About that "Postcard"... (Taxes)

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Tuesday November 27, 2018 · 12:02 PM PST

2018/11/27 · 12:02

On the left is the typical 2-page 1040, 2017-style. On the right, the 2018 version. Same dummy numbers used.

I am an Accountant, and I recently checked out for the first time what 2018 tax returns are going to look like. I use industry standard software, and I offer the caveat that there are a lot of “reserved” lines on the 2018 forms, because certain items are still being updated by the software provider. However, this is how the 2018 Form 1040 will look. Instead of being two simple pages, it is now two half pages, followed by 6 pages of Schedules (Schedules 1-6). All of that empty space will now be a part of your tax returns. You may not need all of those schedules, but most people will need at least 1-2 of them, meaning that the Republicans’ “postcard” obsession has led to every single taxpayer having at least a couple extra pages (and a whole bunch of blank space) on their 2018 federal returns.

Trump Admission: "36 years ago this happened"

KumarP

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Wednesday October 03, 2018 · 9:11 AM PDT

2018/10/03 · 09:11

Lost in all the stories of Trump mocking Christine Blasey Ford is the fact that he uttered the following words, “What he’s going through, 36 years ago this happened.” That is an admission that Trump believes the assault occurred. That he would mock someone who doesn’t remotely deserve it is not news- he does that all the time. Still, that’s the sensationalist angle. What everyone should be talking about is that Trump believes the assault happened. This isn’t even out-of-the-blue, as it had been reported that he saw Ford as a credible witness.

While we're at it, another lame duck victory...

KumarP

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Monday January 03, 2011 · 11:09 AM PST

2011/01/03 · 11:09

Eclectablog put up a nice (recommended) diary about the victory for the solar industry that went largely unnoticed in the recent tax legislation.

There was another "BFD for renewable energy" in that deal: the extension of the biodiesel tax incentive.

KumarP

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Thursday December 09, 2010 · 7:35 PM PST

2010/12/09 · 19:35

Like a good number of you, I imagine, I've been a listener to Free Speech Radio News (FSRN) for a while. Actually, in my case, its entire existence. 2010 should be a year of celebration for the progressive network, as its existence was sparked a decade ago:

In January 2000, free-lance reporters for the former Pacifica Network News engaged in a strike, citing censorship by Pacifica's then Executive Director and Board. The strike lasted twenty-six months until March 2002

...Free Speech Radio News was formed in 2000 as an independent newscast by the strikers and has remained an independent program since that time. Since March 2002, FSRN has been aired and distributed by the Pacifica Network, and received major financial support from Pacifica.

In the intervening years, FSRN has arguably become more important than its sponsor, and while I fought with many others to save Pacifica a decade ago, at this point all I can think about is saving FSRN. It's existence is seriously threatened right now. Below the fold, their desperate plea.

KumarP

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Wednesday September 08, 2010 · 11:17 AM PDT

2010/09/08 · 11:17

People may question the headline of this diary, but this is taken from the official blog at the Dove World Church:

Let's just make one thing clear. A small church, in a small town, down a back road, burning copies of its own books, on its own property, is not responsible for the violent actions anyone may take in retaliation to our protest. Remember, Paul did not make the snake, the fire drove it out and he was bitten. If violence happens in reaction to this, the violence was not caused by us, it has just been exposed.

So they want to expose violence that hasn't happened yet?

That's not a mere disclaimer. In the bible, the snake is clearly a tool provided by God, to be used to prove that Paul is holy. For DWC to be comparing their action to this, is to say that their burning of the Koran is a similar tool, to prove, in this case, that Islam is unholy. Make no mistake: they are counting on violent reactions. That way, they can point to the "Islamic radicals" and stir up more enthusiasm for their crusade.

Show me the money, Mr. President!

KumarP

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Wednesday June 16, 2010 · 10:31 AM PDT

2010/06/16 · 10:31

Yesterday, the President delivered these words to the American public:

"I say we can’t afford not to change how we produce and use energy – because the long-term costs to our economy, our national security, and our environment are far greater.

So I am happy to look at other ideas and approaches from either party – as long they seriously tackle our addiction to fossil fuels

...the one approach I will not accept is inaction. The one answer I will not settle for is the idea that this challenge is too big and too difficult to meet.'

If the President "will not accept... inaction", and plans on actually delivering on this message, then why the heck is it mid-June already and we're still without the extension of the biodiesel tax credit?

Hey Obama, the first step to enacting a bold new energy future is to support the alternatives to fossil fuels that exist today. Now get in there and fight for us!

