More Internet Unfairness

Today's NJ Spotlight News had this article:

Push to expand online sales tax collections pits Christie against most GOP presidential rivals

Building on last year’s online sales tax agreement with Amazon, Gov. Chris Christie’s upcoming budget includes a plan to require out-of-state Internet retailers to collect sales tax from New Jerseyans. It's also an issue that is up for consideration by the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives and one that puts Christie at odds with most of his potential rivals for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016.

Christie’s treasurer, Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff, decided to include $28 million in his budget for Fiscal Year 2015 for sales tax collections by online retailers who have no stores or outlets in New Jersey after the U.S. Supreme Court decided in December not to take up an appeal challenging the right of New York State to require out-of-state retailers to collect sales tax from its citizens.

Is this crazy? Aren't we tired yet of 50 States AND the Federal Gov't passing tax law after tax law? And then there's fees which in the last 10 years have been another form of taxation? Look at the luggage "fees" on airlines, or the filing and application fees to do anything in this country, from starting a business (differs by state), to getting your Credit Report whenever you need it?

Thank God for the U.S. Post Office and the IRS. At least their customer and citizen charges are across the board, written and searchable, and printable, applying to all Americans. Not like the various states cigarette taxes which can vary from $.30 in Virginia to $4.35 in New York City! Will this be how Internet Sales Taxes end up?  Give me a break!

Look at all the complexity, paperwork and business and consumer costs these varied rates add to the cost of everything we buy.  These varied rates are as stupid as New Jersey's Use Tax -- yes, Use Tax. Which means that if I, a New Jerseyan, legally buy something, anything, from another state, and pay THEIR tax, that if it's LOWER than NJ's, I need to pay NJ Taxation the difference up to NJ's 7% Sales Tax!  Are you kidding me? What person in their right mind fills out the special form and does that for every out-of-state purchase?

No, varied tax rates are all crazy and stupid and unnecessarily costly to me, you and all businesses. That's why I like the USPS. Yes it has its problems, yes it should cut out Saturday deliveries to cut costs (but politicians won't allow it, because "the public" likes it). I won't like it but I see why it needs be done. The USPS would be smart to start a special website for email services, with fancy cards etc like Blue Mountain. Maybe then it would make money?

Take the US Corporation Tax as well. A flat 35%. Most companies in the U.S. pay less than 20 because of their congressional and state deductions. We must make it 25%, FLAT RATE, for ALL businesses IN THE WORLD, in every country, with no loophole tax deductions. 25% is now the average competitive rate everywhere now anyway (2013). A fair rate without those loopholes. If a country wants to give a deduction? Fine, but then they MUST come up with revenue to replace the loss in their budget.  Same with these hog wild states and the exhorbitant start-up deductions they're giving for locating business buildings or factories in their states (and countries).

How hard is this? Is there any logic and fairness left? Why, really, why, is there a need for extreme complexity other than to satisfy very specific interest groups and lobbyists?

So I agree with Steve Forbes' idea when he was running for President years ago. A Flat Tax -- for ALL Internet sales, in ALL countries. The central government would collect it all, take a small portion for administration, finding deadbeats and fighting cybercrime, and apportion the rest back to the "State" or region or county, where the purchaser resided.

Let's end this Internet tax conundrum once and for all.
Besides, with every purchaser paying it, on anything that costs money, it wouldn't be more than 1 or 2 percent anyway. Anything else would just be another tax ripoff.

by Rodney Richards
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My poetic memoir Episodes available at www.amazon.com/episodes-rodney-richards/dp/0615914705/    Check it out at no obligation

The Joy of Severance Pay

I've never received severance pay in over 45 years of my working career. No, I was a lucky one, very lucky. I was part of a defined-benefit retirement plan with the State of New Jersey. And so I started receiving a very good pension payment in 2009, almost exactly 5 years ago. I'm 63 now. I could die tomorrow or, theoretically, 40 years from now when I'm 103. This would be more than the average 83 years for most American men. I certainly expect to go sooner 'cause I've been a smoker for 50 years. Currently I'm in another period right now of trying to cut down, then cut out completely. 

