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Just got an email from HMGS, the group that runs the three big wargaming conventions in the northeast in PA in the Spring, Summer and Fall; the Summer show, Historicon, has been offically canceled. No big surprise, it's about 10 weeks out and there is too much uncertainty as far as the venue, hotels, restaurants, airline travel and such, so they pulled the plug.

The way things are shaping up, for the first time in the history of MMTS, I might not attend a single show this year, toy soldier, wargaming or otherwise.

Massachusetts is reopening in stages on Monday the 18th, we'll see how it goes, hoping for the best, praying to God the numbers don't spike.

Time will tell...................
 
The more testing the more cases there will be so it will spike.150,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each month.What is deadlier cancer or the virus?The shutdown was to keep the doctors and nurses from being overrun not to lock people down for months or years.90%of the hospitals hardly had any cases.52% of the counties in the US had no deaths.The lockdown did what it was suppose to do.Time to open up and some states including mine have to get rid of the tyrant governors.
Mark
 
marco55 said:
The more testing the more cases there will be so it will spike.150,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each month.What is deadlier cancer or the virus?The shutdown was to keep the doctors and nurses from being overrun not to lock people down for months or years.90%of the hospitals hardly had any cases.52% of the counties in the US had no deaths.The lockdown did what it was suppose to do.Time to open up and some states including mine have to get rid of the tyrant governors.
Mark
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First of all cancer is not contagious so that is not a fair comparison. If you knew cancer was contagious wouldn't you want to know who of your fellow workers or friends had it?
I think protecting doctors and nurses is pretty important, think about what would happen if there were massive shortages of them due to the virus.

I think calling governors tyrants is pretty extreme. Do you think they have a nefarious plan to bankrupt their states so they can declare themselves dictators for life?
They have to make life and death decisions so I don't envy them.

I would love to see everyone go back to work but not at the expense of a second wave that could be worse. Yes we have to take some chances, we can't be shut down indefinitely. But lets do it in stages and do it smart. Having the ability to test people before they go back to a close quarters work place, or on a plane and most importantly in schools would take a lot of the risk away. We could isolate the ones testing positive for the 10 to 14 day period and let them back when their test is normal.
Wearing masks may be inconvenient but if it saves lives or serious illness its a no brainer. Social distancing works so offices and factories can adapt with spread out work areas, shifts and staggered work days.

I know this is emotional for many but lets listen to the scientists and be willing to sacrifice to save lives and ultimately our way of life.
 
nysoldiers said:
I am really surprised at some of the reactions, so much for compassionate capitalism.

These are not "bail outs", hand outs, charity or welfare! They are to help our fellow citizens
put food on the table, pay their rent and purchase their medicines. These are hard working, "productive"
citizens who had nothing to do with the virus and subsequent loss of jobs. It is not a long term solution
but a way to help people stay home and not contract or spread the virus and cause more deaths. It is a
way to ease suffering until the economy can be restarted.
If you want people back to work then lobby our government for universal testing.

I know there are always people who want to game the system and get something for nothing, but this is not
the case. And its up to our government to better police welfare and medicare fraud.


The second wave or relapse of this virus could put us in a long deep recession or worse a real depression
then your taxes won't matter much, we will all be on the bread line. I am sure that Tom knows that we need
tax reform, getting rid of loopholes and corporate welfare, curbing lobbyists and offshore tax havens. That could
lower taxes for the middle class.

On a last note remember that it is the "working poor" who staff our food stores, pick our fruits and vegetables, process our
meats and poultry, clean our hospitals and homes, work in fast food restaurants and on and on. They may not be
middle class but try getting by without their productivity. The minimum wage in most states only adds up to $20K to $30K a year.

This is exactly the time we need government to provide a safety net for our citizens.
I and others are contributing large donations to food banks around the country. I don't consider it charity or handouts, just
trying to help my neighbors and fellow citizens.
Click to expand...


Dont disagree with some of what you said, THAT said, unfortunately that is not how this is working thus far. I can tell you on the ground in MD there is a large movement who do not want to go back to work, it is better for them Total Dollar wise to stay at home, THAT IS BS no matter what, it is not their fault, but hard to blame someone mathematics wise if they can sit at home and make more by not working.

