Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

Tuesday Morning Threat Level -Code Fanta ;)

http://youhavetobethistalltogoonthisride.blogspot.com/2010/02/tuesday-morning-threat-level-code.html

The GOP is preparing their talking points on the proposed budget as we speak. They are good at framing the debate. The Dems stink at it.

That's why, in a few days, we will all be debating the "issues" the GOP wants debated, using the biased terminology (slogans) that they craft.

This is how the Dems usually lose the debate.

Examples:

*Framing an estate tax on the super-rich a "death
tax."

*Framing an invasion war to grab Iraq's oil fields as a "war on terror."

*Framing Blackwater mercenaries who operate outside of the law as "private contractors."

Joke from my days as a defense contractor...
Q: Why do we need NASA?
A: Because scientists want BMWs too.

Amazing, the Federal Budget and Puxutawny Phil each get their own photo op. But eventually nobody pays attention to either one.

At least Phil gets to crawl back into a hole. The Budget, meanwhile gets ripped to shreds. There may be an interesting parallel here. It could be that the President has as much control over the budget as the groundhog has over the end of winter.

RE: Budget

The GOP will talk it down unread.

The Dems will defend it unread.

Both sides will do so with rhetoric remarkable for nothing save incoherence.

High finance confuses knobites & hillbillies. Except, of course, for Dolly Parton.

Prayers are with Rep. Murtha.

Rainy in Knobite Corner. Don't think our little prognosticatin' whistlepigs saw their shadows, but it doesn't matter; the calendar won't cooperate.

Settling in for the PM with Elizabeth Kostova's THE SWAN THIEVES. No spoilers, I promise.;)

Y'all have a good 'un.

(flash - flash) Work it! Work it! Now, give us a little smile! Not too coy. (flash - flash)

That was Capitol Hill-areeeous without the sound.

Why are they still kickin' it old-school with the printing press? Can't they just download the info electronically to an e-book, or would that be too cost-efficient?

Box # 90 folks .......

Target: £500.00
Raised so far: £45,037.99 - 9008 %

http://www.justgiving.com/Colorado-Bob

More from Colorado Bob's Letter's to the Rotarians -

Thank you for your email. There is currently a Sun Oven assembly plant in Lambert Haiti. Lambert is in northern Haiti and did not suffer damage during the earth quake. If you would like to read about it please visit:
http://www.sunoven.com/international/haiti.php
The plant in Lambert has assembled all of the ovens they have parts for and we are rising funds to send another shipping container of unassembled ovens to Haiti

The way we find an entrepreneur who wants to make the Sun Ovens varies from country to country. In most cases someone contacts us. We need to find someone with the financial resources to pay for the parts and starting the business so it is a slow process. Customs and VAT taxes have been the hardest barrier to overcome so the person who wants to obtain the license to make Sun Ovens needs to be able to know how to clear a shipment from customs in a cost effective manner.

The cost of each unassembled oven is $125. The onetime cost of the tooling jigs and fixtures is $4,500. The cost of shipping varies depending on the destination. Up to 500 unassembled ovens plus the tooling jigs and fixtures can be shipped in a 20’ shipping container. Up to 1,000 unassembled ovens plus the tooling jigs and fixtures can be shipped in a 40’ shipping container.

Please let me know if you have any questions or there is any additional information I can provide.

Warmly yours,
Paul
-------------------------
Note :
I'm still kicking this can around, as a bit of background, here is the oven being discussed in this exchange -
http://www.sunoven.com/index.php

Only ten more Shelter Boxes to go to house 1000 people.

From 2 threads back...

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2010/02/palins-paperthin-mccain-endors.html#comment-283158

Flatus, I'm no tax attorney, but if you have a receipt of any sort I very much doubt that the deduction will ever be questioned - even if you are one of the very unlucky few who draw more than a letter audit.

Fair, LOL at prognosticating whistlepigs. Not to be outdone by Phil, the folks in French Creek, WV have their own weather rodent - French Creek Freddie - who did not see his shadow and predicted an early spring - although P.Phil did - as if the nuts who hold him up can converse with him. I think my head is going to explode.

http://www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=74498

Craig....
you've been prolific with subject changing lately... gotta crack the whip for everyone to keep up.... :)

Oscar.... wasn't he a muppet or something along those lines....

seriously.... since getting our cable, internet, and phone bundled.... which means we get every movie channel cable has ever invented.... we rarely go to the movies or rent them any longer.... we watch them on 12 hbos, 10 starz, 10 encores, etc. etc. I've only seen one this year and that was Julie and Julia because I had a friend that really wanted to see it in the theater.

