Do you know that house I kept writing about? Like on June 7th or May 31st or April 30th or all the way back on February 26th. That house was supposed to be the "forever home" that M and I had always wanted. We spent more than a little amount of time making decisions on paint colors, fixtures and other things that were going to be part of the home. There had been plenty of frustration throughout the remodel project, but we kept telling ourselves that it would work out and it would all be worth it.
It didn't work out.
The inspector pointed out a problem with the roof and this past week we had a roofer come by and give his assessment. It wasn't good. The number was high enough to make us start to question whether or not we wanted to live in that home. It was already a pretty expensive home, and a new roof just added to that. We asked the contractor if he would be willing to pay for some of the roof costs and he was unwilling to contribute anything.
At that point we had to make the decision if we wanted to buy the home and take on the burden of putting on a new roof ourselves. I could understand the logic of being "pot committed" on this home, but really we were still at the point where we could back out without much of financial hit. It was tough that we had spent so much time with the home, but I think that this is a lesson in sunk costs. The amount of time and effort we spent on the home didn't change the fact that we were going to be paying a ton of money for a home that we didn't think was worth it. The home no longer felt right, and I am happy that both M and I came to that same conclusion.
So....we were supposed to close on Friday, but instead we were back house hunting yesterday. We are moving on and the good news is that out of the 5 homes we saw yesterday we really liked 3 of them. Below are the links if you want to check them out:
25 Bullitt Park Place
Pros - Feels like our type of home. Nice backyard, quiet street, great kitchen and updated bathrooms. I loved they layout of this home and how every space seems to be usable. They list 5 bedrooms, but really one of the bedrooms is the finished attic upstairs, which seems to be a perfect place for a movie/play room. And one big pro for this house that we didn't have with the 134 S Cassingham home is that we have our own driveway instead of a shared driveway.
Cons - Low walk score because it isn't that close to Main Street or the school. The house also doesn't have a formal living room, which doesn't really bother me that much right now. There really isn't much else besides a few cosmetic things like the walls needing a fresh coat of paint.
212 N Remington Rd
Pros - Really incredible family room and Florida room. Also, the master bedroom had plenty of closet space. This was a really nice home that had pretty much everything we could need or want.
Cons - Its in North Bexley, which isn't considered to be as desirable as Central Bexley. There is a shared driveway, but we did meet the neighbors and they seemed to be really nice. The main issue with the houses (and there really isn't that much) is that there isn't a backyard where any kids could play. The owners of this house seemed to customize it exactly what they were looking for, and I give them credit for creating a wonderful looking home.
345 N Ardmore Rd
Pros - This home was very unique and seemed to have the look and feel of a vacation home. The backyard was incredible. The kitchen and family room were open and looked to be in pretty good condition. Also, a big pro is that the lower level was finished.
Cons - There are only 3 bedrooms right now and one of the bedrooms is downstairs. It is set up, so that you could pretty easily create a 4th bedroom on the 2nd floor, but I am little hesitant on doing any work on any home. Finally, the basketball goal is on the garage in the alley, and actually playing basketball would be tough because the garage is on an incline.
All three of the homes are places I could see us living in, and considering what we saw in December they are big improvements over that crop. I would rate the homes in the order that I listed them, which conviently enough is how they are ranked in price. We will see what works out, and if need be we can attend some open houses again. However, one home is having an open house today that we won't be visiting - 134 S Cassingham.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Obama and LeBron
There are two arguments that infuriate me. 1) Obama is a socialist. 2) LeBron always chokes. It seems like those two arguments are based on the "perception is reality" theory without any consideration of the facts. And if perception is reality and your perception won't change then there is nothing that can be done to change your reality.
I will get to the Obama part first. In judging his first first term as President, I keep thinking that either by choice or by circumstances he has governed as a moderate Republican. Now if I said this to probably 95% of Republicans they would almost definitely argue that point. To them he is a Kenyan born, socialist who is out to replace free market capitalism with a government run country. He has raised taxes, personally increased gas prices and also did everything possible to foreclose on your home. In addition to that he has increased the national debt, and made the US a poor place to invest in. People don't like Obama and agree that he is an ultra-liberal President.