Being a fully functioning international Tax CPA, I am not going to get into a lecture here, but the tax loopholes are few and far between and are not easily taken advantage of like the 1970s. Interntational Tax Havens do not exist any longer for most Corporations, again, it is gone the way of the dinosaur, electronic banking, dependence on the American Dollar and logistics have made these old Havens go by the Dodo bird. YES individuals can still and do HIDE their money, but Corporations, not so much. What does exist is picking which State you want to be HQ'd in and that is not a loophole. It is cheaper to HQ in many STates versus others. That is why NJ (not to pick on NJ) has lost I believe about 15 Fortune 500s in the last 24 months. It just got too expensive to stay there.

Regarding the working poor, those are exactly who are getting the raw end of the deal with the stimulus. There are many food service workers still gainfully employed and they will continue to be, yet, if and I am not going to beat around the bush, IF Nancy Pelosi's stimulus gets through, she aims to send $4K per month, $48K per year (not all of it taxed) to MFJ families who are not employed. I don't disagree with Unemployment - it is taxed and in cases like this , it should be extended benefits, but I disagree with paying someone $48K in cash to sit at home while the gainfully employed working poor are making less than that. There will not be an incentive to actually look for work. That is wrong and not sustainable and the Middle Class (lower to upper) will foot that bill. That is not conjecture or opinion, that is historical fact. The Stimulus should be aimed at the Working or Looking for Work poor, they are the ones who need it the most and they are a very productive part of society. If this gets through in its current form, it is the Rawest deal of all and you might as well call it for what it is - Socialism.

The Recession is already here, the bells just have not tolled yet. If this shutdown continues on and on, the capitulation will continue, the Government at all levels will not be able to print money fast enough. This is a consumption economy, if that stops, then we are left with nothing but debt and that will mount and then cause the collapse. Again, this not doom, gloom or sensationalism, it is historic facts. To me this is not even Political, it is Economics 101 based on our historic economy. When we stopped making things here and became this "digital" economy, there are no more products or money backed by Gold, it has become "service economy" which honestly, only thrives when we Consume.

Regarding compassion, that is a tough call. You get exactly one spin around this Earth and our days are forever numbered, family comes first, friends come next, after that, it is exactly what it is. I have my own personal reasons (as does everyone) for the actions they take and the "rules of the road", I don't know or pretend to know what others definition of compassion is. I know what mine is and I sleep quite soundly at night and I am sure most people do.

My post may sound harsh or critical, it is because there are going to have to be some difficult decisions and pathways for every American in the near term and unfortunately long term. Our current situation is a game changer, there is no direct recovery financially at all levels. Personally, I try to look on the bright side as much as possible and take a win when it comes, but nevertheless, I cannot lose sight of the facts that this is ugly and you have to face facts.

As a whole and at different stages in time in different areas, the leap of faith is going to have to be taken. The current lockdowns are not sustainable. It is and should be individual decisions on risk. Sticking with the Facts, Georgia who opened up a lot in the last two weeks has not seen a spike in cases. Do they have new cases, yes, but they do not have the large spike that was EVERY headline for 3 days in every so called factual media outlet (hence Georgia reopening is old news because it didnt fit the talking points). I am not going to restate my opinion again on that, I would like to stick to the facts. Why did I pick Georgia, because we have offices there and we are heavily monitoring the situation, So Far So Good.


Again, everyone has to make their own viewpoints and decisions, to each his own.

TD
 
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Pick on NJ all you want Tom.This guy wants to raise property taxes for schools but wants to give illegal aliens free college:mad:.As far as calling governors tyrants it has went to their heads this power.Just heard that in the last 2 months they estimate that 80,000 people with cancer hasn't been diagnosed because nothing was allowed to be checked but this **** virus.People are dying out there and not just from the virus.They have to feed their families and pay their bills.Everything is going to hell for a lot of people.Drug abuse,child abuse,mental problems ,alcoholism rates are going through the roof.If something like this ever happens again I bet they won't go this route.
Mark
 
GICOP said:
My heart bleeds for you guys^&grin

The equivalent price of a US gallon in the UK is $4.98 (£4) {eek3}

Stay safe

Martyn:)
Click to expand...

And that's at today's crappy exchange rate !

Tax making up 57.95p per litre equal to £2.19 ($2.64) per US Gallon !