The patch worked for me once, but not the second time. I can't stand chewing gum, never have. Cold turkey worked once, and I've gotten thru a couple days recently, but that's all I can take before my body's addiction and mental cravings start again. But I digress.

My philosophy is simply that every worker pays in, and receives more (from their employer), when they either quit or retire normally, especially after being vested for 10 years like New Jersey requires. This includes part-time workers over 10 hours per week. Again, they receive severance pay, or their retirement savings back in lump sum (or move it to a 401k etc), or receive monthly retirement payments. Every employee, whether in business, government or non-profits, including all religions.

Of course as bad, no, as horrible as it is now, with big chain stores and others hiring mostly part time employees for their operations, laws have to be put in place to prevent abuse or limiting hours to 10 per week. They have to. Unfortunately, short term quarterly profits are driving decisions in all businesses today, and the easy ability to only hire part timers except for management has to stop. Are their no controls on these unfair labor practices?

This also means that all employees everywhere have a Bill of Rights, the first right being "No firing without just cause," and the burden is on the employer to prove it. I was lucky in another way as well. For many years I had Civil Service protection, which decreased when I became a manager for the last 17 years of my career. Then, like tens-of-millions of Americans, I became a "Fire at Will" employee, subject to untold, unjustified, and sometimes unlawful excuses when it happened. Of course, being a manager also meant foregoing any raise, whether merit-earned or not, for at least 8 of those years. While all others received their annual merit increases. 

Look, when times are tough, for me, my family, my employer or others, I will do my part, take a hit, and cut back. Like in '92 when 1,500 employees were laid off (euphemism for "fired"), and I "lost" $20,000 in annual salary. Or the recent years since 2008 when the U.S. economy hit deep recession and everyone suffered. Of course, being laid off in hard times is exactly the reason why severance pay is so critical. Perhaps the amount is based on years or service or hours worked, but it must be something. 

We're very lucky in America. When laid off or fired we can apply for and receive  WEEKLY unemployment payments, for some period of time. It may be based on the insurance you carried, as in the State, and usually based on some factor of your last salary received.You have to apply or reapply every week, or two weeks. But it can be done online. Gone are the unemployment offices with long, long, frustrated lines of people, as we used to have on Hanover St in Trenton. As my son has written in his book The Secret Peace, major trends are making life easier and fairer, not harder and unfair. But, OMG, their are tons of regulations and requirements to wade thru. But at least benefits are out there. And there are plenty of non-profit and governmental organizations to help you find what's available based on your eligibility.

The bottom line is, Americans save less than 5% on average (Source: NerdWallet Finance). Social security may be minimal, and it's based on what you paid into during your working career. So severance to keep you on your feet between jobs is critical. And, a guaranteed retirement package of some kind, is essential to living adequately after age 60.

That bring's me full circle. In the 2015 NJ State Budget, Gov. Chistie has pledged $2.25 billion to fund the state's pensions systems -- state, teachers and locals, "the highest ever." More funding than the previous FIVE governors paid into the system to pay future liabilites (i.e. pension payments to loyal employees). $46 billion+ of unfunded liabilities! With 4 year terms, that means more than in the last 20 years! And who is criminally responsible for not paying into the pension systems? These past (and present) Governors. Criminally because they had a legal duty to do so, but used budget gimics and non-payments to balance their annual budgets.

And who will bring them to account for the obligations we find ourselves with today?

Food for thought.

Rodney Richards
 please subscribe or email me at 1950ablia@gmail.com

Oh and please check my new book Episodes available from Amazon at     http://www.amazon.com/episodes-rodney-richards/dp/0615914705     if you haven't done so already.
Caio
 

How I Love Thee again, Google

"Yesterday. All my troubles seemed to fade away . . . ." from my fav four.
"A miracle! Magic! At least for me. Right here on my PC, well, our family's.

Twelve days ago I wrote that I had given up on Google, was fed up with their 'One Account' policy instituted just months ago. Essentially I had lost complete access to three of my other important Google accounts, permanently. One was a strictly business use acct. At least, what I mean is, that no Google or Gmail logon would open those accounts. It would only, and usually automatically, open up my primary Gmail acct. In fact, when I was lucky enough to get a Gmail login screen where it allowed me to enter my other acct name and password, guess what? It opened my primary personal acct. Only. Every time. Automatically! Totally ignoring my entries. And entreaties. And curses.

