Whilst spending a requisite ten minutes this morning perusing world news, I chanced upon an article in Ha'aretz, entitled 'Palestinian-American behind 'socialist-joker' Obama poster'. The perp is quoted to have said, '"After Obama was elected, you had all of these people who basically saw him as the second coming of Christ," he told the Los Angeles Times. "From my perspective, there wasn't much substance to him."'

Scott & Helen Nearing, ca. 1950

Your government is no longer mine - Scott Nearing, The Making of a Radical: A Political Autobiography [Harborside, Maine: Social Science Institute, 1972, p. 152]

Enough with the nickels and dimes, let's go the whole hog: make it a $10,000 annual fee on taxpayers filing as single, and $20,000 for married filing jointly. That'll pay off the national debt within a decade or so, assuming no more bankster bailouts.

But seriously, per-head taxes with no regard for income have caused riots and revolutions through history. Small versions of such fees are just as unfair as large ones. But that's what we keep getting hit with here in Vermont. Higher auto registration fees, fees on telephone services, etc etc. Recently I've read that a $1 "per meter" fee is to be attached to the monthly electric bill, to fund reduced rates for some people (low income seniors). I am not sure whether that has passed or is just proposed. But it sure is nutty. If you're going to reduce rates for some, fund it by raising RATES for others, not a "poll tax".

Remember that Mad River Valley "Tweet Up" Round Barn chef Charlie Menard organized a few weeks ago?

The Phineas Gage Band wrote a little "Tweet Up" tune for the occasion.

And here it is, courtesy of MRVTV and Tony Italiano.

Thanks, Charlie, for a great event!