Steve
 
All,

TD and NY Soldiers both have good points and I agree with y'all. This is a conundrum for sure but this is how I look at it:

-The first round of bailouts went to big business and a pacifier check to the populous...with a signed check by the dear leader AS IF he was dolling out the funds from his own bank account. Everyone got one except George.

-The second round went to Pay Check Protection which did nothing for independent contractors and those in the service industry (barbers, hair stylists, etc). Our business qualified for PCP and we got it most haste. Those who qualified got it...except George.

Meanwhile, the first of the month came and went on March 1st, April 1st and now May 1st and bills don't quarantine. Therefore, the common man/family still had to pay up even if he or she got let go from the COVID crisis. Can you file for unemployment? Sure, but you got wait at least another month or so just to get awarded. In the mean, you gotta eat and with no money comes desperate measures and actions in desperate times. Ask George, he'll tell ya. Oh and by the way George I may be making fun but I am not laughing about your situation AT ALL. In fact, I am a little pissed for you...vicariously.

So, in my opinion why can't George (as an example for many people) get a monthly dole that should not have to be paid back until it is SAFE to enter the work place and public? Well, because the Government will be ****ed to fund a citizen with out cause. In my opinion there is cause and this is a unique situation that requires action to keep not only our economy afloat but our citizenry whose financial and mental well being is at stake. With out tax payers (who should be happy ones by the way) you don't get money for bullets, payroll and White House toilet paper. The TAX Payer has been footing the bill for hundreds of years and this one time you (the government) can't reciprocate? *** is that? No, no there is this push to open the economy so the Govt does not have to pay out.

On a side note, one of our contractors son came into the shop and I asked him how college was going. He told me with glee that it was going great because he did not have to pay for it because he is a dreamer. Mind you I had just spent over $600 on college applications for daughter #2 and the wife and I strategized paying for her college for the next 4 to 8 years that week. I was gobsmacked and couldn't believe my ears. Simply put, a non citizen was getting their higher education paid for, yet my daughter (daughter of a veteran) a citizen (and tax paying one too) who is working "over" part time to earn some college money and filling out scholarships with a frenzy gets a flood of letters from banking institutions offering her loans to pay for college.

I was and still am disgusted at this story and its not over as Son#1 is right behind her.

This is an example of how our government prioritizes its citizenry wether its for college or during a pandemic. And by the way, Pandemic or no pandemic the dreamer kid still gets to go to college for free...on my dime and yours. Yet George, can't even get a $1200 signed check in his account. Its a crying shame and sadly that's how we roll in 'Merica and there is no end in sight. The bleeding has to stop.

John from Texas

PS: GICOP you need to call Boris about those gas price man...thats criminal.
 
John,

I am with you on all points. I am with George in not getting a $1,200 check and not getting anything else from the government, and I am fine with that, because I have been able to work from home and bill about 60% of what I normally bill . . . collecting it from clients is another matter! With the exception of a few clients who actually continued to pay the invoices, I have left a lot of money in the street for the past few months. I have a lot of bills that have to be paid (as do we all), including a mortgage, so I have been dipping into the money I set aside to pay my taxes to keep up to date. If things do not pick up on both the billing and especially the collecting on the invoices fronts, this could get ugly come July 15th.

I am with Rich 100% on helping people who had honest jobs, but were put out of work by this pandemic. If the government says you can't work, then they have an obligation not to bankrupt you. Tom, you are a dear friend, and I'm sure there are some people who don't want to work, but I have a bunch of close friends who are hurting and begging for a chance to get back to work. These are the people I want to see helped, and if a few freeloaders go along for the ride, I am okay with that.

John, your point about non-citizens getting a free education is for me, the most @ss backwards part of our government. To me it is very simple: you should have to pay in to the system to take out. I have always been of the opinion that a veteran and his or her family should be the ones getting free education and other preferential treatment, as they paid into the system with blood as well as money. Thank you for your service.

