(Ft. Worth, TX, USA)

aubreyturner.org

Bloodsuckers

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Sneaky and Underhanded

I received a replacement for my old, worn-out, Chase debit card in the mail today.  They issue them for three year periods and the old one had been swiped so many times that it was fraying on the edges and the numbers were nearly unreadable.

Anyhow, the first thing that annoyed me was when I called the number to activate the card.  Their system took a total of three minutes to “activate” the card, of which 2.5 minutes was devoted to trying to sell me their identity theft protection (and you were not allowed to ignore the offer, as you had to select ‘2’ on the phone to get past it). 

But I discovered the really sneaky and underhanded thing when I started looking into their “Free Debit Rewards Program.”  The new debit card included an insert for the rewards program that said I could get points for using the card and that enrolling was “EASY—AND FREE!”  This triggered my TANSTAAFL sensors, as there has to be some kind of catch (i.e. someone is paying for these “free rewards”).  The main trick appears to be that you have to use the debit card as a credit card (i.e. don’t use a PIN), which I think triggers fees for the merchant.  But the other trick is that there is a $25.00 annual fee.  Which is pretty underhanded, because all of their brochures and *all* of their FAQ answers stress that it is free to enroll.  It’s only in the Terms And Conditions that you learn about the “annual fee.”  After parsing that for a minute I realized that they were legally correct, but morally bankrupt.    It’s free to enroll.  It just costs money to stay in the program.

What the FAQ promises…

... is taken away by the T’s and C’s:

That said, the program may still be worth it, especially since I use the card so often.  But the way they hid the fee bothers me enough that I am going to pass on the program.  In the interest of full disclosure they should have had at least one FAQ answer that covers the fact that there is an annual fee (and I skimmed *every* FAQ just to be sure; I could find no mention of it there, only in the T’s and C’s). 

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Pinnacle Security: FAIL

I am finding of late that despite my “NO SOLICITORS” sign a number of people are still ringing my bell during the day.  One of these days I will get another one for the religious people (as they all seem to think they aren’t solicitors, but are doing “God’s work” or something).  Anyhow, most of the remaining non-religious solicitors are ones who want to argue with you as to whether they are a solicitor or not.

Today’s award for “reading comprehension FAIL” goes to the representative for Pinnacle Security who rang the bell even though he clearly saw the sign.  I opened the door and he immediately launched into his spiel about how he was visiting with people in the neighborhood who had security systems.  I immediately stopped him and asked if he’d seen the sign and knew about Keller’s soliciting ordinance.  His answer was that he was not a solicitor and he didn’t need a permit because he didn’t take money; instead he was just doing “marketing.”  I told him that I a) I considered him a solicitor, and b) I had an alarm and didn’t need or want any “upgrades.”  He tried once again to launch into his spiel, but I stopped him and told him to leave.  He gave me a strange look like he was considering something, but instead said, “I’ll leave whenever you want.”  Which had me thinking, Why are you still here, then?, but I didn’t say it, as he finally got the message from my expression that he was quickly moving from annoyance to potential threat and decided to leave.

It only occurred to me afterwards that perhaps he got a glimpse of the Springfield XD 40 that I was carrying.  It was not intentional, but earlier I had been fiddling with the radio in my truck and my garage was hot so I took off my outer shirt.  When he arrived I was just wearing an undershirt and I had to scramble to get my shirt to cover the gun.  I left it unbuttoned, though, which is why in hindsight it’s possible that he saw it.  Of course, this being Texas, if you freak out when you discern that the resident of the house has a gun you’re probably not cut out for door-to-door solicitation jobs.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

That’s No Moon…

I feel a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of taxpayers suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.

H/T The Smallest Minority (original at AR15.com).  Via Instapundit.

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Snark Of The Day

Tam brings the snark concerning Obama’s national health care plan:

Obama’s plan will guarantee that the nation’s elderly are shovel-ready.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Stock Up On Stogies Before SCHIP Arrives

What many people may not know about the SCHIP bill that was signed into law recently by President Obama is that it includes a brutally high increase in federal excise taxes on cigars, pipe tobacco, and roll-your-own cigarette tobacco.  This one seems to have never gained much publicity for some reason.  I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by that, given that smoking is so politically incorrect these days.

