Another classic mainstream media article that touches upon the truth, but refuses to connect the dots. It is supposed to show that Wal-Mart’s results are a reflection of the stress on the middle and lower class in this country that account for about 77 million of the 115 million households. But who do they reference as a mother under stress? They pick Melanie Burkhardt. Can these faux journalists multiply and divide. Melanie says that the 2% payroll tax hike has knocked $260 per month from her budget. This means she is from a household with annual income of $156,000. They interview her as a reflection of the average middle class and poor family???? How bad must she be managing her finances that she now doesn’t have enough money to go to the movies or Olive Garden even though she has monthly income of $13,000?
But, she hits upon the key fact in her comments. Obama didn’t stick it to the rich with tax increases. The rich called their tax lawyers and told them to figure out a way to not pay the tax. Every working American got hammered by the payroll tax increase. Most Americans live paycheck to paycheck, even those making $156,000 per year. Gas prices have soared by 14% in the last two months and are the highest in history for the month of February. Wal-Mart executives and customers reference inflation as a problem, even though the BLS says there is no inflation. The story doesn’t mention that Wal-Mart’s U.S. comparable sales were up 1% last quarter, but their customer traffic was NEGATIVE. This means their sales increase was solely due to INFLATION/PRICE INCREASES.
The lady’s reference to not splurging at Olive Garden is reflected in the 2nd article below that came out this morning. Darden, the company that runs Olive Garden, Red Lobster and Longhorn Steakhouse pre-announced terrible results for their current quarter. Sales are plunging, after having plunged last quarter. The middle and lower classes can’t afford to gorge themselves as much as in the past. The money is running out. Obamacare is going to crush restaurant chains, retailers, and consumers as more money is spent on healthcare by all parties. Companies will hire less workers, convert workers to part-time and fire workers. This will mean less spending at retailers and restaurants. It’s the downward spiral of life.
This is the interconnected collapse brought on by government policies and Federal Reserve bailing out of failures and feckless politicians.
Wal-Mart outlook gives glimpse of economy
By By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO and CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER, AP Business Writers – 13 hours ago
NEW YORK (AP) — As the fortunes of many Americans go, so goes Wal-Mart, so goes the economy.
Even as the world’s largest retailer on Thursday reported an 8.6 percent rise in fourth quarter profit during the busy holiday shopping season, it offered a weaker forecast for the coming months. The problem? The poor and middle-class Americans Wal-Mart caters to — and who are big drivers of spending in the U.S. — are struggling with rising gas prices, delayed income tax refunds and higher payroll taxes.
Melanie M. Burkhardt, a mother of two teenagers who shops at Wal-Mart, is one of those people. Burkhardt, a Waycross, Ga., resident, said she’s been hit with a double whammy: the payroll tax hike, which has cut her household monthly income by $260, and higher gas prices.
“We had to do a flip on our budget,” said Burkhardt, a legal assistant who plans to cut back on her trips to Wal-Mart. “This is money we used for things like going to a movie or splurging at Olive Garden. Not anymore.”
It’s widely known that Americans in the lower income brackets continue to struggle even as higher earners benefit from improved housing and stock markets, but Wal-Mart’s results signal that matters may be getting worse for the nation’s poor and middle-class. Wal-Mart is the latest in a string of big-name companies from Burger King to Zale to say those Americans are being squeezed by new challenges. But since Wal-Mart accounts for nearly 10 percent of nonautomotive retail spending in the U.S., it is a bellwether for the economy.
“Wal-Mart moms are the barometer of the U.S. household,” said Brian Sozzi, chief equities analyst at NBG Productions who follows Wal-Mart. “Right now, they’re afraid of higher taxes and inflation.”
Indeed, while wealthier households have seen their stock portfolios grow, poor and middle-class Americans have struggled to regain their financial footing since the recession ended more than 3 ½ years ago.
Stocks have roughly doubled since June 2009. Dividends and capital gains from stocks, which disproportionately benefit higher-income Americans, are taxed at lower rates compared with ordinary income
And while incomes for most Americans have failed to keep pace with inflation since the recession, that’s been particularly true for middle and lower-income earners.
Median household income, adjusted for inflation, fell 1.5 percent to $50,054 in 2011 compared with 2010, the latest periods for which figures are available, according to the Census Bureau. That was down 8.1 percent from 2007, just before the recession began. (The median is the point halfway between the highest and lowest levels.)
But lower and middle-income households fared worse: The share of overall income earned by the bottom 80 percent of households shrank in 2011, while the income for the top 20 percent grew. And in 2012, inflation-adjusted hourly pay barely rose, inching up 0.3 percent.
Another hurdle for lower- and middle-income Americans has been the jump in gas prices since mid-January. The average price for a gallon of gas rose 47 cents in the past month to $3.78 on Thursday, according to AAA.
Tax changes also have hit the nation’s lowest earners especially hard. On Jan. 1, Social Security payroll taxes rose 2 percentage points after a temporary tax cut expired. That sliced about $1,000 from the take-home pay of a household earning $50,000. Since the Social Security tax is levied against income only up to $114,000, it disproportionately affects middle- and lower-income households.
An even larger challenge for many lower-income Americans has been the government’s delay in processing income taxes and paying refunds. That’s because income tax rates weren’t set until a last-minute deal between the White House and Congress on Jan. 1. So the IRS pushed back the start of tax-filing season to Jan. 30, two weeks later than usual.
As a result, by Feb. 14 the government had paid only $55 billion in refunds, down from $77 billion at the same time last year, according to an estimate by UBS. That drop of $22 billion is more than twice the impact of the higher payroll tax. Refunds have accelerated recently and will eventually be paid out, but the impact still can be felt by many taxpayers: About 78 percent of taxpayers receive refunds, and the figure rises to 82 percent for those reporting income below $50,000.
Wal-Mart, based in Bentonville, Ark., said while its business has been volatile since December, the month of February, in particular, has been “slower than planned” largely due to the tax refund delay. The company said that resulted in Wal-Mart customers cashing about $1.7 billion in income tax refunds year to date, compared with $3 billion for the same period a year ago.
Bill Simon, president of Wal-Mart’s U.S. namesake division, said shoppers used their refund money last year to buy TVs ahead of the Super Bowl. This year, the retailer said it isn’t sure how customers will use the additional money when they get it, but some analysts say the most likely scenario is that they’ll save it.
Wal-Mart said it’s also unclear how the payroll tax will affect customers’ spending habits, although Simon said shoppers are “talking about it.” JP Morgan estimates that the payroll tax increase will equate to $70 a month less in take home pay for Wal-Mart shoppers, assuming an average annual income of $42,500. As a result, Wal-Mart is offering smaller packaging and less expensive products.
Wal-Mart earned $5.6 billion, or $1.67 per share, during the fourth quarter that ended Jan. 31, up from $5.16 billion, or $1.50 per share, a year earlier. Results were helped by a lower tax rate, which was 27.7 percent, compared with the rate of 30.9 percent a year ago. Net sales rose 3.9 percent to $127.1 billion.
Earnings topped Wall Street estimates of $1.57 per share, but sales fell short of the $127.8 billion analysts were expecting.
During the current quarter, Wal-Mart says it expects earnings to range from $1.11 to $1.16 per share, below the $1.18 per share analysts polled by FactSet are expecting. For its namesake U.S. business, Wal-Mart expects first-quarter revenue at stores open at least a year, a measure of a retailer’s health, to be unchanged from a year ago. The pace of revenue growth has slowed in recent quarters, and some analysts believe Wal-Mart’s forecast could be too optimistic.
For the year, Wal-Mart expects earnings of between $5.20 and $5.40 per share, while analysts expect $5.38 per share.
