Personal reflections on the student loan forgiveness policy

I got some very good news last week. An email was tagged: “Your student loans have been forgiven.” First I thought it was fake and then I checked it out and yessiree, no more student loan payments. I have been paying off $20,000 in grad school loans since 1993. Successfully, at first, and then as our financial situation experienced some serious ups and downs, I worked with my student loan provider, one of the businesses that the government contracts to provide this service. I would get them down to a payment I could afford and then they would suddenly, as if some invisible switch was pulled, jack it up to a higher level I couldn’t pay. I then would request a forbearance for six months or a year and that would expire, the company added in all of the unpaid interest, and my payments would be higher than ever. Or I would sign on to a payment plan and suddenly my company shuffled me over to another and I had to start all over again. When my wife's coffee shop/art gallery business failed (she was ahead of her time) 20 years ago, we declared bankruptcy which I thought would include my student loans. I neglected to read the fine print.

I consolidated my loans in 2012 when they reached the $102,000 mark and worked out payments with Nelnet and the amount with accrued interest and fees reached $165,000. Interesting to note that the federal government paid off the student loan servicer and it, conceivably, was very happy to have the money and scratch me off their to-do list. Not such a great deal for the feds and my fellow taxpayers. But, as a taxpayer, I was also supporting the government to contract with this servicer which didn’t seem to give a damn about me and millions of others in debt for attending college. One of the worst servicers is FedLoan Servicing, an arm of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, a company co-owned by Betsy DeVos, Trump’s “secretary of education.” The PHEAA was, for a short while, my loan servicer. DeVos made millions while arguing forcefully against student loan forgiveness. She now is back under the rock she came out from under. A very fancy rock to be sure.

But, in good faith, I was paying off my debt. All I asked is that the servicer find me a level I can afford and I will pay it until its paid off or Doomsday arrives, whichever comes first. We all got a reprieve when Covid hit and payments were suspended. According to Mohela, a new loan servicer that picked up my account under President Biden’s watch, when my future payments resumed, I would be billed $1,963 a month. My Social Security deposit (I am 72 and retired) each month is $1,940, slightly above the average Social Security check of $1,701. My wife, who volunteered to go on this journey with me, gets $1,240 a month, below the national average because her working years were spent with childbearing and childcaring and household management, none of which enhanced her Social Security benefits. I am disabled and my wife in a Type 1 diabetic and breast cancer survivor. It’s ludicrous to think that a retiree should remit his Social Security check to the government which deposits it into his credit union account every month. But there you have it. Then again, we have GOPers who believe that Americans should not be allowed to retire at 65 or should never retire and, if they do, don’t deserve the funds that came from their paychecks for 40 years.

The Supreme Court aided by GOPers such as Wyoming's entire Congressional delegation and Governor Gordon, stymied Biden’s forgiveness plan so he found new and interesting ways to relieve the burden of millions, many of whom are senior citizens. Because I made a certain number of payments and loans older than 20-25 years were considered time enough to pay, I was forgiven. My loans were 30 years old. I also worked in public service so I was credited with monthly payments I made which go toward forgiveness. All of Biden’s positive ideas to solve this crippling debt were fought by Republicans because CRUELTY is their middle name. Also, they despite higher education, education of any kind – witness the New College fiasco and GOP-mandated public education requirements in Florida. GOPers, even Harvard-educated ones such as DeSantis, have used the loan forgiveness issue as another cudgel for the MAGA crowd to use against the so-called elites.

I send thanks to Pres. Joe Biden and his allies. 

Remember that the Loan Forgiveness Program could be reversed if the wrong people take control of governance in 2024. 

Two senators from Wyoming who don't have a clue

Here are two GOP senators from Wyoming who don't have a clue about what people are facing out here. I sent them a plea to pass the HEROES Act that the House passed more than two months ago. The Republicans in the Senate, led by McConnell, sat on it for two months hoping COVID-19 would go away magically just as Trump believes. It did not go away. Millions are unemployed and all they care about is making sure businesses can't get sued by people who lost their jobs, possibly their lives, during the pandemic. This is the same bunch who passed a trillion-dollar tax cut for rich Americans. They just don't care. And they are as cruel as Trump, their ringmaster. 

Dear Michael, 

Thank you for taking the time to contact me about the ongoing federal response to the COVID-19 crisis. It is good to hear from you.

I appreciate you sharing your support for H.R.6800, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act.  America is in an unprecedented health and economic crisis. To save lives and save our economy, Congress has a duty for the duration of this emergency to assist Americans who are facing uncertainty. American's deserve assurances with their jobs, in their homes, and when sending their children back to school. Any relief funding passed by Congress should be temporary, targeted, and focused on keeping Americans employed, getting our students back to school, and providing our healthcare professionals have the resources they need.  The Senate is considering several targeted measures that address impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and I look forward to debating these measures along with other proposals that will be brought forward during that debate.  Please know I will keep your thoughts in mind as the Senate continues its work on this issue.  

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me about the coronavirus crisis. I value your input and look forward to hearing from you in the future.

John Barrasso, M.D.
United States Senator

Barrasso's net worth in 2018 was $15,928,012 according to Open Secrets. He is the 14th-richest U.S. Senator. Wall Street Journal (9/2019), using info from Roll Call, estimated $2.7 million. I'm sure it's higher now, in the COVID-19 year of 2020, especially after he gave himself a sweet tax cut.

 

Dear Michael:

 

The outbreak of COVID-19 is being carefully monitored and the federal government is working closely with state, local, tribal, and territorial partners to respond to this public health threat.

