours are responsible for about 80 percent of all private sector jobs in this country, and about 70 percent of all jobs that have been created over the past year. You also need to know that when you hear some politician talking about rich people who earn over $200,000 or $500,000 a year, they’re talking about the people who create the jobs. 

 

The people who are now running the show in Washington have been talking for months about raising taxes on wealthy Americans. I already know that in two years my federal income taxes are going to go up by about 4.5 percent. That happens when Obama and the Democrats allow the Bush tax cuts to expire. When my taxes climb by 4.5 percent the Democrats will be on television saying that this really isn’t a tax increase. They’ll explain that the Bush tax cuts have expired .. nothing more. Here at Carrington we’ll know that almost 5% has been taken right off of our bottom line. And that means it will be coming off your bottom line.

 

Numbers are boring, I know … but let’s talk a bit more about that $534,000. That’s the money that was left last year from company revenues after I paid all of the salaries and expenses of running this business. Now I could have kept every penny of that for myself, but that would have left us with nothing to grow our business, to attract new customers and to hire new employees. You’re aware that we’ve been talking about opening new stores in Virginia Beach and Newport News . To do that I will have to buy or lease property, construct a building and purchase inventory. I also have to hire additional people to work in those stores. These people wouldn’t immediately be earning their pay. So, where do you think the money for all of this comes from? Right out of our profits .. right out of that $534,000. I need to advertise to bring customers in, especially in these tough times. Where do you think that money comes from? Oh sure, I can count it as an expense when I file my next income tax return .. but for right now that comes from either current revenues or last year’s profits. Revenues right now aren’t all that hot … so do the math. A good effective advertising campaign might cost us more than $300,000.

 

Is this all starting to come together for you now? 

 

Right now the Democrats are pushing a nationalized health care plan that, depending on who’s doing the talking, will add anywhere from another two percent to an additional 4.6 percent to my taxes. If I add a few more stores, which I would like to do, and if the economy improves, my taxable income … our business income … could go over one million dollars! If that happens the Democrats have yet another tax waiting, another five percent plus! I’ve really lost track of all of the new government programs the Democrats and President Obama are proposing that they claim they will be able to finance with new taxes on what they call “wealthy Americans.” 

 

And while we’re talking about health care, let me explain something else to you. I understand that possibly your biggest complaint with our company is that we don’t provide you with health insurance. That is because as your employer I believe that it is my responsibility to provide you with a safe workplace and a fair wage and to do all that I can to preserve and grow this company that provides us all with income. I no more have a responsibility to provide you with health insurance than I do with life, auto or homeowner’s insurance. As you know, I have periodically invited agents for health insurance companies here to provide you with information on private health insurance plans. 

The Democrats are proposing to levy yet another tax against Carrington in the amount of 8 percent of my payroll as a penalty for not providing you with health insurance. You should know that if they do this I will be reducing every person’s salary or hourly wage by that same 8 percent. This will not be done to put any more money in my pocket. It will be done to make sure that I don’t suffer financially from the Democrat’s efforts to place our healthcare under the control of the federal government. It is your health, not mine. It is your healthcare, not mine. These are your expenses, not mine. If you think I’m wrong about all this, I would sure love to hear your reasoning. 

 

Try to understand what I’m telling you here. Those people that Obama and the Democrats call “wealthy Americans” are, in very large part, America ’s small business owners. I’m one of them. You have the evidence, and surely you don’t think that the owner of a bunch of tire stores is anything special. That $534,000 figure on my income tax return puts me squarely in Democrat crosshairs when it comes to tax increases. 

 

Let’s be clear about this … crystal clear. Any federal tax increase on me is going to cost you money, not me. Any new taxes on Carrington Automotive will be new taxes that you, or the people I don’t hire to staff the new stores I won’t be building, will be paying. Do you understand what I’m telling you? You’ve heard about things rolling downhill, right? Fine … then you need to know that taxes, like that other stuff, roll downhill. Now you and I may understand that you are not among those that the Democrats call “wealthy Americans,” but when this “tax the rich” thing comes down you are going to be standing at the bottom of the mud slide, if you get my drift. That’s life in the big city, my friends … where elections have consequences. 