Here are the basics of the new taxes, to give you an idea of just how outrageous they are:

• The tax rate on large cigars will now be 52.4% (with a cap of $0.40 for individual cigars)
• The federal tax on cigarettes goes from $0.39 to $1.00 per pack
• The tax on pipe tobacco goes from $1.0969 per pound to $2.8126 per pound
• The tax on roll-your-own cigarette tobacco goes from $1.0969 per pound to $24.62 per pound!

The only way I found out about this was when I got a mailer from Finck Cigar Company about the new taxes.

After receiving the mailer I started doing a little research into it and came across a letter to the editor from Bill Finck (owner of the aforementioned Finck Cigar Company), who is now finding himself having his squishy bits squeezed by The Chosen One™:

Our little family-owned, 115-year-old cigar factory will not be able to sell enough at the increased price to remain open, and our 59 employees, half over 50 years of age, will become unemployed. The brutal tax burdens from SCHIP will crush the small cigar businesses and the roll-your-own cigarette businesses. Thousands of American jobs in the myriad of support businesses such as tobacco growing, tobacco processing, package manufacturing, transportation and sales operations will be lost.

I am proud of our new president and his repeatedly proclaimed intent to preserve and create jobs in the United States. Someone in his group has failed to recognize the loss of thousands of jobs resulting from the tax provision in SCHIP.

This is basic economics, but it never fails to amaze me that people don’t get it.  When you raise taxes on something, someone is going to have to pay for it, and if it’s something that is discretionary, people will buy less, which usually means that it’s the people at the bottom of the “social ladder” that get hit hardest.  Still, I can’t help but feel a bit of Obamanfreude at his predicament (as it sounds like he was an Obama supporter). 

Anyhow, back to the matter at hand…  I guess I am going to have to stock up before the tax tsunami hits.  I will either get a bigger humidor or get a couple more smaller ones as well as three or four boxes of cigars.  It’s more than I would usually spend, since I generally buy them by the stick or buy samplers so I can get 5 or 10 at a time (as compared to the usual 50 in a box).  At the rate I smoke them, four boxes would probably last ten years, but at least I’d be set against supply disruptions as the cigar industry adjusts and consolidates itself in the new environment. 

Word of the Day

I hereby propose a new word:

Obamanfreude - 1.  taking pleasure from the discomfort of Obama supporters as they come to realize that The Chosen One™ is just another Chicago politician.  2.  taking pleasure from the misfortunes of an Obama supporter as he or she is adversely affected by the policies of their Dear Leader.

Monday, February 02, 2009

Eminent Domain

There’s a good opinion piece in today’s Ft. Worth Star-Telegram on the subject of eminent domain.  I’ve written a little about this topic before.  First, when the Cowboys and the City of Arlington grabbed private land for the new stadium, and again when the City of Keller took land from a developer for flood control (after apparently creating the problem by directing the water onto the developer’s land!).

As some of you may know, Governor Perry has come out in favor of a constitutional amendment to protect the rights of Texas property owners in eminent domain cases.  But, given his past support for the Trans-Texas Corridor (supposedly dead now, but probably really just awaiting a name change), I wonder just how far he’s willing to go in protecting our rights.  The law he signed during the last session didn’t really protect much. 

Given that, I have to agree with Roy Shockey on what a constitutional amendment should address:

An amendment to the Texas Constitution should plug loopholes, answer questions and protect the rights of Texas property owners. But if we’re going to amend the constitution, let’s get it right.

Let’s clearly define what is meant by the term public use and spell it out in writing.

Let’s eliminate the “blight” exception that enables the wealthiest to prey on those who have the least.

Let’s establish guidelines for compensation whenever property is seized for legitimate public use under the new statute.

Let’s address the issue of diminished access so our retained property values and access will be protected.

Let’s put the burden of proof in “public use and necessity” disputes on the back of government instead of where it is now — on the shoulders of private citizens whose property is being targeted.

The only thing I would add is a provision for punishment of any local or state official who participates in any type of scheme to deprive any citizen of his or her land for a private interest.  I think hanging them from lamp posts by their own entrails should be sufficient, but then I’m not know for being subtle or sympathetic towards thieves.

Just for the record I should inform you that I know Roy Shockey from the Keller Citizen’s Police Academy Alumni Association (KCPAAA). 

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Political Quickie

It was amusing for the first couple of days trying to puzzle out how to say Blagojevich along with the news anchors until the correct pronunciation filtered its way down from the Chicago and national media to the rest of the country.

Still, I find myself saying Blagojevich! at odd times, and it seems almost fitting as a term for something nasty and unpleasant.  Excuse me, but my dog just Blagojevich’d all over the carpet!  -or- What did that Blagojevich want now!

