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Redwoods June 2011

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Redwoods June 2011

Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

This is off trail, along Redwood Creek just after Tall Trees Grove at the sharp bend in the creek. This tree was tipping miraculously at about 30 degrees, so I went in to examine how it could be standing. The (probably) dead trunk in foreground was holding up the big tree by holding up the much smaller trunk to left. That trunk is connected at bottom to the big tree. I’m thinking that as the dead trunk dies the simply enormous pressure from the weight of the big tree – millions of pounds – will snap it and the big tree will fall, re-routing Redwood creek or perhaps even damming it up for a short time. Can’t wait to check up on this in the coming years.

Tax burden by income level and “Shut up or cut!”

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The tax debates always intrigue me, mostly because few of the people who are discussing things have much of a clue about the facts.   You hear all kinds of specious talking points – the most conspicuous from the left is that wealthy don’t pay much tax (they pay most of the taxes as in “most” of the taxes!).   From the right the foolish rant is that we’ll cripple economic development if we tax the rich even more than we currently do.   That’s not at all a reasonable assumption.     Most rich folks have a lot of wiggle room in terms of how much they spend, and the idea that foresaking an extra Rolls Royce will inhibit the global economy is preposterous.    As Warren Buffett reasonably notes, much of the tax burden on the rich is from capital gains taxes which are capped at a fairly modest rate.   He, and other wealthy folks, can pay more.

So, the rich CAN afford to pay more, but _should_ the rich pay more given that they already pay (by far) most of the total tax burden?

The answer in my opinion is simple, and involves both cutting spending and adjusting the incomprehensible tax system.     We should CUT SPENDING to match the revenues we take in, and ADJUST PROGRESSIVE TAX rates slightly to  make sure those with the best ability to pay continue to bear most of the payment burden.

To avoid negative economic “shock waves” from this simple but dramatic solution, we can phase it in over the next decade.    Cutting spending is easy – most of the current spend is easy to adjust downward as we’ve discussed before.   Government is incredibly inefficient in delivering well-being via entitlements and security via defense spending, so we just need to make gradual cuts over the decade until the spend matches the revenue.   Tea Party hypocrites who don’t call for defense cuts need to shut up since it’s impossible to balance a budget without cuts to a massively bloated military budget, as do liberal whiners who think money grows on trees and medicare and social programs are serving taxpayers and beneficiaries effectively.    Millions of recipients – most of whom have contributed only a fraction of their benefits – don’t even need them!    Common sense must prevail, and for that to happen the fringe people who have no interest in compromising their sacred cows should be disavowed.   This is not a time to advocate FOR spending, rather it’s a time to be talking about WHAT are the spending things you LIKE that YOU are going to  CUT?    I’m calling this the  “SHUT UP or CUT! ” approach to balancing the budget.

Table 1. Summary of Federal Individual Income Tax Data, 2008(Updated October 2010)

Number of Returns with Positive AGI AGI ($ millions) Income Taxes Paid ($ millions) Group’s Share of Total AGI Group’s Share of Income Taxes Income Split Point Average Tax Rate
All Taxpayers 139,960,580 8,426,625 1,031,512 100% 100% – 12.24%
Top 1% 1,399,606 1,685,472 392,149 20.00% 38.02% $380,354 23.27%
1-5% 5,598,423 1,241,229 213,569 14.73% 20.70% 17.21%
Top 5% 6,998,029 2,926,701 605,718 34.73% 58.72% $159,619 20.70%
5-10% 6,998,029 929,761 115,703 11.03% 11.22% 12.44%
Top 10% 13,996,058 3,856,462 721,421 45.77% 69.94% $113,799 18.71%
10-25% 20,994,087 1,821,717 169,193 21.62% 16.40% 9.29%
Top 25% 34,990,145 5,678,179 890,614 67.38% 86.34% $67,280 15.68%
25-50% 34,990,145 1,673,932 113,025 19.86% 10.96% 6.75%
Top 50% 69,980,290 7,352,111 1,003,639 87.25% 97.30% >$33,048 13.65%
Bottom 50% 69,980,290 1,074,514 27,873 12.75% 2.70% <$33,048 2.59%
Source: Internal Revenue Service

Convenience or Sustainability?

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Affluent countries like the USA often use extra energy (usually in form of fossil fuel) to create convenience.   We run errands in our cars rather than walking, we travel long distances by airplane or car rather than avoiding long trips or using bicycles, etc.    What surprises me however is how often people think that they are creating sustainable lifestyles simply by purchasing hybrid vehicles or recycling or making other fairly trivial changes to the excessive consumption of an American lifestyle.   They are not.

