Texsox

Folks, just a reminder, those cash advances are a rip off. Higher interest rates than taking a cash advance on a credit card and with direct deposit, you will have your money back in a couple weeks.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 5, 2009 -> 02:39 PM) So, when does this go beyond just how bad the Obama vetting is (which it has been), and start worrying people that maybe there is just a large percentage of people out there who are avoiding taxes? I'm wondering what, if any, restrictions on personal privacy come into play when people are being vetted. It would seem like none. I believe they they could, and should, give investigators free access to everything. Taxes are a touchy issue. Like I've said before, I've had my share of struggles with the IRS and truly, you talk to three people at the IRS and you will get three different opinions. I understand that some people do cheat, and they should be punished. But when you have returns with may more than just W2s, life gets complicated. I've always been in favor of not considering spouses, kids, close friends, legal and tax issues when discussing someone.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 5, 2009 -> 01:37 PM) I swear wondering the samething myself. I kept thinking that I could never see his second foot being down. No one else mentioned it, so I thought it was my mind playing tricks on me. I kept saying his right foot is on his left. That's how it looked to me. But I figured it was just wishful thinking on my part.

http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.s...ze_left_60.html Sad point, if he didn't have any money, there would have been help available.

I've lost track, how much have we already committed and how much more is being proposed?

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Feb 5, 2009 -> 01:52 PM) Finally an answer, so the guy couldnt hear and MAY have had some dementia. Still wondering why people said he went grocery shopping and whatnot, but at least now there is an answer why he may have not known about his bill. Once again bringing up the problem of the lack of case workers for this type of situation at this power company. That power company even has a program to track senior citizens, but it is voluntary and the customer has to "opt in". Here we have electric choice and fill out credit aps with whomever you pick as your provider. They have birth dates and it seems easy enough to be proactive and tracking ages. There is a lot of blame to go around.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Feb 5, 2009 -> 01:49 PM) buuuuuut, the guy didnt need public aid, he had plenty of money. Once again bringing up the question, why didnt he pay his power bill when he clearly was purchasing other goods and services? He had cash on his kitchen table clipped to the bills. The most probably answer is dementia. I doubt he was just trying to cheat the system.

http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.s...was_preven.html

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Feb 5, 2009 -> 10:52 AM) Then donate to or start a charity that helps the poor pay for the services they use. Don't force every other user to cover their costs. Not asking you to. Just asking that we find a system that offers some protection from people dying. There are tens of thousands of able bodied people on public aid. This guy worked all his life, served his country, I would feel a hell of a lot better helping him than some of the other able bodied college students who receive government aid in the form of student financial aid. And several of the news stories have mentioned dementia. It seems reasonable for someone to show the homeowner the device and how to reset it if it trips. But we live in a society that if he had a dog and left it to freeze, he could have been prosecuted. But leave an old man to freeze, and that's ok. Seems like the wrong values to me.

SS, I'm puzzled. You generally believe the government should stay out, now your saying that the government can solve the problem. I have a difficult time believing that GS would hurt themselves to spite the government. Much like Chrysler paying back their loan early in the 1980s, it seems this is a positive sign of a rebound. And if GS is harming themselves to save them from some government oversight, what does that tell you?

Even caught early, it's about the worse you can have.

QUOTE (Jenks Heat @ Feb 4, 2009 -> 04:38 PM) Maybe if the nephew kept in better touch he could have been privy to the $600K....... Yep. I hope the man had a good will and is giving the money to someone or something that will appreciate it.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 4, 2009 -> 04:10 PM) Actually, a lot of transit projects fall into this category. Proposed, planned, approved and even some money ready to go, just waiting for enough funding to proceed. Those could get going pretty quickly. I did want to add that to the mix. It is probably unfair to debate the merits of projects based on a single line description.

Wow, his decision on which electricity provider to use was a "life and death" decision.

From what I have heard from a couple agencies here, the government is looking for projects that are ready to go *now*. What are the projects where shovels are ready to go. No 5-year studies, no 18 month bid process. They want the money pumping through *now*. So there may be more deserving, but too far off projects, that are not funded while less worthy, but ready to go stuff, gets funded. I know of a couple projects here, relatively small potato stuff ( I do see the reasoning behind that criteria. What good are projects that will not happen for a couple years?

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jan 29, 2009 -> 08:40 AM) I'm willing to be if you replaced "93 year old vet" with "21 year old college student" who just chose not to pay his electric bill for whatever reason and the same result occurred there would be far less of an outcry. Perhaps. We expect a 21 year old college student to be of able body and sound mind. We understand that a 93 year old person, who has contributed to society all those years and has fought for this country, maybe deserves a little help at the end of his life. Now if the 21 year old college student was without a family or anyone to look out for him, suffered from dementia or some other complicating illness, many people would be all over the college for not watching out for him. But again, it is assumed that a college student has the sound mind to take care of himself.

and always, always, show her all your posts here, that will really impress her

I heard the family is supporting her. While she has no income, the family does. She is practicing traditional family values and staying home to raise their children. The zero population growth discussion has been around for 40 years that I can remember. Nothing new. Some countries already have programs in place.

You better come at me with more than a flame shirley

wtf? Tex is nominated!? Who the hell wants to drink with a crazy ass, gun totin', religious nut, liberal? I nominated Shipps. Could it be the warm beaches and legal brothels close by?

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Feb 3, 2009 -> 07:01 PM) You'd hope so, but it usually doesn't work that way. Most people are jerks and when they get free or reduced cost meals they manage to forget it takes just as much effort for the waitstaff to serve as full price meals and go cheap on the tip. I tip free drinks big.

QUOTE (santo=dorf @ Feb 3, 2009 -> 10:29 PM) In their defense, 15% of $0.00 is 0. Cheapskate 25% of $0.00 is $0

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 4, 2009 -> 12:40 PM) I understand how prosecutions work, I just believe in this case the govt is out for spite against Bonds because he did not give them what they wanted in the Grand Jury. The truth? yeah, they can be vindictive when you f***ing lie to a grand jury

The argument that it is unfair you are prosecuting my guy, but not these others, is silly. If we actually believed it, no one would ever be prosecuted. That is not, and has not, ever been the case here. There are just too many variables between cases. I was a huge Clemens fan, I felt he was one of the greatest pitchers I've witnessed play. Now that I know that was partially drug produced, I am very saddened. I hope they keep him out of the HoF.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 4, 2009 -> 12:51 PM) Or Foley or Hastert? Nope, I just never really pay attention to that position.