In actuality I agree with Bill Maher in this segment about Obama being a lousy socialist. Here is the recap with quotes:
"How can the same guy, Barack Obama, make these people feel that America has changed so completely, and yet make me feel like it has barely changed at all....if Obama were as radical as they claimed here is what he would have already done: pulled the troops out of Afghanistan, given us Medicare for all, ended the drug war, cut the defense budget in half, and turned Dick Cheney over to the Hague."
He then goes on to list examples of how Obama has done a lot of thinks Republicans have wanted and pointed out one of my favorite points about the performance of the stock market during his presidency. "Corporate profits are at there highest ever. If he is a socialist, he is a lousy one....so the question remains - how can you guys be so unhappy with Obama, when I'm so unhappy with Obama."
Added to the above is Paul Krugman's article called This Republican Economy. Reading that combined with what I already know makes me really confused when Republicans showcase their hatred to Obama. Is it racism? Is it ignorance? Does it just come down to the fact that Obama is on the wrong team?
In general I think Republicans have gotten a lot of good things from Obama. In fact a lot of things that W probably would have done have been accomplished by Obama. Consider -
I will get to the Obama part first. In judging his first first term as President, I keep thinking that either by choice or by circumstances he has governed as a moderate Republican. Now if I said this to probably 95% of Republicans they would almost definitely argue that point. To them he is a Kenyan born, socialist who is out to replace free market capitalism with a government run country. He has raised taxes, personally increased gas prices and also did everything possible to foreclose on your home. In addition to that he has increased the national debt, and made the US a poor place to invest in. People don't like Obama and agree that he is an ultra-liberal President.
In actuality I agree with Bill Maher in this segment about Obama being a lousy socialist. Here is the recap with quotes:
"How can the same guy, Barack Obama, make these people feel that America has changed so completely, and yet make me feel like it has barely changed at all....if Obama were as radical as they claimed here is what he would have already done: pulled the troops out of Afghanistan, given us Medicare for all, ended the drug war, cut the defense budget in half, and turned Dick Cheney over to the Hague."
He then goes on to list examples of how Obama has done a lot of thinks Republicans have wanted and pointed out one of my favorite points about the performance of the stock market during his presidency. "Corporate profits are at there highest ever. If he is a socialist, he is a lousy one....so the question remains - how can you guys be so unhappy with Obama, when I'm so unhappy with Obama."
Added to the above is Paul Krugman's article called This Republican Economy. Reading that combined with what I already know makes me really confused when Republicans showcase their hatred to Obama. Is it racism? Is it ignorance? Does it just come down to the fact that Obama is on the wrong team?
In general I think Republicans have gotten a lot of good things from Obama. In fact a lot of things that W probably would have done have been accomplished by Obama. Consider -
- He didn't let the Bush tax cuts expire. This is a big one for me. He could have done nothing and immediately accomplished some (not all) of what he is trying to do with the Buffett tax. Reading this announcement, I am confused as to why Republicans would be upset with a President who hasn't raised taxes. Look at the top marginal tax rate and tell me why Republicans are upset?
- He killed Osama Bin Laden. In a place where W failed (and he had his opportunities to succeed) he accomplished the main goal in the aftermath of 9/11.
- There have been no terrorist attacks on US soil. While part of this has to due with luck (no matter how powerful I doubt that one person can control everything) it is something that Bush ran on in 2004. I remember the point that you should vote for Bush because he prevented any additional terrorist attacks after 9/11.
- Bush bailout vs. Obama stimulus. It seems like both Presidents were willing to use government money to try and help the economy out. Here is W in his own words "I'm a strong believer in free enterprise, so my natural instinct is to oppose government intervention." But "these are not are not normal circumstances." How is that theory any different than what Obama was trying to do? He entered office during the same not "normal circumstances" and did his best to help the economy out. There are a lot of great charts on the economy if you were curious about how the economy has performed under W and Bush.