And I have, no lie, spent the past month in and out of Google and Gmail Help screens and forums to 1) see if anyone else was having this same problem, and 2) find way to fix it. So I described my plight where it made sense to, including Google's forum. After searching, clicking and scrounging, no one else was complaining. A mirage? Or am I a so-called typical man? Doing it wrong over and over again without seeing the solution right in front of me?

The miracle twelve days ago was that when I clicked my Gmail link on my Tool Bar, the old login screen appeared! Yeah! The one which showed me all my acct names, so I could click on any one, enter its unique password and voila! It logged me in successfully to whatever account of mine I wanted. 

Ah, there were my average 50 emails; 200 total each day. All visualized in 30 worthwhile minutes. From Energy and IT info subscriptions, a quote from the bible, Baha'i world news feeds, Politico and Brookings and so many other loved ones. I trashed most, only clicking those of interest, and of them, archiving some into one of my 60 file folders for later reference. For example, look forward to a series of blogs about various and bewitching Gallup proclamations on behalf of all Americans, that I've saved.

Problem solved.

Well, we'll see how long it lasts until 'We may add or remove functionalities or features, and we may suspend or stop a Service altogether.' That's Google's right, anytime for any reason. Just check your Agreement with them. It's written in their Terms of Service. I'm sure you have a copy. Clear plain English, as well as '... you give Google the right... a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (etc), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display, and distribute [your] content.' These guys have everything and more on NSA capabilities.   

Now, if I could just get rid of Google+, 'The Abomination,' and not lose those in my circles, or, better yet, transfer them to FB.

But I'll take a small victory. Very small.
Even tho it is short-lived. 

by Rodney Richards
Subscribe or email me at 1950ablia@gmail.com

And please don't forget:

My poetic memoir Episodes available at www.amazon.com/episodes-rodney-richards/dp/0615914705/    Check it out at no obligation

How I Loved Thee, Google

"Oh, how I loved thee, Google,
Let me count the ways . . . "

I started my third real job in May 1970. Stock Clerk again, but instead of Woolworth's, this was for the State of NJ Bureau of Data Processing. The days of the 80-column punched cards. The days of the 256k magnetic core IBM mainframe computer. I worked hard for nine years, mostly as a Computer Operator, running that 256k mainframe, then a 512k mainframe, then larger and larger until I knew JES2 and Job Control Language (JCL), by heart. And taught others.

And in early 1979 I confessed to management something I should never have done at work -- search thru the director's desk papers for news of promotions or layoffs. I was verbally fired immediately, but after much begging, was transferred to Resource Development, a planning and procurement set-up unit, run by Chris Reid. A hard taskmaster. And I'm always grateful.

Best thing that ever happened to me except for meeting Janet in high school, and running across the Baha'i Faith. All three major milestones. So in '79 I was in a grey padded chair in a cubicle looking at a computer screen for hours, and typing with two fingers. Not any computer most of us would know today. Lotus and Visicalc instead of MS-Excel, WordPerfect instead of MS-Word. No MS-Office.  E-mail? Unknown to us stringent IBMer's until PROFS in the early 80's; but no major use to the '90s.

Jan and I had bought a Commodore 64 for kids games like The Hobbit and Barbie in the early '80s. Later I produced a 2-page area Seeker Newsletter on it. So I'm no expert, but familiar enough with computing, PCs, browsers, applications, e-mail systems et al.

Eventually, after Compuserve and AOL elsewhere, came Microsoft's Internet Explorer in '95. The Google search hit in the late '90s, followed by release of Gmail in 2004. I had always used AOL, but the spam was ridiculous, until our friend Abbey sent me a Gmail invite circa 2007 (or 8?). Its spam filter was far superior to AOL's, so I switched permanently. By 2009 when I retired and started RR Energy & IT Consulting I had 3 Gmail accounts/email addresses. In 2012 when I started ABLiA Media Co LLC for publishing my book(s), it was the fourth.