The country does have to start back up, but as Rich points out, we have to take a sensible approach to doing so, to keep the pandemic from exploding again. I am an appeals lawyer, so my business is the courts. In New York State, the Courts were more or less completely closed for about a month. Governor Cuomo has been slowly reopening the courts for electronic filings. He started with essential cases (criminal, family court, mental health), then slowly (in the last week) reopened the courts to accept filings in other existing matters, including motions and appeals, and requests for video conferences on discovery issues. In the mean time, he has tolled the deadlines for filing new matters. The courts are either holding video sessions for arguments and conferences, or just taking matters on submission (on the filings, without argument). So my business is slowly coming back to life with a minimal risk of infection. I am hoping he is taking the same studied approach in reopening the rest of the economy. Our governor is working with the governors of 5 other states in the region for a unified plan for reopening the economy, especially including the schools. I am hoping it works, and that it happens as soon as it can be done safely (and not a minute sooner). Again, that's just my two cents.
 
"Dont disagree with some of what you said, THAT said, unfortunately that is not how this is working thus far. I can tell you on the ground in MD there is a large movement who do not want to go back to work, it is better for them Total Dollar wise to stay at home"

Workers in Seattle asked for fewer hours from employers when the minimum wage was increased to remain qualified for low income benefits. ANother case of being better off financially by not working.

News story that the California Gov wants to give each illegal immigrant $500, tax paid money. Some back lash there, but hey they're getting what they voted for.
Chris
 
Louis Badolato said:
John,

I am with you on all points. I am with George in not getting a $1,200 check and not getting anything else from the government, and I am fine with that, because I have been able to work from home and bill about 60% of what I normally bill . . . collecting it from clients is another matter! With the exception of a few clients who actually continued to pay the invoices, I have left a lot of money in the street for the past few months. I have a lot of bills that have to be paid (as do we all), including a mortgage, so I have been dipping into the money I set aside to pay my taxes to keep up to date. If things do not pick up on both the billing and especially the collecting on the invoices fronts, this could get ugly come July 15th.

I am with Rich 100% on helping people who had honest jobs, but were put out of work by this pandemic. If the government says you can't work, then they have an obligation not to bankrupt you. Tom, you are a dear friend, and I'm sure there are some people who don't want to work, but I have a bunch of close friends who are hurting and begging for a chance to get back to work. These are the people I want to see helped, and if a few freeloaders go along for the ride, I am okay with that.

John, your point about non-citizens getting a free education is for me, the most @ss backwards part of our government. To me it is very simple: you should have to pay in to the system to take out. I have always been of the opinion that a veteran and his or her family should be the ones getting free education and other preferential treatment, as they paid into the system with blood as well as money. Thank you for your service.

The country does have to start back up, but as Rich points out, we have to take a sensible approach to doing so, to keep the pandemic from exploding again. I am an appeals lawyer, so my business is the courts. In New York State, the Courts were more or less completely closed for about a month. Governor Cuomo has been slowly reopening the courts for electronic filings. He started with essential cases (criminal, family court, mental health), then slowly (in the last week) reopened the courts to accept filings in other existing matters, including motions and appeals, and requests for video conferences on discovery issues. In the mean time, he has tolled the deadlines for filing new matters. The courts are either holding video sessions for arguments and conferences, or just taking matters on submission (on the filings, without argument). So my business is slowly coming back to life with a minimal risk of infection. I am hoping he is taking the same studied approach in reopening the rest of the economy. Our governor is working with the governors of 5 other states in the region for a unified plan for reopening the economy, especially including the schools. I am hoping it works, and that it happens as soon as it can be done safely (and not a minute sooner). Again, that's just my two cents.
Click to expand...

Louis, John, I am all for helping out those that were displaced by this terrible situation, that I am for. It is just a sad statement that there is a group (rather large by estimates I have seen in MD, of course, assuming the data is true or at least half true!!!!!) who are taking advantage of the situation. They don't want to go out and look for work because they are making more at home, that is just wrong. I, you and everyone else works for every dime we get, that should be a standard, not a unique situation.

John - the Dreamer, oh boy, having a sophmore in HS and constantly worrying about the bill I am (hopefully) going to start paying in 2 years is a challenge that I am still working out, this current pandemic is certainly NOT helping that. But back to the Dreamer, I can't say anything that would be allowed to be posted on this board but one word - disgusting.

Back to my original point - I am all for assistance for the individual who by no choice of their own, but by the pandemic is out of work, they should qualify for any and all stimulus, it is not their fault they can't make ends meet. However, I will never sign off on giving $48K per year to MFJ family who is not looking for work, was not gainfully employed prior to the pandemic and whose sole purpose is to game the system and Louis unfortunately there is more of them out there than any of us would care to admit and that is sad.

