Looks like there's a deal that will continue the Bush Tax Cuts

From the Wallstreetpit.com. Dec7th

Here are the details of the agreement on the Bush tax cuts: (see if you figure out what they mean)

1) The Bush tax cuts get extended for two years — with one ugly surprise: For the next two years, estates up to $5,000,000 will be protected from the estate tax, and the tax rate for the few estates that are taxed will be 35 percent. … The difference in expected revenue between the 2009 levels and the compromise levels is $10 billion or so.

2) The refundable tax credits are extended: The Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit and the American Opportunity Tax Credit were all pumped up in the stimulus, but set to expire this year. All of them will be extended. Price tag? $40 billion or so.

3) Unemployment insurance gets extended for 13 months: … In perhaps the most important part of the deal, there’s going to be a 13-month extension at a cost of $56 billion.

4) A 2 percent cut in the payroll taxes paid by employees: This is perhaps the most unexpected part of the compromise. Rather than extending the administration’s Making Work Pay tax credit for two years, which would’ve been worth about $60 billion a year, they’ve agreed to a one-year cut in the payroll taxes paid by employees, which’ll raise $120 billion in 2011. …

Would Romo play if he was to return this year?

Oye, Jason.........y yo?? Cuando voy a jugar?

As the Dallas Cowboys continue to win, the question has probably come up of whether Tony Romo will play even if he is released by the doctors. For one thing, it might jeopardize his injury's healing process. More importantly, would it be a disruption to the team's current momentum? Surprisingly (to some), John Kitna has become a rather dependable quaterback in the Cowboy's 4 games since Jason Garrett was made interim head coach.
One option would be to gradually play Romo more until he is back to his full strength. It would be interesting if Jerry Jones starts marketing more Kitna jerseys. That might be a sign of what to expect for the rest of the season in regards to whom the starting quaterback will be.

Richard Pena Raymond wants Texas constitution to call "fees" - taxes.



Raymond wants taxes to be called what they are: Taxes


Laredo state representative Richard Pena Raymond said Monday that he will push for an amendment to the Texas constitution that would force legislators to be more honest. If Raymond gets his way, any increases in fees, whether they be for drivers' licenses, marriage licenses or any other fees levied by the state, would have to be officially called "taxes". The point Raymond wants to make is that the state will probably resort to raising fees/taxes this session and the public should know the truth. Often, legislators raise fees to raise revenue and still claim that they are against taxes. Raymond's change to the constitution would, if nothing else, force politicians to do the unthinkable- tell the public "la verdad".

Tie down your Christmas Decorations, it's that time of year again

 

I guess even Santa's feeling the economic pinch this year


It's time to make sure your Christmas decorations are secure, especially the inflatable ones. They don't weigh much and are easier to get away with. Every year we hear of at least a few instances in which laredoans' festive decorations are kidnapped right from their front lawns all over town. Our ever-resourceful citizens always come up with creative ways of protecting their Santas, snowmen, reindeer, candy canes and elves. Unfortunately, theives probably spend an equal amount of time conspiring on how to outsmart the owners. Incidentally, we don't recommend the idea posing as an inflatable yourself. Heaven forbid you might get mistaken for a mascot or something.

And in a related story.........

Apparently, the "we need to improve customer service!" cry is all the rage with consulting groups. From the Valley Morning Star, comes the following story on San Benito's falling tax revenues due to, you've guessed it, poor customer service.