Three of these Gmail accounts I use every day, the earliest one maybe once a week. But, I have over 200 email subscriptions to IT, energy, writing, publishing and many, many more subscription sites. I receive 150 emails a day from all four. Many are important, many informative and I either print or archive those, and 40% of others can be deleted 'cause I have since dissolved my RR Energy company.

Be that as it may, these four accounts are my lifeblood to the Internet; to hundreds of friends, acquaintences, colleagues and family.

But Google has now abolished three of these important accounts. No matter how hard I try, Google, with this new "One Account" BS, will ONLY let me get to the same account address!

My Mission: Find easy access to my legitimate Gmail addresses! Like it used to be!! more soon.

By Rodney Richards, copyright 2014.  Email to 1950ablia@gmail -- will get a delayed response.

Subscribe for free by clicking on the right, and/or check out my recent memoir Episodes at 
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Time to Change Doctor and Hospital Bills

Past due for my eye check-up.

Had a normal experience at the Eye doctor's office today. First, it's an Eye Group in Hamilton, i.e a corporation I'm sure. A profit-making venture which all businesses need to be. I am loyal to those I like, such as Dairy Queen, Villa Mannino's, Longhorn, Chili's and AMC. I like them so I want to give them my business (not exclusively but regularly); I really want them to stay in business until I'm incapacitated. Then I want to use their online deliveries (someday in the future I'm sure). If I was really smart and market-savvy, I would only put my investment money in companies like these, and Pepsi, Kohl's, Home Depot etc.

Back to this Eye Group. It's always busy with average people like me, so that says something about their services. They're efficient. I adore that. They move quickly which I like, but which also means they aren't that personable. No "Good morning, how you doing?" or introductions. I asked both the technician, Ben, his name, and the doctor's (Dr. L), and the business clerk's (I forget). I complimented the last on her efficiency and got a warm thank you, so I also said "Happy New Year!" upon leaving, which she returned. So there's hope.The doc reminded me he saw me 2 and a half years earlier. Nice guy.

But I asked the questions I was concerned with since he hadn't volunteered the info yet: "What's glaucoma? When's it strike?" "What about cataracts at my age?' "Last time I told you they're beginning; everyone gets them in old age. By 90 we all need surgery, many earlier. At 60 like you? Maybe 3% of the population." Whew! Not bad.

Other good news after putting my chin on three complicated eye exam machines made by Zeiss, operated by silent Ben except for instructions. Afterwards the doc says, "Your eyes have changed very little. Still 20-25. You could go longer with your same glasses." Cool. I like glasses. Always have, since the '70s in my twenties.

Jan said, "Rod, why are you slowing down so much? This is busy Route 31." "Oh, in this rain and road shadows I thought I saw a dog." "Ah, no dogs. You need glasses." And so it started.

But for the last decade my glasses have flexible, form-fitting, rubber-coated temple-ends, meaning they fit close without hurting -- never have to push them up. I highly recommend them, but they're harder to get now.

Nick at DBP Optical will come thru as he has in the past -- I hope. Janet and daughter Kate are itchin' to get me in modern frames - you know, the thinner ones. Not like mine now which cover my entire face and always have. I like that there's no gap around the edges when I look out or down. (Bifocals now, of course.)

So 30-minutes ago I got home and looked at the Eye Group's bill. $480 for three different exams. I was surprised and happy they actually printed the charges on my receipt. You may recall my past blog experience at Hamilton RWJ Hospital for an emergency room visit and six stiches. A $50 copay but no itemized bill because "your insurance will cover it." I went back 2 months later to hospital billing and found over $2,000 in charges -- but they weren't sure if that was the final total.  

My firm belief and simple fairness and transparency dictates everything should get get an itemized receipt. And they conjecture and blab about high healthcare costs?

At the Eye Group I only paid 10 bucks copay. How in the world insurance companies make huge profits off of payin' these bills based on a few hundred I send them every year . . . ? But what about when the cataract surgery hits for $1,000's? Well I guess it balances out . . . .

Thank God I'm lucky enough to have any insurance in my retirement years, right?

I sure hope all Americans get insurance coverage at a reasonable price. We all need it; even when we expect good eye care. Or any care.

Now . . . think about hospitalization bills for a moment.

By Rodney Richards copyright 2013. Subscribe free with comments or contact me at 1950ablia@gmail.com