Rick - the above has nothing to do with compassionate capitalism, it is calling it for what it is. It is a sad reality that totally goes against rewarding people for hard work principle. The current push from one side of our political body is socialism by definition and I am never going to be compassionate to that. I work hard for my money, it should be my choice what I choose to do with it, I should not be overtaxed at all levels in order to pay for some POS who is gaming the system, I will never be on board with that and quite frankly, I will continue to take a devil's attitude in that regard. Call me a tough mean SOB , I don't care, I have no feeling toward those of that ilk and quite frankly there are like gum on my shoe, they cause a lot of frustration.

Another note, reopening the Country is going to be very different by zip code. Like I said before apparently Georgia is proceeding along nicely and that is GOOD news for everyone, it is showing it can be done. Does that apply to NYC, of course not, the harder hit and more populous areas have a larger challenge in figuring it out safely, that said, it should not dictate what happens elsewhere. Factually, it is going to be safer to reopen in Pittsburgh than it is Philadelphia, my town could open right now, but Baltimore City can't. I am never going to agree with this lockdown for all concept, it is stupid on its face. For example, Rural MD could open schools today safely and without issue.

TD
 
Louis Badolato said:
John,

Again, that's just my two cents.
Click to expand...

Louis, cheapest legal opinion ever !

You mentioned you are an "appeals lawyer". Dont quite understand the concept as not a term familiar with. Does that mean you only do cases that appeal a case already decided with a view to overturning it ? Seems very specialised. Here a lawyer would do trials and then if has to go to appeal then usually a better (and more expensive !) lawyer called in to handle the appeal which is considered more difficult than original trial.
 
People using government programs as a scam have always been a problem. I have known a few and it is a bit sickening when you consider how hard most people who play fair work.
I didn't get my 1200, nor did Dad or Mom or anyone any of us know. Guess Illinois isn't a priority, that or we shouldn't have all filed our taxes early (silly reason, eh?).
Dad's doing pro bono work. Nobody will pay right now. They pull out their pockets and site the virus, and I don't think they are all pulling a fast one.
I don't get unemployment and I refuse to sign up for disability. I don't think I'm disabled, even if I do have some problems that make most jobs difficult. Shoot, I didn't get a dime for school or for any other reason from the government. They keep me safe and I don't ever ask for more. As it happens I would rather starve than be trapped in any system created by any government.
That said most people would much rather work than get handouts. People want to have a purpose and a job that pays the bills. Many good people and hard workers have accepted some government relief at some point. Then they try to continue being productive. The help may be a crutch, but sometimes people need a crutch for a while so they can heal up and go out and live again. The key is to discard the crutch as soon as possible.
Mom's mom actually had to go on welfare when mom's dad refused to give a dime to his 4 children for over 5 years. She hated it so much she applied everywhere and finally found work here and there, even though she had to raise a family alone at the same time. Being on the dole is a terrible defeat for most people.
But let's not punish people who are forced to stay in and can't work. Yes, many will take the handout and simply sit on their duffs until another handout or scam presents itself. But the majority will only take what they need to keep afloat in these tricky times.
48,000 a year for everybody is far too much. So is free college for everybody. But there has to be some relief or people won't be in a position to get back to work when and if this disaster ever ends.
Just my 2 cents. Very interesting opinions on this thread. At least people are trying to make things work like they should.
Anyway stay safe and good luck to everyone. Sorry again for being a jerk in past threads. No excuses but I panicked.
Best wishes to all
Paddy
 
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tdubel said:
Louis, John, I am all for helping out those that were displaced by this terrible situation, that I am for. It is just a sad statement that there is a group (rather large by estimates I have seen in MD, of course, assuming the data is true or at least half true!!!!!) who are taking advantage of the situation. They don't want to go out and look for work because they are making more at home, that is just wrong. I, you and everyone else works for every dime we get, that should be a standard, not a unique situation.

John - the Dreamer, oh boy, having a sophmore in HS and constantly worrying about the bill I am (hopefully) going to start paying in 2 years is a challenge that I am still working out, this current pandemic is certainly NOT helping that. But back to the Dreamer, I can't say anything that would be allowed to be posted on this board but one word - disgusting.