 

You know our economy is very weak right now. I’ve pledged to get us through this without layoffs or cuts in your wages and benefits. It’s too bad the politicians can’t get us through this without attacking our profits. To insure our survival I have to take a substantial portion of that $534,000 and set it aside for unexpected expenses and a worsening economy. Trouble is, the government is eyeing that money too …. and they have the guns. If they want it, they can take it. 

 

I don’t want to make this too long. There’s a great lunch waiting for us all. But you need to understand what’s happening here. I’ve worked hard for 23 years to create this business. There were many years where I couldn’t take a penny in income because every dollar was being dedicated to expanding the business. There were tough times when it took every dollar of revenues to replenish our inventory and cover your paychecks. During those times I earned nothing. If you want to see those tax returns, just let me know. 

 

OK … I know I’m repeating myself here. I don’t hire stupid people, and you are probably getting it now. So let me just ramble for a few more minutes.Most Americans don’t realize that when the Democrats talk about raising taxes on people making more than $250 thousand a year, they’re talking about raising taxes on small businesses. The U.S. Treasury Department says that six out of every ten individuals in this country with incomes of more than $280,000 are actually small business owners. About one-half of the income in this country that would be subject to these increased taxes is from small businesses like ours. Depending on how many of these wonderful new taxes the Democrats manage to pass, this company could see its tax burden increase by as much as $60,000. Perhaps more. 

 

I know a lot of you voted for President Obama. A lot of you voted for Democrats across the board. Whether you voted out of support for some specific policies, or because you liked his slogans, you need to learn one very valuable lesson from this election. Elections have consequences. You might have thought it would be cool to have a president who looks like you; or a president who is young, has a buff body, and speaks eloquently when there’s a teleprompter in the neighborhood. Maybe you liked his promises to tax the rich. Maybe you believed his promise not to raise taxes on people earning less than a certain amount. Maybe you actually bought into his promise to cut taxes on millions of Americans who actually don’t pay income taxes in the first place. Whatever the reason .. your vote had consequences; and here they are. 

 

Bottom line? I’m not taking this hit alone. As soon as the Democrats manage to get their tax increases on the books, I’m going to take steps to make sure that my family isn’t affected. When you own the business, that is what you’re allowed to do. I built this business over a period of 23 years, and I’m not going to see my family suffer because we have a president and a congress who think that wealth is distributed rather than earned. Any additional taxes, of whatever description, that President Obama and the Democrats inflict on this business will come straight out of any funds I have set aside for expansion or pay and benefit increases. Any plans I might have had to hire additional employees for new stores will be put aside. Any plans for raises for the people I now have working for me will be shelved. Year-end bonuses might well be eliminated. That may sound rough, but that’s the reality. 

 

You’re going to continue to hear a lot of anti-wealth rhetoric out there from the media and from the left. You can chose to believe what you wish .. .but when it comes to Carrington Automotive you will know the truth. The books are open to any of you at any time. I have nothing to hide. I would hope that other small business owners out there would hold meetings like this one, but I know it won’t happen that often. One of the lessons to be learned here is that taxes … all taxes … and all regulatory costs that are placed on businesses anywhere in this country, will eventually be passed right on down to individuals; individuals such as yourself. This hasn’t been about admonishing anyone and it hasn’t been about issuing threats. This is part of the education you should have received in the government schools, but didn’t. Class is now dismissed. 

THERE IS AN END TO THE SEASON FOR ALL THINGS….

including my vehicle! Wouldn’t you know, holiday time, the most expensive time of the year, the most heavily travelled and wouldn’t it be the likelihood that my ”OL BESSIE” would be in the terminal stages of a car’s life! Who on earth would be able to find a reliable, affordable car for my transportation?

I am looking high and low for a solution when I stumbled across a not for profit organization here in Tampa that actually may have a solution: www.wheelsofsuccess.org . The founder and CEO  Susan Jacobs and I have talked and hopefully sometime before Bessie’s demise, they may be able to assist me in finding a reliable vehicle for transportation to and from work.

