Being unattractive in America is an expensive proposition. Not only do the “pretty” people get better jobs, they also pay much less taxes.( This is not to say less attractive people in cash jobs don’t pay there fair share of taxes either…these are just two clear-cut examples)

    It’s not even a secret. Lower income,hard working people spend there life toiling for jobs at or near the minimum wage. Big corporations conspire with their  bought and paid for lackeys(politicians) to make sure we don’t pay a livable wage to the workers with the least clout and education. Imagine if the .99cent value meals were $1.29….and the difference went to raising  the minimum wage from $7.25 to a more realistic $9.50 an hour. Big corporations would scream bloody murder. The superPacs would raise millions to squash any such thing from actually coming to a vote in congress.

     I’ve made many friends here in Miami over the last several years. One of my  friends is a very comely blond who works as a waitress in a upscale restaurant just off the ocean. She works hard and is very skilled at what she does. She also has been gifted with a fantastic figure and beautiful blue eyes. She is just 27..and had just purchased a very nice, shiny new  automobile. I was surprised at such a purchase as  she never graduated college, in fact..she never graduated high school either. She asked me how much money I thought she made? I ran some numbers in my head..figuring she makes nice tips….maybe 150 dollars  a night X 5 days a week…thinking  she made perhaps $40,000 or so a year. She giggled over my stupidity…and confided to me that she clears 400+ dollars cash on an average night..x 5…she’s making 2000.00 dollars a week..CASH!  That’s over 100,000 dollars a year! I asked her if she declared all that money in her tax returns….she said “are you nuts”….as she shows an income to the government of about 30,000 …and she doesn’t take off her clothes…and in fact attends church every Sunday and is in fact a very decent person…less her lack of tax honesty.

   Another aquaintance of mine gets a bit more risque. There are literally 100′s of “establsihments” here in the sunshine state that feature naked dancers entertaining vacationeers from all over the world. This person does not engage in any illegal activities, everything she does is sanctioned  by Governor Rick Scott and the state of Florida. She boasts that she often makes 800 dollars a night..and many girls make even more money. Last year she told me that she made more than 200,000  dollars a year. Some doctors and lawyers don’t make that kind of cash..but if God gifted you with physical beauty there is no limit to your earning power. She declares about 50,000 dollars a year in income..enough to look “legit” to the IRS!

   So, we cant control God’s gifting of beauty…BUT  can the government control who pays their fair share of taxes? Handsome Mitt Romney evades his taxes….legally will assume…but hard to confirm with his tight grip on his tax returns. Pretty guys and gals all over the sunshine state are raking in the big bucks. We haven’t even discussed the other flourishing business here’s…just go to back page or craigslist…and you can find literally thousands of others making huge profits selling their wares in  all types of ways.  Guess who gets to pick up the taxes for  people in cash jobs that  aren’t paying?   That’s us folks..the rest of us not so physically gifted people. This not just a Miami phenomenon..this goes on all over the United States.

 Can we start a real conversation this political season about the real world……do we have any politicians willing to talk the truth about the extra taxes the not so beautiful people get to pay? …the extra costs of being ugly in America? …life isn’t fair..but we can at-least try to make it a little less unfair  for hard working Americans of all stripes and flavors!

                            One long weekend in Arizona is a real eye opener. Not sure what they slipped into the water system out here..I’m drinking bottled water and getting on the next plane out of here. While generalization are dangerous..and many good people must reside in the state…I can only relate my experience in this  one short weekend. There’s an attitude reeking from this state..led by the governor and apparently embraced by the rank and file. I hardly know where to begin.

            Riding around in North Scottsdale through some rural areas….private land owners posted sign after sign lambasting the federal government…and the racists rants were not at all thinly veiled. It seems like pack mentality has taken over and the hatred for the federal government out here is real and rabid. I can’t help to think that if the POTUS was not multi-racial..things wouldn’t be so out of hand out ?With the state government leaders putting the stamp of approval on racism..this state should not wonder why its economy is on its ass. Take away the older retired  folks who make up a good chunk of the population, the rest of this group is a bastion for tea partiers mixed in with good old fashioned red neck mother fuc***kers.

