Coupon Tax?!

While browsing the Hartford Courant website I came across an article about a new proposed coupon tax. This is part of Governor Dan Malloy's plan to overcome the Connecticut budget deficits. He wants to make it so that even if we buy an item at a discounted price, we pay tax on the original price. I don't think it's fair to charge more sales tax on sale items that people search for in weekly circulars.

Families that are searching for deals and clipping coupons are doing their part to save money. These families know how to keep a budget. Connecticut should forget about the coupon tax and instead hire some of these coupon clipping individuals to come up with some better ideas to get Connecticut out of debt.

On top of the stress that would be put on people trying to scrimp and save, this would affect retailers big time. Shoppers smart enough to clip coupons are also smart enough to buy their products online as soon as they can't get discounts in retail stores in their home state. This plan can backfire.

The Courant article also mentions that Malloy cannot just make this change instantly, he needs to first change Connecticut state law. So that is comforting.

50 Years Later, JFK Still Powerful

I’ve always heard such great things about John F. Kennedy, but I really never knew anything about him. Throughout growing up and going to school it was pretty common to hear adults mention his name, especially in sentences like, “Oh I remember when Kennedy was in office…” or just some mention of how wonderful of a person he was. It always seemed that Kennedy was somebody’s close friend or relative the way he was talked about. Grandmothers just love him.

Well, finally I got the chance to find out a little bit about what JFK was like through watching his inaugural address. It has been fifty years since the cold, winter day that he made his monumental speech in Washington. In the version of his inauguration speech that I found to watch on Youtube there was a text marquee every so often on the screen mentioning that the night prior to the inauguration there was a heavy snow storm. It was debated whether or not to postpone the important date because of the conditions, but it was decided to keep all plans in place. It was too important of a speech to postpone. I would guess that for a speech like the one JFK gave that day, he was very prepared to speak to America and wouldn’t want to wait another day to give his powerful words:

“Ask not, what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do, for your country.”

Seeing the full speech and being able to fit these words into the actual paragraph they came from, really made a difference. I of course had heard the phrase before, but until it is put with the rest of the speech it didn’t have as much weight. The entire speech flowed beautifully and was incredibly influential. Every word was clearly carefully chosen and spoken clearly to people listening all over the world.

JFK was a masterful speaker, and had a way with captivating his audience. I understand now how my grandmother felt that he was her close friend.

Because the 50^th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s inauguration has just passed, many have taken to comparing Kennedy to Obama. I can see certain similarities – both are amazing public speakers, and both connect with the American public in a way that other American presidents just do not.

People need in Obama what they got from Kennedy in a similar time. People want to hear the same kind of inspirational words. Obviously they are two different people, but I think we are pretty lucky to have someone who is worth comparing to a great president like John F. Kennedy in office during our generation.