Despite the subdued forecast, investors were bracing for a weaker report after Bloomberg published a story Friday that leaked an email from an executive characterizing the first two weeks of February as “a total disaster.” Shares fell that day, but investors appeared to be relieved on Thursday that Wal-Mart’s outlook wasn’t worse. Shares rose about 1 percent, or $1.05 per share, on Thursday to close at $70.26.
——
D’Innocenzio reported from New York. Rugaber reported from Washington, D.C.
Olive Garden owner Darden warns on 3rd quarter
Olive Garden owner Darden expects sales slump in 3Q, cuts 2013 profit forecast
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Darden Restaurants, struggling to draw more customers into its Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants, predicted a third-quarter profit Friday that was below Wall Street’s expectations and cut its outlook for the year.
The Orlando, Fla.-based chain has tried to revamp menus and marketing for its flagship chains. But revenue at Olive Garden, Red Lobster and LongHorn Steakhouse locations open at least one year is expected to fall 4.5 percent in the quarter ending Feb. 24, indicating those efforts have yet to pay off.
“We recognize there is still more to do to further address affordability and to improve other important aspects of the guest experiences we provide,” said CEO Clarence Otis in a statement, adding that re-establishing growth at the three chains was Darden’s top priority.
Otis said the first half of the fiscal third quarter was “encouraging,” but higher payroll taxes and rising gas prices, along with severe winter weather, sent sales sliding in February.
Darden isn’t the only company saying the higher payroll tax has cut into its business. On Thursday Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said higher taxes, along with rising gas prices and delayed income tax refunds, were also crimping spending by its customers.
On Jan. 1, Social Security payroll taxes rose 2 percentage points after a temporary tax cut expired. That sliced about $1,000 from the annual take-home pay of a household earning $50,000.
But Darden has longer-running problems. Like other casual sit-down restaurant companies, it’s been dealing with tougher competition due to the growing popularity of chains such as Chipotle Mexican Grill and Panera Bread. They offer food that’s a step up from fast food but not as expensive as a sit-down restaurant.
To combat this, at Olive Garden, the company rolled out an updated advertising campaign and introduced more light and affordable dishes. At Red Lobster, it added options for people who don’t like seafood.
But so far these changes have not sparked a turnaround. In January Darden replaced the president of Olive Garden in an effort to improve results.
Darden Restaurants Inc. said net income from continuing operations in December-February period will be $1 to $1.02 per share, below analyst expectations of $1.12 per share, according to FactSet.
That’s based on revenue in restaurants open at least one year, a key retail metric, dropping 4 percent at Olive Garden, 7 percent at Red Lobster and 1.5 percent at LongHorn Steakhouse. For its division of smaller restaurant chains, it expects the measure to rise 2 percent.
For the fiscal year ending in May, Darden predicted revenue in restaurants open at least one year to rise 6 to 7 percent across its chains, with a drop of 1.5 to 2.5 percent for the division containing the Red Lobster, Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse chains.
The company cut its outlook for 2013 earnings from continuing operations to $3.06 to $3.22 per share, from a December prediction of $3.29 to $3.49 per share. Analysts expected $3.38 per share.
The forecast includes costs of 9 cents per share related to acquiring the Yard House restaurant chain.
Darden plans to announce third-quarter results March 22.
Shares rose despite the weak outlook, however, after an upgrade from a Janney analyst. He said the company’s problems are already reflected in the stock’s value. Shares had dropped 12 percent over the past 52 weeks.
The stock added $1, or 2.2 percent, to $45.74 in late morning trading. That’s still close to the low end of its 52-week trading range of $44.11 to $57.93.
“We believe a lot of the bad news about Darden is already in the stock,” Janney’s Mark Kalinowski said, particularly with Friday’s outlook. “Today’s news looks to us like a classic ‘buy on bad news’ opportunity.”
He upgraded the stock to “Buy” from “Hold.”
JIMSKI says:
Anyone else noticed a real dive in quality beef prices the last week? I got some great NY strip loin for $8.49 a LB and they were just fantastic. 3 weeks ago it was $12.99 same shop.
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22nd February 2013 at 1:46 pm
KaD says:
That’s because many beef producers liquidated their herds due to the poor corn and soybean harvests, the main feed for (non pastured) cattle. Once the glut of liquidation is over watch the prices skyrocket. Doubly so if the corn and soy crops do poorly again this summer.
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22nd February 2013 at 2:02 pm
PlatoPlubius says:
The franchise wars are fully underway and if the movie “Demolition Man” predicted it right then all restaurants in the near future will be Taco Bells!!!
here is a clip of the movie which Sandra Bullock explains to Sylvester STallone about it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFiDoOgRTpk
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22nd February 2013 at 2:31 pm
PlatoPlubius says:
I have noticed the majority of sit down restaurants having to slash prices, extend happy hours, offer new lunch specials, and use GroupOn-like deals just to keep number of customers from freefalling! The big battle right now, besides the individual fast food companies battling one another, is between the fast food companies and sit down restaurants.
If I can go to a sit down restaurant and order a tastier and healthier alternative to fast food for the same price or cheaper why wouldn’t I (unless I was in a hurry).
I see so many Dead businesses walking, gasping for their last breathes of air…all the while slitting each other’s throats along their journey to bankruptcy into irrelevance!
I suppose the FEMA camps will provide food, shelter, and jobs?
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22nd February 2013 at 2:35 pm
sangell says:
Everybody fussing about the SS payroll tax being restored to its previous level. It probably should have never been cut. We’ve been through this crap before. In 2008 Bush simply handed out $600 to every taxpayer in America and a couple of hundred to SS recipients. That’s about the same amount as the SS tax holiday. Did it lead to surge in consumer spending? No, but at least people knew it was a one time deal. Unfortunately a lot of people got used to having a bit more in their paychecks as a result of the SS tax holiday but , as noted, health insurance premiums are spiking at the same time along with co-pays.
In the 5th year of the Great Recession those on modest incomes have cut back where they could and now only the real essentials are left and they are rising in price. Forget the Red Lobster. That’s a hundred dollar dinner for a family of four. The magic line for a lot of popular restaurant chains now seems to be $20 per person judging from their advertising. I see ads that offer a tiny steak and two ‘shared’ side orders at that price. Burger King is offering the Junior Whopper again for $1.29 as, I suppose, 2 Jr. Whoppers might be more filling than a single $4 regular Whopper even if you are just eating less meat and more bun but if they have determined their average customer only has $5 to spend for lunch they have to design a menu to accomodate that.
People are sliding into poverty and business is trying to disguise the descent. I like spicy food so I buy a jar of hot Pace Picante Sauce on a weekly basis. About a month ago I bought a jar and it was so thin and watery a fork was useless to try and extract any. I thought it must have been the result of a problem at the factory. It wasn’t as I bought another jar and it was the same. I wanted to send them a letter asking if their picante sauce was now being made in New York City! Jim Beam tried the same thing with their premium bourbon Maker’s Mark until public outrage of being sold watered down bourbon for $40 a bottle made them back down.
That seems to be the tactic for everything these days from financial markets to foods. Water it down, adulterate it, destroy any reference points to measure the content or value of a product or asset.
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22nd February 2013 at 2:37 pm
Stucky says:
We did grocery shopping at Shop Rite yesterday.
Two pounds of WILD CAUGHT salmon, albeit frozen, for $9.99. Wow.
An “in-store special” … rib eye steaks for $4.99 lb. Wow.
I do not understand the Red Lobster / Olive Garden woes. We have both in Westfield. It doesn’t matter what day of the week we drive by, both are always packed.