Back to my original point - I am all for assistance for the individual who by no choice of their own, but by the pandemic is out of work, they should qualify for any and all stimulus, it is not their fault they can't make ends meet. However, I will never sign off on giving $48K per year to MFJ family who is not looking for work, was not gainfully employed prior to the pandemic and whose sole purpose is to game the system and Louis unfortunately there is more of them out there than any of us would care to admit and that is sad.

Rick - the above has nothing to do with compassionate capitalism, it is calling it for what it is. It is a sad reality that totally goes against rewarding people for hard work principle. The current push from one side of our political body is socialism by definition and I am never going to be compassionate to that. I work hard for my money, it should be my choice what I choose to do with it, I should not be overtaxed at all levels in order to pay for some POS who is gaming the system, I will never be on board with that and quite frankly, I will continue to take a devil's attitude in that regard. Call me a tough mean SOB , I don't care, I have no feeling toward those of that ilk and quite frankly there are like gum on my shoe, they cause a lot of frustration.

Another note, reopening the Country is going to be very different by zip code. Like I said before apparently Georgia is proceeding along nicely and that is GOOD news for everyone, it is showing it can be done. Does that apply to NYC, of course not, the harder hit and more populous areas have a larger challenge in figuring it out safely, that said, it should not dictate what happens elsewhere. Factually, it is going to be safer to reopen in Pittsburgh than it is Philadelphia, my town could open right now, but Baltimore City can't. I am never going to agree with this lockdown for all concept, it is stupid on its face. For example, Rural MD could open schools today safely and without issue.

TD
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Tom,
I certainly don't consider myself a Socialist and I totally agree that these temporary funds may be abused by some people. I know there are people who game the system but I think this is a different scenario and the vast majority want to go back to work and hate the thought of handouts. You will always get a small percentage of criminals and leeches. In 40 years of working with inner city students and minorities the vast majority I see want to succeed, better their lives and help their families.
Maybe I am more of a "social liberal" but I am also a fiscal conservative. I believe that every American citizen should have access to affordable health care (pay based on income like Medicare) and a good education. Beyond that its up to your abilities and work ethics. I think the government should have quarantined most non-essential workers for several weeks....nationally not state by state. That may have stemmed the spread early on.
I am really afraid that all these premature openings will bring back the virus in a stronger second wave and then we are really screwed.
On a closing political/philosophical note I fear Oligarchy and Plutocracy more than a mix of socialist/capitalism but we can discuss privately.
 
hotel3alpha said:
All,

TD and NY Soldiers both have good points and I agree with y'all. This is a conundrum for sure but this is how I look at it:

-The first round of bailouts went to big business and a pacifier check to the populous...with a signed check by the dear leader AS IF he was dolling out the funds from his own bank account. Everyone got one except George.

-The second round went to Pay Check Protection which did nothing for independent contractors and those in the service industry (barbers, hair stylists, etc). Our business qualified for PCP and we got it most haste. Those who qualified got it...except George.

Meanwhile, the first of the month came and went on March 1st, April 1st and now May 1st and bills don't quarantine. Therefore, the common man/family still had to pay up even if he or she got let go from the COVID crisis. Can you file for unemployment? Sure, but you got wait at least another month or so just to get awarded. In the mean, you gotta eat and with no money comes desperate measures and actions in desperate times. Ask George, he'll tell ya. Oh and by the way George I may be making fun but I am not laughing about your situation AT ALL. In fact, I am a little pissed for you...vicariously.

So, in my opinion why can't George (as an example for many people) get a monthly dole that should not have to be paid back until it is SAFE to enter the work place and public? Well, because the Government will be ****ed to fund a citizen with out cause. In my opinion there is cause and this is a unique situation that requires action to keep not only our economy afloat but our citizenry whose financial and mental well being is at stake. With out tax payers (who should be happy ones by the way) you don't get money for bullets, payroll and White House toilet paper. The TAX Payer has been footing the bill for hundreds of years and this one time you (the government) can't reciprocate? *** is that? No, no there is this push to open the economy so the Govt does not have to pay out.


On a side note, one of our contractors son came into the shop and I asked him how college was going. He told me with glee that it was going great because he did not have to pay for it because he is a dreamer. Mind you I had just spent over $600 on college applications for daughter #2 and the wife and I strategized paying for her college for the next 4 to 8 years that week. I was gobsmacked and couldn't believe my ears. Simply put, a non citizen was getting their higher education paid for, yet my daughter (daughter of a veteran) a citizen (and tax paying one too) who is working "over" part time to earn some college money and filling out scholarships with a frenzy gets a flood of letters from banking institutions offering her loans to pay for college.