Sustainability is a necessary condition for the long term preservation of a system, but it comes at a cost..

to be continued…sustainably….well…..maybe not…

Census RSS test

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U.S. Census Bureau News – 2010 Census

http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/2010_census/

Recent news releases on 2010 Census from the U.S. Census Bureau.

en-us

Contact the Public Information Office for further information.

Thu, 26 May 2011 15:22:27 -0500
Thu, 26 May 2011 15:22:27 -0500
http://www.movabletype.org/?v=4.25
http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss

Media Advisory – Census Bureau to Hold Webinar Prior to Release of 2010 Census Summary File 1 for States

What: The U.S. Census Bureau will hold a media webinar prior to the state-by-state releases of the 2010 Census Summary File 1 in June through August. Reporters will learn about the topics to be released in the summary file, how the release process will work and how to access the …

http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/2010_census/cb11-cn148.html

http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/2010_census/cb11-cn148.html

Thu, 26 May 2011 15:22:27 -0500

2010 Census Shows Nation’s Population is Aging

Seven States Have Median Age Over 40 The U.S. Census Bureau released today a 2010 Census brief on our nation’s changing age and sex composition that shows the nation grew older while the male population grew faster than the female population over the last decade. According to Age and Sex …

http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/2010_census/cb11-cn147.html

http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/2010_census/cb11-cn147.html

Thu, 26 May 2011 14:44:41 -0500

2010 Census Shows Nation’s Hispanic Population Grew Four Times Faster Than Total U.S. Population

Mexicans are Largest Hispanic Group Nationwide and in 40 States      The U.S. Census Bureau today released a 2010 Census brief on the nation’s Hispanic population, which shows the Hispanic population increased by 15.2 million between 2000 and 2010 and accounted for more than half of the total U.S. population increase …

http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/2010_census/cb11-cn146.html

http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/2010_census/cb11-cn146.html

Thu, 26 May 2011 12:41:51 -0500

Censo del 2010 muestra un crecimiento cuatro veces mayor en la población hispana que en la población total de Estados Unidos

Los mexicanos son el grupo hispano más grande a nivel nacional y en 40 estados La Oficina del Censo publicó hoy un informe del Censo del 2010 sobre la población hispana en los Estados Unidos que muestra un aumento en la población hispana de 15.2 millones entre el 2000 y …

http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/2010_census/cb11-cn146sp.html

http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/2010_census/cb11-cn146sp.html

Thu, 26 May 2011 12:38:14 -0500

Census Bureau Releases 2010 Census Demographic Profiles for the United States, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont and Virginia

The U.S. Census Bureau today released the Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for the United States, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont and Virginia. The demographic profiles provide 2010 Census data on age and sex distributions, race, Hispanic or …

http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/2010_census/cb11-cn144.html

http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/2010_census/cb11-cn144.html

Thu, 26 May 2011 00:01:00 -0500

Charlie’s Angels – new TV Show Preview

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The rumors … were TRUE!    Charlie’s Angels are back on TV this fall in a new ABC TV series.   The links below go to the preview videos on youtube.  This seems to be  a clever “viral marketing” play by ABC to release the vids to an “exclusive” group of bloggers, probably knowing that many of us will link on up.   This is called “linkbait” in the SEO search industry and when it works it’s a great way to get big free buzz for projects.   In this case I’m happy to help as it helps me understand how Google ranks content at this blog and also … I like Charlie’s Angels!     We’ll see how the new version compares to the movies (which were great) and the 70s version of that show.

Download the Charlie’s Angels video – you will be among the first to see it in all the whole world!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19VFDlCnOXc
CHARLIE’S ANGELS

http://abc.go.com/shows/charlies-angels
http://www.Facebook.com/CharliesAngelsABC
http://www.twitter.com/AngelsABC

PRESS RELEASE  from ABC:

Everyone deserves a second chance.  Even a thief, a street racer and a cop who got in a little too deep.  After all, the three women who solve cases for their elusive boss Charlie Townsend are no saints – they’re angels…Charlie’s Angels.

This big, loud, fun take on the 1970’s smash hit series introduces us to three new angels, all fearless operatives, head-turning beauties and close friends.  There’s Abby (Rachael Taylor) a Park Avenue Princess who became a world-class thief.  Then there’s Kate (Annie Ilonzeh), a Miami cop who fell from grace, losing both her career and her fiance.  Finally there’s Gloria, a disgraced army lieutenant who has a way with explosives.  When one of the angels’ missions ends in Gloria’s tragic death, Charlie persuades them to partner with Gloria’s childhood friend, Eve (Minka Kelly), a street racer with a mysterious past.  They may not know each other yet, but one thing’s for sure–Abby, Kate and Eve will always have each other’s backs.

