April 14, 2012

"Palin has not confirmed a return to Madison this year, but has not declined their invitation either."

Yes, it's the Tax Day rally at the Wisconsin Capitol today.

It was a crazy scene last year. It snowed, Sarah proclaimed that "these are the front lines in the battle for the future of our country," Andrew Breitbart raged, and the tea partiers were way outnumbered by the anti-Walkerites who booed and banged on things in the hope of making the bad people go away.

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That's from last year's Tax Day protest and counterprotest. Today it's a sunny day and 60°. We'll see what kind of scene there is on what might still be the "front lines," as the Scott Walker recall election looms. It's April 14th, and we e-filed our taxes last night. TurboTax informed me that I paid over $9,000 less this year than last year. I don't know who made that happen — Scott Walker? Obama? Bush? I'm not sure I really noticed. I guess we were supposed to feel stimulated and buy some extra stuff, but we did not.

38 comments:

FedkaTheConvict said...

>>It's April 15th, and we e-filed our taxes last night<<

Isn't it still the 14th? Must be a different time zone.

Ann Althouse said...

"Isn't it still the 14th? Must be a different time zone."

Oops. Sorry for the scare. Fixed in the original post.

It's Tax Day but not Tax Day. Sunday will be a day of repose. We hit the nearest Saturday. Last year's rally was on the 16th, btw.

edutcher said...

I think we're all on the front lines this year.

In any case, Miss Sarah did a big special on Fox News last night in Gotham, so I wouldn't count on her showing up today (OTOH, frontier women won the West).

PS Wan't this the rally where the union slugs booed the little girl?

FedkaTheConvict said...

The date scared me a bit since I'm procrastinating on finishing up my taxes.

I'm Full of Soup said...

You may have saved a few thousand on that payroll tax cut.

traditionalguy said...

Palin is the most under attack women in the last 4 years.

So run her out to draw fire. Then watch the Obama Campaign try to splain that away too.

bagoh20 said...

I did very well last year, so my taxes increased by an amount far in excess of my entire income the year before. I put an envelope in a mail box which contained the biggest check I have ever written, and it went to people I never met, talked to, or negotiated with, and I have no idea what they will do with the money. Of course, I don't feel good about that. With that money, I could have solved the financial problems of everyone I know personally, or given quite a few people good jobs. I have no idea now if it will help anyone. It really gives me a sick feeling, because I DO know who's responsible for that big change in my income and my taxes, and none of them are getting any of that check. At a certain point it's just immoral.

Tyrone Slothrop said...

Palin was great on Fox News last night. Anybody who could watch that and claim she's dumb is just-- stupid.

Sorun said...

How a retard spends his Saturday: "Hey, Todd, let's go to the Capitol and protest the existence of Sarah Palin."

Make that two retards.

SteveR said...

Two guys with way above average salaries, absolute job security and the ability to retire with great benefits much earlier than the vast majority of Americans.

bagoh20 said...

I have to admit that I have developed a form of Palin derangement. I often have an over-the-top reaction to attacks on her. I jumped on rhardin way back for using the c-word toward her, even though it was not actually an attack.

I've just lost all tolerance for the attacks after years of them being almost always lies, distortions or blatant elitism (a pet peeve).

I was an early supporter of her well before she was picked for V.P. I was very impressed with her history: her own growth and advancement, going after her own party, and being a hard-working, common sense person in her political responsibilities. I don't share a lot of her social issues positions or religious views, but that stuff doesn't bother me living in this country. I think she is exactly the kind of person we need in politics, and I think she's the kind the founders envisioned too.

leslyn said...

But isn't that the way all things Palin? Not to commit? Even when she could? (I'm talking about since she went on the road.)

purplepenquin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Palin's a maverick, she doesn't need to commit, she's all about freedom, hers. I wonder how that personality would've played out as a President.

purplepenquin said...

Wan't this the rally where the union slugs booed the little girl?

Someone I know (who isn't a member of a union) was bragging about how he was the loudest voice that was shouting down the Tea Party Rally last year. I (who is a member of a union) got kinda loud with him myself while explaining how wrong & rude he was to have done that.

Much like our own hostess, you seem to wanna blame "unions" for anything bad that has been uttered/shouted/put-on-a-sign, even if the person(s) involved aren't members of a union.


That aside, if people really feel the need to counter-protest a rally I wish they would do it more like this rather than try to shout 'em down.

bagoh20 said...

" I wonder how that personality would've played out as a President."

