Limbaugh's newsletter, understanding 'billions,' lots of taxes

Probably the best conservative newsletter in this country is The Limbaugh Letter, a monthly publication edited by former Cape Girardeau resident Rush Limbaugh. Especially informative are the conservative (questions and answers) between Rush and guest interviewees. The most recent one with Frank Gaffney Jr. (who was responsible for U.S. nuclear weapons policy in the Reagan Defense Department).

Gaffney observes that "Obama is dismantling our nuclear deterrent-the single most serious decision this country has ever taken, with no public debate." His evidence is alarming. I hope many of you subscribe to the Limbaugh Letter.

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Playing the Puerto Rico card -- politics: Facing the possible loss of their congressional majorities, some Democrats want to make Puerto Rico a state whether the people want it or not. They would get two new senators, new congressman and a campaign issue. -- IBD

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Subject: A billion reasons: The next time you hear a politician use the word "billion" in a casual manner, think about whether you want the "politicians" spending your tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of it's releases.

A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government Is spending it. While this thought is still fresh in our brain, let's take a look at New Orleans. It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division. Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) Is asking Congress for $250 billion to rebuild New Orleans. Interesting number. What does it mean?

(a) Well, If you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman and child) you each get $516,528.

(b) Or, if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans, your home gets $1,329,787.

(c) Or, if you are a family of four, your family gets $2,066,012.

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Washington, D.C.: Hello! Are all your calculators broken? Building Permit Tax, CDL License Tax, Cigarette Tax, Corporate Income Tax, Dog License Tax, Federal Income Tax, Federal Unemployment Tax, Fishing License Tax, Food License Tax, Fuel Permit Tax, Gasoline Tax, Hunting License Tax, Inheritance Tax, Inventory Tax, IRS interest charges (tax on top of tax), IRS penalties (tax on top of tax), Liquor Tax, Luxury Tax, Marriage License Tax, Medicare Tax, Property Tax, Real Estate Tax, Social Security Tax, Road Usage Tax (truckers), Sales Taxes, Recreational Vehicle Tax, School Tax, State Income Tax, State Unemployment Tax, Telephone Federal Excise Tax, Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax, Utility Tax, Vehicle License Registration Tax, Vehicle Sales Tax, Watercraft Registration Tax, Well Permit Tax, Workers Compensation Tax.

And to think, we left British rule to avoid so many taxes. Think this is funny? Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago. And our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt. We had the largest middle class in the world. And Mom stayed home to raise the kids. What happened? Can you spell "politicians"? And I still have to press '1' For English. What the heck happened?

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This seems very timely: "You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it." -- Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931-2005

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So what have we learned in 2,065 years? "The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance." -- Cicero, 55 B.C.

Evidently, nothing.

Gary Rust is chairman of Rust Communications.