Packed movie theatres every weekend. We went to Home Depot last Saturday to buy a new floor for the kitchen … place was packed. Just sayin’.
NOT disagreeing with the article. My local experience is mere “anecdotal”, for sure. I just don’t get it sometimes …. the disconnect with what is reported vs. what I see with my eyes.
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22nd February 2013 at 2:43 pm
PlatoPlubius says:
@ Stucky
Both Red Lobster and Olive Garden are usually packed in my town too. I believe their new menu items which were designed to compete with everyone else’s 2 for $20 deals (Applebees, Chilis and now Olive Garden) are an attempt to finish off some of their competition and to attract fast food frequenters into their doors since you can get a meal now for roughly the same price it would cost going to Mickey D’s!
Even though the places are packed I guarantee people are spending less!
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22nd February 2013 at 2:46 pm
AWD says:
Somebody making $156k per month pays half that away immediately in taxes. Maybe she has to pay child support to her scumbag ex-husband.
I stay away from Olive Garden and Red Lobster because you always have to wait 30-45 minutes, and it’s nothing but morbidly obese people, which makes me sick, not hungry.
But hey, the stock market is up double digits today, as always, regardless of what happens to the economy or the real world, so the rich people will be out this weekend getting the finer things in life.
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22nd February 2013 at 2:51 pm
Administrator says:
sangell
Really good comment. You capture the essence of a degraded society.
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22nd February 2013 at 2:53 pm
Administrator says:
Stuck
You live within spitting distance of the financial mecca of the world. The NY and DC Metro areas are the last booming areas in America. Fraud, corruption, and screwing the rest of America can keep restaurants filled for awhile longer.
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22nd February 2013 at 2:58 pm
Administrator says:
Plato & Stuck
Darden is reporting these numbers. Not me. Their sales are plunging, along with their profits. Are you seeing these places packed on the weekends or during the week? Big difference.
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22nd February 2013 at 3:00 pm
Administrator says:
I took the kids to Outback Steakhouse last night because Avalon was in NYC living it up with her friends going to the Colbert Report show. There was absolutely no wait. The place was only 50% full. On the weekends it is usually a 40 minute wait. Weekends only generate 50% of revenue. These places need good business during the week and that is where they are losing it.
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22nd February 2013 at 3:05 pm
Thinker says:
Think you’re right about proximity to financial centers, Jim. Here in Chicago, I’ve noticed the alarming rate at which restaurants are only half-filled, even empty, at prime dining hours. I walk about 5 miles with my dog each night and the hair / nail salons, restaurants and bars that used to be teeming have only a few people in them. A trip to Home Depot last weekend showed maybe 12 shoppers in the store, with 2-3 employees helping each one. Grocery stores are busy, and I see a LOT more people walking with groceries; they’re eating at home and not going out any longer.
FWIW, certain large, global retailers are wondering what they’re going to do. I just put together a summary of economic indicators of the “middle class” for them today. It wasn’t a pretty picture.
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22nd February 2013 at 3:12 pm
Stucky says:
Admin
Quite honestly, both. We eat out once a week. Used to be on Sundays, but that was always an hour plus wait no matter where we went.
So, now it’s usually Wed or Thur. Last Thursday we went to a place called Chalie Brown’s (I think that’s a national chain?”). Anyway, we get there at 8:15PM figuring we’d miss the dinner crowd … 15-20 minutes says the hostess …. 40 minutes later we’re seated.
Again, I am not disagreeing with your analysis or Darden’s numbers. Not at all.
I think you hit the nail on the head … being within “spitting distance of the financial mecca of the world”. Half the people on our block (it seems) work on Wall Street or in NYC. So, that makes sense. I should just kept my fat mouth shut. My little corner of the world experience doesn’t mean jack shit. Carry on.
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22nd February 2013 at 3:17 pm
Administrator says:
Stuck
As long as credit cards work, there will be a large segment of the population that will continue to eat out on a regular basis. Paying 18% interest for a Blooming Onion for ten years doesn’t seem to bother many of the ignorant masses.
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22nd February 2013 at 3:33 pm
Stucky says:
True enough. One never knows what goes on behind closed doors.
Best — well, worst — example I’ve ever seen. I tried (unsuccessfully) to get a refi mortgage for a dentist in a very upscale NJ town. $2.5 mil dollar house. Couldn’t do it. He had somewhere around $14,000 in credit card debt. MONTHLY.
(Ms Freud pays off the cc in full when it arrives.)
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22nd February 2013 at 4:02 pm
Administrator says:
The Best Thing to Happen to America in a Long Time
Submitted by Bruce Krasting on 02/22/2013 11:08 -0500
It’s hard to describe how happy I am to see Walmart facing a slump. I’m delighted to see that the cause of Walmart’s problem is the 2% increase in Social Security withholding taxes.
It’s not just Walmart that is feeling the pinch from higher payroll taxes. According to today’s WSJ (link) damn near every company that has a retail sales base is getting nicked.
We are witnessing what happens when tax rates go up. There is (new) definitive evidence that raising taxes decreases consumption. That notion is an old one, but I think the reality that is now being proven out in real time has to make a difference in how people think about taxes, government spending and the real economy.
Who is responsible for the increase in payroll taxes that is causing all the damage? Don’t blame the evil Republicans for this one. The liberal wing of the Democratic Party INSISTED that payroll taxes had to go up on January 1. Want to blame someone for the slump in retail? Blame Harry Reid (D-NV).
Why would liberal Democrats want to whack their base with higher taxes? Easy answer. Because they love Social Security more than anything else. They would sacrifice anything, including the economy and their political base, to protect SS from the criticism that it was no longer “Off budget and self financed”.
What an idiotic position. And now those who fought to get the full 12.4% tax reinstated are going to have to pay the price. The evidence is overwhelming; higher payroll taxes hurt the economy.
I’ve felt alone the past 4 years while writing articles on a weekly basis trying desperately to make the point that SS is at the heart of America’s economic problems. I have been vindicated. The ranks of those who will point fingers at SS is going to swell. Those apposed are now going to include all of the big retailers (and their shareholders). That will be a tremendous boost for those who are crying for substantial changes in America’s biggest entitlement program. I can’t wait for ‘them” to publicly come on-board to the opposition.
We are living with a program that was designed 75 years ago. Everything has changed – but not SS. The assumptions that were used in the 1930’s are no longer valid today. The ratio of workers to beneficiaries has fallen by 70%. The ratio of worker’s income to GDP has fallen steadily (the rise of the robots). We have substantial changes in expected life. The most significant challenge to SS is the Baby Boomers. Not one of the Boomers was a twinkle in the eye when SS was created.
America is driving a 77-year-old car. The car is dangerous. It has none of the modern safety devices; it burns leaded gas and has asbestos brake pads. It weighs twice as much as a new car, and only gets 8 miles to the gallon. Yet a small portion of the Deciders in D.C. have blocked any chance of bringing SS up to date, and making it safe to drive for the next 20 years.
The Social Security Trust Fund has said that to “fix” SS would require an immediate and permanent increase in PR taxes of 2.2% (above the 12.4% today). Based on the evidence of the past few months it’s easy to conclude that a tax increase of that magnitude would push the economy into a recession – Once in a slump, the economy would be hard pressed to recover.
Not only would higher PR taxes kill the economy, it would hurt lower paid workers the hardest. The evidence from Walmart reconfirms the fact that SS taxes are very regressive. They hurt the base of people that the liberals claim they are trying to protect. How can Senator Reid defend that outcome? He can’t.
There is an alternative. It would mean that we would have to junk the old clunker and get new, safe, energy efficient car. The new car would be expensive, but the payoff would be worth it.