- Deficit: Bush increased the national debt by 89%. Obama is at 41% right now. If Obama gets reelected it will be a close call to see which President increased debt by a higher %. Neither will come close to Reagan, who increased debt by 189% during his 8 years. Anyway, some will argue that the reason the national debt under Obama has risen is outside of his control.
- Tax revenue declined because of the recession. And please note that the recession started Obama took office.
- Republicans blocked any attempts at balancing budgets because they refuse to raise taxes even one cent.
- Obama was continuing on the wars that W started.
- There are so many budget policies set before Obama took office that blaming him for the debt is like blaming a firefighter for burning the house.
- Deficit (continued): Regardless of the blame you can't be a Reagan/W Republican and say anything poorly about how Obama has handled the national debt. Look at the % increases by year for each President on this chart. Republicans can try to blame Obama on the economy (unemployment is high), but it is hypocritical for them to attack Obama on the national debt.
Again before anyone gets too upset with the comparison, note that I have left many things out. I didn't touch on the health care bill or any social issues. There are still plenty of differences between W and Obama for you to work yourself into a lather. However, my points above are just trying to bring up some counterarguments to some of the right's critique of Obama.
However, it doesn't really matter. If you hate Obama then you will believe what you want to believe. I didn't try to cherry-pick those stats above. Sure, I used a clip from Bill Maher and an article from a liberal economist Paul Krugman. However, just because those two sources are liberal, doesn't mean they aren't also correct.
The same rationale comes true when people attack LeBron James. Before I get to anything look at his numbers. For those that says he always chokes in the playoffs then pick between the two lines below:
LeBron 1: 27.6 ppg, PER 27.2, TS: 56.9%, reb: 10.5%, assist: 34.1%,WS/48: .233
Lebron 2: 28.4 ppg, PER 27.1, TS: 56.5%, reb: 12%, assist: 33.5%, WS/48: .235
Which player is better? One is LeBron career regular season line and the other is his playoff line. To say he always chokes in the playoffs means not looking at the stats, not remembering game 5 against Detroit in 2007 or the shot in Game 2 against the Magic or him shutting down the Bulls last year. He is 27 years old and hasn't won a championship yet. Do you know who also was 27 and hadn't won a title yet - Michael Jordan? This is despite having a much better supporting cast (Pipper or Mo Williams?) for a longer period of time.
People will pick and choose what they want to fit their narrative against LeBron or Obama. For the LeBron haters it his last two games against the Cavs or how the Finals ended last year. There are even examples when LeBron does the right thing and is blasted for it. In 2007 he made the absolute correct play in passing to Donyell Marshall for a wide-open corner 3 in game 1 against the Pistons. He was questioned on that play despite the fact that the corner 3 is 2nd most efficient shot in the NBA (right behind a dunk) and also that a 3 pointer would have won the game by one point. It doesn't matter that it is the right play if you have already made up your mind that LeBron always chokes. Just like it doesn't matter if people write well-researched pieces debunking the myth that Kobe is clutch.
For Obama it is the birther argument, or the death panels or any of the other socialist conspiracies that you want to believe. Like Maher, I just can't understand the extreme hatred for Obama. It can't because of facts, since Obama has come no where close to being the most liberal President in history.
It is just sad sometimes trying to talk to people who make completely irrational arguments. If you want to discuss whether or not Obama has been a good President or if LeBron will win a title this year then I am all for that. If you want to just bring out the same tired arguments as others without doing any research then save your time and effort. The world would be a much quieter place if people only talked when they actually knew what they were talking about.
However, it doesn't really matter. If you hate Obama then you will believe what you want to believe. I didn't try to cherry-pick those stats above. Sure, I used a clip from Bill Maher and an article from a liberal economist Paul Krugman. However, just because those two sources are liberal, doesn't mean they aren't also correct.