Yes, like many of us mature singles, I will be working just  to exist until I am well into my 90’s. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job, its creative, it’s talking with people and communicating which are my strongest suites! But the issue of reliable, affordable transportation led me to discover, Wheels of Success, a local non-profit that helps those in the working poor find reliable vehicles to take them to and from work. Check out their website and if you know of someone who has a vehicle, in good shape, and better yet not able to drive any longer, put them in touch with this organization. Not only may the person donating be able to use it as a charitable donation, but it will provide transportation for so many unable to afford to purchase a vehicle.

Check out their website, www.wheelsofsuccess.org and read the stories and testimony’s of those in need who have been helped. Their independence maintained and one never knows what other good may come by “paying it forward”.

There are so many folks who have lost jobs in this country and are struggling to simply get by, those that need transportation to get to a job, who want to work, it’s a way your unused vehicle can benefit another. And who knows, perhaps the recipient might be able to “pay it forward” by taking some of those that don’t drive, to their doctor appointments, grocery shopping and errands, spending quality time helping and providing a much-needed service to our aging population.

So why not read the info on: www.tampabayareaconnectionsandsolutions.com  or the website for www.wheelsofsuccess.org and decide how you can play a significant role in keeping the wheels of success rolling, it benefits you, it benefits your neighbor and community, it’s “paying it forward” in a tangible way…..Check the sites and contact them today, it may be the best gift of your life!

DON’T DISGARD THE ELDERLY, THEY HAVE LIVED AND LOVED AND LEARNED MUCH!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

********I would love to know the story behind the gentle, loving face of this man…..If anyone knows where the email originated or the photo, place a comment and let the world know…..His eyes say it all.********

 

 

WHO IS HE? WHERE DOES HE LIVE? WHAT IS HIS STORY?…….TELL ME, PLEASE? 

 

FOOD FOR YOUR POLITICAL DECISIONS…IN THE COMING YEAR FELLOW AMERICANS!

To President Obama and all 535 voting members of Congress:

It is now official you are ALL corrupt morons:

 The U.S. Post Service was established in 1775 You have had 234 years to get it right and it is broke.

Social Security was established in 1935. You have had 74 years to get it right and it is broke.

Fannie Mae was established in 1938. You have had 71 years to get it right and it is broke.

War on Poverty started in 1964. You have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and 45 years to transferred to “the poor” and they only want more.

Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. You have had 44 years to get it right and they are broke.

Freddie Mac was established in 1970. You have had 39 years to get it right and it is broke.

The Department of Energy was created in 1977 to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It has ballooned to 16,000 employees with a budget of $24 billion a year and we import more oil than ever before. You had 32 years to get it right and it is an abysmal failure.

You have FAILED in every “government service” you have shoved down our throats while overspending our tax dollars AND YOU WANT AMERICANS TO BELIEVE YOU CAN BE TRUSTED WITH A GOVERNMENT-RUN a  HEALTH CARE SYSTEM?? 

Folks, keep this circulating. It is very well stated. Maybe it will end up in the e-mails of some of our “duly elected officials” in Washington !!

These thougts are floating about the web, thanks CK for sharing the input.

Take back our country and hold the highly paid officials accountable NOW!

 (Thanks CK for voicing the outrage and anger of so many Americans….)

REMEMBER “HANGING MEN’S PANTS ON MY BEDPOST” BLOG?

Well…..here is an amazing update. I am not sure exactly what went wrong, but I was geeked at the prospect of hanging a pair of men’s slacks on my bedpost and asking our dear Lord to fill them….I had finally decided to become serious in finding a male partner after 13 years.

I knew God would be sitting in His lazy boy….laughing hysterically, well, He did more than that. Last evening I got a call from my girlfriend who loaned me the brand new pair of pants with a 31″ in-seam to tell me, she’s  getting married! WOW!!!!!  She and her intended met at a crowded venue in West Chase the Oak Room at a Plenty of Fish party…..I am the one who talked her into wearing her little black dress. And go figure, she loans ME the pants to attract a suitor and she ends up being the one to “meet Mr. Right”. How uncanny is that folks?

