Tag: Taxes

Having My SayLeave a comment

America’s Small Businesses….

RJ Walters

I was a small business owner for six years after I retired from the big business corporate world. But being a sole proprietor with no employees I really don’t have a good view of just what small businesses are really about. The Republican political leaders say small businesses are the growth engine of our country and we shouldn’t tax them by taking away the Bush tax cuts for those making over $250,000 annually.

How many of the so-called small businesses were like mine just a guy in a shop building things for customers? How many hire more than a handful of employees? I decided to look into this.

Here is a link to a bunch of numbers in this area:  http://www.census.gov/econ/smallbus.html 

  • There are approximately 29 million business in this country
  • Of those 29 million about 22 million are business with no employees
  • Only one million firms have more than 9 employees
  • Only 90,000 (0.3% have more than 100 employees
  • Across the United States, small business failure rates rose by 40% between 2007 and 2010
  • Only about one if five small businesses will be in existence five years after its creation

Continue reading “America’s Small Businesses….”

Having My SayLeave a comment

Let the Democrats Emulate the Repbulicans

RJ Walters

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that is really the case then I say let the Democrats emulate the Republicans in their do-nothing attitude. There has been talk about the Senate Democrats letting the all the Bush tax cuts expire and forcing the ten-percent reduction in the military budgets by doing nothing. Will the Republicans be flattered by this imitation of their strategy in congress? I kind of doubt it. :) But at least it would result in some restructuring of our debt increases. Will it be good for the jobs picture? It can’t be … Continue reading Let the Democrats Emulate the Repbulicans

Having My SayLeave a comment

Poor Little Rich Kids…..

RJ Walters

This excerpt from a Wall Street Journal article peaked my senses. It seems the rich, who we give massive tax breaks,  are aware that their kids will probably blow through their inherited wealth after they are gone.  What a bind to be in!  I bet they take all this planning and  trustees as tax deductions. It seems very ironic that while most of us are just trying to stay out of the poor house, and in any other house at all, there are those who worry about the other end of the spectrum. Instead of “cleverly written trusts” and “carefully chosen … Continue reading Poor Little Rich Kids…..

Having My SayLeave a comment

Stopping wars….

RJ Walters

I have a scheme for stopping war. It’s this – no nation is allowed to enter a war till they have paid for the last one. Will Rogers This goes in line with a previous post about paying for wars. We seem to always be ready to point out other countries problems to them and part of our solution is to teach them how to do it right. Bullets seem to be our most frequent teaching aid. It is widely acknowledged that we have spent over $1 trillion on our latest wars.  The way Mr. Bush funded them was to … Continue reading Stopping wars….

Having My Say2 Comments

All I Know…Less Taxes, Less Regulation….

RJ Walters

Less taxes and less regulation is the constant mantra that Republican party sees as a way to bring down the unemployment rates in this country. Everything else to them is seems to be utter nonsense. But let’s look at the facts around these two issues. Less Taxes — Taxes are currently the lowest they have been in 36 years, especially for the top 10% of income levels.  Most of this reduction came about almost eight years ago and yet there has been no significant blip on the employment levels in this country. Less Regulation – I don’t think anyone would … Continue reading All I Know…Less Taxes, Less Regulation….

Having My Say2 Comments

Paying Taxes….

RJ Walters

This post is going to start a new category for me entitled “My Conservative Friend”. It will be about some conversations I have had with some of my conservative friends. It will also be about some of the conversation I have yet to have with them. Yes, even though they deem me a liberal I still have some conservative friends; in fact some of them are very conservative. So the posts in the category will be put all of them into the persona of “My Conservative Friend”. Their real identities will remain anonymous to protect the guilty (ha). One thing that … Continue reading Paying Taxes….