The same rationale comes true when people attack LeBron James. Before I get to anything look at his numbers. For those that says he always chokes in the playoffs then pick between the two lines below:
LeBron 1: 27.6 ppg, PER 27.2, TS: 56.9%, reb: 10.5%, assist: 34.1%,WS/48: .233
Lebron 2: 28.4 ppg, PER 27.1, TS: 56.5%, reb: 12%, assist: 33.5%, WS/48: .235
Which player is better? One is LeBron career regular season line and the other is his playoff line. To say he always chokes in the playoffs means not looking at the stats, not remembering game 5 against Detroit in 2007 or the shot in Game 2 against the Magic or him shutting down the Bulls last year. He is 27 years old and hasn't won a championship yet. Do you know who also was 27 and hadn't won a title yet - Michael Jordan? This is despite having a much better supporting cast (Pipper or Mo Williams?) for a longer period of time.
People will pick and choose what they want to fit their narrative against LeBron or Obama. For the LeBron haters it his last two games against the Cavs or how the Finals ended last year. There are even examples when LeBron does the right thing and is blasted for it. In 2007 he made the absolute correct play in passing to Donyell Marshall for a wide-open corner 3 in game 1 against the Pistons. He was questioned on that play despite the fact that the corner 3 is 2nd most efficient shot in the NBA (right behind a dunk) and also that a 3 pointer would have won the game by one point. It doesn't matter that it is the right play if you have already made up your mind that LeBron always chokes. Just like it doesn't matter if people write well-researched pieces debunking the myth that Kobe is clutch.
For Obama it is the birther argument, or the death panels or any of the other socialist conspiracies that you want to believe. Like Maher, I just can't understand the extreme hatred for Obama. It can't because of facts, since Obama has come no where close to being the most liberal President in history.
It is just sad sometimes trying to talk to people who make completely irrational arguments. If you want to discuss whether or not Obama has been a good President or if LeBron will win a title this year then I am all for that. If you want to just bring out the same tired arguments as others without doing any research then save your time and effort. The world would be a much quieter place if people only talked when they actually knew what they were talking about.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
House update
The house is coming along well and depending on how the inspection goes we should be closing on June 22nd. It is much better walking through a home that actually looks ready as opposed to what we saw last week. Below are the new pictures:
Outside
Kitchen
Master bedroom looking into the dressing area
2nd floor bedroom
Stairs
Basement
Deck
TV room (except we don't know where to put the tv)
1st floor bathroom
Outside
Living room
Kitchen
Master bedroom looking into the dressing area
2nd floor bedroom
Stairs
Basement
Deck
TV room (except we don't know where to put the tv)
1st floor bathroom
Monday, June 4, 2012
2 years and counting
I've looked up to my sister my entire life. A combination of her age (6 years older), intelligence and maturity equaled someone I could use as a role model. That isn't to say I always or even often followed her path, but still I like to think I learned some things from her. One big learning was how she handled her relationship with my now brother-in-law. For her and Buck it has always been about equality. They are equal partners on the day to day decisions, but also on the important things like where to live and how to parent. And the best thing about the equality is that it seems to come natural to them. It doesn't even seem like something they have to work at, but rather comes from the fact that they respect each enough to treat each other a equals. I know that might sound simple and expected, but there are plenty of other relationship examples that don't seem to have this base.
I've learned from them and would like to think that M and I have a similar relationship. Again we don't always have the same interests as my sister and brother-in-law, but as I age I think I can recognize and appreciate the similarities that we do have. Also, (and don't think this is a small thing) I enjoy hanging out with them. In many I still look up to my sister and now my brother-in-law as people that have experienced things that I probably will be experiencing soon.
The reason I am writing about both of this is that it is anniversary week. For my sister and brother-in-law it was their 10 year anniversary. For M and I we have our 2nd year anniversary tomorrow. This is kind of a strange anniversary for us because we still haven't settled down. As any regular reader of my blog knows (or pretty much anyone who talks to me) we don't have a house yet and are still living with Mary's parents. This has been a better experience than expected, but it is still something I am looking forward to ending as soon as our house is ready. I enjoy living with M and want to start our life in our new house.