I guess one never knows where  the “love bug” will bite and find you….So for all of you girlfriends out there, help each other out….create a new look to your shabby chic decor and hang a pair of guys pants and marry off all your friends! Life is so rich, such a hoot isn’t it?

Now I wonder what else I might hang to find my special guy….it’s evident that God just thought this wacky brainstorm was way too funny to not respond. And of course He did…..proof that sometimes things aren’t as they seam….hahahahhaa. Enjoy the moment! Maybe I should have some corvette keys made and hang them on the post…..and God could work on a new car instead of the love of my life….interesting concept!

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away……”

An AMERICAN LADY IN HER 80′S EXPRESSES HER FEARS FOR OUR COUNTRY….LISTEN AND LEARN!!!!

It Began the same with "power" with HItler, are we repeating history?

Today I had the privilege of speaking with an 80 + lady who came here from Lithuania in 1948. Her father was in a bread line in Germany and shot by Hitler’s military for speaking his mind. She and her other 4 siblings eventually made it to America, she’s an immigrant who is now a proud citizen of this country. I will call her” Maggie…”.

Today, as she recanted the many details to me of her life, with a quiver in her voice and I would bet tears streaming down her cheeks with her english touched with her European accent, she expressed the fears of so many of us.

She has a wonderful daughter and son-in-law that are taking awesome care of her since they relocated here from Chicago a few years ago. This fabulous woman was schooled in Europe where she learned 4 languages and still speaks all of them and educated  in the health care field as an RN and also able to work with the pathologists, she’s no dummy by far and fine tuned her skills during the World War II era. 

She said she prays every day to God to save the United States from the destruction which lies ahead. She grew up with socialized medicine and the same type of  plans President Obama is now implementing, all for the sake of power,as Hitler did. She survived and her siblings and her Mom…..many didn’t and she watched as they died the elderly from lack of adequate medicine or the wrong dosages and children and lack of food. It was a period of living hell. All her siblings were separated and sent to different countries, she went to China first,and eventually they all were reunited here. She spoke of the amazing courage of her Mom and her brother. Her voice quaked again.

She said that what we are currently experiencing here is all about “POWER AND CONTROL” by President Obama and his cohorts which has been planned for some time. She said most Americans are not aware as the history of that time hasn’t been told accurately. She is filled with fear for all of us. She knows first hand what is coming down the pike within the next 20 years. “It starts slowly with Socialized Medicine and little by little more and more rights are taken away until the government has total control’….”

I could relate so well to her story, I have read enough, talked to history students and scholars and know the evidence is clear. We are becoming a communistic society by the whims of our current Presidents desire for power. She merely confirmed to me all I have already suspected.

Her plea for all of us….to act now. To pray to God daily for courage and help to undo this mighty threat to our freedoms, to speak out before it has gone on so long we have no right to speak…to write….to educate. She knows full well from working in the environs of the hospitals here that the elderly are already suffering maltreatment and improper use of medications, after all she only retired a few years past when she was 72 as a highly respected professional. She has nothing to gain….except she knows she is doing her part to educate all of us as to the dangers that lay in front of us.

Now will you heed my warnings? Listen to the thoughts of Fox News or Mr. Beck? Will all of us unite and see the tremendously huge threat to the existence of our very nation before it’s too late?

I am not really sure what any of us can do except PRAY for God’s help….and to spread the truth from sea to shining sea…..If we are all united there is power, much more than on elected official has. Wake up….research and read the current events….We all can save this country but it takes is not burying  our heads in the sand and knowing how Communism, Socialism gains a foot hold….Do you know? Do you remember? Talk to a woman like Maggie or a survivor of the Holocaust if you have doubts…..they lived it and escaped to a free America and are trying to help all of us to remain free and powerful in our own rights, not at the hand of a dictatorship of a power monger,leader  and his Czars, which we elected.

Do your part….spread this word….help all of us to survive.