SS taxes can’t be eliminated. The program is too big and very hard to unwind and IT IS needed. But SS taxes could be reduced by 3% if changes were made (Employer taxes would remain the same, worker’s payroll tax would fall from 6 to 3%).
The changes required to achieve the reduction in taxes have been discussed for years. There has to be changes in age eligibility over a longer period of time. Changes to inflation adjustments have to be made. There has to be an immediate means tax on benefits to fill the Baby Boomer bucket. The means test HAS to be based on both income AND assets. You can’t be a multimillionaire and get SS checks. That has to stop. Now. SS is, and always has been insurance. If you don’t need the insurance, you don’t get paid.
IMHO if individual payroll taxes were cut 50% from the current level, the economy would prosper. Unemployment would fall, incomes would rise. Federal tax revenues would increase, in the process, the deficits would fall. A permanent reduction in payroll taxes is the only chance I see for a sustained expansion of the economy.
So to the Execs at Walmart, and all of those other retailers that are feeling the SS pinch, I say “Welcome to the club”. You can be the wind behind the sails for the changes that are needed. Just this once I will say that what is good for Walmart, is also good for America.
Note: Stan Druckenmiller (ex Duquesne Capital) was on TV last night with Maria Bartiromo . Stan is a very sharp guy. He said the same as I have. It’s idiotic that he gets a check from SS. The $200k he might get back in his life is not going to change his spending one bit. But it would make a world of difference to those who are making $40k a year.
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22nd February 2013 at 4:49 pm
jim says:
I have never seen so many people loading change into the ‘paystar’ coin machines as I do these days. (even at 2 or 3 in the morning).
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22nd February 2013 at 6:06 pm
Stucky says:
Motherfucking WILD CAUGHT salmon update.
I starting cooking the salmon at 5PM today..
Red Flag #1. The salmon wasn’t quite as red once I opened the package. That’s because the package itself had a pink tint to it.
Red Flag #2: Once thawed, the salmon literally fell apart. It had no texture.
Red Flag #3: While cooking, the salmon turned from barely pink to pure white. Almost as if someone spray painted the fucker pink before packaging.
Red Flag #4: Taste test. I thought I was eating a block of salt. Pull out label. Yup, some Sodium Whatthefuckever “to retain moisture”. WTF??
Oh my fucking God ref flag: In teeny tiny letters way near the bottom, where there was a crease, the dreaded 3 worst words ever: Product of China.
I went absolutely bat shit crazy at home. Then I went to supermarket, demanded to see the store manager, and went bat shit crazy there. I made quite a scene. Chiding him about importing Chinese seafood when we have two fucking oceans and the Great Fucking Lakes. Going on about his civic duty to protect Americans from Chinese poison. The I threw down the cooked sample I brought along and asked him in what planet is salmon pure fucking white and would he like to take a fucking bite???!!!! (He didn’t.)
Happy happy joy joy ending: We got a $50 in-store credit.
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22nd February 2013 at 7:36 pm
Administrator says:
Stuck
You’re my hero. Give em hell.
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22nd February 2013 at 7:38 pm
Stucky says:
Admin.
Thanks. And I did.
Question for you/others ….. should I eat the Ribeye?
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22nd February 2013 at 7:39 pm
Zarathustra says:
Stucky, Salmon raised on farms have whitish-grey flesh, which is dyed in order to make it appear more natural. It’s easy to spot in stores because it appears more orange than red. The Chinese apparently (besides lying) haven’t got the technique down yet. While disgusting, it was probably safe to eat, aside from whatever industrial pollution is dissolved into the water they are raised in.
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22nd February 2013 at 7:46 pm
Stucky says:
“While disgusting, it was probably safe to eat” ———- Zara
Good buddy, I’m not risking gastro pain … and possible death (remember the doggie/cat food issue?) … on a fucking “probably”.
I’m not bullshitting. It tasted like pure salt. No texture. Fuckin’ worst thing I ever stuffed in my mouth. (No jokes, please). Good thing I did NOT swallow!
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22nd February 2013 at 7:50 pm
Administrator says:
They will have to execute the Chinese fishermen who ruined your dinner.
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22nd February 2013 at 7:51 pm
Administrator says:
Chinese Salmon farming
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22nd February 2013 at 7:52 pm
Administrator says:
Chinese authorities assure us that the fish are not toxic.
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22nd February 2013 at 7:54 pm
Zarathustra says:
Stucky, I don’t get the salt thing either. You salt fish that is meant to be dried, not fucking frozen. I’m with ya though, I would never buy chinese seafood.
A little story. In 1995, I built a single strength apple juice plant. A local pol brought a chinese group to tour the place, with me as their guide. I was amused that they were totally shocked that all we did was press fresh apples, pasteurize and filter the juice and then bottle it, without adding HFCS, water and a bunch of chemicals.
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22nd February 2013 at 7:56 pm
Stucky says:
Stucky’s Actual Brand New Frying Pan — moments after Chink fish was cooked
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22nd February 2013 at 8:07 pm
Zarathustra says:
Stucky, if that Salmon were as good as you anticipated it would be, I’d poke ya in the kisser for frying and not broiling it.
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22nd February 2013 at 8:12 pm
AWD says:
That’s the funniest damn story I’ve read in a long time.
Maybe the fish was really horsemeat.
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22nd February 2013 at 8:17 pm
sangell says:
RE: the rib eye steak.
Maybe an old dairy cow or a product of Romania where species identification is iffy.
While ‘downers’ ( cattle too weak to walk under their own power to slaughter) have been prohibited from entering the food chain, bovine leg braces, copied from old human polio braces worn by FDR, have been developed for diseased cattle to stand and, with the assistance of a cattle prod, enter the slaughterhouse under their own power. It is a simple matter of simply removing the brace shoe ( as shown) and replacing it with a rubber hoof.
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22nd February 2013 at 8:18 pm
TeresaE says:
Stucky, nearly ALL salmon and shrimp come from Asia now.
See, the USDA, and the unions, and the EPA, and the lawyers, and multiple levels of government from local to federal, have pretty much completely eradicated the evil fish processors from our shores.
I read somewhere that there is only ONE sardine cannery left in Maine and it is getting ready to shut its doors.
See, it is just easier to grow/produce/harvest stuff here then ship it ten thousand miles to be processed and turned into fake food to be shipped thousands of miles back here for our kids to eat.
AND, the testing required by American companies is 1000′s of times stringent than any outside our borders. Because, just like with everything else, if it is made here it must be regulated, tested and then up for lawsuit, but if you import it, then it is safe and nothing else needs to be done.
One more reality that America is going to wake up to when China decides our dollars are done.
Think they will continue to send us food when our people are starving and our dollars not wanted?
So many ways we are going to “get ours,” so few ways out.
After China killed my dog, then their own babies, I really thought Boobus-Americanus would wake up and demand that our food be properly labeled as to country of origin for both contents and processing.
I was wrong, the sheeple (hungry and without taste, apparently) just do not freaking care.
What passes for food in most homes in this country is disgusting. Dangerous too, but disgusting first and foremost.
Thanks for the cooking lesson though it reminded me that I have some REAL wild caught salmon (fresh water, from a fishing trip to Lake Michigan) in the deep freeze. Looks like salmon with fresh oranges for dinner Sunday night.
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22nd February 2013 at 8:25 pm
Willy2 says:
And there’s more to come. Starting this year (a significant amount of) tax deductions have been eliminated. So, expect a deterioration in consumer sentiment in March and April.
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22nd February 2013 at 8:55 pm
Llpoh says:
That woman on $156k struggling to make ends meet says it all. Her family spends too much. Her taxes are too high – fed, state, local, prperty, sales, payroll, etc. She probably feels she should be able to live well on $156k a year. And she is right about that. In what universe should successful people not be able to enjoy the fruit of their labor?
