Boring Accountant

I was reading something that I think explains why I like accounting. "money makes boring problems interesting".

Too Funny Not to Steal

This comes from TJIC.

The house where Adam Smith lived for many years with his mother and which more recently was used as a home for troubled youth has been put up for sale by the Edinburgh Council for £700,000. Sir Alan Peacock says “It’s a disgrace that the council has agreed to dispose of a building as significant as this. It should be saved for the nation.”

I think it would be a disgrace if the house went to anyone but the highest bidder.

Nicely said.

How to save medicare

I am taking a governmental accounting class this semester. Our first project was to come up with a solution for Social Security and Medicare. My first instinct was to make them go extinct. However that was a bit to simple for the required six page paper. After some research I discovered that the biggest problem was we are going to have less and less payers per beneficiary of the system. This leaves two possible solutions. Cut down beneficiaries or increase payers. The first option wont happen because the old farts that vote would never vote to increase the age at which they get benefits. That leaves the second option. The obvious answer to that is to increase the birthrate. The problem with that is that it will take 20 to 30 years for that solution to help. But alas I have the answer. Increase immigration. This way we can import payers to help fund the system. Best of all we don't even have to wait the 30 years for them to be productive.
Now I know someone out there is thinking but what about all the illegals drawing on the health care system etc. Let me explain what really happens. Immigrants with out Uncle Sams permission get a fake social security card and ID when they apply for jobs. Then the employer with holds the same 15.3% that you and I pay. Then occasionally when they are really sick yes they do go to the emergency room for care. Still I've got to believe even then they are net payers into the system.

Camrade Obama

From TJIC

Whats wrong with these pictures from Obama's Houston office? Hmm. Could it be the Cuban flags with the murdering communist Che on them? Maybe Hilary is the more moderate one of the two. Scary.

The Right to Healthcare

I was eating lunch today when I saw Hillbillery Clinton telling her hordes that health care was a human right. Right, like speech and assembly huh. What a freaking idiot. As Coyote says a right is anything you can have on a deserted island. I'm pretty sure a doctor is not on that list. And just to clarify by guaranteeing everyone health care you are saying that you're ok getting marginal quality health care, waiting lines and all.
There is a certain supply of doctors. A government mandate socializing health care will not magically increase that supply. Why do doctors charge so much? Because they can. If we didn't get sick as often they would have less demand and would necessarily decrease their rates.
If you really want to cut down health care costs the best thing the government could do is make low deductible health insurance plans illegal. When was the last time you asked how much a doctor visit would cost? I can answer that for you. Never. You only ask what your copay or deductible will be. If people had to pay the first 5 or 10 thousand out of pocket they would think twice before going in every time they had a cold. Therefore less demand on doctors leads to reduced rates.

Go Big Oil

I read today that Exxon won an order freezing 36 billion dollars worth of Venezuela's state oil assets. To put that in perspective Exxon's annual net income for last year was 40 billion. Maybe after they get their money back Exxon can bring criminal charges in a Venezuelan court against Hugo for grand theft? That would be awesome. Stick it to the commies Exxon!

Tax Cuts

I have a couple of thoughts on the tax cut proposals being made by the presidential candidates. First is if you want to do any major tax cuts they have to reduce taxes on the "rich". Why is that? Because they are the ones that pay the most taxes. When you think of all the phased out credits and deductions and the "progressive" tax rates they pay way more than the middle class.
My second thought is that if you want to put in place any permanent tax cut you must also cut spending. Contrary to Congess' belief you cant consistently spend more than you make. Novel concept I know. I would try to explain if further but if you cant grasp that concept perhaps you should run for congress.