A Very Strange Coincidence

Do you ever have something happen to you and wonder how the hell it worked out that way?

Let me be blunt. Tonight is not a good night. Today was a day I was looking forward to for a long time. However, due to a couple of circumstances, it's not what I wanted it to be. Originally, I was supposed to be on a plane to DC, only to be surrounded by thousands of the top Republicans in the country. You see, this weekend is the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC). It's the biggest event of the year for Republicans and Conservatives. Now, I'm limited to Twitter feeds and phone calls from 10 of my best friends here at CMU - our College Republicans Chapter.

So, let's get to the really strange part. On a night that I literally cannot get anything done because I have to think about how some of my best friends are in my favorite place in the whole world - not to mention they're with some of the people I want to meet most - my necklace that I got from a man in DC a year and a half ago broke. That's right. Out of all 500+ days that I had it, it happened to break tonight. Coincidence?

So, I have one year to fulfill my next goal in life. I'm going to earn money for CPAC and put it away. I will be going to CPAC next year. I don't care if there is no CPAC next year - I'll hold my own damn CPAC. When I first learned that I had 3 exams this week I thought that I wouldn't miss DC too much. But now that I'm sitting here while they're sitting there, my stomach doesn't feel like it will stay in my body.

Next year, I will be blogging from the Omni Hotel in Washington, DC.

Cheers.

Why I'm A Republican

Macroeconomics

Hey all.

Everything is going pretty well here at CMU. I've been rather busy because State Convention is this weekend, and I will be spending my weekend volunteering for and networking with the Michigan GOP. I figured I'd take the time to post one of my papers I recently wrote for my Macroeconomics class. You are encouraged to think like an economist and solve problems in the world around you. You're supposed to make a connection with cost-based analysis. Enjoy!

Why Wouldn’t Tim Geithner Pay His Taxes?

If marginal cost exceeds marginal benefit, it is unworthy of doing. Confirmed Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner did the entire math he needed to in order to decide not to pay his taxes. One factor could be his opportunity cost of giving up this $34,000 worth of tax money. Another reason could be his protection from the IRS, given his tight-knit bond with some of the nation’s top decision makers. Another reason could be his confidence that it would go unnoticed. Whatever the reasoning, Tim Geithner felt his marginal benefit outweighed his marginal cost of not paying the taxes.

It’s no secret that Geithner has been around some of the top legislators for a number of years now. This could lead to him knowing the ins and outs of not only the tax system, but also the economic situation. Instead of sending this $34,000 to the government to use on social programs, Geithner could have invested it. People making huge profits don’t just allow their dollar and cents to collect in a bank account. Geithner could have done a number of things such as invest in a collect deposit, a Roth IRA, mutual funds, or even stocks and bonds. Hopefully, for Mr. Geithner, he managed to avoid going though Bernie Madoff. The interest Mr. Geithner would collect would be more than the interest he’d have to pay back if he was to be caught.

Tim Geithner has been involved in the legislative process indirectly for about a decade. This leaves him with a lot of close friends that could have gotten him, and apparently have gotten him, out of a substantial amount of trouble. He knew this when he refused to pay his taxes.

When you look at some of the filing errors Mr. Geithner made, they are “under the radar” type things. He was able to say that he had “overlooked” them, and that they weren’t prominent issues. This seems contradicting since he had signed papers acknowledging that he hadn’t paid Social Security taxes, only adding to the presumption that Mr. Geithner knew exactly what he was doing.

As you can see, Mr. Geithner played the odds. His marginal cost of paying the taxes seemed to outweigh his marginal benefit of peace of mind. He chose to take his money and invest elsewhere, only to find out that he probably collected more interest on his investments than the government demanded in return. Should everybody think like this? No, few have the connections and ties that Mr. Geithner do. One exception is Tom Daschle, but that is a whole other story.

Holier Than Thou

"Before you judge me take a look at you
Can't you find something better to do
Point the finger, slow to understand
Arrogance and ignorance go hand in hand."
-Metallica

Last weekend I went out in search of a place to worship. Many Americans use churches not only as a conduit between themselves and their deity, but as a place of reason, moral truth, and socialization. A church is a safe-haven that provides stability and familiarity with one's life. My first option was a Christ the King Lutheran Chapel. Upon first glance it looks like a traditional conservative based Lutheran chapel. Truer words were never spoken. It was the epitome of tradition. This scared me off a tad - due to my moderate tendencies when it comes to religion in general. The service was long and monotonous. It seemed like something out of an old movie. It was an OK experience, other than the crying baby section that I was apparently in. (Which is funny since I'm complaining about the church, maybe I did belong there.)

I will probably not be going back to the Lutheran church soon - but it does not mean it will not be the one I settle on.

Next up, St. Mary's Catholic Parish.

A Must See

Datelineee

Is anyone else sick of all these Obama cabinet choices not paying their taxes? What happened to the 'different kind of politics' and 'ethics reform' he based his campaign on. This is hardly the 'change we need'. Sorry, that sort of stuff is for my other blog - but I'm just irritated as hell with President Obama. But I digress.

Lately I've been really busy, which is why I haven't updated much. I've read all of your blogs, though. I've also fallen in love with Twitter - it's such a fast way to update people on different things. I'm doing pretty well in school. I've gotten 100% on my first three quizzes of the semester (MTH 105, Micro, and World Politics). I'm on my way to my first test right now for Macroeconomics. So I have to get going, I'll try to update you all on my Church experience soon!

*Edit*
I had to share this with everyone, especially Sarah. I tend to get on Wikipedia when I'm bored and read about things, and I found this about Charlie Weis - it cracked me up!

"Because of Weis's morbid obesity and the history of heart disease in his family, it is only twice as likely that he will be fired before dying, according to Las Vegas oddsmakers."