      Govenor  Jan Brewer just passed a budget that’s slash and burn. They actually have a 400 million dollar surplus rainy day fund… money that should be spent on helping the least among them. Maybe it’s part of Romney’s plan of self-deportation in action..make things so unpalatable that everyone that’s not lilly white wants out.  Why would anyone who isn’t wealthy,white and right-wing want to live in this hell hole? I was attending my son’s sports tournament and there were some 600 kids and their parents in attendance. They had several “petitioners” making the rounds pushing a state amendment essentially exempting Arizona from federal laws and initiatives. They might as well be secessionists…they would like Arizona to be a land among themselves. The utter disrespect that’s shown for federal laws is frightening.   Many attendees hardly read the details of the petition,they couldn’t sign up fast enough. When I was approached ..I told the creepy crawler that I live in Florida, I couldn’t sign his petition. ..but I did mention that if I did live in this state I would never sign such a crazy proclamation..asking the dude what is he so afraid of ? ..adding that while the  federal government isn’t the answers to all our needs,  we should be thankful we have some national leadership that has some  common sense and compassion. He looked at me with utter hatred…and said right to  my face..”Oh, you must be a Jew”.

   Part of my visit was business related…and I checked out a number of retail establishments in my industry..OMG. The real shock is  when I went into the independent retailers. I walked into one quite successful chain and encountered the store manager. He might as well have been living in deadwood…just like depicted in the now defunct HBO series. He has a tank top on, dirty blue jeans and a sleazy beard and face…he may have bathed in the last month..they do have running water out here?  I was so intrigued I sat with the dude and within 10 minutes he uttered the n -word 3 times..and asked me if I would like a cold beer. Really..? I said your working ..how can you do that? He said the owners encouraged it…the homespun hospitality works for them..and his customers appreciate the laid back, shit faced approached.

   The amount of bumper stickers I encountered was another jaw dropper. The NRA is well loved here, and almost every bumper sticker was just pure nasty…insulting Obama, the federal government, immigrants, gays,Jews and anyone else that might cause heart burn among this motley crowd. It makes me quiver to think how many residents either publicly or privately were quite pleased with the shooting last year that killed several and took a very fine public servant, almost killing  her .. and removing  her from congress.  What ever is happening in Arizona is pure ugliness…and their’s apparently many other states following their lead. ..it makes you think if Romney wins this election…does Arizona and other states have a green light to continue to create a a dangerous situation for American diversity? Hopefully, thoughtful Americans will economically continue to quarantine this state…Arizona is truly an embarrassment for everything this country stands for…what the hell happened, Arizona?

 Mitt Romney feels relieved that the Republican primary season has come to an end. He managed to get past two weak candidates ..overpowering them with multi-million ad buys throughout the electoral process. The general election won’t be as easy… POTUS has plenty of money…Romney will not be able to steamroll ahead on the basis of money alone.

      The tax return fiasco is not nearly over..in fact this may become the loose end that will keep Romney and the Republicans from controlling America’s future. Romney’s father warned 30 years ago to not trust a politician that will not release a full accounting of tax returns….Mitt should have headed his father’s advice. Only after Gingrich’s win in South Carolina ..and Florida’s primary  looking dicey..did Romney relent. Mitt released a pre-meditated,sanitized version of his tax return in 2010. He also release an estimate for 2011…however…he asked for an extension today. ..he really doesnt want the country to see the real tax returns.

   Why would he? The little we know about his finances showed him avoiding taxes and moving his cash to the Caymans. While  Mitt was slashing jobs at his Bain capital..putting people out of work ..he was making his 50,000 dollars a day, living the life of a big shot. This country club Republican certainly well represents today’s Republican party.