 

I voted in support of the third Senate package to combat the outbreak of COVID-19, the CARES Act (S.3548), and the Senate passed it unanimously. This package helps to fill in the gaps of the previous packages and provide the financial assistance needed for small businesses and employees in order to avoid massive unemployment lines and a complete economic collapse of our country.

 

In terms of a future relief package, the legislation is still being debated. I believe it is important for Congress to spend responsibly. I recognize the unprecedented crisis presented by COVID-19 and I have supported the necessary response, but we have already run up a $2.7 trillion deficit this year, more than triple the size of the deficit we ran at the same time last year. Our focus with any new legislation should be helping kids get back to school, getting Americans back to work and providing health care resources needed to fight this virus. In the meantime, it’s important for folks to continue to slow the spread within our communities by wearing masks and socially distancing when possible.

 

I will certainly keep your thoughts and concerns in mind as I continue to work with my colleagues on this critical issue. Thanks for getting in touch.

 

Sincerely,

Michael B. Enzi

United States Senator

Open Secrets (Center for Responsive Politics) shows Mike Enzi worth $2,137,028 in 2018 (ranked 48th in Senate). Wall Street Journal shows a mere $500,000. Still, Enzi takes his dough into a retirement paid for by you and me, the great unwashed who do not deserve a weekly unemployment bump of $600 because the U.S. has a big budget deficit created by some mysterious force that has nothing to do with the U.S. Senate.

Trump Chicken asks: Where are Trump's missing tax returns?

The Trump Chump Chicken was the centerpiece of the Tax March rally today in Cheyenne. The building in the right background is IRS HQ. Some 150 rally attendees in Cheyenne, plus tens of thousands all over the country, request that Trump release his tax returns because we suspect shady dealings with Russia and almost any other entity on the planet. As one sign said, "No tax reform without tax returns." Creative people, creative signs. Next Saturday, April 22: March for Science in Laramie. Will you be there?

Tax Day Protest set for April 15 in Cheyenne

On Saturday, April 15, concerned citizens will gather in Cheyenne to protest Trump's refusal to release his tax returns. It's Tax Day, the day usually devoted to the wailing and gnashing of teeth over tax filing deadlines. This year, however, Tax Day is officially April 18 due to the weekend and Easter and. presumably, the traditional Easter Egg Roll at the White House, which Trump will emcee this year. Imagine that. If it doesn't go well, if the eggs are not rolled to his liking, expect another Tomahawk launch on Syria.

Why is it important for Trump to release his taxes? Because we need accountability and transparency from this man who has shown so little during his 70 years. Release your tax returns, now, Donald. Or remain the nefarious robber baron that we suspect you are. More info on the protest at https://www.facebook.com/events/1256681387753289/ The Cheyenne protest was highlighted in an April 4 article on CNN Money.

I will make a sign and march on April 15. Will it accomplish anything? If you mean: will Trump finally release his tax returns? No, he will not. We will announce our opposition to his crooked ways, experience camaraderie along the way. At the Women's March in January, I had fun and met the nicest people. New people, mainly, although I saw some old friends. These sorts of gatherings help hold us together as Trump and his minions try to divide us.

See you April 15 at 10 a.m. at IRS HQ, 5353 Yellowstone Rd,, Cheyenne. Bring a sign. If you don't have a sign, and would like to make one in the company of good people, come to the Unitarian Universalist Church, 3005 Thomes Ave, at 6 p.m. on April 14.

And those of you interested in protest and body art, the Wyoming Women March on Equality group also is hosting a "Nevertheless, She Persisted" tattoo party from noon to whenever on April 15 at T.R.I.B.E. Zoo, 1901 Central Ave. in downtown Cheyenne. T.R.I.B.E. artists will charge $75 for a "Nevertheless, She Persisted" tattoo, with $50 going to Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains. The offer is good through May 15.

April 2017 brings flowers, poetry and demonstrations -- snow, too

It's snowing. April comes in like a lion...

Those cruel bastards that make up the Republican Party will get more wake-up calls in April with demos by concerned Americans who've had it up to here with the likes of these people.

First up in April, though, is National Poetry Month. In the past, it has been an occasion for cordial celebratory readings of poetry, past and present. This year, poetry takes on new meaning and a new urgency. Words matter. Expression matters. Heart and soul matter.

To get things off on the right note, here is a spring poem I like. It's Noma Dumezweni reading Wordsworth's "Daffodils" on BBC Radio 4. Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio

William Wordsworth seemed to me a stuffy old Brit before I took an undergrad English course at the University of Florida on "The Early Romantic Poets." Wordsworth, Coleridge and Blake were early, calendar-wise. The late Romantics, which I took the following semester, covered Keats, Shelley and Byron. An amazing group of poets. From The Rime of the Ancient Mariner to Ozymandias. Wordsworth noting the beauty of spring daffodils in the lake country to Byron dying for Green independence at a young age. Blake's mysticism and otherworldly drawings.

Think poetry as you attend any of these other activities celebrating free expression.

Wyoming is the site for three March for Science events on April 22. The largest one will be in Laramie. There also is Pinedale and Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. To RSVP to your local March for Science, go to https://www.marchforscience.com/rsvp.

Why March for Science? If you were paying attention the past three months, Trump and the Republicans have marched out one anti-science bill after another. It's a horror show. So we march.

Many of us in Cheyenne will carpool to Laramie. Marchers meet outside of the UW Classroom Building (the lawn on 9th and Ivinson) at noon and from there march downtown for an Earth Day rally with music, info booths and speakers. Probably food and beverages. If you are interested in being part of a Laramie citywide clean-up, meet at Coal Creek Coffee at 10 a.m.