For their anniversary my sister and brother-in-law have a tradition of writing a "state of the union" letter to each other. I'm not going to do that here. 1) It's their tradition. 2) It would be something to be shared with M alone and not in a public forum. I will say that I am happy with how everything is going. One of my good friends told me that she thought the decision to get married would provide a lot of relief and clarity to my life. She talked about how her husband kind of chalked it up as "well, I've made that decision and just move on." I liked that viewpoint in that it means that there is no more analysis and not coincidentally that provides more time to relax. I can just enjoy being married. I no longer have to worry about whether or not so and so likes me or about who pays for dates or the other questions that seem so daunting in retrospect.
Now with 2 years under the belt it is fun to look ahead to see how we will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary. Will their be kids? Will there be job changes? More importantly - do you think our house will finally be finished by then?
Whatever the answers, I am happy to have M by my side. Happy Anniversary.
I've learned from them and would like to think that M and I have a similar relationship. Again we don't always have the same interests as my sister and brother-in-law, but as I age I think I can recognize and appreciate the similarities that we do have. Also, (and don't think this is a small thing) I enjoy hanging out with them. In many I still look up to my sister and now my brother-in-law as people that have experienced things that I probably will be experiencing soon.
The reason I am writing about both of this is that it is anniversary week. For my sister and brother-in-law it was their 10 year anniversary. For M and I we have our 2nd year anniversary tomorrow. This is kind of a strange anniversary for us because we still haven't settled down. As any regular reader of my blog knows (or pretty much anyone who talks to me) we don't have a house yet and are still living with Mary's parents. This has been a better experience than expected, but it is still something I am looking forward to ending as soon as our house is ready. I enjoy living with M and want to start our life in our new house.
For their anniversary my sister and brother-in-law have a tradition of writing a "state of the union" letter to each other. I'm not going to do that here. 1) It's their tradition. 2) It would be something to be shared with M alone and not in a public forum. I will say that I am happy with how everything is going. One of my good friends told me that she thought the decision to get married would provide a lot of relief and clarity to my life. She talked about how her husband kind of chalked it up as "well, I've made that decision and just move on." I liked that viewpoint in that it means that there is no more analysis and not coincidentally that provides more time to relax. I can just enjoy being married. I no longer have to worry about whether or not so and so likes me or about who pays for dates or the other questions that seem so daunting in retrospect.
Now with 2 years under the belt it is fun to look ahead to see how we will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary. Will their be kids? Will there be job changes? More importantly - do you think our house will finally be finished by then?
Whatever the answers, I am happy to have M by my side. Happy Anniversary.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Do your job - home inspection edition
One of Bell Belichick's favorite lines for his football team is "do your job." (Side note - I don't like Belichick at all, but that doesn't mean I don't think he is a brilliant football coach.) If you are a quarterback then make the right throw and if you are a receiver then catch the ball. It seems like a pretty simple concept, but then again a lot of people seem to worry about things that are outside their area of expertise. Also, on the flipside there are plenty other people who seem to be incompetent at their chosen profession.
Continuing on with that theme, I am livid right now because of what I think is complete incompetence on something that should be routine. Today we were supposed to have our home inspection. M had *lined this up with the inspector and talked to the contractor on Monday to make sure that today was a good day. We both made arrangements and took time off from work to be there for the inspection. Everything looked to be going well in preparation for our closing next Friday.
*Shouldn't the real estate agent do this?
I show up at the house and the inspector is just shaking his head. Immediately he told me that this house was in no way ready for an inspection, and a quick walk through reveled all the obvious reasons why. It still looked like a work site with many, many things left to do. There would have been no point in starting an inspection when the house was so far removed from actually being finished. The inspector said the home should be "98% finished" by the time he should be there, and I have no idea how our contractor could think this home was 98% finished.