(Because Harry Reid and the Senate aren't getting it done)

KumarP

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Wednesday March 24, 2010 · 2:15 PM PDT

2010/03/24 · 14:15

I've been looking forward to being able to vote on legalization come November, and it is now official.

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

The California Secretary of State is expected today to certify a measure that would ask voters this November whether marijuana should be legalized and regulated for adult recreational use....

Backers needed to collect at least 433,971 valid signatures of registered voters. They submitted nearly 700,000 signatures.

Poll

168 votes Show Results

Will pot be legalized, and more importantly, TAXED in CA?

168 votes Vote Now!

Will pot be legalized, and more importantly, TAXED in CA?

Yes

156 votes

12 votes

HR 4213 Passed- Thank You from a Biodiesel Producer

KumarP

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Wednesday March 10, 2010 · 2:37 PM PST

2010/03/10 · 14:37

I wrote about this a little while back, and was heartened to get some nice responses indicating action in the comments section.

Now the bill has passed, and will hopefully soon become law. Here are the details:

title=

I'm working with the City, County, and other agencies to help us survive during the weeks/months before the checks start arriving, but in the meantime, this gives us some leverage for getting loans, and I'm crossing my fingers that we won't have to lay anyone off.

THANK YOU KOSSACKS!

Why H.R. 4213 is Life or Death for my industry

KumarP

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Wednesday March 03, 2010 · 2:37 PM PST

2010/03/03 · 14:37

You may not have heard of H.R. 4213. If you have, it may have been a passing reference to a "tax extender package", or something like that. The bill, officially the "Tax Extenders Act of 2009," passed the house late last year, and is being considered in the Senate right now. It covers many things, including:

Individual Tax Relief

Business Tax Relief

Charitable Contributions

Community Assistance

Disaster Relief

Energy

One other thing it does is save the life of the American biodiesel industry. I'd like to talk about that, after the fold.

KumarP

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Wednesday December 16, 2009 · 9:40 PM PST

2009/12/16 · 21:40

Hearing Rep. Weiner on Countdown tonight, I was once again astounded at the oft-used comparison. Weiner defended his support of a health insurance mandate by saying it's like auto insurance. Oh really?

Following are five very important differences that we would all be well-served to remember the next time that we hear someone compare a health insurance mandate to the existing auto insurance mandate:

KumarP

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Tuesday December 15, 2009 · 2:39 PM PST

2009/12/15 · 14:39

I'm at work, so I'm going to have to keep this brief. From Markos at the front page:

My take is that it's unconscionable to force people to buy a product from a private insurer that enjoys sanctioned monopoly status. It'd be like forcing everyone to attend baseball games, but instead of watching the Yankees, they were forced to watch the Kansas City Royals. Or Washington Nationals. It would effectively be a tax -- and a huge one -- paid directly to a private industry.

Without any mechanisms to control costs, this is yet another bailout for yet another reviled industry.

No. It's not like being forced to watch baseball at all. This is people's health, and this bill would be a dramatic positive reinforcement to the insurance companies that the way they define "care" is the way it's going to be. BASEBALL GAMES DON'T KILL PEOPLE.

So no, Kos, it's not baseball, it's not a bailout- it's giving the keys to the hen-house to the fox, and we are all the hens.

Yours truly,
Uninsured small business owner,
Kumar Plocher,
Ukiah, CA (where you can only purchase plans from Blue Cross or Blue Shield, and where, even at my above poverty line salary, it just doesn't make any sense whatsoever to do so, considering how awful those plans are)

KumarP

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Friday December 11, 2009 · 8:16 PM PST

2009/12/11 · 20:16

So, my wife and I are what some of you might call "Foodies", or food snobs, or something similar. We own a lot of cookbooks, spend far less frugally on food than other things in our life, eat seasonally and organic, blah blah blah, and WE COOK A LOT!

So it pains me to say the following:

I just found out that I'm allergic to garlic.

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About that "Postcard"... (Taxes)

Trump Admission: "36 years ago this happened"

While we're at it, another lame duck victory...

Free Speech Radio: Sounds Good, Right? Let's Keep It!

DWC Admits They are Trying to Incite Violence

Show me the money, Mr. President!

Marijuana Legalization Clears Hurdle in CA

HR 4213 Passed- Thank You from a Biodiesel Producer

Why H.R. 4213 is Life or Death for my industry

For the last time: It's not like Auto Insurance! UPDATED

Kos doesn't go far enough

A Culinary Call for Help