But before the March for Science comes the Tax March on Saturday, April 15, 10 a.m., at the Cheyenne IRS HQ, 5353 Yellowstone Rd. We will be making clever signs on Friday evening. These sign-making sessions have been dubbed Wines and Signs or, you prefer, Whine and Signs. Keep posted on the Tax March Facebook page.at https://www.facebook.com/events/1256681387753289/.

And time to plan ahead for Monday, May 1. The May Day March to Keep Families Together is sponsored by Juntos Wyoming and convenes at Cheyenne Depot Plaza from 2-5 p.m. While at the march, check out the art exhibit in the Depot Building. FMI: https://www.facebook.com/events/223220958143613/

And for those who like meetings (and who doesn't?) the Laramie County Democrats monthly meeting takes place at the IBEW HQ in Cheyenne, 6:30 p/m/-whenever. Lots of newbies been showing up as they are upset with all things Trump and we don't blame them.

If you like to drink and complain about the Trump regime, please come to Laramie County Drinking Liberally on 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 20, at the Albany Bar downtown.

And don't forget the Laramie County Town Hall Meeting with Rep. Jim Byrd at 6 p.m., April 4, in the Laramie County Public Library's Cottonwood Room.

More events are planned. Check out the Prairie Progressives calendar at http://prairieprogressives.com/calendar/

Chris Cillizza's The Fix taps Gregory Nickerson of Wyofile as the "best political reporter in Wyoming"

Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post's "The Fix" political blog likes to make lists. In August 2011, hummingbirdminds was named one of the best state-based political blogs. He was looking at blogs on the left, right and in-between. He apparently thought it was intriguing that Wyoming had some liberal bloggers.

This week, Cillizza listed "the best political reporters in 50 states." The lone choice for Wyoming was Gregory Nickerson of Wyofile. You're not surprised if you've been reading Greg's articles. They're now getting syndicated. The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle featured one on this morning's cover. "Wyoming independent? Not really" explores our ruggedly independent state's reliance on federal funding. There's this:

Wyoming is significantly dependent on federal money. Wyofile's calculations show that the state relied on federal money for 41 percent of its spending for the 2011-12 biennium.

And this:

Other states may get more dollars, but because Wyoming's spending and population are small, few states are more dependent on federal funds.

One of many interesting facts:

Government employment is an important sector in Wyoming's economy -- the largest workforce in the state, in fact.

Here I have to divulge that I'm one of those government workers. Nickerson goes on to write that if you add up those employed in federal and state government along with those in the public school, college and hospital sectors, you get 64,000 souls which is 20 percent of the state's workforce.

I have lots of company. As columnist Paul Krza (a Rock Springs native) pointed out years ago, the state would be more fairly represented by a worker carrying a briefcase than it is by its iconic bucking bronco symbol.

Speaking about symbols of the Old West.... We like to play up the cowboy myth but the reality is far different. As Sam Western wrote in The Economist back in 1998:

"In real life, the famous Wyoming cowboy was an itinerant, landless, poverty-stricken soul, dependent upon the rancher for bread and shelter."

Sam is from Sheridan County, which is also Greg's home county. They breed some iconoclastic scribes up in the north country. Greg is also a product of the county's Young Writers Camp, once held every summer near story but being resurrected this summer at the Spear-O-Wigwam Mountain Campus in the Bighorns. I met Greg and other campers when I delivered my son to YWC back when he was in high school. A lot of talented, feisty kids came though YWC and now are making their mark as adults. It's especially gratifying to see them survive and thrive in Wyoming's tough labor market. Yes, our unemployment rate is low, but if you're not in the energy or tourism industries, it's hard to find a job. It's always gratifying to see young creatives making a difference.

Congrats to you, Greg. We eagerly anticipate your next article.

Out with the old and in with the new at Southeast Wyoming Welcome Center

Columbian Mammoth cast at new welcome center

Chris and I took a Saturday afternoon drive out to the new Southeast Wyoming Welcome Center at the High Plains exit south in I-25. We missed yesterday afternoon's official dedication due to too many workplace meetings. But we did read about it on the front page of this morning's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle. You can also read an earlier article I wrote about it here.

The welcome center is part highway pit stop, Wyoming Travel & Tourism Department offices, and historic museum. Its top-notch exhibits and dioramas show the state's history through dinosaurs digs, water projects, transportation, energy and outdoor recreation. Sometimes you experience it in many dimensions. The sloped walkway that takes you from the mammoth skeleton to the transportation exhibit is all about water: lakes, dams, waterfalls and fishing streams. You can hear the rushing water, and lights glimmer off the floor, giving you the feeling that you may be walking on water. Hallelujah!

The grounds are criss-crossed with trails marked with historic markers explaining it all for you. Multitudes of native deciduous trees and bushes have been planted. in about ten years, the place will have plenty of shade. There's a fenced-in pet walk area and a wetlands that drains the run-off from the highway. Berms have been added from the dirt remaining from construction of the center and the highway overpass. Along the top of the main berm is a series of five wind generators which were spinning today, powering the indoor exhibits.

This place is all about alternative energy and is powered by wind, solar and geo-exchange sources. Interesting to note that state taxes on coal and oil and natural gas paid for the bulk of construction costs while its operation will be powered predominately by renewable energy. Out with the old and in with the new. We are not really finished with the old, but places like this illustrate what the future holds.

It's also true that this place would not exist without the arts of architecture, design, photography, videography, literature, music and sculpture. A word about the music: no Muzak for this center, but it features western, C&W and Americana tunes. While there today, I heard a cowboy song by Wyoming's own Chris LeDoux and "Somebody Robbed the Glendale Train" by New Riders of the Purple Sage. Nice mix.