We have some history now to judge. Palin has been pretty spot-on with her predictions and criticisms, and had enormous influence without holding any office, while Joe Biden has continued to be a complete fool, proven wrong on nearly every issue, and becoming mostly an embarrassment to the President. I notice how you ask what kind of President SHE would make, but nobody even dares to ask that about Biden on either side. It's too scary to even contemplate for any of us, and another reason that voting for Obama was an extremely risky choice.

Anonymous said...

Bagoh, well just goes to show that these candidates need to be sure to pick better VPs. I wonder who Romney will pick, he'd be wise to pick Paul Ryan.

Carl Vero said...

A confession: I prefer the short version of liberal lobotomy, as depicted in this post, over the guileful gibberish in the media by the intellectual left, aka NIL (No Intellect Left).

Hoosier Daddy said...

I'm paying about $3000 more this year due to a promotion and raise got in the last quarter of 2011. I'm guessing it will be even more for 2012.

So that's the lesson folks. The harder you work to improve your station in life, the more you have to pay the government. All in the name of fairness.

Hoosier Daddy said...

"... Palin's a maverick, she doesn't need to commit, she's all about freedom, hers..."

Yeah, that pesky individual liberty concept the country was founded on.

Hoosier Daddy said...

".. Bagoh, well just goes to show that these candidates need to be sure to pick better VPs."

Indeed because picking a good VP is a big fucking deal.

;-)

Anonymous said...

I hope it's not the Liberty for me, but not for thee variety.

Hoosier Daddy said...

"... I hope it's not the Liberty for me, but not for thee variety..."

That tends to be more of a liberal concept. I'm not sure Palin is on record wanting to restrict individual liberty.

cubanbob said...

bagoh20 said...
I did very well last year, so my taxes increased by an amount far in excess of my entire income the year before. I put an envelope in a mail box which contained the biggest check I have ever written, and it went to people I never met, talked to, or negotiated with, and I have no idea what they will do with the money. Of course, I don't feel good about that. With that money, I could have solved the financial problems of everyone I know personally, or given quite a few people good jobs. I have no idea now if it will help anyone. It really gives me a sick feeling, because I DO know who's responsible for that big change in my income and my taxes, and none of them are getting any of that check. At a certain point it's just immoral.

4/14/12 10:45 AM

Amen Bubba, well told. I would rather pay to my city, county and state government what I pay to the feds and pay the feds what I pay to the city, county and state. At least I get some measure of value for what I pay to local and state government. Besides national defense, the courts and some ministerial functions very little of what I pay the states benefits me or my family.

It sickens me that every year for the last 20 plus or more years I have paid my and my dependent family members annual per capita portion of the federal budget and per capita portion of the national debt and with no end in sight other than in death (and not even then) or bankruptcy with nothing to show for it.

bagoh20 I just opened a branch location in the Beautiful People's Republic of California and I already learned the joys of dealing with the CA franchise board. If not for competitive reasons one would have to be deranged to open a business there.

What Obama and the democrats don't get, or rather do not want to get is that their policies are driving businesses to off load as much as they can overseas in order to survive. Labor costs often times isn't the major consideration but rather the costs of the regulatory burden and compliance that is the driver. Pretty soon if not already, the most expensive employee for an employer is the minimum wage
earner when all the other legislative and regulatory and associated legal costs are factored in. They just are not worth it which is why unless there is a great rollback these people will be largely unemployable as far as the eye can see.

The tax load is a killer. It makes it extremely difficult for a small business owner to be able to accumulate enough retained earnings (unless they want to spend years or decades of very long hours at near penurious standard of living) to capitalize
the business to expand and have the ratios that
would entice a bank to lend. The democrats in their zeal for 'fairness' and 'equality' are and have set conditions that will result in the permanent unemployment and relative poverty of a large portion of the American people. I am not saying they are doing this with malicious intent, but rather with the complete inability to understand the consequences of their actions.

Phil 314 said...

bagoh,

Thank you for being so patriotic.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
cubanbob said...

Besides national defense, the courts and some ministerial functions very little of what I pay the states benefits me or my family.

The democrats in their zeal for 'fairness' and 'equality' are and have set conditions

Meant to say the feds. Meant to say "The democrats in their zeal for 'fairness' and 'equality' have set conditions".

Blogger is terrible for editing and I have no HTML skills whatsoever.

Anonymous said...

What is Romney going to do that is so different than Obama? I really want to know. I want jobs to come back. I want our economy to recover. Convince me he won't be an Obama lite.

Anonymous said...

Hey, this guy isn't just a pretty face!

cubanbob said...