No, I never claimed to be a really deep thinker… just easily amused…

Friday, April 27, 2007

Enjoy The View!

As much as I detest Mayor Mommy over in Dallas, her antics usually don’t directly affect me.  But now I see that she’s managed to pass on $12 million in costs from her pet Trinity River project on to the rest of us.

Electric ratepayers in Fort Worth and elsewhere will get stuck with part of the bill for a tourism and economic development project in Dallas under a regulatory decision Thursday that could open the door for similarly expensive charges from other cities.

On a 2-1 vote, the Texas Public Utility Commission agreed to take more than $12 million in construction costs for the burial of a new power line near downtown Dallas and pass those costs on to ratepayers statewide.

Dallas requested the burial so the power line wouldn’t detract from the look of the $1.4 billion Trinity River Corridor Project. The 0.7-mile line is to run parallel to Canada Drive on the south shore of the Trinity River.

How lovely.  I guess I’ll have to go down and have a look at this Trinity River project when it’s done, since it’s now going to be included in my electric bill.

Transmission service is the only part of the state’s electric system that remains strictly under PUC control. The agency authorizes utilities to charge ratepayers for the cost of new transmission lines, but typically only for projects that help make the power grid safe and reliable.

In this case, however, Dallas has argued that the new transmission line would be too ugly. The extra cost for burying it is estimated at about $17 million, although the Dallas City Council voted this week to pick up 25 percent of the eventual cost.

Too ugly!  Typical wasteful spendthrift nonsense. 

But check this “logic:”

PUC Chairman Paul Hudson, who along with Commissioner Barry Smitherman voted to support the request from Dallas, noted Thursday that Dallas residents had already agreed to take on more than $400 million in debt for the project.

That’s nice of them.  But that was strictly within the purview of the voters in the City of Dallas.  We could debate whether it was a good idea or not, but it only affected Dallas.  Now they’re passing their costs on to the rest of us. 

I understand that there’s lots of pork out there, and that this sort of thing goes on all the time, but I’m going to be cursing about this crap every time I pay my huge electric bills this coming summer. 

I hope the people in Dallas, and Mayor Mommy in particular, enjoy the view.  Meanwhile, we sweating suburban shmucks will be paying the bill.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Itemized Annoyance

Have you looked at your phone bill lately?  I have to confess to mostly ignoring it, because I have an “unlimited” plan with Verizon (no per-minute long distance charges) and it’s bundled in with my Internet and TV.  But I recently did my taxes and the tax credit for phone taxes prompted me to take another look this time around.

There’s a ridiculous list of charges, surcharges, fees, taxes, and recovery fees (17 in all) that combined, make for an effective tax rate of 35.6%.  I’m trying to think of anything (aside from “sin taxes”) that’s so horribly taxed and I’m not coming up with anything.  Maybe it’s time to give up the land line in favor of the cell phone.  While there are taxes on the cellular bill, they’re nowhere near as bad as this.

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Beware The Wrath Of The Patient Man

I was sorely tempted to launch into an intemperate rant about the Kelo decision, but given everything that’s been happening lately, it seems pointless.  Besides, if push came to shove, I wouldn’t want to give away the store with regards to how I might deal with the minions of the local government if they tried to steal my home.  Regardless of my silence on the issue, I’m still stewing about it.

However, I will say that there are ways of dealing with politicians and their minions that don’t necessarily involve direct violence.  Everyone has secrets.  And with the proliferation of laws, regulations, and ordinances everyone is vulnerable to the state in one form or another. 

So I will issue this warning to both the corrupt politicians and their supporters:

Once you try to steal my home, all bets are off and I will no longer be Mr. Nice Guy.  You may get my home.  But don’t think you’ve escaped with impunity.  Eventually you will pay for your crime.  One way or another, as long as it takes, you will be brought down.

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

Nyet!  Nein!  Non!

The citizens of Keller spoke loudly this past Saturday, telling the Keller ISD that the ride on the gravy train is over.  All three bond proposals (worth a total of $152.3 million) were soundly defeated. 

The failure of all three bond proposals in a record turnout surprised even the package’s most vocal critics. Many had expected a close or failing vote on the third proposal, which would have authorized spending $23.1 million to add onto or refurbish existing schools and install athletic turf at Fossil Ridge and Central high schools.

A $129.2 million proposal to build six schools also failed, as did a measure that would have allowed the district to issue bonds without decreasing the portion of the tax rate used to operate schools.