   With 45% of the electorate lined up behind Romney..and 45% backing Obama…that 10% of the elctorate will decide who gets the ride to the White House. Inside word suggests that the Democrats have plenty of financial information they will be sharing with the voting public. However, this bombshell will be held closely..look for an October surprise. The 10% of the truly undecided electorate,will get a strong dose of Mitt’s money machine.

    Romney won’t  release his tax returns…and has done all that he can to tamper down further talk about them . Ah, but this is Romney’s achilles heal …coupled with a bad  tin ear…this combination should derail his bid to capture the White House. Romney’s honesty is severely overdue…his inability to pony up and share his tax returns disturbing..the level headed middle 10% of the electorate will make the final determination.. Romney  should have been more forthcoming….if he had  listened to his dad he probably would be our next president!

Give Obama credit for laying it all on the line. Do we continue to allow millions of Americans to dodge  responsibility of contributing to the health care solution? Do we not allow our elected officials to make changes through our legislative process? Does America cow tow to  5 unelected out of the mainstream judges … usurping  the power of the people?

One of the most important aspects of the Affordable heath care act of 2010 is beginning in 2014 ..pre-existing conditions will be covered. It’s a blight on all Americans that we allow insurance companies to pick and choose their  insurers…grabbing up the profitable Americans with glee, but shunning other Americans that may not be quite  as lucrative to their bottom line. The obvious and quite fair solution is to mandate all Americans to pay for health care. If we allow younger people to skirt responsibility…we are creating a generational divide that is both morally wrong and makes covering pre-existing conditions economically unfeasible.

Many of us out their have been denied coverage for pre-existing conditions. Here’s my personal story. I moved 3 years ago ..leaving my job up north for a new life in Florida. I took cobra between jobs so I could keep my insurance intact. I got a job after two months..but there was a 150 day waiting period to get on my new employers insurance coverage. So, I paid 600 a month for individual coverage for a 7 month period. Once I got accepted on the new insurance plan..I cancelled my cobra coverage. I went to my new doctors in Florida and they reviewed my medical needs. In turn they asked for approval from my insurance company to cover what my previous insurance company was covering. I received one of those ..thanks..but sorry..were denying coverage based on pre-existing condition. They said I could reapply for coverage after a 12 month waiting period. Bottom line is I was unable to get the pharmaceuticals required to treat my condition. After several months ..I was really feeling the effects of not having the proper medication..it wasn’t good. I asked my physician what I should do..and he had no advice. I pressed him..asking if I should purchase the medicine illegally Thur the Internet. He looked at me and said he could never recommend that..at the same time shaking his head yes…sending me a signal that it might be the best way to go.

Feeling boxed in with no good option, I took a calculated risk and purchased the generic form of the drug needed thur the Internet. I felt a little  like a criminal, but  more worried due to the  lack of quality control. My pills came from India..but it was labeled as the drug I needed. I searched the web trying to figure out the proper dosage,etc.It’s amazing that I had to be my own doctor and make these kind of decisions on my own. The upshot is the medicine I received was degraded and who knows what was actually in them. I had a bad  reaction after a few weeks..and had to go to the emergency room. I was told to discontinue the drug immediately.It was a good thing I went to the emergency room, because it was not uncommon to see this condition become dangerous.  I had to wait another 9 months before my new insurance would cover the medicine. It was a very long 9 months…unnecessarily exacerbating my condition.

We all contribute to social security and medicare..whether were 18 or 25 or 55. We all will be consumers of health care…why would we exclude anybody from the responsibility of taking care of our collective health? It should be a given that we all need to pay for health care..young people cant duck responsibility…and make their parents and grandparents pay..and if the younger people get sick…we all get to pay for them anyway. Lack of coverage for pre-existing conditions is everybody’s problems . ALL Americans need to be part of the solution…and yes..even those 5 unelected judges …this is everybody’s problem..and were all part of the solution!