What is really baffling to me is that this isn't the first home our real estate agent has sold or the first home our contractor has remodeled. How do they not know this home isn't ready for inspection? I don't mean to be indignant or unfair in any way, but these are the questions in my head. Maybe that makes me mean - I don't know and I don't really know if I care. All of this is making me question the big decisions that we've made. Was it the right decision to buy? Was it the right decision to pick these people? Was it the right decision to sign a contract on this house? I know that right now is a low point, and that I will calm down about the state of this home, but this day was (as you can probably imagine by now) very frustrating.
On our end we saved enough for a down payment, secured a loan and met every single deadline that has been given to us. I know we have a lot less to do than actually remodeling our home, but then again it isn't our job to remodel homes. It is just upsetting to me for us to be so close to buying this home, but also to feel like things just aren't working out in a way that I expected.
Continuing on with that theme, I am livid right now because of what I think is complete incompetence on something that should be routine. Today we were supposed to have our home inspection. M had *lined this up with the inspector and talked to the contractor on Monday to make sure that today was a good day. We both made arrangements and took time off from work to be there for the inspection. Everything looked to be going well in preparation for our closing next Friday.
*Shouldn't the real estate agent do this?
I show up at the house and the inspector is just shaking his head. Immediately he told me that this house was in no way ready for an inspection, and a quick walk through reveled all the obvious reasons why. It still looked like a work site with many, many things left to do. There would have been no point in starting an inspection when the house was so far removed from actually being finished. The inspector said the home should be "98% finished" by the time he should be there, and I have no idea how our contractor could think this home was 98% finished.
What is really baffling to me is that this isn't the first home our real estate agent has sold or the first home our contractor has remodeled. How do they not know this home isn't ready for inspection? I don't mean to be indignant or unfair in any way, but these are the questions in my head. Maybe that makes me mean - I don't know and I don't really know if I care. All of this is making me question the big decisions that we've made. Was it the right decision to buy? Was it the right decision to pick these people? Was it the right decision to sign a contract on this house? I know that right now is a low point, and that I will calm down about the state of this home, but this day was (as you can probably imagine by now) very frustrating.
On our end we saved enough for a down payment, secured a loan and met every single deadline that has been given to us. I know we have a lot less to do than actually remodeling our home, but then again it isn't our job to remodel homes. It is just upsetting to me for us to be so close to buying this home, but also to feel like things just aren't working out in a way that I expected.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Good News / Bad News update
I have done this in the past, so here is another round of good and bad things going on:
Twins:
Good - Brian Dozier is a major league shortstop. After watching him in the college, seeing him get drafted in the 8th round by the Twins and making his way through the minor leagues it is wonderful that he has already played in 21 games.
Bad - He started off well, but has really trailed off. His overall line of .238 / .258 / .357 for an OPS+ of 70 (100 is an average batter) adds up to a WAR of -0.1. Basically Dozier rates as a slight worse than average triple A shortstop.
Good - I saw my first Twins game on Thursday against the White Sox. It was a well-played game with 8 home runs, and I had great seats thanks to my lawyer friend Ben. Mauer and Morneau combined for 3 home runs and Dozier had a two RBI single. Also, M and I are going to Cleveland this weekend to see the Twins play the Indians.
Bad - The Twins gave up 5 home runs (one being a grand slam) and lost. They are still the worst team in baseball despite the Cubs losing 12 straight. It is a lost year for the Twins.
House
Good - Our contractor thinks the house will be finished for a closing date of June 8th. The house is looking really good and should be exactly what we wanted.
Bad - The amount of time it has taken to get a house has lessened my excitement about actually owning our first home. It is really unfortunate, since this is easily the biggest purchase in my life, but it probably isn't a good sign that I no longer really like answering questions about the house. Also, it is disappointing that something that M and I have prepared for by saving, investing and budgeting now seems to be somewhat anti-climactic.. This whole process was supposed to the culmination of our plan, and right now I am just kind of tired of it. I am hoping it changes when we actually move into the home, and get to enjoy what should be a wonderful house.
