A Letter From sugargrand-pa

A

A Snake

Member #024
Location (City)
McLeansboro, Il
First Name
Mike
Last Name
Woley
John G. is 63 years old and owns a small business. He's a life-long
Republican and sees his dream of retiring next year has all but
evaporated. With the stock market crashing and new taxes coming his way,
John assumes now that he will work to his dying day.

John has a granddaughter. Ashley is a recent college grad. She drives a
flashy hybrid car, wears all the latest fashions, and loves to go out to
nightclubs and restaurants. Ashley campaigned hard for Barak Obama.
After the election she made sure her grandfather (and all other
Republican family members) received a big I told-you-so earful on how
the world is going to be a much better place now that her party is
taking over.

Having lost both roommates, Ashley recently ran short of cash and cannot
pay the rent (again) on her 3 bedroom townhouse. Like she has done many
times in the past, she emailed her grandfather asking for some financial
help. Here is his reply:

Sweetheart,
I received your request for assistance. Ashley, you know I love you
dearly and I'm sympathetic to your financial plight. Unfortunately,
times have changed. With the election of President Obama, your
grandmother and I have had to set forth a bold new economic plan of our
own..."The Ashley Economic Empowerment Plan." Let me explain.

Your grandmother and I are life-long, wage-earning tax payers. We have
lived a comfortable life, as you know, but we have never had the fancier
things like European vacations, luxury cars, etc. We have worked hard
and were looking forward to retiring soon. But the plan has changed.
Your president is raising our personal and business taxes significantly.

He says it is so he can give our hard earned money to other people. Do
you know what this means, Ashley? It means less for us, and we must cut
back on many business and personal expenses.

You know the wonderful receptionist who worked in my office for more
than 23 years? The one who always gave you candy when you came over to
visit? I had to let her go last week. I can't afford to pay her salary
and all of the government mandated taxes that go with having employees.
Your grandmother will now work 4 days a week to answer phones, take
orders and handle the books. We will be closed on Fridays and will lose
even more income.

I'm also very sorry to report that your cousin Frank will no longer be
working summers in the warehouse. I called him at school this morning.
He already knows about it and he's upset because he will have to give up
skydiving and his yearly trip to Greenland to survey the polar bears.

That's just the business side of things. Some personal economic effects
of Obama's new taxation policies include none other than you. You know
very well that over the years your grandmother and I have given you
thousands of dollars in cash, tuition assistance, food, housing,
clothing, gifts, etc., etc. But by your vote, you have chosen to help
others -- not at your expense -- but at our expense.

If you need money now sweetheart, I recommend you call 202-456-1111.
That is the direct phone number for the White House. You yourself told
me how foolish it is to vote Republican. You said Mr. Obama is going to
be the People's President, and is going to help every American live a
better life. Based on everything you've told me, along with all the
promises we heard during the campaign, I'm sure Mr. Obama will be happy
to transfer some stimulus money into your bank account. Have him call me
for the account number which I memorized years ago.

Perh aps you can now understand what I've been saying all my life: those
who vote for a president should consider the impact on the nation as a
whole, and not be just concerned with what they can get for themselves.
What Obama supporters don't seem to realize is all of the money he is
redistributing to illegal aliens and non-taxpaying Americans (the
so-called "less fortunate") comes from tax-paying families.

Remember how you told me, "Only the richest of the rich will be
affected"? Well guess what, honey? Because we own a business, your
grandmother and I are now considered to be the richest of the rich. On
paper, it might look that way, but in the real world, we are far from it.

As you said while campaigning for Obama, some people will have to carry
more of the burden so all of America can prosper. You understand what
that means, right? It means that raising taxes on productive people
results in them having less money; less money for everything, including
granddaughters.

I'm sorry, Ashley, but the well has run dry. The free lunches are over.
I have no money to give you now.

So, congratulations on your choice for "change." For future reference, I
encourage you to try and add up the total value of the gifts and cash
you have received from us, just since you went off to college, and
compare it to what you expect to get from Mr. Obama over the next 4 (or
8) years. I have not kept track of it, Ashley. It has all truly been the
gift of our hearts.

Remember, we love you dearly....but from now on you'll need to call the
number mentioned above. Your "Savior" has the money we would have given
to you. Just try and get it from him.

Good luck, sweetheart.
Love,
Grandpa
 
What are you saying Karl? The CURRENT administration isn't responsible for raising CURRENT taxes? If your speaking of social security, then I agree, that was ruined by some goofy Texan :D Please continue the CONVERSATION but without offence. First sign of that get's this shut down.
 
karl take your blinders off every thing your bud has touch turned to s--t not gold that dollar in your wallet last year is now equal to some change the change you asked for
 
What are your facts Mike? Simply stating "everything has turned to s--t" is not a fact. Please keep it civil in your responses. We all get the fact that you don't like Obama, but cursing and stating your opinion doesn't help the CONVERSATION along.
 
