Lake Wobegon: A place where all the men are strong the women good looking and the children are above average. Garrison Keeler A Prairie Home Companion
By Marc L. Flaster
NEW YORK New York (Texas Insider Report) My have times changed. It was not so long ago that what went on behind closed doors may have crept under the sill and wagged a few tongues. But now? Its content for front page news. The men and women involved shall meet their own special justice; It should
not be in the court of public opinion.
These are truly turning out to be the times that may try mens minds (lives). A deserter from the field of battle is held in higher regard than that held by a woman scorned. Title IX was just the first step in recognizing that women should stand as equals in both the home and the workplace. The All Mens Club doors are being broken down as women assert themselves.
Funny how the mens locker rooms are no longer off limits whereas the womens lounge remains private. A glass ceiling or a glass of Scotch which one embellishes the Battle of the Sexes today. Clothes make the man" they say... but womens fashion are designed to attract the man.
You cannot have your cake and eat it too. Enough said!!
Whatever happened to MSRP Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price? The internet has more than changed the face of retail. It has also brought into question the foundation for the grand bargain between buyers and sellers. Online access had demonstrated that there is no such thing as a
fixed price. A
fair price maybe.
Online sales have changed the landscape of consumerism. Should the buyer be appraised of the actual cost of an item and then should it be up to the consumer to determine what is a fair price? This transparency actually exists in real estate. But only because the properties are unique or in high
demand. Even high fashion is succumbing to everyday pricing when inventory remains on the rack to long. Automobile marketing may be right behind.
Speaking of autos the biggest culprit polluting the air we breathe today is no longer those belching power plants but rather the Internal Combustion Engine. Natural gas with some assistance from the sun and the wind now provides a low carbon footprint to power plants serving the grid. Yet John Q. Public wants that gas guzzling high polluting SUV for is size its convenience load carrying capability off road agility definitely not comfort.
At the same time much of the public scorns the utility that provides electricity
that brings comfort to his home as an environmental hazard.
GM Ford and Fiat-Chrysler are all rushing to design hybrid autos. They are in a race with the Chinese to bring low carbon footprints to the city streets. However sales are poor even with subsidies. Here is another example of where the mandated efficiency standards are forcing a mis-allocation of resources.
Managers of the laws of the land have restrained the wheels of progress; More miles per gallon is not the answer.
Fi-Fi-Fo-Fum I Smell a Tax Bomb
Good theory does not mean good practice. Congress as well as state and local governments spend too
much because they have too much to spend.
California Governor Brown admitted on 60 Minutes that his first act as Governor was to raise taxes. The new governor of
New Jersey ran on a platform to raise taxes on high income earners to fund his new benefit programs.
Connecticut and Illinois both face budget deficits.
These socially progressive states fund programs to support those they deem underprivileged or infirm. Their generosity exceed their resources. All under a false assumption that an underutilized population would bring prosperity to the population as a whole. More to the point these programs purchase votes.
Remember the people with the money are few while those with little money are many. At the polls the many have all the votes.
Now we are embarked on a similar plan proposed by the new President and endorsed by the Congress. Trickle-down economics did not work for Mr. Reagan nor George Bush.
The tax laws of our nation have
been laser guided. The revisions proposed passed and now signed into law are so drastic that the adjustment process will be beyond comprehension. Fallout shelters may be in high demand.
The elimination of SALT (State and Local Taxes) against federal tax liability is a kiss of death to the states mentioned as well as a few more.
This bill creates more collateral damage than opportunity. As the saying goes: Be careful for what you wish for it may come back to haunt you.
So it is today a day like all days except we are here.
In the spirit of the Holiday Season!!! God Bless!!!!
Feel free to share this missive with anyone you believe might have an interest. It is written
from my point of view about topics I find interesting and I dont expect readers to agree with me even half the time. Let me know what you think.
Marc L. Flaster has advised financial institutions across Texas in balance sheet management for over 
35 years. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any client or organization with which Marc L. Flaster might be affiliated. Readers are advised to complete their own due diligence and analysis prior to taking any actions based upon my economic and political views.