Leonard Goldberg (the original Charlie’s Angels) and Drew Barrymore (theCharlie’s Angels movies) join forces with Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (Smallville) to deliver the adrenaline rush of the season.  Set in scorching-hot Miami, Charlie’s Angels delivers nonstop big screen action.  With the help of Bosley 2.0 (Ramon Rodriguez), their hot, young technical expert, and the guidance of their enigmatic boss Charlie (Robert Wagner), these angels are an unstoppable crime fighting force.

SHORT:
Get ready for the knockout hit of the year.  Charlie’s Angels is back and hotter than ever.  Meet three ex-bad girls who are earning their wings by busting the really bad guys.  Together with legendary producer Leonard Goldberg and Drew Barrymore, Smallville‘s Alfred Gough and Miles Millar re-imagine the popular 1970’s series with more action, more eye candy and more heart than ever before.

CAST
Annie Ilonzeh – Kate Prince
Minka Kelly – Eve
Rachel Taylor – Abby Sampson
Ramon Rodriguez – Bosley
Robert Wagner – Voice of Charlie

CREDITS
Production Company – Sony Pictures Television
Executive Producer – Miles Millar
Executive Producer – Alfred Gough
Executive Producer – Nancy Juvonen
Executive Producer – Leonard Goldberg
Executive Producer – Drew Barrymore
Director – Marcos Siega

Celebrity Salaries from TV Guide

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You thought YOU were overworked and underpaid.  Julie Kavner and Yeardley Smith, the voices of Bart and Lisa on “The Simpsons”, only make $400,000 …. per episode.   So stop your whining, things are tough all over.

Dramas per EPISODE!

  • $550,000 – Kiefer Sutherland “24”
  • $400,000 – Hugh Laurie “House”
  • $400,000 – Mariska Hargitay “Law and Order: SUV”
  • $400,000 – Christopher Meloni “Law and Order: SUV”
  • $390,000 – Marg Helgenberger “CSI”
  • $375,000 – David Caruso “CSI: Miami”
  • $350,000 – Laurence Fishburne “CSI”
  • $325,000 – Mark Harmon “NCIS”
  • $275,000 – Ellen Pompeo “Grey’s Anatomy”
  • $250,000 – Tim Roth “Lie to Me”
  • $250,000 – Kate Walsh “Private Practice”
  • $250,000 – Patrick Dempsey “Grey’s Anatomy”
  • $250,000 – Simon Baker “The Mentalist”
  • $250,000 – Calista Flockhart “Brothers and Sisters”
  • $225,000 – Patricia Arquette “Medium”
  • $175,000 – Tom Welling “Smallville”
  • $150,000 – Jennifer Love Hewitt “Ghost Wisperer”
  • $150,000 – Sally Field “Brothers and Sisters”
  • $150,000 – Chris O’Donnell “NCIS: Los Angeles”
  • $150,000 – LL Cool J “NCIS:
  • $125,000 – Peter Krause “Parenthood”
  • $50,000 – Chace Crawford “Gossip Girl”
  • $50,000 – Blake Lively “Gossip Girl”

Comedy – Per Episode

  • $875,000 – Charlie Sheen “Two and A Half Men” (figure includes ownership stake in the series)
  • $400,000 – Felicity Huffman “Desperate Housewives”
  • $400,000 – Marcis Cross “Desperate Housewives”
  • $400,000 – Teri Hatcher “Desperate Housewives”
  • $400,000 – Eva Longoria Parker “Desperate Housewives”
  • $400,000 – Dan Castellaneta “The Simpsons”
  • $400,000 – Yeardley Smith “The Simpsons”
  • $400,000 – Julie Kavner “The Simpsons”
  • $400,000 – Nancy Cartwright “The Simpsons”
  • $350,000 – Zach Braff “Scrubs”
  • $300,000 – Tina Fey “30 Rock”
  • $300,000 – Alec Baldwin “30 Rock”
  • $275,000 – Julia Louis-Drefus “Old Christine”
  • $200,000 – Patricia Heaton “The Middle”
  • $175,000 – Kelsey Grammer “Hawk”
  • $150,000 – Neil Patrick Harris “How I Met Your Mother”
  • $150,000 – Jay Mohr “Gary Unmarried”
  • $125,000 – Jenna Elfman “Accidentally on Purpose”
  • $100,000 – Courteney Cox “Cougar Town”
  • $50,000 – Joel McHale “Community”
  • $7,500 – Starting salary for player on “Saturday Night Live”