Work
Good - I really enjoy my job and am happy that I made this move. It doesn't hurt that I keep finding out that the SAP project I was working on has been pushed back again. I had signed up for October 2011 go live, and it is right now projected to go live in September 2012.
Bad - I still have a ways to go in actually understanding my work at PINK. I like pulling the reports and managing the Swim forecast, but just when I think I am fully up to speed I have times like today where I realize how far I still have to go. It is a cliche "learning process" and I just need to work harder and more efficiently. Also, one side note that is bad about leaving the Well is that Obama is going to be there on Friday. How is it that I get to see Al Franken and Tim Geithner and a few months after I leave they see Obama?
Politics
Good - My vote counts in Ohio.
Bad - Since it counts I am already starting to get a lot of ads from both sides. I don't care about Romney's experience at Bain Capital or how Romney is going to restore "confidence in this country." For the record I don't think Romney's experience running a business should either be a that big of a pro or a con in determining him as a candidate. Also, I don't think Obama can magically make gas prices decline or improve the housing market (which is what Romney suggests).
Side note - Do people really blame Obama for the recession? It is a fact that it started before he was inaugurated. He possibly could have done more to help the recession, but I haven't heard anything specific from Romney that makes me think of something he did incorrectly. What I disagree with (extending the Bush tax cuts) aren't exactly points that Romney is making against Obama. Also, I feel like I need to spend an entire post talking about the national debt over Obama.
Vacation
Good - I beat M in shuffleboard in 6-5 in an epic two day shuffleboard match in Lakeside, OH.
Bad - There isn't really anything bad with that.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Reasons why I am voting for Obama
Despite the subtitle in this blog's title, I rarely talk politics on my blog. Why? I know this is an open blog that is only a google search away from being read by whoever. Politics is a sensitive subject, and I didn't want to offend anyone. It is much easier sharing updates on buying a house or what I think about the NBA draft. Still with the upcoming election, I wanted to write down the few reasons why I will be voting for Obama.
1) Gay Marriage - Obama is for it. Romney is not. I support gay marriage because the arguments against it seem to be irrational at best and hateful at worst. In no ways do denying the option of marriage to anybody help strengthen my marriage. It is the same way that Kim Kardashian divorcing Kris Humphries after 72 days does anything to weaken my marriage. The reason is that my marriage to M is between the two of us, and I really don't care what other people decide to do with that decision in their life. If Romney or other Republicans think that the are on the right side of public opinion then they have no clue how this world is changing. In 10 years it is likely that their opposition to gay marriage will come across as very strange to the general public. The world is becoming a more accepting place, and I would rather have a President who embraced that world.
2) Taxes - I'm a big fan of Miami University, and because of that I love talking about any Miami alum. One exception to that is Representative Paul Ryan from Wisconsin. His tax plan is crazy. In a time where taxes on the rich are at a near low, it makes zero sense to try and lower them more. I think cutting spending on things like "education, training, employment and social services", while cutting tax rates on the rich is a terrible reverse Robin Hood idea. Romney has supported this plan, instead of something more sane as the Bowles-Simpson plan. Now if Romney would have said that he would have supported Bowles-Simpson, then we might have an actual debate on who is better candidate on this issue.
Personally, I would rather have more taxes if those taxes meant things like great public schools, national health care and bridges that don't collapse. Now will Obama do that? Will he be able to cut the deficit? It is unlikely with the cliched gridlock in DC. There needs to be a compromise on both sides, and when I look at the debate in DC I see one side willing to compromise and one side that isn't. It appalled me that every single Republican said that they would walk away from a 10 to 1 spending cuts to tax increase deal. That shows that none of the Republicans candidates (Romney included) are willing to compromise. I would love for President Obama to do the following:
3) Life changes - While, I don't think there is much President Obama has done that has directly affected my life, I do know that in the past 3.5 years things have gotten much better for me. I think the economy's recovery has been primarily because of things outside Obama's control, but I do give him credit on the stimulus bill and for bailing out the auto industry. And while Republicans like to blame him for the poor economy, it actually has been a very good economy for me. Since he took office, I have found no shortage of good jobs and the stock market is up 50% since he became President. Again, I don't think there is much that he actually did to affect the stock market, but it isn't like I can fault him for what he has done to an economy that has been very good to me.