Stan Dolega's "Wind Code" outdoor sculpture not only uses steel beams patterned to look like Wyoming's ubiquitous snow fences, but also includes native rocks and is built to remind of us of the mountains we can see in the distance. It was put in place through the state's Percent for Art program.

Take a jaunt out to the new welcome center. It's functional and educational and pretty and fun. Sounds are good too.

GOP lawmakers (maybe even WY Rep. Cynthia Lummis) want out of tax pledge

GOP lawmakers want out of Grover Norquist no-tax pledge, according to TheHill.com

Rep. Cynthia Lummis may be one of them. She was quoted this way Nov. 3 in the Casper Star-Tribune:

"Grover Norquist is not in my district. I represent the state of Wyoming and its people."

We'll see how long this lasts... 

Rep. Cynthia Lummis: Grover Norquist is not in my district!

But he is in my head!

From the Casper Star-Tribune:

U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., joined dozens of federal lawmakers from both parties on Tuesday in pressing Congress’ special debt reduction committee to consider all options, including higher revenues, and shoot for $4 trillion in savings

--clip—

Like all but three of the 40 GOP signatories, Lummis has also signed the pledge by anti-tax activist Grover Norquist to oppose tax increases. Lummis said she did so when she was first elected in 2008, but did not sign it last year.

“Grover Norquist is not in my district,” she said. “I represent the state of Wyoming and its people.”

Read more: http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/wyoming-u-s-rep-lummis-debt-committee-should-consider-revenues/article_277e2f5e-4022-5f17-9e1d-fbc233c04187.html#ixzz1cheKEoL8

Lawmakers always give coal companies a break

Wyoming's coal industry giants taxed unfairly?

Give me a break.

They own our state legislators, guys like Republican Rep. Pat Childers of Park County.

FMI: WPR: Lawmakers consider changing coal tax structure

Make all Americans pay their fair share

Baby Boomers are juvenile to think that low taxes make for a great retirement

Cheyenne Frontier Days

AARP The Magazine has named Cheyenne one of the ten most livable cities in the U.S.

This could be seen as a compliment. Until you examine AARP's criteria.

"Cheyenne meets many of the criteria for what Baby Boomers are looking for in a place to live."

What are those criteria? Great coffee? Lots of arts and entertainment venues? Fantastic restaurants? Lifelong education venues? Community service opportunities?

No. They are:

Low cost of living.
No state income tax.
No tax on pensions.
Low sales tax.
One of the lowest property taxes in the nation.

What is this, St. Petersburg, Fla., in the 1960s? Really? Low taxes, early-bird buffets and 24-hour shuffleboard?

I am a Baby Boomer in good standing. Born in 1950. I am looking forward to retirement in a few years. But what kind of retirement?

For one thing, I'm going to get as far away from golf courses as possible. And Republican golfers. I have nothing against either. But the lowest circle of hell is reserved for people whose only conversational topic is golf. If I knew that my final years would be spent with golfers, I would request an immediate execution.

My guess is that we've moved beyond golf and shuffleboard and even retirement communities when we talk about retirement.

Here's what I'm going to do in retirement. Read every day. Write every day. Grow some of my own food. Work for the arts, either as a volunteer, a grant writer or an event coordinator. Spend time with my wife and my kids and maybe (some time in the future) my grandkids. Think about the future. Talk to young people about the future. Drink good beer.

And when I complain about the gubment, have some suggestions about how the gubment can do things better.

I think that it's juvenile to be a senior citizen depending on Social Security and Medicare and other retirement income but pining for a place with low taxes. Juvenile and stupid.

Who's the "Bull Goose Loony" among Wyoming Congressional Republicans?

Congressional Republicans ponder the "Repeal Amendment" while waiting for their meds 

O.K.. "looniness" isn't a word, at least according to Webster's. You can be loony or looney. I can be loonier that thou, or even the looniest one in the bunch. I can imagine myself as the non-politically-correct "Bull Goose Loony" in an imaginary mental ward ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest") or be a member of the "Looney Tunes" stable of animated characters -- Daffy Duck comes to mind.

But looniness is a good descriptor for the legislation issuing forth from Congressional Republicans these days. Wyoming's Congressional delegation was once known as a moderate bunch. Sure, they were all Republicans, but senators such as Al Simpson and Craig Thomas and Mike Enzi usually avoided siding with the Far Right on their looniest causes.

There were causes for concern. During his first term, Mike Enzi sided with Sen. Dr. Bill Frist on Terry Schiavo's right to live a long and healthy life in a vegetative state. Sen. Dr. Frist contended that he could diagnose Mrs. Frist via video and, apparently, that was good enough for Sen. Enzi. It was a tempest in a teapot, like so many of these Far Right causes. Education system not working? Blame unionized teachers and their fat paychecks. Don't like abortion? Force women to view ultrasounds of their fetus -- or charge them with murder after the fact. Budget deficits? Cut taxes for the wealthy and kill Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid for the poor.

As I said, looniness.

Now Sen. Enzi and Sen. Dr. John Barrasso (we don't need no universal health care!) and Rep. Cynthia Lummis (a.k.a. seventh-richest member of Congress) are touting the so-called "Repeal Amendment" which would allow states to get rid of federal rules and regulations they don't like. This is a favorite bugaboo of the Far Right. That damn federal gubment is out to get them with needless regulations about wolves and black-footed ferrets and guns and oil drilling and health care and Gays. Wyoming Tea Partiers, many of whom haver never seen a live wolf, call wolves terrorists and want to be able to shoot them on sight if they wander into their ranchette to munch on Fluffy. But that darn gubment keeps getting in their way.

Meanwhile, as rivers flood and tornadoes drop from the sky or rain refuses to fall, these same people holler for federal disaster relief and scream even louder if they don't get it immediately.

