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  • Consider...

    I thought about putting this in the Political threads (which I never look at), but actually I consider it more just common sense:

    What is a billion???

    The next time you hear a politician use the word "billion" in a casual manner, think about whether you want the "politicians" spending your tax money.

    A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases.


    A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

    b. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

    c. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

    d. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

    e. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.

    While this thought is still fresh in our brain, let's take a look at New Orleans. It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division .

    Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D), is presently asking the Congress for $250 BILLION to rebuild New Orleans. Interesting number, what does it mean?

    a. Well, if you are one of 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, child), you each get $516,528.

    b. Or, if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans, your home gets $1,329,787.

    c. Or, if you are a family of four, your family gets $2,066,012.

    Washington, D.C .. HELLO!!! ... Are all your calculators broken??



    This is too true to be very funny



    Tax his land,
    Tax his wage,
    Tax his bed in which he lays.

    Tax his tractor,
    Tax his mule,
    Teach him taxes is the rule.

    Tax his cow,
    Tax his goat,
    Tax his pants,
    Tax his coat.

    Tax his ties,
    Tax his shirts,
    Tax his work,
    Tax his dirt.

    Tax his tobacco,
    Tax his drink,
    Tax him if he tries to think.

    Tax his booze,
    Tax his beers,
    If he cries,
    Tax his tears.

    Tax his bills,
    Tax his gas,
    Tax his notes,

    Tax his cash.

    Tax him good and let him know
    That after taxes, he has no dough.

    If he hollers,
    Tax him more,
    Tax him until he's good and sore.

    Tax his coffin,
    Tax his grave,
    Tax the sod in which he lays.

    Put these words upon his tomb,
    "Taxes drove me to my doom!"

    And when he's gone,
    We won't relax,
    We'll still be after the inheritance TAX!!

    Accounts Receivable Tax
    Building Permit Tax
    CDL License Tax
    Cigarette Tax
    Corporate Income Tax
    Dog License Tax
    Federal Income Tax
    Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)

    Fishing License Tax
    Food License Tax
    Fuel Permit Tax
    Gasoline Tax
    Hunting License Tax
    Inheritance Tax
    Inventory Tax
    IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax),
    IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax),

    Liquor Tax,
    Luxury Tax,
    Marriage License Tax,
    Medicare Tax,
    Property Tax,
    Real Estate Tax,
    Service charge taxes,
    Social Security Tax,
    Road Usage Tax (Truckers),
    Sales Taxes,

    Recreational Vehicle Tax,
    School Tax,
    State Income Tax,
    State Unemployment Tax (SUTA),
    Telephone Federal Excise Tax,
    Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax,
    Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax,

    Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax,
    Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax,
    Telephone State and Local Tax,
    Telephone Usage Charge Tax,
    Utility Tax,
    Vehicle License Registration Tax,

    Vehicle Sales Tax,
    Watercraft Registration Tax,
    Well Permit Tax,
    Workers Compensation Tax.

    COMMENTS: Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago
    And there was prosperity, absolutely no national debt,
    The largest middle class in the world and Mom stayed
    Home to raise the kids.


    What the hell happened?????
    M. Henley

  • #2
    In America it is defined as One Thousand Million (1,000,000,000) [2], while in the UK is defined as One Million Million (1,000,000,000,000), which is one thousand times more.

    At last we have something bigger than the Americans

    Comment


    • #3
      This is going to end up going political but I really don't think they should rebuild many of the areas destroyed in the flooding until they have come up with a very good plan of how they will prevent something like this or worse in the future...

      This was a near miss...

      What if the next time it is a direct hit and the storm is as powerful?

      Do we all get to pay $500,000,000,000.00 next time to fix it again?

      People should not live below sea level when they live in an area that can be swamped due to a storm surge... It's just that simple...

      Comment


      • #4
        Unfortunately the problem isn't confined to the USA. In many parts of the UK housing is being built on flood plains. In some instances they raise the ground level so all they do is shift the flooding to somebody else. There are cities in the UK that have been in existence for 2000 years, but only in the past 20 have they built in these areas. 1980 years of wisdom overturned in 20 by planners who obviously know far better than their forebears.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Quarterbore
          This is going to end up going political but I really don't think they should rebuild many of the areas destroyed in the flooding until they have come up with a very good plan of how they will prevent something like this or worse in the future...

          This was a near miss...

          What if the next time it is a direct hit and the storm is as powerful?

          Do we all get to pay $500,000,000,000.00 next time to fix it again?

          People should not live below sea level when they live in an area that can be swamped due to a storm surge... It's just that simple...
          To think of rebuilding in a area a few feet below flood stage is doable, BUT 10 feet below flood level is crazy. Rebuilding now doesn't make sense. What wonderful parks and open space there could be in these areas.

          The big mississippi floods from about 5-7 years ago in the mid west, had the planners put in huge dikes and large areas of park land.
          Bill

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Keitht View Post
            In America it is defined as One Thousand Million (1,000,000,000) [2], while in the UK is defined as One Million Million (1,000,000,000,000), which is one thousand times more.

            At last we have something bigger than the Americans
            What what is the name for one thousand million in the UK if it isn't billion?
            Bill

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Bill4728
              To think of rebuilding in a area a few feet below flood stage is doable, BUT 10 feet below flood level is crazy. Rebuilding now doesn't make sense. What wonderful parks and open space there could be in these areas.

              The big mississippi floods from about 5-7 years ago in the mid west, had the planners put in huge dikes and large areas of park land.
              After our big flood in Holland in 1953, they had to act quickly so a disaster like that wouldn't happen again. It can be done if it is necessary and they came up with the Delta Plan. It would be very interesting to visit the Delta Works if you decide to visit the Netherlands. My DH was very impressed because it is a huge project. They had no other choice because so much of Holland lies under sea level but there is so much land available here so why not build on higher grounds mainly and keep the lower places for public areas or parks which would make the area much more attractive like Bill stated here.

              New Orleans could keep their tourist area and keep the history going of this interesting old city. I doubt if people want to come back after so much time. They will always have the fear that this flooding may happen again one day, I would think.

              I looked up some information about our big flood of 1953 as I remember this day very well. The wind was so strong that day that I got thrown off my bicycle in Amsterdam and that was far away from where the flooding was. The flooding took place during the night when people were sleeping so many drowned and the damage was awful. It was a very large area under water as we saw the pictures daily. I still have a book of all the pictures taken after the flood.

              Here are a few interesting links to read that have some resemblance with what happened in the Katrina disaster too in respect to flooding and preparedness. This may be a bigger area yet than our flood was in Holland. It's only a very tiny country.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Keitht View Post
                In America it is defined as One Thousand Million (1,000,000,000) [2], while in the UK is defined as One Million Million (1,000,000,000,000), which is one thousand times more.

                At last we have something bigger than the Americans
                huh?

                How do you express the number 1,000,000,000?

                A quagmire?

                Wikipedia, under the entry "billion" says:

                i.e. one thousand million: used by most English-speaking countries (American and usual modern British meaning)
                But the entry for Long and Short Scales also describes it as an older usage:

                http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_and_short_scales

                Keith: How many pounds are in a ton? (Or tonne, if you like.) Don't give the answer in hundredweights.

                -David

                Comment

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