brabus

@Lord Ratner First, just want to clarify I’m not directing these questions at anyone in particular, or necessarily because of anything written in this thread. I just see it as linked to the thread discussion and I’m genuinely curious at what thoughts are out there to re-do the tax system without heavy, unintended consequences. I suppose it could be its own thread, so understand if a mod wants to do that. With that said, obviously the quoted replies below are for you, but don’t take them as spears, just interested in the dialogue and wanting to see what’s out there that I haven’t thought about. I understand the generalities revenue/debt discussion, but how do you generate enough revenue when property taxes vanish? That would be a massive loss of revenue, of which most states rely on for education, infrastructure, and public service funding. I don’t think my paid sales tax at Lowe’s is going to cover the spread. I know we could go down rabbit holes of fuck funding public education if I homeschool, etc., but let’s not get into weeds and focus on the bigger pic discussion. That makes sense generally. Though an unintended consequence is you would be effectively punishing people who live more rural (and people who drive for business, unless they maintain that deduction capability). That said, I guess I wouldn’t care that much if I also was not paying any property tax. We all need EMS/LE equally, so why do I have to pay a higher percentage simply because I earn more/purchase more? My wealth has nothing to do with my need level for EMS/LE. Under current system, everyone except the homeless pay property taxes (including renters, as every landlord factors that into the rent amount), thus funding these departments through property taxes is probably about as fair as you can make it…i think, of course I’d love to hear another way to fairly fund without using the large revenue stream of property taxes. Agreed. I’d love to see property tax go away, it’s bullshit. But I also bring up the above questions because I don’t have a great answer for how to generally fund the things I mentioned at the state/county/town levels. I don’t think sales tax is going to cut it, unless maybe sales tax becomes insanely high to the point we crush our economy in an attempt to kill property tax. I hear a lot of people (not you or anyone specific on here) yell about getting rid of property tax, and no they don’t want it replaced with a high sales tax, but also assumedly they don’t want to revert to 1800s level roads, utilities availability, basically zero LE/EMS services, etc.

Disclaimer: I hate taxes as much, or more, than everyone else on here. Question: Lets say property taxes went away, along with our current federal and state tax system, and we went to a flat income tax or simply a use/goods tax. How are infrastructure and gov services (at state level primarily thinking transportation-related infrastructure and support, LE, EMS) funded? Take yourself out of a large city into most of America - do you toll every road in existence for “use tax?” (can’t imagine the undertaking of such a massive project). Is the Sheriff’s Office revenue generated only by a per-response payment (e.g. I called 911 and now get a bill for the SO showing up? I did use them…) These are just two illustrations for discussion and far from an exhaustive list. I don’t like our current property tax system, but I haven’t heard a good alternative for the above questions, and admittedly haven’t spent much time brainstorming one. When people yell “taxation is theft,” I get it, but what’s your solution to things like the above?

Let’s say funding and airspace access was a non-issue, so we start moving T-6s to airline bases. Some guys will jump on it, and most will stop doing it relatively quickly once they’re reminded why they left the AF for the airlines in the first place (summed up as “all the bullshit.”) The bullshit is un-killable.

Swing and a miss. If you want to get all technical, then go watch literal millions of people not remotely touch their chest. Tons of videos from WW2 all over the internet that prove your statement completely false. I’m not saying nobody, hitler included, hasn’t touched a chest in the act, but the vast majority are not that way…but they also don’t support your cuckoo narrative, so you’ve ignored them and hoped the rest of us critical thinking capable people were too lazy to go look. You cannot say Elon is a nazi for this while ignoring the others, it’s all or nothing…or you’re just intellectually dishonest. We also didn’t go to the moon and cows will cause the earth to implode, right?

Aviation Resource Management, Aircrew Flight Equipment, intel. All work around pilots daily.

@StoleIt Okay, well then I guess all of these people are also nazis… RPReplay_Final1737605951.mov But here’s the thing, while I vehemently disagree with, and greatly detest, each one of these individuals, I also have no valid reason to believe they are nazis. It takes very little critical thinking effort to assess these physical motions they made are not Nazi salutes or demo-ing some sort of support or allegiance to said group. It’s just not hard to conclude that…unless one either is overwhelmed with politically biased rage (critical thinking is inop), intellectually dishonest, or just a truly dumb person. Im happy to entertain actual evidence on anyone, including Elon or Trump, but it just doesn’t exist. The Nazi schtick is tired, overplayed, and the vast majority of America just see it as bullshit noise. But by all means the Dems should keep it up and help the GOP win more elections.