AllieOop said...
Bagoh, well just goes to show that these candidates need to be sure to pick better VPs. I wonder who Romney will pick, he'd be wise to pick Paul Ryan.

4/14/12 11:46 AM

As long as Biden is on the ticket Mitt could pick any one from the phone book and do better.

bagoh20 said...
" I wonder how that personality would've played out as a President."

We have some history now to judge. Palin has been pretty spot-on with her predictions and criticisms, and had enormous influence without holding any office, while Joe Biden has continued to be a complete fool, proven wrong on nearly every issue, and becoming mostly an embarrassment to the President. I notice how you ask what kind of President SHE would make, but nobody even dares to ask that about Biden on either side. It's too scary to even contemplate for any of us, and another reason that voting for Obama was an extremely risky choice.

4/14/12 11:42 AM

I have made that observation many a time to democrat friends and family members, always there is silence and immediate switching of the subject. Indeed whenever the subject of Darth Vader Chenney arises I simply point out Joe's charitable contributions as a percentage of his income versus Chenney's while Chenney was in office. Silence followed changing of the subject. I will say this for Obama at least he does give a sizable portion of his income to charity, nothing close to what Chenney gave but nevertheless impressive. And I mean that sincerely. That aside all Obama did was inadvertently demonstrate what a poor choice he made in selecting his VP both as an official of the government and as a human being.

Palin with all of her negatives would still be an infinitely better president on day one than Obama is today never mind what Biden could ever be. Biden is no potential Truman in the wing so let us pray Obama doesn't leave this mortal coil prior to the 20th of January 2013.

edutcher said...

leslyn said...

But isn't that the way all things Palin? Not to commit? Even when she could? (I'm talking about since she went on the road.)

Give it a rest, sweetie.

You're proving Hilary Rosen isn't just stupid - she's prototypical of Lefty women/

bagoh20 said...

I hear ya, cubanbob. The other thing they don't realize is how important cash is in a growing business, and how damaging it is to pull it out to pay taxes. In order to pay taxes, I had to rob my company of precious cash that would have been used to buy machinery, to hire and train people, and to create exactly what we need: more tax payers and more activity to tax. Instead we will do just the opposite. They will get less from fewer.

A lot of people don't realize that in a fast growing business, you can make a lot of profit and still not have any cash. It's the life blood, and the state is a vampire. Every drop taken hurts people. They need to be damned serious when they spend it.

Yesterday, I was in line at a supermarket, and most of the people in front of me were using government checks to buy their groceries, some with one kid in each arm and another in the cart. I felt like a fool, knowing that all my people and I just spent the whole week working to get the same thing plus buying theirs.

Michael said...

AllieOpp. Romney will extoll success and not demonize the successful. Hopefully he will ease the bureaucratic morass through which business people must slog to open a business, expand,hire and fire. With luck he can urge the elimination of those rules that were hastily and wrongly implemented to curtail "risk" in banking, rules that have caused compliance costs to double (or triple in smaller banks) thus slowing a credit recovery and making it harder for people like bagoh20 to borrow to expand. Finally i hope he will make it clear that the govt is too large, that the people provide money to the govt and not the other way around. These messages alone will boost output overnight. You have no idea of the negative weight Obama has inadvertently (and I believe it is inadvertent because he knows nothing at all about business and what makes it work) has heaped on this sector and the uncertainty of what he might do next that would thwart growth.

Alex said...

Liberals say it's ok to shout down conservatives because when it comes to confronting evil all tactics are on the table.

Beta Rube said...

The lefties were scarce today, mainly on the fringes, and not loud enough to disrupt much.

Chip Ahoy said...

This photo is tempting but today I cannot be arsed.

The thing is, it's cocked and ready to fire. It could be done in a couple of frames, I think. The benefit of interchangeable arms and hands. The hard part is filling in the missing background created by repositioned arms and missing signs.

The first figure feed signs to the second figure who launches them. There are only two signs that disappear and reappear in cycle. The first figure reaches off frame for the reusable signs.

That whole pointing thing is hilarious because it's so eff'n serious. The two can act together as a single gun.

I can't stand it. Will somebody please Photoshop this?

Sprezzatura said...

I thought that the CRV was a 2011 purchase.



And, it's too bad Althouse didn't follow through w/ her urge to splurge re a certain garment. Does she hate America?

Rusty said...

Isn't supposed to be "repudiate"?

You'd think an older guy in a college town would know how to spell. Hope he doesn't teach english, but you never know these days.

or maybe he's just trying to be clever. He failed.