There are other reasons to vote for Obama, and if you want to talk about other issues then just let me know. The three big ones for me are above, and unfortunately for Mitt Romney this Ohio vote is going to President Obama.
1) Gay Marriage - Obama is for it. Romney is not. I support gay marriage because the arguments against it seem to be irrational at best and hateful at worst. In no ways do denying the option of marriage to anybody help strengthen my marriage. It is the same way that Kim Kardashian divorcing Kris Humphries after 72 days does anything to weaken my marriage. The reason is that my marriage to M is between the two of us, and I really don't care what other people decide to do with that decision in their life. If Romney or other Republicans think that the are on the right side of public opinion then they have no clue how this world is changing. In 10 years it is likely that their opposition to gay marriage will come across as very strange to the general public. The world is becoming a more accepting place, and I would rather have a President who embraced that world.
2) Taxes - I'm a big fan of Miami University, and because of that I love talking about any Miami alum. One exception to that is Representative Paul Ryan from Wisconsin. His tax plan is crazy. In a time where taxes on the rich are at a near low, it makes zero sense to try and lower them more. I think cutting spending on things like "education, training, employment and social services", while cutting tax rates on the rich is a terrible reverse Robin Hood idea. Romney has supported this plan, instead of something more sane as the Bowles-Simpson plan. Now if Romney would have said that he would have supported Bowles-Simpson, then we might have an actual debate on who is better candidate on this issue.
Personally, I would rather have more taxes if those taxes meant things like great public schools, national health care and bridges that don't collapse. Now will Obama do that? Will he be able to cut the deficit? It is unlikely with the cliched gridlock in DC. There needs to be a compromise on both sides, and when I look at the debate in DC I see one side willing to compromise and one side that isn't. It appalled me that every single Republican said that they would walk away from a 10 to 1 spending cuts to tax increase deal. That shows that none of the Republicans candidates (Romney included) are willing to compromise. I would love for President Obama to do the following:
- Convey to the public the need for taxes. Also, try to point out that taxes historically right now are very low. Basically do what no politician will do and tell his voting public to stop complaining.
- Let the Bush tax cuts expire. If the Republicans are going to play chicken on that issue (Obama wanted the Bush tax cuts to be permanent just for people making less than $250k. Republicans wanted everyone included.) then call their bluff. The Bush tax cuts on capital gains and dividends have helped investors out (like me) and helped rich people out in general. How President Bush was able to propose a budget with massive tax cuts AND an increase in spending through the war in Iraq and Afghanistan is beyond me. It is like LBJ all over again with Vietnam and his Great Society. If you want to increase spending then there should be a subsequent increase in taxes. Maybe more people would have cared about the war in Iraq if they knew they were going to have to pay for it.
- Keep pushing the Buffett tax. It is fair and makes sense. Someday I hope to make enough money to pay the top marginal tax rate, and if I ever do get to that point then I won't mind having my capital gains/dividends tax at my ordinary income rate.
- Support Bowles-Simpson.
3) Life changes - While, I don't think there is much President Obama has done that has directly affected my life, I do know that in the past 3.5 years things have gotten much better for me. I think the economy's recovery has been primarily because of things outside Obama's control, but I do give him credit on the stimulus bill and for bailing out the auto industry. And while Republicans like to blame him for the poor economy, it actually has been a very good economy for me. Since he took office, I have found no shortage of good jobs and the stock market is up 50% since he became President. Again, I don't think there is much that he actually did to affect the stock market, but it isn't like I can fault him for what he has done to an economy that has been very good to me.
There are other reasons to vote for Obama, and if you want to talk about other issues then just let me know. The three big ones for me are above, and unfortunately for Mitt Romney this Ohio vote is going to President Obama.
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