That universe would be the Free Shit States of America (and Western Europe).
What a clusterfuck. First, the middle class is shri king in numbers. Second, those that believe themselves middle class are actually borderline poor/lower class because of taxes combined with their own poor decision-making.
And the poor are taking advantage of handouts left right and center.
Admin – that guy Krasting can blow me for his idea of means testing, saying SS is insurance and the wealthy do not need it. If it is insurance, than those too stupid to save should not get it either, as it was not meant as a retirement plan. Fact is, SS has developed into a pension system. The problem is it pays out too much per individual. I am all for lowering the benefit amounts, but eliminating those that have done the right thing and saved for having done the right thing is total horsehit.
Fucking assholes everywhere.
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22nd February 2013 at 9:03 pm
Stucky says:
TeresaE is 100% correct. Things I found out today ….
84% of US seafood is imported
21% comes from China – almost 100% of Chinese seafood is farmed
Less than 2% of imported seafood is inspected
There are so many goddamn fucking loopholes in Labeling — for example, that Wild Salmon does NOT have to be 100% salmon …. It more than likely contained significant amounts of Tilapia …. Also it does not need to be salmon meat … it can be salmon intestines.
The FDA has issued dozens of “detain and test” order on Chink fish, due to repeated findings that the fish contained chemicals banned from seafood in the United States … but they can’t keep up …. In fact, they don’t even have Recall power.
Fisheries are often EXEMPT from COO (Country Of Origin) rules.
DO NOT EVER BUY — “GREAT AMERICAN SEAFOOD” products (Stucky’s shit salmon)
DO NOT EVER BUY — “GREAT AMERICAN SEAFOOD”
DO NOT EVER BUY — “GREAT AMERICAN SEAFOOD” They are among the worst offenders.
I think I’m gonna become a vegetarian.
Seafood Fraud is huge. Scary article
http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/news/2012/aug/02/something-fishy/
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22nd February 2013 at 9:16 pm
Maddie's Mom says:
Fortunately, we have no debt and don’t live paycheck to paycheck, but it’s Friday night
and we had leftovers for dinner. Sorry, Olive Garden.
I haven’t been to Walmart in almost a month. I could live without them
altogether. Sorry, Walmart.
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22nd February 2013 at 9:32 pm
BiggTmofo says:
I think it would be easy to write a story about folks being pinched financailly. Look for furloughed government workers and newspaper reporters. I think they make less then $156K. Another place and time to look at Walmart for example is the first and fifteenth of the month. Aldi is another great example where budget minded shoppers have to go as Giant Eagle is expensive for stuff. Another favorite budget store is Marcs. Cash and check only but always a good deal still. How much longer this can hold out I don’t know. I hate the fast food references but to paraphrase Claira Peller- “Where’s the beef?”. I go to Wendy’s and order the Junion Cheeseburgers and the patties are so small! Again the local paper did a comparison of the dollar menus compared to 10 years ago and you’re getting less then you used to. No question the portions are smaller.
Now the sit down restaurant deal lately is the all you can eat lunch buffet for $5.99 lunch buffets at the local Chinese places especially Hunan Lake. Haven’t died yet and have to stretch my belt. I know it’s not super healthy but it’s better than the national fast food chains. Shrimp and real roast beef. Will go there tomorrow.
Stucky great comments about salmon. Take your word for it. Way to stick it to the man.
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22nd February 2013 at 9:41 pm
Stucky says:
“King Oscar” sardines actually are caught and canned in Norway.
Sardines are among the very highest in the best kind of oil, omega-3, as well as among the lowest fish in mercury content.
StuchenSardineGuy
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22nd February 2013 at 9:42 pm
sangell says:
Catch of the Day
Hot debate. What do you think?
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22nd February 2013 at 9:57 pm
anotherjuan says:
jim says:
“I have never seen so many people loading change into the ‘paystar’ coin machines as I do these days. (even at 2 or 3 in the morning)”.
i gathered a few items in my dresser from abandoned projects and took them to HD for a $36. store credit. i liked the idea so much i went thru my garage detritus and found some hinges i took back for a $27.23 credit. i know i have some cabinet hardware i can take back for some $70. a couple of years ago, i took back a few plants that didn’t last a year for an $80 refund. i think people are scum when they buy something to use on their rental property then return it for a full refund. however, there are times when need makes cowards of us all, my cooling unit went out in the middle of summer one year. since we have a small child and an elderly woman living here, i purchased a portable cooling unit, used it for 3 or 4 days until our cooling unit was replaced, then i returned it for full credit. not my finest hour. but i spent 10 times the cost of that unit at old HD when i needed a patio 2 years ago, hence the extra hardware. and i bought a fridge there. i just realized, i may be doing penance by continuing to shop there, buying stuff i pretend to need for projects i never start.
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22nd February 2013 at 10:11 pm
telepathic physician. says:
sangell, that is awful, nobody wants to look at your turds. are you the person who also leaves used paper towels on the floor of the men’s room? you may want to go in for a checkup, yellow turds are a sign of liver damage. and floaters are a sign of high triglycerides. you are sick, buddy.
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22nd February 2013 at 10:20 pm
sangell says:
“yellow turds are a sign of liver damage. and floaters are a sign of high triglycerides”
Hey shithead! Was the above insight the lapidary wisdom received from Heaven Above or was it something you learned while studying … shit?
If you make a diagnosis about me based on a photograph you know not what it came from you are truly a telepathic physician and one who should have their medical license confiscated you goddamned quack!!!
Hot debate. What do you think?
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22nd February 2013 at 10:33 pm
Llpoh says:
Anotherjuan openly admits to being a thief. Unbelievable and truly disgusting. Amazing how people try to justify immoral, unethical, and perhaps downright illegal activity.
Glad anotherjuan thinks it is ok to steal because of all the money he spent previously.
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22nd February 2013 at 10:45 pm
Llpoh says:
Sangell – if you post shit you need to cop it sweet. It was a bad post, out of line with the commentary, so suck it up and take your lumps.
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22nd February 2013 at 10:48 pm
telepathic physician. says:
anybody would have figured out i was a quack just from the moniker, a reference to the psychic doctors in One Hundred Years of Solitude. note to self: must start using “lol” or “jk” after non-serious comments.
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22nd February 2013 at 10:48 pm
sangell says:
Telepathic Physician shows us his more ‘healthy’ bowel movements look like. Unfortunately his ‘grain fed’ feces also reveal his more serious problem of poor toilet training.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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22nd February 2013 at 10:49 pm
anotherjuan says:
no, i spent it after the fact, hence the “penance”.
“But I’d rather be punished by God, whose mercy is great, than fall into human hands.”
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22nd February 2013 at 10:52 pm
Llpoh says:
Anothejuan – I apologize. You will not see that often around here. The timeline was not clear to me. I am all for people learning from mistakes. Sounds like you have. Sorry again for confusing the timeline – it made all the difference to what you said.
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22nd February 2013 at 10:59 pm
anotherjuan says:
no need to apologize Llpoh, i know better than to bring a tender ego to a barroom brawl. besides, if the heat gets too much i’d switch monikers and do a stucky, cuss my own self out.
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22nd February 2013 at 11:09 pm
SSS says:
“Another classic mainstream media article that touches upon the truth, but refuses to connect the dots …… who do they reference as a mother under stress? They pick Melanie Burkhardt. ……. Melanie says that the 2% payroll tax hike has knocked $260 per month from her budget. This means she is from a household with annual income of $156,000. They interview her as a reflection of the average middle class and poor family???? How bad must she be managing her finances that she now doesn’t have enough money to go to the movies or Olive Garden even though she has monthly income of $13,000?”