Wyoming is one of those states that pays in fewer taxes than it gets in federal funding. It also has a fair amount of federal land. We have two national parks, Yellowstone being the first in the U.S., and some national monuments, including the first in the U.S. in Devils Tower. We have the huge Wind River Indian Reservation and nuke central at F.E. Warren AFB -- I hear reveille sound every morning from the base's loudspeakers. We have the huge national training base at Camp Guernsey. We have national grasslands and reclamation projects and many millions of federal dollars in our interstate highway system and airports. Wyoming relies on energy and tourism, both heavily subsidized by government infrastructure.

Wyoming will wither up and blow away to Nebraska without federal funding from U.S. taxpayers.

All three members of the Wyoming Congressional delegation will be in Platte County this week. Check out the Platte County Democrats' blog to see the schedule. I am not sure if they also will be in Laramie County. Looked for Sen. Enzi's travel schedule on his web site and couldn't find anything up-to-date.

The Casper Star-Tribune had an excellent editorial today about the loony "Repeal Amendment." Here's the opening:

The last time a coalition of states decided it had the power to nullify federal laws was in 1860, when 11 Southern states objected to the ban on slavery and seceded from the union. We all know how that turned out.  Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., who has decided to ignore history and steer the current states’ rights bandwagon, is sponsoring the so-called Repeal Amendment, the ultimate anti-federal measure. It has almost no value beyond scoring some political points with the tea party crowd and the far right fringe of the Republican Party.

Read the rest here

Tea Party Slim is rested and ready for June rally

Tea Party Slim is back from his travels and looking forward to the big June 15 Cheyenne T.E.A. Party Movement rally in front of the State Capitol Building.

“It’s been a good year for freedom,” said Slim. “That’s Freedom with a capital F.”

“At least you can spell,” I quipped.

Slim glared at me. “That’s all the media could talk about – misspellings on signs at Tea Party rallies. Fat lot of good it did in the 2010 elections. Tea Party candidates won across the board.”

“Good point,” I said. “The Tea Party is ridicule-proof.”

“Damn straight. You elitists can make fun of us all you want. But we show up to vote and you don’t. So we won.”

“Another good point, Slim. That’s the second time I’ve said that in as many minutes.”

He smiled. “Better get used to it.”

Slim’s skin was bronzed from his time in Arizona. I couldn’t help noticing the stitches on his forehead. “What happened there?”

He touched the wound. “ Just a little skin cancer. Doctor thought it looked suspicious so she dug it out. Thank God for the V.A.”

“You can thank me and all the taxpayers for the V.A. We’re glad to oblige.”

“We served our country and we deserve medical care.”

“I’m just noting that it was taxpayer-supported medical care. I may be an elitist, but I pay my taxes.”

“Too many taxes,” he growled.

“That may be, but without taxes there wouldn’t be a military and there would be no military benefits like the V.A.”

“My turn to agree,” he said. “I’ve paid my share of taxes over the years.”

“We all have. All of us except for the rich and big corporations.”

“Don’t start with the class war stuff. Big corporations pay plenty of taxes. Besides, a lot of those companies are defense contractors. We wouldn’t have the best-equipped military in the world if it wasn’t for them.”

“General Electric earned $14.2 billion in 2010 but paid no U.S. taxes. A New York Times report said that the corporation had a negative U.S. tax rate last year, getting a $3.2 billion tax benefit. During the last five years, GE made $26 billion in what it lists as American profits, but got the IRS to write it a $4.1 billion check. So we’re paying G.E.’s share of taxes.”

“I don’t trust the New York Times. Where did it get its information? Probably from some disgruntled overpaid former employee.”

“Public records,” I said.

“The IRS? I don’t trust them.”

“Do you know how G.E. got out of paying taxes? It lends to foreign companies, which means American taxpayers indirectly subsidize those foreign loans. Meanwhile, G.E. is slashing its U.S. workforce and sending jobs overseas.”

“All companies have to make a profit. To compete, they send the jobs to countries where labor costs are lower. Everybody knows that.”

“Maybe so. But why do you and I have to subsidize these businesses? Shouldn’t they be left to the free market that you Tea Partiers love so much? And we’re paying taxes when they aren’t. And they’re closing factories and putting tax-paying Americans out of work.” I paused to catch my breath.

Slim glared at me. “That’s the problem with you pointy-headed intellectuals. You hate the businesses that made America great. But you love the IRS. And the New York Times.”

I was tempted to unleash a barrage of ridicule at Slim. But what good would it do? The Tea Party is ridicule-proof and logic-proof. “Hope your forehead heals up soon,” I said.

He touched his wound again. “I have an appointment at the Cheyenne V.A. tomorrow. Doc will take out the stitches -- and give me my annual physical.”

“I wish you good health,” I said. “Want to be in tip-top shape for that June Tea Party anti-tax rally.”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” he concluded.

Photo from Cheyenne Tea Party rally, March 2009

I pay taxes to the gubment, the gubment fixes my street (maybe)

I'm just finishing up my taxes. I have to pay this year. The payment would be a lot bigger if it wasn't for the Making Work Pay deduction. I'm thankful for that. And I'm glad I used a pencil to fill out my forms the old-fashioned way.

Now if they (the Big Gubment "THEY") could only fill the potholes on my street.

Find out more about Wyomingites and taxes at http://www.ctj.org/obamastaxcuts/wy.pdf

This just in -- Tea Party saboteurs unmasked

The Tea Party’s Tax Day protests are just around the corner on April 15. It may be a coincidence, but I’ve been reading a lot of wingnut posts advancing a conspiracy of major import. Some Tea Partiers contend that those protest signs that snarky progressives like to make fun of, those with misspelled words and terrible grammar, are actually designed and carried by snarky progressive saboteurs. Anyone else heard this?

