For Rent

In the same week Obama publicly signed an executive order to cut down on coffee mugs and what not in executive departments (we're told it will save $4 billion), news comes out that the honorable Joseph Biden is charging the secret service rent when they stay at his Delaware cottage.  The same secret service that protect his life.

Now, one can easily counter that he is losing potential income since he cannot rent out the residence like past years, when he was merely a Senator.  True, and fair enough.  But when your administration has attempted to build a facade of budget cutting for the last 2.5 years, can your credibly demand rent money for your bodyguards?  Especially when you are paid hundreds of thousands a year - and are set for life with speaking fees!

With all this jobs talk in DC, it seems Biden is only worried about his own income.

#Occupy ... the Banks?

The #occupy movement can not seem to live up to its own idealist standards yet again.  First, the wall street bunch complained when the New York homeless were snagging free meals from the encampment's kitchen - apparently displeased about bums taking from the contributors.

Now, Occupy Oakland has deposited $20k into a Wells Fargo account, after their group vandalizing a branch of that same corporation about a week earlier.  Camping in a taxpayer funded park, living off donations, and not contributing to anything of value will only last so long.  Amorphous movements are great, but occupy will set itself on proverbial fire as their unrestrained masses are not held to account by the greater movement.

I don't think you're supposed to #occupy the bank with your money...

Taxing Christmas

The Obama administration (though probably not Obama specifically) has announced a new 15 cent tax on live Christmas trees.  The best part of the tax is that the revenue is intended to promote real Christmas tree purchases!  When has a tax ever increased commerce for that product?

To be fair, 3/4 of the industry is in favor of this new tax, which funds an estimated $2 million ad campaign for real Christmas trees.  But this begs the question - how is this the role of government?!  If private tree farms want to fund a public relations campaign, they do not need the government to do so.  If artificial tree manufacturers decided they need a PR campaign as well, will the federal government organize a tax on their products as well?  What about Menorahs for Hanukkah or fireworks for the 4th of July?

I almost forgot, the preferred nomenclature is now "Holiday Tree," not the intolerant Christmas Tree.