GE Tax Break
One news that made rounds this week that got my attention. I'm not the only one who noticed it, but more people should have seen this news item. It was revealed this week that General Electric paid no Federal Taxes in 2010.
The first thing I wanted to say was "Wow! How did they get such a nice tax break?" GE made $14.2 billion in profits in 2010 but did not have to pay a penny in Federal taxes. I work 55 hours a week and have a good percentage chopped of my paycheck a week for taxes. I make a fraction of what former GE CEO Jeffery Immelt made, now the chairperson of President Barack Obama's Economic Advisory Board.
The question can easily be answered. All the tax loopholes that corporations enjoy. Can you blame GE for taking advantage of the loopholes that is available to them? If anyone should bear the blame, it's Congress. They are the one's who make the tax loopholes possible. They are the one's who are giving GE the ammunition that GE is so happy to use.
So while the small businesses and the average citizen continues to get hit with taxes, multinational corporations like GE continue to enjoy a tax free existence.
Manny Ramirez
This past week came the most sudden and unusual sports retirements. For Boston Red Sox star Manny Ramirez retired from Major League Baseball. His current team, the Tampa Bay Rays didn't even find out about his retirement until they heard about it from Major League Baseball.
As it turns out, Manny Ramirez tested positive for drugs during spring training. He previously served a 50 game suspension from testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. As a second time offender, he faced a 100 game suspension, close to two-thirds of a season. Rather than go through that, Ramirez chose to retire.
So that ends the career of what was no doubt, one of the best right hand hitters ever. Now he won't be entering the Hall of Fame anytime soon. If ever. Mark McGwire never tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. Rafael Palmeiro tested positive once. Neither so far has come close to getting enough votes to get into the Hall of Fame. Ramirez tested positive twice.
Ramirez is indeed one of the best right handed hitter ever. But he could be very well remembered for steroids and for his occasionally childish behavior.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Busy, Busy, Busy
Working over 60 hours last week, plus all the other things in my life, not a lot of time to blog. A few thoughts.
Leo's Place/ Gambling
The main item making the local news this week was the raiding of a couple of Internet Cafe's in Fall River and Fairhaven. Both Internet Cafe's, called Leo's Place were owned by Leo Pelletier, a long time Fall River City Councilor.
An Internet Cafe is a place where someone can buy time on a computer on Internet in order to play sweepstakes games. Pelletier denies that the state's gambling laws were violated. Some local authorities seems to disagree. After complaints and an outgoing investigation by the state's Attorney General's office, state and local police raided both Internet Cafe's. Equipment was taken, making forcing Pelletier to close down his Internet Cafe's for the foreseeable future.
I'm not a lawyer. I don't know if Leo's Place violated the state's gambling laws. What went on in there sounded a lot like gambling. If there was gambling going on there, I don't care and I really don't think that state should get involved. Pelletier was operating a private enterprise and he had his fair share of paying customers.
Which brings us to the larger issue, gambling and casinos. Delaware has a casino and Massachusetts can't seem to get a casino bill passed. I find it rather interesting that state politicians oppose casino gambling, but have nothing against the lottery. Go to any local resturant and bar that has Keno and you see a lot of people (on occasion myself included) play the Keno ran by the Massachusetts State Lottery. More money that goes to the state. But they oppose private enterprise opening up gambling ventures. Things that make you go hmmmm. In the meantime, A lot of money is being spent in Connecticut that could be spent in Massachusetts.
In Other News
Later on today, I'll be running the Thomas Guinta 5K Road Race. It's ran in the memory of a Fall River police officer who dies in the line of duty. It's a well ran race, good course and a great post race meal and party.
In addition, I decided to enter a short story writing contest put on by The Writer magazine. After an endless amount of encouragement from family and friends, I decided to do submit some of my writing. The contest will be step one. I already got an idea on what I'll be submitting as a short story. Off I go.
Leo's Place/ Gambling
The main item making the local news this week was the raiding of a couple of Internet Cafe's in Fall River and Fairhaven. Both Internet Cafe's, called Leo's Place were owned by Leo Pelletier, a long time Fall River City Councilor.
An Internet Cafe is a place where someone can buy time on a computer on Internet in order to play sweepstakes games. Pelletier denies that the state's gambling laws were violated. Some local authorities seems to disagree. After complaints and an outgoing investigation by the state's Attorney General's office, state and local police raided both Internet Cafe's. Equipment was taken, making forcing Pelletier to close down his Internet Cafe's for the foreseeable future.
I'm not a lawyer. I don't know if Leo's Place violated the state's gambling laws. What went on in there sounded a lot like gambling. If there was gambling going on there, I don't care and I really don't think that state should get involved. Pelletier was operating a private enterprise and he had his fair share of paying customers.
Which brings us to the larger issue, gambling and casinos. Delaware has a casino and Massachusetts can't seem to get a casino bill passed. I find it rather interesting that state politicians oppose casino gambling, but have nothing against the lottery. Go to any local resturant and bar that has Keno and you see a lot of people (on occasion myself included) play the Keno ran by the Massachusetts State Lottery. More money that goes to the state. But they oppose private enterprise opening up gambling ventures. Things that make you go hmmmm. In the meantime, A lot of money is being spent in Connecticut that could be spent in Massachusetts.
In Other News
Later on today, I'll be running the Thomas Guinta 5K Road Race. It's ran in the memory of a Fall River police officer who dies in the line of duty. It's a well ran race, good course and a great post race meal and party.
In addition, I decided to enter a short story writing contest put on by The Writer magazine. After an endless amount of encouragement from family and friends, I decided to do submit some of my writing. The contest will be step one. I already got an idea on what I'll be submitting as a short story. Off I go.
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