Purple Venom said:
What are your facts Mike? Simply stating "everything has turned to s--t" is not a fact. Please keep it civil in your responses. We all get the fact that you don't like Obama, but cursing and stating your opinion doesn't help the CONVERSATION along.
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heres a fact 1 401 k 2 weeks after he was elected dropped another 35% was down prior only 12% 2 cash for clunker did exactly what all the sales did after 911 sold cars that would have sold in the next 6-9 months and allowed non american cars to be sold with our tax money fact 3 this spending will not hurt me as much as the younger gen they will be footing the bill fact 4 reason i don't care for him from the biggest bunch of democratic crooks chicago fact 5 the olympics just who would that have helped ??? what else chicago and this would have been another bill all of us would have paid. you can bet i did cartwheels when he lost and chicago lost that 1 also did he not say NO NEW TAXES lets wait and see this magic he pulls off. forgot i had to have plastic surgery to take smile off my face when he lost to rio took 8 hours doc said smile kept coming back
 
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About my memory...what was the issue???
I can't afford my meds right now.
Can't wait to get on Medicare next April(should it still be available).
Why is the administration wanting to send $250 to all "seniors"; the system is set up to cover the cost of living increase and the formula indicates there is none. Since they will have to "borrow" the money, I guess each "senior" could just go to the bank and borrow it themselves. This is a ploy to get the "senior" vote next year. By the way it is not for just "seniors", it is for all people receiving a SS check and that includes those on disability(SSI). This is representitve of the irresponsible spending this admin is promoting.

I don't know how much re$ource$ some of you have; mine is dwindling quickly as I reach retirement.
 
I agree with Fact 5. They have already spent all of our money on the east side of the river, now they are comming after the rest of the countries. I was VERY happy Chicago did not get the Olympics.

I for one will not be community organized!
 
snake mine where good till about 1 1/2 years ago now i like many have to watch how much i spend wish i could just print more $ like they do i put all i could in a 401k for 14 years was great then the bottom fell out and many wonder why i dis like this administration i don't think they can be trusted for 1 to many unanswered questions that keep being side stepped
 
Have you looked at your 401 k lately? Did you notice the market topped 10,000 for the first time in a year? I believe you will find that as long as you stayed in your 401k that it will rebound much quicker than it fell, why, because you bought much lower. Assuming you invested at least SOME in the stock market. I say the shock and awe is over on the economy, now it's slowly coming back. Get out there and buy some new shocks or gears or something :D
 
Just went to my 401k, here is my return - Personal Rate of Return from 01/01/2009 to 10/15/2009 is 27.5% - So, I'm to believe that this administration has cost me money? Please note, I didn't vote for this administration, nor do I like what they are doing, but blaming them for your bad investment practices is not their fault. :)
 
you are right it is rebounding it can easly go back too, still way down from a year and 1/2 ago lucky i did have 2 stocks that made $ but you still have major investors scared and many jobs still on the line many companies just floating on paper at this point and you never know when the plug will be pulled on them. car manufactured having tough time because many of the small companies that made parts for them are gone ,done, broke. and nowhere to get these parts produced fast example gm lost a company that manufactuered door latches
 
All of which could have happened at any time. The GM thing started long before this administration took over. Poor designs, poor judgement in investments, too large of a product line, a product line that didn't appeal but to one type of buyer etc....GM's failure isn't due to this administration. I will agree that this administration shouldn't have 'printed' more money and given it to these auto makers, however, I kind of understand why they did it. In any event, GM, not B.O.'s fault, 401k not B.O.'s fault, Chrysler, not B.O.'s fault.

What IS B.O's fault is we are deeper in debt due to the attempted car manufacturer bail out, we are deeper in debt due to the "stimulus" checks, we are deeper in debt due to "cash for clunkers" (which I believe will be the stamp on this administration and ultimately between this and the health care bill will limit this administration to one term :D). So, let's move forward and quit trying to blame the colors of the rainbow on B.O.

Make me understand why so happy on the failure to get the Olympic games. I really don't know. I THINK it would be because of all the taxpayers dollars going in to fund an event where the structures built will go unused and so forth. However, doesn't the economic ramifications of tourist dollars (which, Illinois would screw up and probably give to cuzzin Joe for....cleaning paint brushes or somthing), jobs (albeit temporary), and just local economic gains offset the losses?
 
Dollars are exactly the reason I didn't want to see Illinois get the Olympics. Right now they are trying to raise our taxes on just about everything, from liquor, to Soda, to Hunting Licenses. We do not have the money up front to build all of the facilities for the Olympics, if you don't have the money up front, you will never pay off what you "borrow" to get it done. And even after it is built, the "tax" that was raised to build it will never be lowered. They call them privatly run, they get the profits, and leave the state with the future bills. Plus they were estimating over 9 billion up front. That is incomprehendible.