Made me think. Why would a snarky progressive go out of his or her way to make signs and attend Tea Party rallies? Yes, there is the camaraderie of hanging out with a bunch of American patriots. And the stirring speeches – can’t forget those. You can sign petitions to nullify various nefarious government practices. You can get free copies of the Constitution. If it’s a nice day, you can get fresh air and a tan.

Then I received a copy of the following e-mail. Its origins are murky, but it smacks of authenticity. It made me rethink my entire belief system, or at least that part that covers tea bags, spelling and grammar.

The e-mail harkens back to those halcyon days of last April when Tea Partiers were first stirring the pot.

The e-mail:

Dear Fellow Conspirators:

Here’s an update on our effort to disrupt Tax Day 2009 protests planned by the Tea Party across the U.S.

We’ve had limited success on recruiting people for Operation Miss Spell. As of this writing, we were able to locate and recruit less than a dozen saboteurs for upcoming Tea Party rallies. The plan, of course, was brilliant in its simplicity. A bunch of snarky progressives were going to carry signs with misspelled words and bad grammar into the fray. An uproar would ensue. Lots of photos taken. Photos go viral. Tea Partiers would look bad. Ridicule would nip their grassroots revolution in the bud.

We ran into problems almost immediately. Several organizers (including yours truly) were veterans of sixties’ antiwar protests. We were ready to mix it up again, storm the ramparts, engage in street theatre. Problem was, I just had knee surgery and Jim’s allergies were acting up. Sunshine was all for donning her old hippie dresses and carrying signs, but she was invited to a chakra-cleansing retreat in Marin County so had to bow out.

We thought we’d be able to find some fellow travelers, old hippies who had taken one too many bad trips. We’d just hand them misspelled signs and point them in the right direction. They’d be thrilled to march again. We felt that they would fit right in with the clueless multitudes. But then we told them to get haircuts or shaved heads to fit in with the crewcut and balding crowd. They balked. “Gotta let my freak flag fly, man.” We dropped that idea.

We turned to the younger progressive crowd. The bloggers were no help, as they were too busy blogging their outrage to actually go out into the sunshine and feign outrage. One prog-blogger even said what we had expected all along – “I only go out at night – and that’s to the corner coffee shop with free wireless so I can blog some more.”

We tried some of the union members. Teachers’ union members (especially English teachers) said they wouldn’t be caught dead with a sign that spelled "socialism" as "socilism" and "liar" as "lier." We told them it was for a good cause, but they threatened to send us to the principal’s office. History teachers didn't like the idea of comparing an elected U.S. president with Hitler or Stalin. Teamsters wanted to get paid overtime – who were we to argue? Those in the service unions were overwhelmingly ethnic, which ruled them out immediately. We even tried actors and actresses, figuring they’d like to engage in a little street theatre. But they started to rewrite the plan. An avant-garde troupe from Chicago wanted to dress in drag and hold hands while carrying signs. We told them it would defeat the entire purpose. Nobody would believe they were Tea Partiers. And they might get their asses beat. Actors – always trying to rewrite the script.

This brought us to the plan’s major problem. Tea Partiers are white and old. Progressives tend to be non-white and young. Sure, there are a few of us aging white hippies in the mix. But not nearly enough to infiltrate all the Tea Party shindigs.

We’re recommending that Operation Miss Spell be abandoned. It’s turned out to be a gigantic hassle. We have some other ideas, such as hiding all dictionaries and disabling computer Spell Check programs with our "Brown Acid" virus. The committee will continue working on this.

Letter from D.C. -- and my response

Letter from Wyo. Rep. Cynthia Lummis, with her comments in red and mine in blue:

Dear Michael:

Thank you for contacting me regarding healthcare reform. It is good to hear from you.

Congressional Democrat leaders are working to create a new government-forced healthcare system that would put government bureaucrats between you and your doctor. The House Democrats' proposal - the Affordable Health Care for America Act of 2009 (H.R. 3962) - requires all individuals to purchase health insurance and all employers to provide health insurance to their employees or face steep tax penalties. The bill creates at least 111 new offices, programs and other bureaucracies - including a "Health Choices Commissioner" - that together will dictate to all Americans what health insurance they will be forced to purchase and how much the government should pay medical providers. The bill contains no prohibitions on federal bureaucrats denying access to life-saving treatments for patients.

No prohibitions exist at this time to prohibit health insurance company bureaucrats from denying access to necessary life-saving treatments to patients. Often, those insurance flunkies have no medical background and are making some pretty big decisions on long-term hospital stays, operations, and mental health treatment. You could call this rationing, and is exists now.

I don't know how many times I've chided Republicans for using "Democrat" instead of "Democratic" when referring to the party. We don't say "Republic Party," although some 10th amendment teabaggers might prefer the term. One of these days, the Republics will learn.

I agree with President Obama that people should be able to keep their health coverage if they like it, but this is not the case under H.R. 3962. While estimates range from several million to up to 114 million, experts agree that millions of Americans will end up being enrolled in the new government-run health plan created by H.R. 3962, many not because of choice but because of coercive government policies. Members of Congress, however, will not be required to enroll in the government-run health plan. Members of Congress who support this bill should be subjecting themselves to the same big government policies they wish to impose on the American people.

Members of Congress such as Rep. Lummis now are enrolled in a government-run health care system. Don't hear many complaints. Rep. Lummis underwent an operation earlier this year in Casper. Wonder if she used her taxpayer-funded health insurance to cover the bills.

