Tuesday, September 23, 2008

The Best Bailout Plan Yet!

This was an email forwarded to me. I think it's a fabulous plan so I thought I would post and share. ;)


Subject: The Birk Economic Recovery Plan



I'm against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG.



Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in

a We Deserve It Dividend.



To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000

bonafide U.S. Citizens 18+.



Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman

and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up..



So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals
$425,000.00.



My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a

We Deserve It Dividend.



Of course, it would NOT be tax free.

So let's assume a tax rate of 30%.



Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes.

That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam.



But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket.

A husband and wife has $595,000.00.



What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?

Pay off your mortgage - housing crisis solved.

Repay college loans - what a great boost to new grads

Put away money for college - it'll be there

Save in a bank - create money to loan to entrepreneurs.

Buy a new car - create jobs

Invest in the market - capital drives growth

Pay for your parent's medical insurance - health care improves

Enable Deadbeat Dads to co me clean - or else



Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks

who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company

that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed
Forces.



If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of
trickling out

a puny $1000.00 ( "vote buy" ) economic incentive that is being proposed
by one of our candidates for President.



If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult
U S Citizen 18+!



As for AIG - liquidate it.

Sell off its parts.

Let American General go back to being American General.

Sell off the real estate.

Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.



Here's my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn't.



Sure it's a crazy idea that can "never work."



But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party!



How do you spell Economic Boom?



I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion

We Deserve It Dividend more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in
Washington DC.



And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because
$25.5 Billion is returned
instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.


Ahhh...I feel so much better getting that off my chest.

Kindest personal regards,

Birk

T. J. Birkenmeier, A Creative Guy & Citizen of the Republic


PS: Feel free to pass this along to your pals as it's either good for a
laugh

or a tear or a very sobering thought on how to best use $85 Billion!!

________________________________

Monday, September 01, 2008

NOLA meets Gustav

24 hours ago, all the citizens of New Orleans were facing their worst nightmare ever since surviving Katrina: another major hurricane making landfall in our city. This time, it was a he and he was called Gustav. On Saturday night, major Ray Nagin gave a press conference announcing the mandatory evacuation. It scared the crap out of me and I could feel my stomach falling. At the time, Gustav was a category 4 hurricane, killed over 90 people in Cuba and decimated it. He said Gustav was about 900 miles in diameter and was the "storm of the century". I know I was not alone thinking that New Orleans was going to be under water again and totally creamed. It was a horrible, horrible thought that I thought maybe I was dreaming.

I had heard from most of my friends in some way about where they were and if they left. Two friends of ours stayed in town. One was holed up with what he said was "a month worth of food and loads of ammo" with his buddy a few blocks from our house, and the other in Harahan with his family who owns a hardware store out there. They stayed to be part of the first reponse team. Knowing that, I felt a little bit of comfort.

All day yesterday I was glued to my laptop. We are in Memphis and here we do not have fast internet nor cable tv, so finding information was incredibly slow and tedious, especially since there were many people online trying to do the same thing as me. Last night was a long night and restless one. Though I slept, my thoughts were on the storm, on our house and on our city and my dreams reflected my worries.

This morning I awoke and still bleary eyed, opened up my laptop to find out the latest. To my relief, Gustav had weakened to a Category 2 when it hit Cocodrie and quickly went to a category 1 not long after. If it was not for this, we would have likely seem more widespread flooding, more damage and more problems no doubt. By some miracle, the levees held together for the most part in the city and wind damage was reported to be minimal. Power was even on in parts of the city! It was even reported that Houma was spared on the most part so the good news continued. The state and city-wide response and preparation to Gustav has been remarkable. I am wholly blown away by how organized everything has been and I'm sure I am not alone in feeling real elation and pride in our state, state officials, city leaders and police department, national guards and citizens for it.

As far as specific details about our house, I do not know yet, but I do know that our neighborhood for the most part held together, so I feel really good about it. Hey, what's another roof? We've only done it 4 times since Katrina we practically have a routine!

My prayers and thoughts are with Grand Isle, Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish who took a big hit. Plaquemines Parish is having a hard time right now too. Information is still coming in from other towns and Parishes who took a beating and my heart goes out. Somehow, going through this together not only as a city but as a state makes me feel closer to the citizens of Louisiana.