As if a genius could understand the budget.... let alone a regular person.

Nash, Democrats lose because while they are too afraid to utter those "opinions" you listed, they still get out via MSNBC and make Democrats sound silly.

We didn't grab Iraqi oil. Blackwater is working around the world at the moment and Congress can make up whatever regulation they wanted. Bitching about what dead people can leave their kin is not going to win many voters....

if Democrats frame the issues in a way that bipartisan consensus can be reached, they have the chance to make Republicans look obstructionist. Obama's only real way to frame the issues is engaging the opposition and his Left with the most supported facts and create an atmosphere of reasonable debate in which the extreme views are marginalized. Obama wins in the center if the move is real.

A small tonic on a gray day -

Waylon Jennings - Are you sure Hank done it this way
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnEtRUcKGwc

We lost Waylon in Feb as well.

oooops....
I forgot.... I did go see the Star Trek movie cuz that's the one I wanted to see on the big screen.

Pogo -
Stick around .

Pogo -
A bit of background -

The US ShelterBox folks urged us to use them . Their selling point , was the tax break . They said that the gifts to the British branch were not tax deductible for Americans.

It would be a good thing to find out , as Flatus said over the weekend , if we can get some waver. It may not matter to those of us who's means are small , and therefore of no real problem , but some folks are buying a whole box in one pop. It may be of help to them.
And it will sure help Imus.

It would be really helpful to have someone that could tell us if this is possible. I am about as far away from a tax attorney, as I am from Haiti. Any help steering me to an answer would be much appreciated.

think somebody ought to get a sun oven and try it out, see if it really works. if so, what an amazing thing, and well worth promoting. but it kinda seems too good to be true.

putting another 12 pounds 6 in if i get that check tomorrow.....zee ball she is still rolling..................

We have received 6 donations this morning . This reverses a trend of them slowing just a bit from the past 2 days. Someone may have given us a shout out somewhere.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/01/obamas-30-billion-small-b_n_443254.html

Solar, Here's a short piece about sm biz loans that may interest you. It is, however, contradictory to your point of view, but logical to me.

Holy cats, a fish head story -

Rotting Fish Heads: Novel Studies of Decomposition Shed New Light on Our Earliest Fossil Ancestry

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100131142434.htm

26 March, 1827.........Ludwig van Beethovan begins to de-compose.........

HaHaHa Haaaaaaa

ShelterBox Founder and CEO, Tom Henderson, added: ‘None of this would have been possible without the fantastic fundraising efforts from ShelterBox supporters around the world. The need is huge but the response is matching it.

'I know our supporters will keep on going, keep on fundraising and keep on helping us make a difference.’

http://www.shelterbox.org/news.php?id=243

Bob, I know that the IRS used to issue private tax opinions - I assume they still do. Couldn't hurt to draw up an inquiry. I can only assume the British arm of Shelterboxes is for profit, or at least not registered as a charity if they are telling you the donations aren't deductible.

Obama 's budget will raise taxes on those making 200000 thousand or more a year ' still comes up with a trillion dollar deficit ' makes an easy campaign slogan for republicans ' tax ' borrow ' tax 'democrats

Bob, the only people who have told you that it's not tax deductible is the U.S. organization that adds a significant admin cost to its 'production'.

Personally, I believe it's both morally and legally deductible. If you want someone to tell you that it's not deductible, keep asking the question; you'll surely find that individual.

So far as I know, you've not solicited a single donation based on deductibility; let it go at that.

You are a saint in a world replete with devils.

IRS.gov says

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=218679,00.html

its gotta be a donation made to a qualified charity - same rule as all other deductible donations aas far as I know.

http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc506.html

I report - you decide.

Bob goes to the Federal Building to see the IRS .......
This ought to be good.

Bob, the office you need go to is local office of your Senator.