That’s still not enough, but I do agree those are the two worst parts of the NFA.

And NFA. I really hope those two bills make it to law…would be so amazing. And what’s really wrong nowadays is how I use the word amazing to describe actions that would simply undo unconstitutional shit. That’s how far we’ve fallen as a country - just getting back to normal/following the constitution is now seen as a feat of strength.

Hopefully he’ll burn the IRS to the ground, along with our ludicrous tax code.

In conjunction with the words, “my heart goes out to you,” he touches his heart and then gestures towards the crowd. He’s literally gesturing the associated words. Not that it should matter, but also the actual salute referenced never touches the torso at all, it’s simply just directly raising the arm out. To draw this conclusion in reference to Elon is nothing but absurd retardation on display by leftist dipshits. Don’t get sucked into it.

Indeed. The primes, at a min, can go fuck themselves. Absolute garbage C-suites filled with greed and zero fucks given for the country that has enabled them to grow to what they are today. Only people worse are the inept gov officials who don’t enable, or demand, real accountability and consequences for failures. Currently reading a book called Freedom’s Forge, focused on pre-WW2 industry. The contrast of industry then to industry now is sickening and embarrassing. Industry used to give a shit about our country and people. Maybe Elon can lead a swing back that way to some extent.

I hope Hegseth puts some real effort into restructuring our acquisitions process. That could pay huge dividends for decades to come if done right.

I’m not making excuses for anyone. Just highlighting there’s more to the problem than “well these guys are just little bitches not wanting to rock the boat/hurt their next assignment/piss Bob off.” That of course does describe some out there, but I don’t think that’s the overarching RC.

Valid, but to throw them a bone, how many line IPs are overruled by someone above them when it comes to grading accurately, shutdown when they provide candid opinions on a below average student, etc. Also how many line IPs are grossly inexperienced for the job they’re charged to do, thus through uncertainty, fear of leadership reprisal, or both, they grade inaccurately. It’s not an excuse for all the bullshit inflated grades out there, but the problem is more complex than simply “line IPs are pussies and not holding the line!”

It’s no different than being in direct combat - after a bit you don’t trust any of “them”, you’re senses are numbed to atrocious things, and you use dark humor as a means to cope. Doesn’t mean you’re a sociopath, I think it’s a fairly normal human response, and to expect cops to be different is just like the jackasses who expect “warrior monks” in the military.

I’m going to be honest, I've never interacted with a SWO who wasn’t an idiot/completely clueless. I have interacted with sub guys who were great. My personal number of interactions is not statistically significant, but I know a lot Navy pilots and they support my limited-experience conclusion. Put that butter knife to good use!

Did you tell him he’s a slack jawed faggot and can go fuck himself? With all due respect of course…

Remains to be seen. CA is a massively corrupt dumpster fire - they have the best chance of any state at learning nothing and continuing business as usual. I hope that’s not the case, but I’m not holding my breath.

Yep. Wildfire industry is very contract heavy (lots of guys not on contract right now), airplanes in heavy MX, etc. (not an expert, just work on a small contract with the USFS, so have some insight into that world).

May start doing that this coming season, hopefully. Need to put that FAC(A) time to good use!

Aerial fire fighting is impressive work…I have been more challenged flying in those situations (huge mountains, winds, smoke/shitty vis) than any mil flying I’ve done in the same time period. The guys doing the actual drops are doing some very difficult flying. Multiple times I’ve thought about leaving the airlines for it, but in the end the QOL gap is just too expansive for me personally. But that flying is probably the best civ flying there is once out of the mil, if you’re willing to live that life.

Me too, as we’ll likely see some parts of the country (*cough* our political aligned strongholds *cough*) are more important than others. But, to be fair it hasn’t played out yet, so we’ll see…

Even more reason to push back. Unless they did fight it and I’m unaware, but from what I read and take from their public statement, they handed it over without any pushback. Either way doesn’t affect me, never had a gun safe and never will be in the market for one.

So is Biden giving every CA person affected $750, just have to go sign up at URL…or are they getting substantially more fed support than that? It will be interesting to see how this plays out relative to NC and TN.