gdp's Comments

AllFinancialMatters : Do These Arguments for Raising Minimum Wage Make Sense?

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 18:19:19 +0000

Retired, You didn't answer my questions. Also, this isn't a Republican/Democrat issue. Both parties have voted to increase the minimum wage because they are politicians and want votes. Why do you get so angry over this issue? Why is it a joke? Why can't you discuss things without getting angry?

AllFinancialMatters : WHERE'S MY TRAFFIC?????????

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 18:16:42 +0000

Scott, Are you saying I shouldn't be concerned with traffic and growth? Just do what I do and don't worry about the stats? Surely I have to have some sort of gauge as to this blog's effectiveness. The only way I know how to do that is by looking at traffic numbers and revenues.

AllFinancialMatters : WHERE'S MY TRAFFIC?????????

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 18:04:38 +0000

Retired: Thank God you are around to "set me straight." AllPoliticalMatters.com isn't getting much traffic because I haven't been posting there--so I wouldn't use that as an argument against my political posts. As far as RSS Feeds go...I HATE 'EM! I always have and always will. I used to only use partial feeds but I got tired of hearing people complain. Now that I offer full feeds, people seldom stop by the actual site. What's the point in blogging if people aren't visiting the site? Still, even with the lost traffic due to RSS feeds, it doesn't explain the decrease in search-related traffic and the resulting decrease in Adsense revenues. Regular readers don't click on ads, so I wouldn't expect a decrease in Adsense revenue but that is exactly what I'm experiencing. I think there's a bigger issue at hand but I just haven't figured it out yet. I filed for reinclusion to the Google index and it was approved on June 15th but traffic has not improved. I'm at a loss...

AllFinancialMatters : Do These Arguments for Raising Minimum Wage Make Sense?

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 11:54:22 +0000

Josh wrote: "...and are often spring boards to something better down the road." Is this true? My impression is that many many people in this country struggle to support themselves and their family on minimum wage. But I would be interested to see statistics supporting either of our positions/beliefs/impressions. The term "minimum wage" means that it is the minimum that a company can pay their workers. That to me implies that it is the bottom rung. Those who make minimum wage for a career have decided that they are satisfied with making minimum wage because they... 1. Either can't make more because they are mentally handicapped or 2. Have no education (weak excuse in my opinion), or 3. Simply don't want to improve themselves. When I shop in a grocery store, Wal Mart, or Target, I'm not seeing lots of people who want to get ahead. Instead, I see people moving barely fast enough so that you can tell they are moving. They are giving minimum effort and getting minimum pay. Raising the minimum wage only rewards such behavior.

AllFinancialMatters : Do These Arguments for Raising Minimum Wage Make Sense?

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 11:36:28 +0000

MBH, Don't be a sissy! There was nothing in my post that was politically-charged other than my statement that the minimum wage is used a political tool (which it is, you know). Instead of telling me that you're no longer subscribing to my blog, why don't you BACK UP YOUR POSITION!

AllFinancialMatters : 25% of Borrowers Who Received Mortgage Payment Reductions Fell Behind Again

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:42:10 +0000

Russ, I'm not excusing the horrendous practices of more than a few mortgage brokers who used the excuse of, "Oh well, if I don't do this they'll only go down the street to some other mortgage broker..." My point of this post is that the bailouts had limited success because they "helped" people who really couldn't afford the house in the first place. They only prolonged the inevitable.

Breitbart.com : Obama says Honduran ouster was \'not legal\'

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:45:26 +0000

What has happened with that, btw? Where is his birth certificate?

AllFinancialMatters : Americans Are Saving More. Are You?

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:20:46 +0000

Good point, Ken.

AllFinancialMatters : If Mortgage Fraud Occurred, Why Don't We Prosecute the Offenders?

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:47:00 +0000

John, Believe me...we have talked about all of the guilty parties at one time or another on this blog. Unfortunately, you are basing your opinion on one post.

AllFinancialMatters : If Mortgage Fraud Occurred, Why Don't We Prosecute the Offenders?

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:58:32 +0000

Jason, Maybe so but I think it was more a worry of their customers going somewhere else to get a mortgage. In other words, the brokers/bankers didn't want to lose out on the business. It was greed that caused this crisis (greed always seems to be the common thread in all these booms and busts).

AllFinancialMatters : If Mortgage Fraud Occurred, Why Don't We Prosecute the Offenders?

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:32:26 +0000

Good point. I remember that term being used but the book I'm reading makes it sound as though the use of those loans increased during the subprime crisis.

AllFinancialMatters : Taxing the Hell Out of the Rich Isn't the Answer

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:00:15 +0000

You still didn't answer my question: Do the wealthy put an increased strain on city/state budgets so as to require them to pay more in taxes?

AllFinancialMatters : Taxing the Hell Out of the Rich Isn't the Answer

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:02:42 +0000

John, I thought I left room for reasons why the BMW was an okay purchase when I said, "No, I do not know this woman’s situation—she could be wealthy and can afford a BMW 740 without harming her finances." I think it's clear that you only read what you want to read. Thanks for your dubious comment.

AllFinancialMatters : Taxing the Hell Out of the Rich Isn't the Answer

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:07:12 +0000

Hmmm...for some reason LOL's comment that I was referencing hasn't shown up.

AllFinancialMatters : Taxing the Hell Out of the Rich Isn't the Answer

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:54:03 +0000

LOL said: "When it comes to the "wealthy" -- any taxes are too much for them. He has finally found a place where he can pay virtually no taxes -- and I bet if he finds a cheaper place he'd be there tomorrow. These people just don't think they need to pay for police, schools, prisons, roads, anything -- yet get all the benefit from those services." Yes, but do the wealthy get MORE of a benefit from these services than everyone else does? The cost of providing most of the above-mentioned services is pretty much the same for everyone so why should the wealthy have to pay more than everyone else?

AllFinancialMatters : Taxing the Hell Out of the Rich Isn't the Answer

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:59:06 +0000

Also... Like Russ mentions above, "rich" is a relative term. My wife and I paid $89,000 for a house that would have easily cost $500,000+ in other parts of the country.

AllFinancialMatters : Taxing the Hell Out of the Rich Isn't the Answer

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:57:19 +0000

LOL, According to the TaxFoundation, the top 1% had taxable incomes of $388,000 or more (2006 numbers). That's a far cry from $1 million even after you consder deductions. http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/250.html

AllFinancialMatters : Taxing the Hell Out of the Rich Isn't the Answer

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:08:29 +0000

Unless Buffett's income comes from dividends, which are already taxed at the corporate level before they are even paid out. That's why I'm an advocate of a flat tax. The same rate for everyone. They all pay the same rate the AMOUNT depends on the INCOME. The more you make, the more you pay. It works for tithing, why couldn't it work for taxes?

AllFinancialMatters : Taxing the Hell Out of the Rich Isn't the Answer

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:01:25 +0000

I would be interested to see how his income taxes were calculated (notice he doesn't give us any details?). We already have marginal tax rates so it doesn't make sense to me that he could pay a lower effect rate than a secretary. Think about it: The marginal rate in 2006 was 35% for taxable income over $336,550 so how was Buffett only paying 17.7%? Someone's misleading us somewhere. My guess is that he is included social security taxes, which are capped. I was getting my number from his Berkshire income. LOL, I like you as a person but I think your thoughts on taxes are dangerous.

AllFinancialMatters : Taxing the Hell Out of the Rich Isn't the Answer

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:34:23 +0000

Oblivious, It's the sum total of LOL's comments that helped me come to that conclusion.