I was and still am disgusted at this story and its not over as Son#1 is right behind her.

This is an example of how our government prioritizes its citizenry wether its for college or during a pandemic. And by the way, Pandemic or no pandemic the dreamer kid still gets to go to college for free...on my dime and yours. Yet George, can't even get a $1200 signed check in his account. Its a crying shame and sadly that's how we roll in 'Merica and there is no end in sight. The bleeding has to stop.

John from Texas

PS: GICOP you need to call Boris about those gas price man...thats criminal.
Click to expand...
Good response and we are on the same boat. Our government both Federal and local have been too lax on the cheaters and loopholes. I am not anti-immigrant but tax paying citizens should have the priorities of assistance. I had a scholarship for my first two years of college then took out loans which took me 10 years to pay back.
 
Louis Badolato said:
John,

I am with you on all points. I am with George in not getting a $1,200 check and not getting anything else from the government, and I am fine with that, because I have been able to work from home and bill about 60% of what I normally bill . . . collecting it from clients is another matter! With the exception of a few clients who actually continued to pay the invoices, I have left a lot of money in the street for the past few months. I have a lot of bills that have to be paid (as do we all), including a mortgage, so I have been dipping into the money I set aside to pay my taxes to keep up to date. If things do not pick up on both the billing and especially the collecting on the invoices fronts, this could get ugly come July 15th.

I am with Rich 100% on helping people who had honest jobs, but were put out of work by this pandemic. If the government says you can't work, then they have an obligation not to bankrupt you. Tom, you are a dear friend, and I'm sure there are some people who don't want to work, but I have a bunch of close friends who are hurting and begging for a chance to get back to work. These are the people I want to see helped, and if a few freeloaders go along for the ride, I am okay with that.

John, your point about non-citizens getting a free education is for me, the most @ss backwards part of our government. To me it is very simple: you should have to pay in to the system to take out. I have always been of the opinion that a veteran and his or her family should be the ones getting free education and other preferential treatment, as they paid into the system with blood as well as money. Thank you for your service.

The country does have to start back up, but as Rich points out, we have to take a sensible approach to doing so, to keep the pandemic from exploding again. I am an appeals lawyer, so my business is the courts. In New York State, the Courts were more or less completely closed for about a month. Governor Cuomo has been slowly reopening the courts for electronic filings. He started with essential cases (criminal, family court, mental health), then slowly (in the last week) reopened the courts to accept filings in other existing matters, including motions and appeals, and requests for video conferences on discovery issues. In the mean time, he has tolled the deadlines for filing new matters. The courts are either holding video sessions for arguments and conferences, or just taking matters on submission (on the filings, without argument). So my business is slowly coming back to life with a minimal risk of infection. I am hoping he is taking the same studied approach in reopening the rest of the economy. Our governor is working with the governors of 5 other states in the region for a unified plan for reopening the economy, especially including the schools. I am hoping it works, and that it happens as soon as it can be done safely (and not a minute sooner). Again, that's just my two cents.
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Louis I will always help you out with some good kosher deli sandwiches LOL
We have to be reasonable and respectful to different opinions, come up with compromises. I never thought I would experience anything like this especially in my senior years. My parents and grandparents would tell me about the Depression and life during WWII but the impact was minimal as a teenager
only concerned with my own challenges. Fortunately my daughter and son work for large well capitalized companies and they are working from home. My son-in-law lost most of his income and my daughter-in-law took a 50% pay cut. They are budgeting and using some of their savings but in better shape than most. We can't help everyone for an indefinite period but its time for the government and private citizens to help our fellow Americans to get through this unprecedented crisis.
 
The Military Workshop said:
Louis, cheapest legal opinion ever !