SAN BENITO — A new city program that began this past week offers local businesses tips to improve customer service as part of a campaign to boost sales tax revenue amid a financial crunch.
Consultants told a small group of business owners in a meeting last week that customer service is a key to growing their businesses.
The city’s Economic Development Corporation presented the seminar as part of its new $55,000, eight-month program aimed at luring more customers to local businesses, said Alma Puente Colleli, the agency’s director (I wonder how much she gets paid). The agency will hold monthly workshops aimed at helping businesses boost profits as part of the program that offers prizes to customers who shop in San Benito, she said.
“By increasing the level of customer service in San Benito, we could set our businesses apart and give them that competitive edge,” she said after the seminar at City Hall.
Many local businesses need to improve their customer service, said Paula Henken, a co-owner of Heartfelt Gifts.“That’s what many businesses lack the most in,” said Henken, who moved here from South Carolina. “Technology is taking away the one-one interaction with customers. I was raised on Southern hospitality. In my generation, we’re used to that.”
Blanquita Rodriguez said many employees need to learn how to handle customers.
“A lot of businesses don’t know how to treat people,” said Rodriguez, owner of Blanquita’s Restaurant. “It starts with a greeting. The communication is eye-to-eye, giving hugs and shaking hands.”
City officials are counting on the program to boost sales tax revenues that plunged to their lowest levels in about five years, leading city commissioners to slash spending to balance a $9.4 million general fund budget.

Bad customer service, falling revenues, highly-paid city adminstrator contracting consultants to try to drive tax revenues up........sounds strangely familiar. This story could have come out of our own LMT.

Retrain the Mexican National shoppers says A.B. : OK, where's Pavlov?

Laredo Morning Times Business Journal columnist AB Barrera touched upon the attitudes of both the local retail employees and the Mexican customers. He mentioned that he has received numerous e-mails from locals who have complained to him that many Mexican shoppers are rude and should be more polite. To this he says  "I totally disagree". Ok, so he's disagreeing that they should be more polite? I think what he meant was that the focus should remain on doing the best job you can as a retail employee despite some rude customers. In defense of their rudeness, he goes on to try to justify why some Mexican customers are so rude: they have to do this and that and get their taxes back. This might explain why they are probably in a hurry and less than gracious, but it doesn't make it right. Just think of the shambles our local customer service would be in  if local retail employees started to do the same- namely, make excuses for behaving rudely.
Eventually, Barrera does get around to  addressing the rudeness of some of these shoppers and says that they need to be 'retrained". Now that's better- now he's being inconsiderate of both sides. When you say that someone has to be retrained, you evoke connotations of Pavlov and his operant conditioning techniques with dogs. I think that when we talk about people, we need to use a word other than "train". For example, it would more appropriate to at least say that you "have to condition" customers (yes,another Pavlovian concept). For some reason, to me at least, conditioning sounds a  little bit less offensive than training. Roll over Rover.

Wade Watch: At least 3 things to do in Laredo

Barrista, another Large Latte Si Vous Plais

It's similar to the Sarah Palin phenomenon. Sometimes it's so hard to believe than anyone like her could be a national celebrity, much less a potential Presidential candidate. Let me correct myself, It's ALWAYS hard to believe people take her seriously. Yet, once in a while, I'll find myself actually stopping my remote at a channel just to see what kind of lunacy she's talking about. Well, the same thing goes for my listening to the Tom Wade show. I'll tune in occasionally just to hear what he's ranting about.
One theme he'll touch upon time and again is that "there's lot of things to do in Laredo". Oddly enough, most of the time, he'll end talking about the same 3 things. Obviously, one of his favorite pastimes is the Laredo Bucks. Being that hockey is still mostly foreign to the vast majority of Laredoans, it makes sense, in a weird way, that it would be one of his favorites. Starbucks on DelMar and McPherson is another of Tom's best of places in Laredo. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing it's a gathering place for people who've been transplanted to Laredo. In other words, it's one place that's safe if you want to not blend in with the native. Forgive my cynicism, but if you've listened to him, you might understand. The 3rd place that always gets honorable mention on his show is the local shooting range. Today, he mentioned that's "ladies love the shooting range". He recounted how he's taking about 4 ladies to the range and how they just loved it. I don't doubt that for a second.
Perhaps some of you might truly enjoy all of the above. That's certainly good because that means that there's more things that you find enjoyable and interesting about our town. It just seems that if you have a radio show and often state that there's lots of things to do in Laredo, then you would actually talk about a lot of things, and not the same 2 or 3 things over and over.