So, its been a while since I last wrote, and I know you are all waiting for an update (Yeah, right). Here’s the lastest.
As many of you already know, my truck is no more. I was in an accident in February, and the truck was totaled. In my last post, I mentioned that I was about to purchase a Honda from a friend. Well, I did, and it rocks. It is in great shape, and gets excellent gas mileage. Being the cheap fellow that I am (my wife hates when I say that!), I was also quite happy when I realized that I would break even on the deal with the money that I received from the “other guy’s” insurance company. I’d still rather have the truck – it would have ran forever – but the saving on gas mileage is more than a fair tradeoff.
In other “interesting” news, I nearly sliced my finger off at work yesterday. I was using a knife in the kitchen, being an idiot, and sliced my left pinky finger. I tried unsuccessfully to get it to stop bleeding, but ultimately needed to go to the hospital to get stiches. I was pretty worried about the tetnus shot, as my wife told me that it was a HUGE needle that HURT, but it turns out it barely hurts at all, and the needle is quite small. What really did hurt was the injection of the local right into the slice in my finger….
So, does anything good happen to you, Tom? Well, yes. I’m on train right now heading into NYC, destination, Philadelphia. Let me just say that it is a glorious morning. Sunny and warm, it gives me a new appreciation for getting up early (5am!). Up until about a year ago, I was pretty diligent about getting up a 5:30, and getting things done before work. I’ve slacked off, but I am now again inspired, and with the warm weather (hopefully) approaching, it will be a great opportunity to get things done.
Ok, back to some ranting. Taxes stink. I understand that we need to pay taxes. Fine. But when you look at how much you pay, you come to the realization that you basically live to pay taxes. Here’s a thought: we’re so concerned about the state of Social Security, and the amount of debt the country has racked up, why not let me keep more of my money for those two issues. I know, I know, exploitation of tax laws is rampant, but something really needs to be done. I would also like to see money earmarked for economic growth and innovation via small business startups. I’m sorry, but The Country doesn’t need more politians and government employees. We have too many as it is. Enough. What we need is innovation, new ideas and production of goods (moreso than services) that will contribute to the GDP. Hey, guess what? YOu can tax the heck out of it once it goes big! Until then, let it grow. Here’s what I propose:
Get the “young” saving for retirement early. Why? Buy-in. If we all believe in the system, we won’t let it fail. I can’t say the particulars, but those a few years out of college should be given strong tax incentives to save up to 20% per year of their income for retirement. This will create good habits and a strong nest egg for them going forward. It will also involve the young in finance, which will help all of us police fraud alot better – those young folk, they’re a fiesty bunch!
Small business incentives: You’re paying taxes and fees before you even start the company. Ridiculous. Now, yes, a business can “write off” plenty, but we need to take this to the next level. People are either too scare or too lazy to start their own businesses. Ask any college student today, and they will most likely tell you that a government job is the fastest and easiest way to get rich. In a capitalist society, this is the absolute WRONG message to send. We need everyone trying to innovate and create, not sit around and wait for their next union-sanctioned break.
Reduce debt: It is no secret that we Americans carry too much debt. Now debt makes the world go ’round, I understand. But consumer credit card debt is expensive, and as a society we need to do something about it. Why? Because credit card debt can “ruin” a person, without them having a fighting chance. This is not as easy a problem to solve, as debt is accumulated by choice, unlike taxes. But, we need to do something. Focusing on the young, we could do something like the following:
Training in school. Teach people what it means to have a credit card, and what the implications are. We may not need an entire class on it, but a few weeks of study will go a long way.
Some extra tax break for people who carry low balances. Again, the particulars need to be worked out, but a tax incentive for those who have a low balance could inspire some to cut back on spending. This one would never go through – no way the credit card companies would allow it.
An alternative to this may be to go the complete opposite direction and encourage CC spending, and then just mandate how high the interest rates can get. I don’t really care for this idea though, as it is really a bandaid, and doesn’t distribute responsibility properly. But, it is possible.
The national debt troubles me, and I’m sure that I don’t even understand the full ramifications of it. I do understand, however, that it is a debt nonetheless, and eventually our creditors are going to want their money back, especially as the global economy really kicks in, and the American economy isn’t as fruitful of an investment as it used to be. What exactly all of this means to us, I’m not sure. But I doubt it is good.
So, I’m now on Amtrak cruising off to Philly. I took the recommendation of my boss and am riding the Accela Express – nice train indeed! Big, comfy seats, lots of leg room, conference tables, relatively quiet and even power outlets so I can charge my phone. Very sweet. There is even a snack card. WooHoo!
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So, the show was good. I really got a good sense about the direction of the company, and what needs to be done to get us there. Some people operate well in the “I do my job and that’s it” space – I’m not one of of them. My background (like it is really that deep) is really in bootstrapping, so I need to understand everything. I don’t necessarily need to be involved in it, but as a self-proclaimed information junkie, I need to know about it. When I understand the entire picture, I perform better. I guess it is also the competitive streak in me – I really enjoy beating the other guy where it counts – in his wallet. I guess it is all a big game, and I’m not a gamer, but I REALLY like winning at this one.