You mentioned you are an "appeals lawyer". Dont quite understand the concept as not a term familiar with. Does that mean you only do cases that appeal a case already decided with a view to overturning it ? Seems very specialised. Here a lawyer would do trials and then if has to go to appeal then usually a better (and more expensive !) lawyer called in to handle the appeal which is considered more difficult than original trial.
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Whenever a decision is made by a Court on a motion, or a Court makes a ruling at a trial, someone disagrees with it. I handle the appeals for the unhappy parties. Additionally, in making motions before the lower court, or briefing a matter for a trial court, the attorney of record or trial attorney, who lacks the time or the skill, hires me to draft motions, opposition papers, and trial memoranda. My clients are other attorneys in need of legal research and writing. It is a specialized field, but as my late grandfather told me as a child, to get ahead you need to either be the best at something, or do something that needs to be done but other people can't or won't do.
 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
Florence Nightingale , 200 today


Florence Nightingale, OM, RRC, DStJ was a British social reformer and statistician, and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War, in which she organised care for wounded soldiers.

Born: 12 May 1820, Florence, Italy


Died: 13 August 1910, Mayfair, London



Named after Florence Nightingale, the NHS Nightingale Hospital London is the first of the NHS Nightingale Hospitals: temporary hospitals set up by NHS England for the COVID-19 pandemic. It is housed in the ExCeL London convention centre in East London, and has an initial capacity for 500 patients, with potential for 4,000. The hospital was rapidly planned and constructed, being formally opened on 3 April and receiving its first patients on 7 April 2020.

Stay safe everybody

Martyn



 

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All,

This thread and further more this forum is like a wall, where you can take your rug and beat it against the wall to get the dust out. It certainly is metal floss for me to participate with you esteemed ladies and gents to get a holistic view point of what going on in our nation and beyond the borders. Everything that is being said here is being relayed by everyone is some shape form or another and I find it healthy, good medicine for the mind. Honestly, I can't have conversations like this with my sphere because either they are too jaded, ignorant or afraid.

Anyway, just to make light of the situation when this first happened I wondered aloud if it was time to bring out the USDA food trucks that used to disperse food in my grandma's barrio when I was a kid. My family looked at me like "what the hell are you talking about?" I remember lining up behind a semi and the driver would hand out powdered milk, rice, beans and the HOLY GRAIL of government cheese. My god that cheese is the best and I swear McDonalds has a life time supply of it, because their cheese on their burgers remind me of Government Cheese. I used to think that "not for re-sale" was a brand for heavens sakes. Seriously though, it was the best American cheese I have ever had. Nonetheless, no food trucks to be seen because I guess everything is from food banks, but the real questions is why isn't there Government food trucks out in neighborhoods dispersing non-perishable. For Christ sake farmers are destroying food as we speak due to the Pandemic.

I neither am anti-immigrant and served with plenty of soldiers and airmen who were serving to get their citizenship. I truly believe in a pathway to citizenship, but right now its looks like being a non-citizen has its perks and frankly my friends I cannot believe I just said that. Wow. All these grievances certainly come to the surface thought we you see your fellow man struggling to put food on the table and make the day. But, good god what a waste of good tax payer money that is not going back into reinvestment OF the taxpayer...so that they too can make more money and pay into the system.

Sure they are cheaters and loafers out there. Freaking always as a matter of fact and I loathe them, but don't spend to much time thinking about them because working the system is exhausting and you got keep up with it. Those of us who are square dealers sleep better at night and get more accomplished because we are interested in long money not short money. Trust me when I tell you I know quite a few "short money" characters out there and they always seem to be broke and chasing easy money. I got nothing for them...I'm too busy.

Listen, I have what is called an episodic memory once when I was teen ager. My mom loaded me up in the car and drove in the night to a church with out saying a word to me. We pulled up to a church and told me to stay in the car. A few moments later she came back with a box full of can food and one of deacons helped her put more food in the trunk of the car. She got back in the car and we drove home (literally a shack that my uncle rented to us), where I helped her put all the food away. I don't remember her ever saying anything during the trip, it was just silence to and fro. She wasn't happy, nor sad, just stoic as in "this is what I have to do" and neither did I pry about the church food donation as to how she arranged it. We just came home and put the food away in silence. I guess it was the silence that makes the memory more vivid because the message was loud and clear: we had no food. Thats when I knew my mom had reached the end of the rope and I never took a meal for granted ever again. Had it not been for the church donation we would not have eaten the next day and when my 14 year old mind figured that out I was humbled man. Those pinto beans were the best I have ever had.

People need help and they need it now and sadly there is no help on the way. Its a **** shame.

John from Texas
 
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