—-Admin’s lead paragraph to this post
And how bad can the fact-checking and math get from a CPA running endowment funds at UPenn’s Wharton School and former senior financial officer at Ikea? This may be the greatest smackdown ever posted on TBP.
First of all, who said “This means she is from a household with annual income of $156,000.” Where did the figure of $156,000 income for this woman come from? Admin? The Tooth Fairy? I didn’t see it mentioned in this AP article.
Here’s the way the Social Security tax increase went from 2012. to 2013.
1. Social Security taxes in 2012 were 4.2% on incomes up to $110,100 (you don’t pay Social Security taxes on any income above this figure). That’s $4,624 in taxes MAXIMUM per year or $385.35 per month.
2. Social Security taxes in 2013 went up (or more correctly, returned) to 6.2% on incomes up to $113,700 (you don’t pay Social Security taxes on any income above this figure). That’s $7,049 in taxes MAXIMUM per year or $587.45 per month.
3. Now what’s the difference between $587.45 and $385.35. Hell, even I can do that one in my head. It’s $202.10 per month. NOT the $260 endorsed by Admin and claimed in the article. Another Admin and Associated Press rounding error.
So, even if Melanie did make that unexplained $156,000 in 2012 and will make the same in 2013, her hit will be just over $200 a month. And I don’t want to hear any bullshit about Medicare taxes, which were NEVER lowered and are set at 1.45%, apply to everyone who has taxable income, and have NO ceiling on income.
Excuse me while I find a picture of a person who is gloating. Be right back.
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22nd February 2013 at 11:15 pm
Llpoh says:
Anotherjuan – good stuff. The apology was because it seemed the right thing to do. I try, generally, to own up to mistakes. It has served me well over the years.
SSS – seems to me the flaw in your smackdown is that there may be two incomes involved – husband and wife. I immediately spotted what you have pointed out, but what if one person was making $110k and the other $35k? That would explain it.
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22nd February 2013 at 11:22 pm
Llpoh says:
SSS – article clearly states household income. If I were you I would try to recall that post, as you are in doodoo.
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22nd February 2013 at 11:24 pm
WPES says:
llpoj
http://www.ssa.gov/history/ssn/ssb36.html
That’s from the horse’s mouth — droll the disclaimer: “This is an archival or historical document and may not reflect current policies or procedures.” I never get tired to posting this shit that no one ever reads and here we go again:
”
Beginning November 24, 1936, the United States Government will set up a Social Security account for you, if you are eligible. To understand your obligations, rights, and benefits you should read the following general explanation.
THERE is now a law in this country which will give about 26 million working people something to live on when they are old and have stopped working. This law, which gives other benefits, too, was passed last year by Congress and is called the Social Security Act.
Under this law the United States Government will send checks every month to retired workers, both men and women, after they have passed their 65th birthday and have met a few simple requirements of the law.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU
THIS means that if you work in some factory, shop, mine, mill, store, office, or almost any other kind of business or industry, you will be earning benefits that will come to you later on. From the time you are 65 years old, or more, and stop working, you will get a Government check every month of your life, if you have worked some time (one day or more) in each of any 5 years after 1936, and have earned during that time a total of $2,000 or more.
The checks will come to you as a right. You will get them regardless of the amount of property or income you may have. They are what the law calls “Old-Age Benefits” under the Social Security Act.
”
A lot more, including family benefits if you die early, and also how ” beginning in 1949, twelve years from now, you and your employer will each pay 3 cents on each dollar you earn, up to $3,000 a year. That is the most you will ever pay.”
Heh. It’s a fun read if you’re a masochist. Miscellaneous factoids: In 1940, then, about 42 workers began paying for every one retiree. By 1950, the ratio of workers to retirees was 16 to one. And then there’s today, depending on who tells the story, possibly 3. And there’s the two decisions from the Supremes:
In a U.S. Supreme Court case, Helvering v. Davis (1937), the court held that Social Security is not an insurance program, saying:
“The proceeds of both (employee and employer) taxes are to be paid into the Treasury like internal revenue taxes generally, and are not earmarked in any way.”
In 1960, the Supreme Court decreed in Flemming v. Nestor that “entitlement to Social Security benefits is not a contractual right.
Health, Education and Welfare Secretary (Arthur Sherwood) Flemming stated in his brief:
“The contribution exacted under the Social Security plan is a true tax. It is not comparable to a premium promising the payment of an annuity commencing at a designated age.”
The other droll point is the average lifespan in 1940.
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22nd February 2013 at 11:29 pm
anotherjuan says:
the disclaimer on my SS estimate says it could vary and that SS might only be able to pay 75% of bennies in a few years. i wonder if they mean i may only get 75% of my estimate or 25% of the retiree base may suck hind tit?
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22nd February 2013 at 11:39 pm
SSS says:
llpoh
Here’s my response to the “household” income bullshit.
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22nd February 2013 at 11:47 pm
anotherjuan says:
Sangell, baby, relax. no wait, just hold it in. That last pic looked like a Walmart toidy. I wonder how much a dirty toilet affects sales.
Something there is that doesn’t love a stall,
That sends its fetid-night-soil all over it,
And spills the billowy bowels on the run,
And makes gasp even those two aisles or more apart.
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22nd February 2013 at 12:11 am
sangell says:
Under current law, per Bruce Krasting, benefits must be cut across the board by 25%. There is no provision to deny anyone benefits in their entirety. Of course, in the modern era, law and contracts mean nothing.
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22nd February 2013 at 12:13 am
SSS says:
Household income. 42% of households have 2-income earners. Which means I have a 58% chance of being right, versus the 42% chance bullshit posted by Admin.
I do have to give him credit though. His reverse math and sleight of hand assumption do check out.
Actual photo of me at the conclusion to this firefight. Tune in early tomorrow morning.
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22nd February 2013 at 12:28 am
Zarathustra says:
I prefer salmon chat to this impending sausage fest.
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22nd February 2013 at 12:47 am
Llpoh says:
SSS – 77 percent of families earning that amount have two incomes. You are TOAST. Just thought you would like to know.
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22nd February 2013 at 12:52 am
Llpoh says:
Wpes – the document you post says it is not to be means tested. I agree that should be the case. But the benefits need to be halved, or the retirement age taken to around eighty. Or higher. It was originally set what, ten years beyond life expectancy? Needs to be the same today if it is to survive. And to give incentive for people to take care of themselves.
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22nd February 2013 at 12:57 am
anotherjuan says:
speaking of sausage, el stucko had no idea how his salmon was made. i have seen, on this site most likely, a chinese shrimp “farm” with shrimp in a holding tank full of water considered unsafe for human consumption.
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22nd February 2013 at 12:59 am
SSS says:
“SSS – 77 percent of families earning that amount have two incomes. You are TOAST.”
—-llpoh
Damn, have you no faith im my ability at all? ADMIN is toast, not me. Here’s another clue. Waycross, Georgia.
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22nd February 2013 at 1:18 am
Stucky says:
sangell
You pathetic little fucker. Posting that picture of a very mild and regular piece of shit. You don’t know the first fucking thing about posting good quality grossness.
And the rest of you pussies PRETENDING to be all grossed out. As if each and every one of you don’t stare at your shit piles … admiring you handiwork. “Oh look. There’s that bazooka gum I chewed!”. Pussies.
Hemorrhoids are where the real action is at. Assholes.
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22nd February 2013 at 1:28 am
anotherjuan says:
it takes special breed to document their BMs with color pictures. posting another person’s longaniza is more of a fetishist practice.