If St. Louis was in the bid for the Olympics, then I would have been for it, as my money would not have been AS directly affected. I know federal dollars help with some of costs.

I relate it to this. I have really good ideas for development of commerical and residental areas, but I don't have the money to build it, and I lack the ambition to find the backers, especially in this economy. Now I don't expect all of you to be forced into putting up the money to do it, knowing you will get nothing in return. I have read architectural articles on the Atlanta games, and the media listed them as profitable, but didn't take long term costs into affect and the people of Atlanta contine to foot the bill for buildings that are basiclly unused.

A 70K sq. ft. grocery store has over 60k a month in utility bills (this was 5 years ago), any idea what arena's cost to keep up? No thanks, not in my state.
 
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I agree with the investments. Those of us who stayed in, or increased our withholdings in our 401K's will see profits rise quicker than they fell, as we have more quantity to increase, I see this as the natural market flow, almost everyone will see this at lease once before they retire. For some of us younger, it just comes at a more oportune time.

I don't feel the stock market was the direct result of the BO admin. I do feel the excessive debt that both admins. put my kids in over last 1.5 years, is, and they are not smart enough the to know the boat is sinking and get out, instead they are going to ride it all the way down.
 
The DOW is not a measure of the economy....it is a measure of investment firms buying and selling...short or long sales they work it for thier own benefit and hopelfully if you have some $$$$ in mutual funds you will benefit also.
A good measure of for economic growth would be companies hiring or calling back laid off workers to meet the demands of consumers....it is not happening at this time..My small biz is down 48% in gross sales this year and profits are down -103.4%. I am losing money this year and it is simply because I refuse to lay off anyone....maybe not a smart biz decision but I want my employees to be able to feed and shelter thier families.
The down side(or is it an upside) to my losing money this year is that I won't have the tax liabilty I have had in the past years. And I fell out of the brackect that Obama was going after.
 
Purple Venom said:
All of which could have happened at any time. The GM thing started long before this administration took over. Poor designs, poor judgement in investments, too large of a product line, a product line that didn't appeal but to one type of buyer etc....GM's failure isn't due to this administration. I will agree that this administration shouldn't have 'printed' more money and given it to these auto makers, however, I kind of understand why they did it. In any event, GM, not B.O.'s fault, 401k not B.O.'s fault, Chrysler, not B.O.'s fault.

What IS B.O's fault is we are deeper in debt due to the attempted car manufacturer bail out, we are deeper in debt due to the "stimulus" checks, we are deeper in debt due to "cash for clunkers" (which I believe will be the stamp on this administration and ultimately between this and the health care bill will limit this administration to one term :D). So, let's move forward and quit trying to blame the colors of the rainbow on B.O.

Make me understand why so happy on the failure to get the Olympic games. I really don't know. I THINK it would be because of all the taxpayers dollars going in to fund an event where the structures built will go unused and so forth. However, doesn't the economic ramifications of tourist dollars (which, Illinois would screw up and probably give to cuzzin Joe for....cleaning paint brushes or somthing), jobs (albeit temporary), and just local economic gains offset the losses?
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the more money he spends that we don't have will make the money we have worth less its 1 big lie like saying your kit car is a original cobra and borrowing against it. many finding that on the house they purchased 3 years ago that same house is selling for much less now and they now owe more than theirs is worth. like i was taught and tried to teach my kids don't just live for today and plan for today this will catch up with you down the road. and that is what he is doing. he thinks this runaway spending is making him look like a hero now - soon and i hope soon people will wake up - it has to be PAID BACK. I predict many of these cash for clunker cars will get reposesed like the many of the 911 sales who absurbs that lose the banks and how do they do that hmmm you and me and other hard working and bill paying people in the country will get nailed with it. right now we are have problems trading with other countries do to our weak dollar. when this visous circle comes back to bit us it may be worse then what we see now. then what are we going to do print more money that like writing checks with nothing to back them up simple we keep getting deeper in the dodo he got a runaway train with no brakes going down a steep grade and giving it more fuel. yes he may have not started but hes sure not trying to stop it. he a very good speaker and for awhile people believed his line. he will only get 1 term but after the damage done in that 4 years the next poor stiff will be sunk and no matter what he-she does ( unless pull magic out of their rear end ) they will look bad. you can't put out a fire by adding fuel.
 
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Alright, we finally agree on something. I agree with all except the house thing. Our old house that Linda and I bought in 1987 for $64,000 is now on the market for $139,000. I know the market in general is down, but there are houses being bought/sold every day.

Mike(asnake) very admirable of you. What does your business do/provide?
 
wow i could have sworn i put up letter from sugar grand-pa you staeling my thunder ha ha shame on you i don't mind just yankin your chains
 
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