To partially finance this over $1 trillion expansion of big government, the House Democrat health reform bill imposes over $700 billion in new taxes on individuals and businesses of all sizes. This includes $135 billion in taxes on individuals and businesses who cannot afford to purchase government-approved health insurance. Individuals would be subject to this tax regardless of their income, violating President Obama's pledge not to raise taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 a year.

I agree with Rep. Lummis that this tax issue is disturbing. I do think that some of that $700 billion in new taxes will come from rescinding Pres. Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy. I will check this.

Our nation's seniors would also have to foot some of the bill. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that H.R. 3962 will raise seniors' Medicare prescription drug premiums by 20 percent, even as Social Security benefits are estimated to stay flat for the next few years because of the bad economy. H.R. 3962 also slashes $150 billion from the Medicare Advantage program in which nearly 3,000 seniors in Wyoming are enrolled and from which they can obtain extra benefits and lower copayments.

Translation: seniors vote -- don't cross them.

I joined both Democrat and Republican Members in calling for the final language of H.R. 3692 to be posted online 72 hours before the House is expected to vote. Within this 72 hour period, I offered amendments to H.R. 3962 to allow states to protect their citizens from government-forced insurance, unfunded mandates, taxes and possible imprisonment for not buying bureaucrat-approved coverage, and government policies that come between patients and their doctors. My amendments and dozens of others were not allowed consideration on the House floor by the House Rules Committee, which also made several last minute changes to the bill the night before it was considered on the House floor. I voted against H.R. 3962, which passed by a vote of 220-215. A similar bill is now pending in the Senate.

I am urging our senators to vote for the Senate health care bill. They will not, but I shall continue urging them on until I am blue in the face. All over my body, and in my heart, too.

As an alternative, I support the Empowering Patients First Act (H.R. 3400). Under H.R. 3400, low-income, uninsured individuals would receive a tax credit to help them purchase private insurance. All Americans would receive a tax deduction for healthcare insurance costs, not just those that receive coverage through their employee. H.R. 3400 would devote more federal funds for state-based high-risk pools for those with pre-existing conditions that are unable to obtain private insurance. The plan would also allow small businesses to join together across state lines and create their own affordable health insurance plans. To safeguard access to medical care for Wyoming's seniors, H.R. 3400 prevents a scheduled 20 percent cut in Medicare payments to physicians. Perhaps most importantly, H.R. 3400 respects and upholds the notion that individuals, not the government, should be in charge of their healthcare dollars.

This sounds like more Republican dithering. This is supposed to be reform, not tinkering.

H.R. 3400's cost to the taxpayer is fully offset. It accomplishes this in part by imposing a one-percent cut in non-Defense spending and repealing unspent economic stimulus funds. H.R. 3400 would also step up efforts to eliminate waste and fraud in our entitlement programs and reduce defensive medicine through targeted medical liability reforms.

Let's impose a 1 percent cut in non-Defense spending and a 2-percent cut in Defense spending. This can be accomplished by finally getting the hell out of Iraq. It's time to stop bringing democracy and security and higher education and better healthcare to Iraqis and start bringing it to Americans.

As the healthcare reform debate continues, I will continue focusing on patient-centered and not government-centered solutions to improve access to affordable healthcare in rural and frontier America. In Wyoming, it's not just cost that gets in the way of your healthcare, it's a lack of providers, whether for primary, specialty or mental health care. I have joined the House Rural Health Care Coalition to address the unique healthcare challenges we face in Wyoming that are not fully understood by our urban counterparts, such as reimbursing doctors and hospitals more fairly for Medicare patient procedures.

I am impressed that Rep. Lummis addresses accessibility to health care in Wyoming. I'm even more impressed that she mentions mental health care in our 97,000-square-mile state with not one pediatric psychiatrist. Thank you for joining the House health Care Coalition.

As for government-centered vs. patient-centered care... How can she call the current system "patient-centered?" Yes, Wyomingites with insurance can make the claim that they can visit the doctor or dentist or surgeon of their choice. I do that. Often those professionals are located down I-25 in Fort Collins, Loveland and Denver. Still, most are in the Great West/CIGNA network and I usually pay only the 20-percent deductible. I am employed and am lucky to have insurance for myself and my diabetic wife and my daughter with epilepsy and mental health issues. I also have the advantage of living in the state's largest city, Cheyenne, and right on the border of a more populous and more health-conscious state

But Wyomingites in small towns don't have much choice. The town may only have a few doctors and maybe a dentist. That's their choice. They can drive 50 or 100 or 300 miles to the nearest cancer or pulmonary specialist. Veterans have a choice of V.A. Hospitals in Cheyenne and Sheridan, and across the border in Rapid City. The V.A. sponsors shuttles to get these vets to a doctor. Sometimes they don't have a choice of doctors, but... Hold on. Vets have the best health care system that taxpayer funding can buy. Popular with Vets, too. Just ask one. Doggone that terrible government-centered health care!

Speaking of government-funded solutions... Thousands of the state's citizens get Medicaid funding. These are people with no insurance, or insurance that's inadequate for required medical or mental health treatments. Approximately 75,000 of our people are covered under Medicaid, including 50,582 children (2008 Children's Defense Fund figures).

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with me on an issue of importance to all of Wyoming's citizens. Please keep in touch, and I look forward to seeing you in Wyoming.

Sincerely,

Cynthia M. Lummis
Member of Congress

You're welcome, Rep. Lummis. Be seeing you next time you're in Wyoming.

Render unto the city that which is the city's, and to heck with the county

Latest local issue is whether rural residents, those people who moved to unincorporated Laramie County so they wouldn't have to pay for city services, should be able to vote in city elections.

My immediate response was, "You're kidding, right?"