Trustee David Farmer said the results were a clear message that residents feel overtaxed.

“If they were only against proposition three, only proposition three would have failed. They all three failed,” Farmer said. “That’s a much greater statement. It takes a lot for people to vote against things that would have been good for their kids.”

Frankly, I’m tired of hearing how the influx of new students means we have to pony up more money each year.  If schools were funded fairly (that is if we have to fund schools, which I would dispute, but I don’t want to get off on a tangent here), the people using the service would be paying for it.  If our taxes go up every time someone moves into the district, it would seem that the schools aren’t being funded in a fair way.  Someone, somewhere, is getting a free ride.  Yes, I’m a heartless bastard, but if someone can’t afford the costs their children generate they shouldn’t have had them.

Anyhow, I think the thing that pissed me off the most about this bond proposal is summed up in point four from this article by Dave Lieber.

4. Don’t let academic dreams get hijacked by the sports crowd. Never again make the mistake of mixing athletic needs and academic needs in bond questions. Don’t let your pro-bond community spokesmen be the same people who persuaded the board to give backdoor approval to install artificial turf for the district’s stadium this summer—even though bond voters previously rejected this.

Academics first! Some Realtors brag to prospective home buyers that the district is “exemplary,” when it is rated as “recognized.” As school board President Richard Walker candidly admits: “I want the Keller school district to be what the real estate agents are advertising.”

At a time when we’re hearing horror stories about teachers having to buy their own copy paper because the schools don’t have any, the school district spent over $400,000 on artificial turf.  Then, they have the nerve to shove even more money for artificial turf in this bond proposal (bond item #3), along with a bunch of vague (and seemingly high) costs for new schools.  The whole thing had the feel of a free-money scam about it.  That inspired me to make sure I got out to vote against the bond proposal.  If I’m going to be taxed at such a high rate, I’m going to demand that they at least have the decency to spend the money on academics.

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

Money Wasting Fools

I’ve been hearing people clamoring for artificial turf for the Keller high school fields since I’ve moved here.  I’ve also been hearing how the Keller schools are hurting for money and how they might raise the (already outrageously high) tax rates to cover the budget problems.  It looks like the turf(obnoxious registration required) has won out over common sense.

Synthetic turf will be installed at the Keller Athletic Complex before the football season begins this fall, trustees decided Monday night.

...

The Keller stadium is closest to Keller High School. Synthetic turf for Central and Fossil Ridge high schools will be included in a planned September bond election, trustees decided. Until the other schools get synthetic turf, the three will share the athletic complex.

...

The synthetic turf will cost $432,000 and will be purchased with funds from the district’s exclusive beverage contract with Coca-Cola.

The contract, which guarantees that only Coca-Cola products are sold on district property, has generated a discretionary fund of $919,777, said Kent Morrison, assistant superintendent of finance. The fund will generate more than $1.3 million over the 15-year term of the contract.

The remainder of the fund will be used for a districtwide curriculum audit expected to cost $75,000 and applied toward the purchase of textbooks. The district predicts that nearly 2,000 new students will attend Keller schools in the fall.

If they’ve got money to spend on freakin’ artificial turf I’d better not hear any crap about raising the tax rates due to budget problems.  They should have applied this money to real educational spending before artificial turf. 

But, then what do I know?  I don’t worship at the altar of the sport of football (for those of you who might not be from Texas, high school football is more of a religion than a sport around here, with many of the larger schools having stadiums that would be more suited to semi-pro clubs).  I just seems like I end up paying for it…

Tuesday, November 04, 2003

Kill -9 ‘em all and let init sort ‘em out

Some scumsucking piece of shit at levitrad@yahoo.com (82.80.6.80) just tried to spam my comments hawking “Levitra” and other “enhancement” crap.  I deleted the comment and reported them to SpamCop.  Let’s hope their host kicks their spamvertised websites offline.

It would appear that 82.80.6.80 is the address of a DSL user connected to “Bezeq International” in Israel.

Tuesday, April 01, 2003

Tax Time

Just did my taxes.  I have to pay an extra $250 (it would have been worse except for some stock losses) in addition to the extortionately large sum that had already been stolen from my paychecks (I won’t reveal the exact amount, but it’s a five-digit number), so I’m going to be in a poor mood for a while.  I don’t want to hear any crap from Democrats about tax cuts right now.  I’ll be inclined to ram my fist down their throats.