Monday, March 8, 2010

Collapse of America

JOE LEGAL vs. JOSE ILLEGAL

You have two families: "Joe Legal" and "Jose Illegal".
Both families have two parents, two children, and live in California .

Joe Legal works in construction, has a Social Security Number and makes
$25.00 per hour before taxes are deducted.

Jose Illegal also works in construction, has NO Social Security Number,
and gets paid $15.00 cash "under the table".

Ready? Now pay attention...

Joe Legal: $25.00 per hour x 40 hours = $1000.00 per week, or $52,000.00
per year. Now take 30% away for state and federal tax; Joe Legal now has
$31,231.00..

Jose Illegal: $15.00 per hour x 40 hours = $600.00 per week, or
$31,200.00 per year. Jose Illegal pays no taxes. Jose Illegal now has
$31,200.00.

Joe Legal pays medical and dental insurance with limited coverage for
his family at $600.00 per month, or $7,200.00 per year. Joe Legal now
has $24,031..00.

Jose Illegal has full medical and dental coverage through the state and
local clinics at a cost of $0.00 per year. Jose Illegal still has
$31,200.00.

Joe Legal makes too much money and is not eligible for food stamps or
welfare.. Joe Legal pays $500.00 per month for food, or $6,000.00 per
year. Joe Legal now has $18,031.00.

Jose Illegal has no documented income and is eligible for food stamps
and welfare. Jose Illegal still has $31,200.00.

Joe Legal pays rent of $1,200.00 per month, or $14,400.00 per year. Joe
Legal now has $9,631.00.

Jose Illegal receives a $500.00 per month federal rent subsidy. Jose
Illegal pays out that $500.00 per month, or $6,000.00 per year. Jose
Illegal still has $ 31,200.00.

Joe Legal pays $200.00 per month, or $2,400.00 for insurance. Joe Legal
now has $7,231.00.

Jose Illegal says, "We don't need no stinkin' insurance!" and still has
$31,200.00.

Joe Legal has to make his $7,231.00 stretch to pay utilities, gasoline,
etc.

Jose Illegal has to make his $31,200.00 stretch to pay utilities,
gasoline, and what he sends out of the country every month.

Joe Legal now works overtime on Saturdays or gets a part time job after
work.

Jose Illegal has nights and weekends off to enjoy with his family.

Joe Legal's and Jose Illegal's children both attend the same school. Joe
Legal pays for his children's lunches while Jose Illegal's children get
a government sponsored lunch. Jose Illegal's children have an after
school ESL program. Joe Legal's children go home.

Joe Legal and Jose Illegal both enjoy the same police and fire services,
but Joe paid for them and Jose did not pay.

Do you get it, now?

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Vegas 2010



So we left colorado last month and headed down through arizona. We camped at Show Low, AZ and at the petrified forest in arizona. That was pretty cool. We then headed down to Tucson AZ to see Aunt Ruth and Uncle Bob. They are both doing fine. We visited Tombstone AZ to see the old mining town which at one point was the biggest city between St Louis and San Francisco. Hard to believe. A 24x7 mining town. We also went up Mount Lemmon to see the big sagura cacti. Way cool.

From there, we headed up to Phoenix for a couple of days. We mostly just settled into a hotel and I got caught up on some work. Once the rain passed, we headed out to Joshua Tree, CA and camped there for 3 days. Beautiful park with tons of boulders, joshua trees, cacti, and ocitillo trees. The kids had fun playing in the boulders.

Turtle and the kids all got a stomach bug over the next 4 days so we headed into palm springs to get a hotel. It turns out I was the only one not to get sick. Even my friend Paul Callo who flew down to climb with me got sick. Go figure.

After leaving palm springs, we camped out at Mojave National Preserve which was very cool as well. We camped at the base of the sand dunes in there which the kids loved. Mike, Wyatt and I climbed the highest Kelso Sand Dune. Next we visited the Hoover dam on the way into Las Vegas and we are currently camped out in Vegas at the Monte Carlo. Sporty should be heading up this weekend to climb if the rain holds out.