I am a smoker and I understand that some find it nasty and offensive. That is your right, just like it's might right to smoke.

I am a considerate smoker. I won't stand in the door ways of a business, puff away and blow it all over you. I don't smoke around people who don't smoke.

The man who vowed not to raise taxes on the working people has done just that with another tax on tobacco. Poor and middle class people are more likely to smoke than the rich, so who is this new tax hitting the most?

Too long the powers that be have decided to put a tax on all things they consider a sin.

How about we impose a tax or fine on all elected officials who lie, cheat and steal?

And how about we stop giving away the farm to ILLEGAL's?

Or how about we put a triple tax on homes worth half a million or more?

Hey here is one to consider, why don't we tax every penis and all boobs after all they are sometimes used for sin. Require every male to wear a tracking device on his pecker and tax the hell out of it each time he pees,has sex,scratches or plays with it!

Or slap a tax on nudie mags.

I very well may have smoked my last carton of cigs and I hope millions of Americans follow me.

Why stop at booze and smokes?

This is MOST interesting. Read the bios and then be sure to look at the last part of this message. Note who they are allied with and their positions.







Here is a quick look into 3 former Fannie Mae executives who have helped bring down Wall Street.

Franklin Raines was a Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Fannie Mae. Raines was forced to retire from his position with Fannie Mae when auditing discovered severe irregulaties in Fannie Mae's accounting activities. At the time of his departure (Wednesday, Dec.22, 2004) The Wall Street Journal noted, " Raines, who long defended the company's accounting despite mounting evidence that it wasn't proper, issued a statement late Tuesday (Dec. 21, 2004) conceding that "mistakes were made" and saying he would assume responsibility as he had earlier promised. News reports indicate the company was under growing pressure from regulators to shake up its management in the wake of findings that the company's books ran afoul of generally accepted accounting principles for four years." Fannie Mae had to reduce its surplus by $9 billion.
Raines left with a "golden parachute valued at $240 Million. The government filed suit against Raines when the depth of the accounting scandal became clear. See:

http://housingdoom.com/2006/12/18/fannie-charges/

The government noted, "The 101 charges reveal how the individuals improperly manipulated earnings to maximize their bonuses, while knowingly neglecting accounting systems and internal controls, misapplying over twenty accounting principles and misleading the regulator and the public. The notice explains how they submitted six years of misleading and inaccurate accounting statements and inaccurate capital reports that enabled them to grow Fannie Mae in an unsafe and unsound manner." These charges were made in 2006. The Court ordered Raines to return $50 million dollars he received in bonuses based on the miss-stated Fannie Mae profits.

Tim Howard was the Chief Financial Officer of Fannie Mae. Howard "was a strong internal proponent of using accounting strategies that would ensure a "stable pattern of earnings" at Fannie. In everyday English - he was cooking the books. The government investigation determined that, "Chief Financial Officer, Tim Howard, failed to provide adequate oversight to key control and reporting functions within Fannie Mae,"

On June 16, 2006, Rep. Richard Baker, R-La., asked the Justice Department to investigate his allegations that two former Fannie Mae executives lied to Congress in October 2004 when they denied manipulating the mortgage-finance giant's income statement to achieve management pay bonuses. Investigations by federal regulators and the company's board of directors since concluded that management did manipulate 1998 earnings to trigger bonuses. Raines and Howard left Fannie Mae under pressure in December 2004. Raines's departure was structured as an early retirement. Howard resigned.

Howard's Golden Parachute was estimated at $20 Million!

Jim Johnson is a former executive at Lehman Brothers who was later forced from his position as Fannie Mae CEO. A look at the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight's May 2006 report on mismanagement and corruption inside Fannie Mae, and you'll see some interesting things about Johnson.

Investigators found that Fannie Mae had hidden a substantial amount of Johnson's 1998 compensation from the public, reporting that it was between $6 million and $7 million when it fact it was $21 million. Johnson is currently under investigation for taking illegal loans from Countrywide while serving as CEO of Fannie Mae.

Johnson's Golden Parachute was estimated at $28 Million.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

FRANKLIN RAINES? Raines works for the Obama Campaign as Chief Economic Advisor

TIM HOWARD? Howard is also a Chief Economic Advisor to Obama

JIM JOHNSON? Johnson was hired as a Senior Obama Finance Advisor and was selected to run Obama's Vice Presidential Search Committee

IF OBAMA PLANS ON CLEANING UP THE MESS - HIS ADVISORS HAVE THE EXPERTISE - THEY MADE THE MESS IN THE FIRST PLACE.


Can the men who were instrumental in bringing down Wall Street be trusted to build a new Wall Street?

Most of you know Belle. Well I heard earlier this evening that she is in the hospital. All I know right now is that she passed out. Think she might be released in a few hours. When I find out I will let you know.

I know she loves Travis so I'm putting up a Tritt song in her honor. Here you go Belle this is from me and Lisa (Sugar Shack).

Here is a update. My cousin is there with her. Said she is raising 20 different kinds of hell wanting to go home. As of now they are going to keep her a few more hours for observation and then will decide to keep her or let her hissy fit pitching tail go or not.

Sunday update on Belle-She was released early this morning and is at home.

Monday update on Belle- My girlfriend talked to Belle this morning. Said she was glad to be home and had been mostly sleeping. They ran some test including a CAT scan I think and everything checked out just fine.

Been a while since I posted anything so here's one from ZZ Top.

For a couple of years now we have been hearing that gas prices are high, because our demand and thrist for fuel here is high. Less demand equals lower prices.

According to the news, demand for fuel here in America has dropped over the past 4 weeks, yet gas prices continue to climb.Can someone explain that to me?

What happens when 1 gallon of gas is the same as or more than minimum wage?

Maybe the answer is, all those people making min wage should piss off the boss and get fired, sit at home and draw unemployment.

America is at the doorstep of becoming a third world country owned by China, and I'm pissed off!