This issue arose out of the City Council's cellphone ban. Soon, an ordinance goes into effect that allows cops to ticket those who drive under the influence of cellphone (DUIC). That's only the hand-held variety. Motorists can buy headsets and talk to their cutomers or family members or BFFs 'til the cows come home to their rural ranchettes.

A country resident who owns a business in the city, M. Lee Hasenauer, grew restive under the restrictions and began a petition drive to overturn it. He collected a bunch of signatures and the Cheyenne City Clerk's office is going through them to see if there are at least 2,802 valid ones to hold a special election on the issue. The odd thing is, all petitioners must be city residents and the election would be held by the city. So rural residents, including Mr. Hasenauer, won't be allowed to vote. He believes that he and other county residents who own businesses in the city should be allowed to vote in its elections.

That's where the legislature comes in. It would have to change the laws to allow voters living outside a certain jurisdiction to vote there.

So, Mr. Hasenauer got busy and arranged a meeting with the Laramie County Commission that will include Rep. Tony Ross and Sen. Pete Illoway. According to yesterday's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, "the meeting is listed in the county commission's weekly schedule as 'city elections open to county.' "

Kudos go to any citizen who who gets involved, no matter the issue. You have to hand it to Mr. H -- he's made strides on this issue in a short amount of time. Even if he's shot down on this, I would encourage him to continue his civic engagement and extend it to volunteering at the YMCA, organizing food drives for the Comea Shelter and mentoring budding entrepreneurs at Triumph High School -- the school for kids who've gone astray and need a hand up.

But that's not what this is about, is it? It's about power, as is the case with most things. Mr. H lives in the county but wants to tell the city what to do. I wonder what he and his neighbors did the last time the city announced a county annexation? Much wailing and gnashing of teeth. County residents go apoplectic when annexation is even mentioned. Yet, these same people also benefit from the core city that is the home of a fantastic county library, courtesy of a countywide sixth-penny tax ballot; the Civic Center; all of the Cheyenne Frontier Days events; Cheyenne Symphony; Cheyenne Little Theatre Players; YMCA and fitness clubs; all of the county's secondary schools; restaurants and bars (even a new martini bar); etc.

I know that county residents patronize and contribute to all these organizations and businesses. When you county folks buy groceries at Wal-Mart on Dell Range, your sales taxes come back to you -- two cents of every six-cent tax goes to the county and four cents to the state. The city does not tax you for your trip from the county wilderness into the big city. In fact, city businesses welcome your expenditures which go to pay salaries, money that is spent in Cheyenne (and often in Fort Collins and Denver). Apparently, one of those businesses belongs to Mr. H.

My advice to county residents? If you want to be involved with your city, then do it. But don't dream up some non-issue to try to change the laws. We welcome your involvement. If that's not your cup of tea, then we'll let you take care of the prairie dogs and we'll take care of the symphony and the library and the post office and the state museum and Depot Plaza and....

All's calm at school after Obama Speech Day

This evening I attended the open house at my daughter Annie's high school, Cheyenne Central. The wily administrators schedule the event as a replica school day. Seven minutes sitting at my kid's desk in World History. Listening to the teacher describe the school year in detail. I take notes, of course, the inveterate scribe. The bells rings and me and my bum knees have five minutes to weave through hordes of neighbors to get to the other side of the building for P.E. Nice gym, or should I say "athletic center." One big b-ball/v-ball center court with practice courts lengthwise at each end. Big bleachers for the fans. Wooden floors that give a little when you run so you don't end up with shin splints after every game.

My high school gym had one court, wood over concrete which made the floor as hard as, well, concrete. There was a stage along one side and cramped bleachers on the other. The end walls were about three feet from the out-of-bounds line, which was one reason we never got through a season without a player smashing into the wall and breaking a crucial bone. Still, our court was better than the one across the county. It was an aging World War II Quonset Hut with support poles that were on the court. The poles were covered with mats, just in case. And it was a technical foul to use a pole for a pick. But many of us tried anyway.

It's not just the facility when it comes to schools. My daughter has several small classes staffed with two teachers. In physical science, there's two teachers and ten kids. Pretty darn good, I say. Sure, I pay my taxes and all that blah blah blah. But you can't pay enough for the dedication I've seen from the teachers and counselors and administrators at Central High School.

Now about that Obama speech today. At the open house, I expected to see phalanxes of bug-eyed students wandering the halls chanting: "Repeat after me -- I'm a socialist community organizer who wants to kill Grandma." But I only saw a few, those whose minds have already melted down from watching too much FOX News.

Annie said she didn't have a chance to see the speech because her algebra classroom doesn't have a TV. I can understand why. Leninist/Stalinist/Hitlerist Obama messages might leak out of the tube and creep into the minds of the students who should be concentrating on equations. Annie said that a couple of the kids had made snide remarks about Obama but there didn't seem to be any major protest or massive walkout or let's-all-yell-at-the-TV-screen event. The school district had made viewing voluntary, saying that teachers could show it during class time or show it later. Students could opt out, spending their time in some worthwhile pursuit, such as study hall or sneaking a smoke out in the parking lot.

I did notice that two of the eight teachers I visited had quotes from Pres. Obama written on their white boards. That's something, I guess, although probably enough to get some Glenn-Beck-watching Know Nothings wildly indignant. But they get wildly indignant about every little thing. Too bad they didn't pay attention in civics class back in the day.

Gov Dave thought that April 15 tax protests "would be bigger"

Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal held a press conference yesterday and addressed issues relating to state government budget cuts, trans-basin water diversion and Tax Day protests in across the state and the nation. He said this about the protests, including one that happened outside his office window:

“I actually thought that they would be bigger. This is not a state that has affection for the federal government on any day, and the affection on tax day is even less.”