If I Had $336 Million, I Would

The title of this post is best sung to the tune of that Barenaked Ladies song.

Anyway.  This is on my mind because Someone in Rhode Island, who has not yet come forward, won that amount of money in the Powerball lottery over the weekend.  They're expected to come forward today to claim their winnings.

Good for them, I say.

However.  You know how you're given the opportunity to take a one lump payment or take monthly/yearly payments?  The lump sum is nice because you get your instant millions and you don't have to wait around for a "paycheck".

For example, Holly Lahti from Idaho won a $380 million dollar lottery.  She opted to take the lump sum. That lump sum instantly turned into $120 million dollars. Right off the top $260 million disappeared.  Why?

After that, the fed withheld $30 million in taxes.  Then, the Idaho State Tax Commission took $9.3 million leaving the "winner" with $80.7 million in winnings.  I'm not saying I would scoff at 80 million bucks...but where did all that money go?  Where did that initial 260 million dollars go?  Basically, she won nearly four hundred million dollars, but went home with 80.

Doesn't that seem odd?

I'm no lawyer, so I don't know if that's the best strategy.  I assume these winners talk to lawyers and are advised to take the lump sum.  Perhaps the thinking is that one could die tomorrow and never see another payment again.  Or they're talked into the thinking that...well, "You didn't have $80 million twenty four hours ago...why would you turn down $80 million?"

Or perhaps the payments, after each check getting taxed, doesn't turn out to be that much closer to the initial winnings anyway.  I don't really know

I honestly think I would take the payments.  I wouldn't go skydiving or basejumping or cave spelunking or try to fly off a cliff or something...basically I'd be pretty damn careful to make sure I got every damn dime.

I'd like to hear from anyone with some knowledge of this matter to tell me why the majority of winner always seem to take the lump sum.  Other than the obvious instant check for a bunch of millions...why give away so much?  I have no doubt that states put that $260 million to great use, like filling potholes, fixing bridges, improving mass transit, trimming branches, cleaning the town parks, maybe hiring a cop or...oh who the hell am I kidding?  They hide that money in "other funds" slice and cook it away, bet on it.

#OccupyWallStreet Bigotry, Incoherency and Moronspeak

I have reminded you time and time and time again who the Left are.  They wonderfully paint themselves as the party of tolerance and openness.  They're anything but.

The above posts speak for themselves, they're a disgusting breed of racists, bigots, hypocrites and power-mad fear mongers. However I believe the political Left has taken a more drastic turn.  Each day, a new Democrat endorses the Occupy Wall Street lazyass camping vacation, sit in for trustfund babies, protest, hypocritical whine-a-thon...however when the enemy pig that we unfortunately need to call the president endorses them and shares their frustration too, well, there's a big problem.

And, in case you've only been watching the main stream media's coverage of Occupy Wall Street you have a picture in your head that it's just a peaceful group of average Americans frustrated with government. That's the Obama talking point he's got his media parroting on his behalf to turn you into a sympathizer.  Wall Street, the Unions, voter fraud and an American-Idol-couch-potato-reality-TV society created this abomination of a president, so don't let him fool you - PLEASE.

It appears I need to post another reminder.

This is who your little president has out there fighting his war on class.  This is who his foot soldiers are.  This is who he has brainwashed into believing their fighting against "millionaires and billionaires" when it's actually people that EARN more than $250,000 a year. How that qualifies them as millionaires and billionaires is beyond me.

This is who one third (HuffPoop post, so consider the source) of the country supposedly agrees with as opposed to the TEA Party.

Beware of these stats please, just like Huffpoop twists the poll that says "One third claim government is to blame for crisis" into "One third agree with Occupy Wall Street" be wary of the same tactic when you hear a major nightly news show announce "growing support"...think about how they're twisting it to their agenda.

This, is your president's doing, congratulations:

As you open your pockets for the next natural disaster, please keep these facts in mind:

· The American Red Cross President and CEO Marsha J. Evans salary for the year was $651,957 plus expenses.

· The United Way President Brian Gallagher receives a $375,000 base salary along with numerous expense benefits.

· UNICEF CEO Caryl M. Stern receives $1,200,000 per year (100k per month) plus all expenses including a ROLLS ROYCE . Less than 5 cents of your donated dollar goes to the cause.

· The Salvation Army's Commissioner Todd Bassett receives a salary of only $13,000 per year (plus housing) for managing this $2 billion dollar organization. 96 percent of donated dollars go to the cause.

· The American Legion National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!

· The Veterans of Foreign Wars National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!

· The Disabled American Veterans National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!

· The Military Order of Purple Hearts National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!

· The Vietnam Veterans Association National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!

So, be careful when the snake-oil-salesmen appear on your television after a tragedy asking for your kindly donation to help the needy.  Ask yourself who they think the needy are, first.