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22nd February 2013 at 1:39 am
anotherjuan says:
stick with the ass crack and ditch the crack ass, stuck
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22nd February 2013 at 1:46 am
Novista says:
llpoh … ” Fact is, SS has developed into a pension system. ”
“Old age benefits” … what’s in a name. The point is, the scheme started with a promise as good as the one Bismarck made. Life expectancy:
1940 M-60.8 F-65.2 National Center for Health Statistics
Even that cretin Paul Krugman called it a Ponzi scheme in 1997. It’s obvious the original mugs weren’t saving for themselves, since all the aged that came before contributed little or nothing. SS began with smoke & mirrors and only got worse.
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22nd February 2013 at 6:04 am
Administrator says:
llpoh
I’m sure glad SSS was in the military & CIA because his pathetic ability to understand basic math concepts would have made him absolutely useless in the real world.
SSS, the resident TBP dunce, reads a story about a woman with two kids saying it has cut $261 per month from her budget and can’t get it through his thick alzheimer racked skull that there is a husband earning income too.
Geez. This requires a picture only used once before to describe another old Big Dog who proved to be a dumbass. SSS should stick to vacations from his vacation and slicing golf balls into cacti.
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22nd February 2013 at 8:08 am
SSS says:
Admin
YOU made the assumption that’s it’s a two income household, not me. I just countered with the excellent possibility that it might be a one income household.
Here’s a challenge for you, and it’s a direct quote from Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged,” which you claim to have read.
“Who is Melanie Burkhardt?”
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22nd February 2013 at 10:14 am
Administrator says:
SSS
I didn’t assume. I used my brain. You were the dumbass who forgot that a household can consist of two earners and both get assessed SS tax. I guess you are ASSUMING that Melanie is lying, because the ONLY way her household budget could be taking a hit of $261 per month is if there are TWO people earning money.Lucky you spent your life as a government drone. You would have been a disaster in the real world.
Geez. When you come to a gunfight, don’t come with just your dick in your hand.
SSS looking for his math ability.
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22nd February 2013 at 10:58 am
AWD says:
Geezers are taking out many multiples of what they paid in. Youngsters (the ones that can find jobs) are paying massive SS taxes but won’t see a dime. SS is a ponzi scheme and a massive tax burden.
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22nd February 2013 at 11:16 am
SSS says:
Melanie Burkhardt. Born 1974. Two teenagers, Jimmy and Mimi. Works as a legal assistant at The Futch Law Firm in Waycross, Georgia. Single mother. No friggin way a single income household’s Social Security taxes go up $260 a month.
I win. Pay up, Admin.
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22nd February 2013 at 12:57 pm
Chicago999444 says:
SS would have worked a lot better were it not for the horrendous currency inflation of the past 40 years. There’s no way anyone can pay in anything like what he or she stands to take out with the degradation of our currency.
My mother bought her 7 room 4 bed 2 bath brick house in a prime St. Louis suburb for $21,500, in 1971. A luxury 2 bed 1 bath in a fine St. Louis high rise cost about $230 a month, and $330 a month in a really high-end building. A new Olds 88 cost about $5500. My mother’s $9000 a year income as a junior accountant was ample for our needs. She saved plenty of money even though she never got a dime of child support from my bum father, and put 40% down on the house.
These days, a comparable house on her street sells for $300K. But salaries for people in her old job have leveled off at about $50K-$60K. A new Honda Accord is about $30,000. Rent for the luxury 2 bed 1 bath in the same neighborhood is now about $1700. A “high end” 2 bed in that city cost about $2500 a month. College tuition is 20X what it was.
This means that any money you saved or put into social security has lost nearly all its value since that time. Inflation is the most pernicious means of theft ever devised, and don’t think for a minute it wasn’t engineered deliberately.
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22nd February 2013 at 1:06 pm
Administrator says:
Bullshit
Married to James Jerry Burkhardt. Born in 1973.
Blow me.
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22nd February 2013 at 1:10 pm
Thunderbird says:
Administrator: The heart of the problem is not the social security tax alone; it is the entire payroll tax. This payroll tax was started during WW2 to pay for the war and never ended. It is the reason for the creation of the industrial-military complex and the large size of the federal government. When the States began hitting up wage income then the size of State government grew.
Tax on wages has to end period. The 16th amendment either has to be repealed or the original intent has to be updated to compensate for inflation from 1916. No one would be paying a payroll tax today if the constitution was followed. But you and I know this government is no longer operating according to the constitution.
The majority of the politicians and conservative talk show hosts are acting like Leopards. But although leopards can change their colors they can’t change their spots. Look at the spots. This government is no longer operating by the constitution. It has been hyjacked by something else… something that dazzles with colors but hides by it’s spots behind the form of our used to be constitutional government.
Want to raise revenue for the government then tax the monopoly protected corporations and their stakeholders paying little on their investment income. Why should the people or small independent business pay for a government that does not represent them?
Government and monopoly corporations with their stakeholders now control most of the resources of the country. They only need a limited amount of brainwashed people coming out of the state run schools to run the system. Human intelligence has been transferred to computers so independent human intelligence is no longer needed in the common society.
The wave of the future is in a reduced population with limited intelligence. We are being reduced to monkeys. The indoctrination of dumbing down has been going on for sometime now in television programs and commercials written for monkeys. Yes, we are being reduced to monkeys.
That being said, you can’t be dumbed down because of your birth conditions, but your children and grand children are candidates for indoctrination unless you intervene in their education.
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22nd February 2013 at 2:24 pm
SSS says:
A direct quote ……………
“Melanie M Burkhardt was born in 1974 and currently lives in Waycross, Georgia. Melanie M Burkhardt’s mother is Ophelia Burkhardt, who is 68 years old and lives in Marietta, GA, and her father is James Burkhardt, who is 70 years old and also lives in Marietta, GA. Melanie M Burkhardt’s brother, James Jerry Burkhardt, was born in 1973 and lives in Waycross, Georgia.”
I win. Pay up, Admin.
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22nd February 2013 at 2:49 pm
Stucky says:
From Walmart to salmon to shit pics to SS taxes. Jesus.
I would like to get this thread over with and declare a winner between SSS and Admin. I can’t do it, without your help.
Either SSS or Admin has their head up the oppponents ass. But, which is which?
You decide.
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22nd February 2013 at 2:52 pm
Administrator says:
SSS
You have not proven she is not living in a two earner household. I guess those two kids were from an immaculate conception. Please get on a plane and fly to Waycross GA, visit her home, and provide me with documented proof that there isn’t a man living in that household earning income.
Your own facts prove your ineptitude in investigative journalism. A law clerk makes less than $70,000 per year. There MUST be a 2nd earner in the household. You wouldn’t be accusing this nice lady of a bold faced lie to an Associated Press reporter. Would you?
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22nd February 2013 at 3:06 pm
Administrator says:
SSS at the CIA training academy
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22nd February 2013 at 3:11 pm
Llpoh says:
Nice to see a little TBP bonding happening. Sure am glad to know law assistants make $150k a year.
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22nd February 2013 at 5:54 pm
Administrator says:
llpoh
Most of my responses were designed to make you smile. We rarely have any knockdown drag em outs anymore.
That mangy cur SSS has put his tail between his legs and scampered away.
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22nd February 2013 at 6:41 pm
SSS says:
“Please get on a plane and fly to Waycross GA, visit her home, and provide me with documented proof that there isn’t a man living in that household earning income. Your own facts prove your ineptitude in investigative journalism. A law clerk makes less than $70,000 per year. There MUST be a 2nd earner in the household.”
