spending | Piss and Moan

Budget belt

Posted on June 29, 2023 by backuphill

Washington state has a new, dubious title – “Most expensive gas in the nation.” This is NOT a good thing, considering our population pales in comparison to that of bigger states. What it does do is punish everyone, including low-income people/families, for simply trying to get to work. This title, is one that will hurt our state’s economy for a long time because there is no relief in sight. Seasonal fluctuations have always played a role, but this new carbon tax is actually going to kill growth and the economy.

Budgets have to tight a lot more when fuel prices go up. Between high fuel, higher electricity, higher natural gas and propane, and inflation, there is little room for extras in most people’s budgets. Summer spending and, more definitely holiday spending, will take a hit as the price of everything continues to increase.

Anyone who argues that the new carbon tax isn’t harming the economy or causing fuel prices to increase is either delusional, a Democrat, or just plain stupid.

One such power hungry Democrat who’s agenda is done more harm to any state is the governor.

And, sorry, but our governor has always been the dude that passes the buck and never takes responsibility for anything. Once again, he blames everything but his policy. And, quite frankly, everyone knows his BS is flat out lies.

Lies, lies, lies. It’s almost comical that he believes a rational person would believe him.

I certainly don’t. I know better.

But, I will be tightening the belt (and that isn’t to keep my pants up) and spending much less.

Debt limit

Posted on January 13, 2023 by backuphill

Time to tighten the belt.

Time to hunker down and make some painful adjustments.

Time for the government to live within it’s means and stop the unlimited spending.

You may have caught the article today saying the US will reach it’s debt limit and default by the end of next week, unless there is (again) a move to increase the limit. Every time this comes up, the debt limit is negotiated up…now sitting at $31 trillion.

Sorry, but you can’t have unlimited spending. You just can’t. Personal budgets don’t work that way. Company/business budgets don’t work that way. You can’t spend more and not cut it from somewhere else. That’s just not how it works. But, the government seems to think that’s they way to do it (especially one party, but both are guilty).

Time to stop assisting in places of the world that should take care of itself. Sure, I understand the goodwill generated by the international assistance fund, but we can’t afford it.

Time to stop paying for illegal immigrants to stay in the country.

Time to stop paying for every social “justice” fad that comes along.

Time to stop filling the budget with “pork“.

This doesn’t mean that increasing taxes is the answer either. Spend less, collect less. Collect only what is necessary.

Unfortunately, this isn’t something the politicians seem to understand.

Pork

Posted on December 23, 2020 by backuphill

The amount of pork in the “stimulus” package passed by Congress and challenged by the President, even a lame duck president, is stupid. For a body that says they are trying to help the American people, they sure know how to help themselves to our money. This stuff, among other things, is why so many Americans don’t believe the government is working and is broken beyond repair.

For the record, I don’t believe it is beyond repair. However, I do believe it is not working the way it was intended or should.

Is it really necessary to include money for foreign countries in a bill that is aimed at helping American citizens? Is it really necessary for the country, already in debt, to make it larger to help people outside of the U.S.? Is it really necessary for our congressional representatives to stuff every spending bill with frivolous pork barrel crap just so they can get themselves re-elected and pad every pet project brought to them by the countless lobbyists?

Honestly, there is nothing stimulating about the bill.

For those who need the direct payment, it isn’t enough. For a majority of Americans (including myself), they don’t actually need a direct payment and so it is too much. Once again, Congress isn’t actually addressing the real issues and they have delayed real help by including a massive amount of stupid spending at a time when many Americans are looking at their finances and wondering how to make it from day to day.

Don’t forget the money a government spends wasn’t theirs in the first place. THIS MONEY COMES FROM YOUR POCKET! So, in one way or another, they are taking if from you: payroll taxes, income taxes, sales tax, death tax, capital gains tax, etc. The list is seemingly never ending.

The least you could do is demand that your money be spend in ways that make sense. Spend wisely. Use and follow a budget. Save.

There used to be a joke (maybe it still is a thing) that when you bought stuff from China it was cheap and would break almost immediately. People would say, “You get what you pay for,” meaning the more you pay for an item (in most cases) equates to the quality and durability of the item. Though it is cliche, the thought hold weight because there is some truth to it.

The same can be said of our representative government. We get what we pay for. Unfortunately, most of us can’t pay for a senator or a representative, so the people and companies with real money get what they pay for.

This “stimulus” bill and all the pork in it just proves that’s true…again…