Obama, McCain, and Taxes

A primary objective of the staff of Shambollocks is to fight the misinformation that floods us through campaign ads, talking heads, and irresponsible media outlets. I've been amongst a lot of my Republican-leaning friends of late, and what I hear from them is that Obama is going to raise their taxes. So, with the help of a great article in the Los Angeles Times, we're going to talk about some facts.

Fact: Both candidates' plans would balloon the federal deficit to (watch out!) $9.6 TRILLION dollars over the next ten years. Someone is going to have to pay that debt. Most likely, because our politicians are weenies, it will be our children. This is gross irresponsibility and fiscal negligence.

Fact: Obama will raise taxes on maybe fifteen people I personally know. All he's going to do is let the Bush tax cuts expire. Bush's tax cuts primarily helped the wealthy. The middle class will not see higher taxes, although they will find the tax cuts Bush made eliminated. Obama is simply asking that the rich (REALLY rich) pay a higher share of the tax burden. That is all.

Do you want to help out rich people? Really? When was the last time they helped you?

Fact: McCain supports millionaires. Rick Warren asked both candidates last weekend what they considered 'wealthy'.

Obama said the dividing line was an income of $250,000 a year, while McCain responded somewhat flippantly that it was $5 million.

OK, by Obama's standards I know a slight amount of wealthy people- all of whom can afford more taxes. None of them are people who have raised concerns about Obama's tax policies to me. McCain believes $5 million dollars is wealthy. In that case, I know ONE wealthy person. He can definitely afford to pay more in taxes.

Which is good for me, because I live by Bill Murray's words in Rushmore:

Keep the rich kids in your sights. And take them down.

Willy the Hot Dog Man

Kermit Love, 91, co-creator of Big Bird and my childhood best friend Mr. Snuffleupagus (seriously) with Shambollocks Personal God Jim Henson (an elusive category, which we'll leave for another post), died yesterday according to the Los Angeles Times.

Kermit played Willy the Hot Dog Man on the show, human foil for Oscar the Grouch. He is not the inspiration of Kermit the Frog's name.

Sesame Street has had as much a positive impact on American society as any cultural product or historical figure. It imagines an urban existence of tolerance and responsibility which remains elusive, but is as effective educationally today as it was in the '70s.

Though he had no children of his own, Love said in a 1991 Newsweek article
he had "raised so many people's families.

"I have a million children."

Yes you did, Kermit. And I, as one, will miss you dearly.