—-Admin @ SSS
@ Admin and unwelcome intruder Llpoh
I’m a cheap shit, so instead of getting on an airplane, I got on the phone. Took me awhile, but I finally got through to Melanie Burkhardt. She was about to hang up on me, but I quickly told her I was not a reporter, but a retired Air Force Officer. That broke the ice, since her father was also retired from the Air Force and went to work at Lockheed in Marietta GA where he still lives.
Anyway, we got to chatting and finally I asked her if she knew about her being quoted in an article about Wal Mart and Social Security taxes. She said yes, that’s the reason she nearly hung up on me because of the many phone calls she’s been getting.
Anyway, one thing led to another, and she told me that, after she got a divorce, she got some type of law degree from South University in 2013 and a job with the Futch Law Firm because the alimony and child support payments she gets didn’t fully support her family’s lifestyle. I didn’t want to dig any deeper, so I let it go at that.
There you have it, smartasses. Single income household also bringing in alimony and child support payments. Had enough?
I win. Pay up, Admin.
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22nd February 2013 at 6:57 pm
Administrator says:
SSS
You’re a lying sack of shit.
Your false storyline does not address her $260 per month SS hit.
Why didn’t you ask her why she lied to the Associated Press?
The only way she could be taking a $260 hit per month is if there is $156,000 of EARNED income. Alimony and child support is not subject to SS tax.
When your in a hole, you should stop digging. You’re only looking more pathetic.
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22nd February 2013 at 7:08 pm
SSS says:
“You’re a lying sack of shit.”
—-Admin @ SSS
Heh. That was fun.
But you have to admit that it was an interesting story I made up. A classic tale of truths, half-truths, and downright lies. I could have strung this out with more comments, but I figured I better bail out before your blood pressure goes off the charts.
I hereby appoint myself as …….
TBP’s Professor Emeritus
Edward Bernays School of Propaganda
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22nd February 2013 at 7:40 pm
chen says:
Administrator says:
SSS
You’re a lying sack of shit.
You may be right. SU does not have a Law School. I can’t believe i was taken in by SSS.
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22nd February 2013 at 7:43 pm
Administrator says:
SSS
You win the TBP Bernays award. Use it wisely.
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22nd February 2013 at 7:59 pm
SSS says:
“SU (South University, a for-profit institution based in Savannah GA) does not have a Law School. I can’t believe i was taken in by SSS.”
—-chen
You are correct, chen, but SU does confer associate degrees in law (business and criminal). And don’t feel bad. You, Admin, and Llpoh were taken in by the best in the business.
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22nd February 2013 at 10:01 pm
Llpoh says:
Admin and SSS – thank you for making me smile.
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22nd February 2013 at 10:43 pm
Thinker says:
Seven In 10 Americans Adjusting Spending Plans To Cope With Recent Payroll Tax Changes, According To NRF
For Immediate Release
Download complete survey results here
Washington, February 21, 2013 – A change in federal tax law that decreased the take-home pay of many working Americans is impacting household budgets. According to NRF’s 2013 Tax Returns Survey conducted by BIGinsight, nearly three-quarters (73.3%) of those polled say their spending plans are taking a hit.
“We cannot grow the nation’s economy until consumers consume. A smaller paycheck due to the fiscal cliff deal early last month, higher gas prices, low consumer confidence and ongoing uncertainty about our nation’s fiscal health is negatively impacting consumers and businesses across the country,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “Every day we hear about building the middle class. We can only do that if we tear down barriers that prevent consumers from investing their hard-earned money back into our nation’s economy. It’s really that simple.”
When asked how the new federal tax laws have affected spending, saving or budgeting of their households, nearly six in 10 (58.2%) of those polled say their plans have been either somewhat or greatly impacted. Specifically, nearly half (45.7%) say they will spend less overall, and 35.6 percent will watch for sales more often. Additionally, one-third (33.5%) will reduce how much they dine out and 24.5 percent will spend less on “little luxuries,” such as trips to coffee shops, manicures and high-end cosmetic items.
Of those greatly impacted, nearly half (49.2%) will delay major purchases, such as a car, TV or furniture, and 58.2 percent will reduce the amount they dine away from home; another 43.4 percent say they will contribute less to savings, 46.4 percent will comparison shop more often, and 54.4 percent will spend less on clothing.
Of individuals that say the paycheck decreases will have little to no impact, many will still alter their spending habits. According to the survey, of this group, 22.4 percent say they will spend less overall, and 15.8 percent will use coupons more often. An additional 11.1 percent will reduce their entertainment plans, 11.6 percent will cut back on vacation and travel plans, and 17.9 percent will watch for sales more often.
Half of those making less than $50,000 will spend less overall
The survey found that half (50.0%) of those who make less than $50,000 a year say they will spend less overall. Additionally, 23.2 percent will spend less on groceries, compared to 16.7 percent of consumers who make more than $50,000 a year, and 27.6 percent will shop at discount stores more often, compared to 19.7 percent of adults making more than $50K.
Many Americans have already filed their taxes; most adults will put refund in savings
According to the survey, tax season is in full swing; three in 10 Americans (29.2%) say they have already filed their returns as of February 13 and another 29.2 percent will have filed by the end of the month. More than one-quarter (27.4%) will file in March and 14.2 percent will wait until the deadline and file in April.
Unsurprisingly, of those who say the payroll tax changes have had a great impact on their spending and budget plans, three in 10 (31.1%) have already filed.
The survey found nearly two-thirds (65.8%) of consumers are expecting a refund from Uncle Sam this year, and when asked how they plan to spend their refund, 37.2% say they will use the money to pay down debt, 44.0 percent will put it into savings and 29.7 percent will use it for everyday expenses.
Looking at the group whose spending plans have been greatly impacted by payroll tax changes – a hefty 48.1 percent of those expecting a refund say they will pay down debt, and 40.2 will put their refund towards savings.
“Americans are extremely mindful of how they spend their hard-earned money these days, and that includes any refund they may get back from their taxes,” said BIGinsight Consumer Insights Director Pam Goodfellow. “Thanks to years of practice stemming from high gas and food prices, and an uncertain economy, families will adjust to the changes in their take-home pay by purchasing generic brands, searching for coupons, downgrading on services like cable and internet and re-evaluating their overall spending habits.”
Online tax preparation grows, most will use computer software to file taxes
When it comes to how Americans will file their taxes, the number of people who file their taxes online continues to increase. This year, 62.5 percent of U.S. taxpayers will file their taxes online, up from 60.7 percent last year and the most in the survey’s history. Additionally, 37.3 percent will prepare their taxes using computer software, 20.2 percent will use an accountant, 18.8 percent will use a tax preparation service, and 14.0 percent will prepare by hand.
About the Survey
The NRF 2013 Tax Returns survey, conducted for NRF by BIGinsight, was designed to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to tax returns. The poll of 5,185 consumers was conducted from February 5-13, 2013. The consumer poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.4 percentage points.
BIGinsight delivers executives timely, consumer-centric insights from multiple sources. As a comprehensive resource of information, BIGinsight represents the voice of the consumer and provides knowledge to marketers regarding consumer views on the economy, personal finance, retail, lifestyle, media and domestic and world issues. http://www.BIGinsight.com
As the world’s largest retail trade association and the voice of retail worldwide, NRF represents retailers of all types and sizes, including chain restaurants and industry partners, from the United States and more than 45 countries abroad. Retailers operate more than 3.6 million U.S. establishments that support one in four U.S. jobs – 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.5 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy. NRF’s Retail Means Jobs campaign emphasizes the economic importance of retail and encourages policymakers to support a Jobs, Innovation and Consumer Value Agenda aimed at boosting economic growth and job creation. http://www.nrf.com.
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22nd February 2013 at 11:59 am