Gas Tax Coming??? No problem....

This is essentially a user-based tax. Those that travel more and put more wear and tear on the roads pay a higher amount. Now, I think that a bus wears down a road more than a car so the tax needs to be higher on diesel vehicles. I think it is but I am not sure about that.

The bottom line is that every study seems to indicate we have SIGNIFICANTLY underinvested in our countries infrastructure. Our gas taxes are some of the lowest in the industrialized world so why not increase taxes. This is a NO BRAINER tax that people should just suck up and deal with.....and I HATE higher taxes!



Dan Ross
http://www.danross.info/

Obama and Campaign Promises

Watch CBS Videos Online

Dan Ross

Taking Action in 2009...How to Make This Nation Great Again (cause we have DEFINITELY fallen off our perch.)

So the biggest theme of Robert Alter's book is ACTION. Alter is spot-on when he declares that action was more important to Roosevelt than policy substance: Activism that attacked the Depression's symptoms was as effective politically as finding a cure. Given that our economic slowdown is at its EXTREMES (stock market, consumer sentiment, debt levels, credit crunch, bank health, etc) that time period is our only comparison from a historical perspective.

From Amazon.com
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Some speeches live forever, and Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1933 inaugural address, carried to tens of millions of Americans by radio at the lowest depths of the Great Depression, remains among them. Eight days later, FDR delivered his first "fireside chat." When a special session of Congress adjourned after exactly 100 days, major programs for economic regulation, relief, reform and recovery were in place. Hope and optimism had been restored.



Take Action in 2009


The Now Famous Words of Barack Obama "Yes We Can"

The Authors of Every Monday Matters at Google's Headquarters


Dan Ross
http://www.BetterBizBooks.com

Obama vs. FDR - The first 100 Days (great videos)

So, did you vote?

Were you a Republican, Democrat or Independent voter?

Did the person you voted for end up winning the presidential race?

Does that even matter?

These are a few questions I pose because I've thought about them quite a bit both BEFORE and AFTER the election.

At the end of the day, the person that won the nomination has to bring the country back together and then get the country to take ACTION to try and improve the country and our future.

Here are a few great books/videos that I've come across that I'll be reflecting upon, and acting on, in 2009.

FDR and Obama's first 100 days








Dan Ross
http://www.betterbizbooks.com/

Branding of Presidential Candidates and the Impact

Interesting take from

http://www.thebrandbubble.com/blog



What is interesting about the book is that these guys work for Young and Ribicam Group and have a HUGE vested interest in branding. In an age of overabundance to brand values decline? Do you put as much of a premium on Starbucks vs. McDonalds? I think it is one of a market decline.....

Dan Ross
http://www.BetterBizIdeas.com/

CNBC.com Article: Pakistan Asks for $10 Billion from IMF

Pakistan Asks for $10 Billion from IMF
The Pakistaini government will ask for $10 billion from the Internaitional Monetary Fund on Monday, CNBC has learned.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/27245782/

My take: So, given that these guys have nukes how would you feel if they declared bankruptcy and the whole country’s economy went to hell in a hand basket? Talk about a jihad nightmare! I think this is something DEFINITELY to consider when looking at each presidential candidate’s position on Pakistan. Sorry but Obama is VERY weak on that position…..

Conspiracy theory related thought. I find the timing of this to be VERY eerily close to the presidential elections, don’t you? I mean, they know that Bush has really given them A LOT of $$$ and who is likely to give them more $$$ over the next 5-10 years, McCain or Obama?

Dan Ross

http://www.BetterBizIdeas.com/

Politics on the Mind of Americans.....At least online at CBS

The top 6 most watched videos are of Palin, McCain or Obama. 4 of the 6 are Palin videos......

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/entertainment/2.shtml

Dan Ross
http://www.BetterBizIdeas.com

Middle Class Feels Worse today then ever....

FYI, this is why the Republicans will lose the election, even if Clinton gets nominated...... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080409/ap_on_bi_ge/middle_class_poll;_ylt=AmU8V7_UY7vMdyt3B3UrKv9v24cA

Interesting Tidbits from the Pew Research Report...

• Nearly eight in 10 of all people, or 79 percent, said they believe it has become more difficult compared with five years ago for the middle class to maintain their standard of living, up from 65 percent in 1986.


• Politically, 58 percent of middle-class Americans said they believed the GOP favors the rich, while nearly two-thirds say the Democratic Party favors the middle class (39 percent) or the poor (26 percent).


• Middle-class prosperity overall also lagged compared with richer Americans. From 1983 to 2004, the median net worth of upper-income families — defined as households with annual incomes above 150 percent of the median — grew by 123 percent, while the median net worth of middle-income families rose by just 29 percent.

Dan Ross

http://www.BetterBizBooks.com/

FYI, another link with a gif file :)

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Chart-highlights-data-poll-status-middle-class-2c-x-3/photo//080409/480/eae9d18d3ff146c8afc36224f41ffd88//s:/ap/20080409/ap_on_bi_ge/middle_class_poll;_ylt=Ate2l.YtVGKH25LkywU2NnVv24cA