The republican invasion didn't steal Iraq's oil. The republican invasion prevented oil from reaching the market, driving oil prices up for the red state oil caliphs.

Blackwater is under investigation for allegedly attempting to bribe Iraqi officials. Presumably the Blackwater bribery, rape, and murder goes on across the globe. As Maxtrue says, they are working around the world.

Bitching about what cadavers can leave their heirs won't gain many votes, true. But, as Franken's victory over coleman showed, every vote counts. Besides, the republican repeal of the Federal Estate Tax has the function of turning the upper class into the upper Caste. Estates are income for the heirs and ought to be treated as such.

There could be a lot of votes in a campaign to get rid of the 'multi-millionaires loophole' in the taxcode that allows multi-millionaires to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.

Bob

Let it go.
You went out and found the best deal for delivering aid to Haiti.
This still delivers more aid to Haiti. If the donor is interested in his money having the most impact.
That is what you were interested in.
Ya done good.
Quit worrying about the donors taxes, they are big boys and should be able to figure this one out.

Also, I suspect that a 500 pound donation is a lot bigger thing to you then it is to those that made one,

They will drop more on eating out this week then they will get in tax breaks.

Run the numbers and you find to get that box to Haiti cost $1080 for Imus, he is in a high tax bracket.
If he had donated to USA it would have been $1000 add the extra 10% handling fee it cost $1100 bucks to deliver the same box.

So quit worrying you saved them money

One other thing these charities are big business. They often behave as badly as used car salesmen. Because they are do gooders they think that is OK but don't you fall into their trap.

As I said You did good just keep reminding yourself of that.

Jack

Morons...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/32382.html

or is it just short memories?

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/32399.html

Bob, what Jack said. I didn't worry for a minute that what I donated might or might not be deductible - and couldn't care less. I know that the cash donations I made at work weren't, and I couldn't have cared less. You did a great thing that is helping those who can help help those who need help - and I doubt that any of the donors are going to lose a minute's sleep over the tax deduction they won't get. If that's their concern, I truly feel sorry for them.

"Run the numbers and you find to get that box to Haiti cost $1080 for Imus, he is in a high tax bracket.
If he had donated to USA it would have been $1000 add the extra 10% handling fee it cost $1100 bucks to deliver the same box."

forgot to add. the only difference is our government would have subsidized the ineffeciencies of Shelterbox USA
So what you did Bob was save the US taxpayer $300 a box.
If you want to do something write to you congressman and sugest that the difference be spent helping Haiti rebuild.

Jack

Folks -
Well I stumped the local IRS ...... Got a number to call.

If someone asks the question , I want the correct answer.
We currently have a disclaimer up about it. ( A negative )
I'd rather have : Your contribution is tax deductible ( A positive )

I'm planning on working the local media . I don't want any deer in headlight moment.

Bob,

As if we wouldn't have given w/o the tax deduction. I second Jack.

You don't have to beat yourself up about this tax business. rush limbaugh pre-beat you up within the first 24 hours after the quake. pimp/bootlegger pat robertson beat you up by saying the Haitians were in league with the devil - making you (and every Trail Mix Shelter Boxer) a supporter of satan's team. That ought make enough beating up.

You deserve a treat. I say, we should all give you a rousing chorus of 'For He's a Jolly Good Fellow' when we complete the 100th box - even though you deserved one for the very suggestion, plus the solar oven, plus the blue corn, plus....

Pogo,

I select 'morons' over 'short memories. If the Sens and Reps from New York City don't find anything wrong with having the trial there, then it's none lindsey graham's business.

Dam' outside agitatin' reds. If he doesn't like America and Old Glory, he can go to South Carolina and the Argentine mistresses.

Bob,

Don't worry about the tax deduction. Anybody that can really use one is deferring until next year anyway. There is a huge push to move revenue to this year and expenses, deferred depreciation and other deductions to next year where it can have the largest impact.

No big surprise there....:)

NEW THREAD.. 'aint pretty

From what I can gather donations made to Shelterbox UK through Justgiving.com won't be deductible, since it is a foreign charity, and not registered as a 501c3.

In my opinion, the responsibility is on the contributor to determine what is deductible, not the solicitor. For any contributors with such concerns, the necessity of valuing the donation in British Pounds should have been a tip-off.