Cable – Per Episode

  • $275,000 – Kyra Sedgwick “The Closer”
  • $250,000 – Denis Leary “Rescue Me”
  • $200,000 – Glenn Close “Damages”
  • $175,000 – Julian McMahon “Nip/Tuck”
  • $150,000 – Holly Hunter “Saving Grace”
  • $135,000 – Jeffrey Donovan “Burn Notice”
  • $75,000 – Thomas Jane “Hung”
  • $75,000 – Jon Hamm “Mad Men”

Reality

  • $15 million per year – Ryan Seacrest
  • $150,000 per episode – Jeff Probst
  • $150,000 per episode – Jon and Kate

Late Night – Per Year

  • $32 million – David Letterman
  • $30 million – Jay Leno
  • $14 million – Conan O’Brien
  • $14 million – Jon Stewart
  • $6 million – Jimmy Kimmel

News – Per Year

  • $15 million – Katie Couric CBS
  • $13 million – Matt Lauer “NBC”
  • $12 million – Diane Sawyer “ABC”
  • $10 million – Meredith Vieira “NBC”
  • $10 million – Bill O’Reilly “Fox News Channel”
  • $7.5 million – Keith Olbermann “MSNBC”
  • $7 million – Larry King “CNN”
  • $5 million – Anderson Cooper “CNN”
  • $3 million – Wolf Blitzer “CNN”
  • $3 million – Chris Matthews “MSNBC”
  • $2 million – Glenn Beck “Fox News Channel”
Source: TV Guide

How “balanced state budgets” … aren’t balanced.

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I’m starting to review the Oregon state budget and realizing how spurious the claim is that balanced budget requirements are why we should not worry much about the state of many state budgets.    Many crises are looming and I’m tired of advocates simply working to protect *their* special interests.   Recipients of public funding should come to the table with more effective use of their tax share or they should be shown the door.

http://www.oregon.gov/DAS/BAM/docs/Budget_Policy/2011-13_GBB.pdf

First, most states effectively rename deficits as “shortfalls”, often scrambling to balance things late in a two year budget process.     Far more important however is the fact that about half of the “total revenues”  in Oregon (and I asssume in most other states), comes from the federal government in the form of grants and other federal to state payments.    Now, the federal government *can* run a deficit, and has been choosing to increase that deficit massively since Bill Clinton left office.   Therefore a LOT of the money we spend as a state is in fact “borrowed money”, borrowed at the federal level from … wait for it … our children!     Thanks kids and young folks for funding the reckless spending of the older generations.  Ironically you aren’t participating much in politics and many of you don’t even realize what’s going on right now as we spend and spend … your money.

Caveat:  Most economists agree that the economy is fragile right now and some major spending by government is needed to continue the bailout and stimulus strategies that appear to have worked well.   I’m not disputing that, but I am suggesting that there will be hell to pay if we don’t start managing government spending far more responsibly than we have in some time.    This means cutting both entitlements and defense and – unless very deep cuts are made soon – raising taxes too.    People who think we can balance things without either huge cuts or substantial tax increases are just foolish.  There’s no easy path after decades of reckless spending.

America!

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It’s sure nice to be back in the USA after a month traveling in SE Asia.    The trip was great, filled with great new friends from very different cultures (though at the core, I’d say, folks are all pretty similar), wonderful sights and sounds, and a LOT of great food  (many MANY pictures of food to come over at the Online Highways and US History companion Travel Blog:  TravelandHistory.com.

However on balance I can’t think of any place I’d rather live than right here in loverly Southern Oregon USA.   We’ve got the natural beauty, nice folks, cheap and plentiful food  (e.g. the big juicy ribeye steak I’m having for lunch today), clean bathrooms (more on my somewhat narrowly avoided international incident with Ho Chi Minh’s embalmed body … later…. and clean water that comes magically right out of the tap.    I still marvel at how many highly travelled folks don’t seem to make the obvious and logical connections between the US economic system and the amazing prosperity we enjoy here.      It’s almost as if the guilt of living so well blinds them to the fact that we do live very well.    And NOT at the expense of the other countries mind you – in fact their challenges are usually because they have failed to implement the unique blend of democracy, massive public infrastructure, and entrepreneurial capitalism that have made the American experiment the most successful prosperity booster in the history of humanity.

But I digress….. Vietnam is a fantastic place with wonderful folks and some amazing natural beauty.    Over the next few months I’ll recap the trip day by day at Travel and History along with supplemental history and travel information that’ll flow into the Online Highways Travel Website where we’ll be adding sections on Vietnam and Thailand.