Solomon's Private File #350
These stories about Stephen and Solomon take place starting in
1950's. Stephen wrote about his life in letters to a penpal, and then
in a secure blog, in case he lost his memory again, in the master
computer in his school for gifted students, which he started attending
in 2016 in a new incarnation, until his death. Now his son Solomon is
attending the same school, and is writing in his own secure blog for
his future incarnations.
All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
Solomon is 31 in this story, in the Summer of 2057.
Solomon's Private File #350 "It's SO Taxing"
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President said to me, "Some people are blocking your new tax code." I
said, "True." She was frustrated, and I grinned. She said, "Right. You
need to be asked specifically to do something. I'll call a meeting, and
you defend it." I said, "Why do you need to do it that way with me?"
She said, "Oh! In person you can call them on lies and hidden
motivations. I said, "While they don't have to know ahead of time, it's
not going to be secret, if I don't want it to be." She said, "If I want
it to be secret?" I said with a grin, "I should care?" She gave me a
grin, back.
She did call for that meeting. There were a lot of Congressmen and
Senators of both parties there. They knew what the subject was. She
said at the start, "There have been some arguments about Solomon's tax
proposal. I would like us to discuss that, and see if we can work out
some sort of compromise." One asked, "What's your position on this?"
She said, "Personally, none. I'm not a tax expert. Those I've consulted
with are in love with it. I haven't told their spouses about that."
Chuckles. She said, "If implemented as proposed, it would save our
government a lot of money, add income over that, and cause the IRS to
not look so bad to people. So, as President, being responsible for
enforcing the tax code, I am required to like and support it." One
said, "Is this meeting, er, confidential?" She said, "I have requested
that it be so."
She said, "I've invited the foremost expert in this area, to join us.
The author of this proposal, Solomon." I shifted in. I said, "Oh, good.
I like surprises." One said, "Are you really the foremost expert in
this?" I said with a smile, "Anybody want to take this?" One said,
"Before, when he wanted to learn something, he went all the way.
Remember the legal er, announcement. Now, knowing all, he's the
foremost expert in everything, without even trying." They all looked at
me for confirmation. I said, "Take it as given that when I don't
correct what somebody says about me in a meeting with me, it's true.
You know how I feel about lies." Some smiled. Some really didn't.
I said, "Let's get started. You want to keep the mortgage interest
deduction. Why?" One said, "So more people can buy houses. I said, "Why
is that a good thing?" He didn't know what to say. I said, "Oh, this is
NOT looking good. You here are responsible for things that will affect
400 million people. You had BETTER know what you're doing!" One said,
"Do you know?" I said, "Since I know everything, that would be
included. But I'm not running the country. And I don't have time here
to educate you all to the level you SHOULD be for this. But we can do a
little. First, which industry is pushing for this? Don't hold back. You
know I know." One said, "Right. Builders, realtors, and lenders." I
said, "Yes. But who is spending the most?" He looked around, and said,
"That would be who has the most money. Lenders."
I said, "Anybody here know how the average mortgage is constructed?
Hmm, you've all purchased houses. Oh, your lawyers and accountants
handled it." I said to one, "You're on the finance committee!" He said,
"Ah, er, isn't more of the interest paid in the monthly payments in the
beginning, than later on?" I said, "Yes. Lending that amount of money,
even with collateral, is a risk. You know banks are seriously allergic
to that." Smiles. I said, "How they reduce that, is to demand the
interest be paid off first, before the payments start going toward the
principle. On a 30 year loan, the first ten years payments are almost
all interest, and the last few years, all principle. If you walk away
from the loan in the early part of it, you're stuck with the full value
of the house, even though you paid them an awful lot already. They've
got you right where they want you! But to make it easier to swallow,
they want the government to credit that interest in a tax deduction.
For that reason only! They want the federal government to help THEM to
squeeze you dry, and in such a sneaky way so you won't notice it. Most
first time home buyers would pay almost NO federal income tax in the
beginning, because of this. Is that fair to people who can't buy a
house? Suppose the mortgage deduction stays. Then a future congress
removes it. All those home owners will be suddenly unable to afford to
pay their mortgages. Then the housing market tanks, and you start a
recession spiral. So, wouldn't it be better for the home owning
taxpayer to have to pay less taxes up front, than have to go through
this, and also support the banks? Remember, the mortgage interest
percentage in their payments is always changing. They have to
recalculate that every year, for their taxes. How many get that right?
How much does it cost them and the government in errors?"
One said, "From this, I get the impression that you dislike how the
banks manage the loans. Do you think we should change the regulations
in that area?" I said, "I thought you were a Republican." Chuckles. I
said, "Yes, I do think that. It's not fair the way it is now. You know
how much I like fair." Nods. I said, "Most people who buy their first
house, don't keep it more than 6 to 8 years. That's why they call them
starter homes. They don't usually make money on those sales, now. For
the banks, it's ALL profit. Well, anybody ever heard of a poor banker?"
Nods. I said, "Then the new more expensive house, with more upfront
interest. Mortgage deductions actually entice them to do that. Banks
LOVE that. It also causes buyers to purchase to their limit of
qualifying, which adds more risk to the loan. That means more chance of
regular people getting into serous trouble over this. One emergency
expense, and they could lose their house and credit rating. What's good
for arrogant banks, isn't always good for America. That's been very
well proved!" Strong nods.
I said, "In writing laws and regulations, you need to consider all
the effects of them, not in isolation, but as they relate to all things
in the country, if you want to do a good and responsible job, that the
people elected you to do for them. You owe it to THEM, not to the
lobbyists, in honor, if not in er, financial support. You know what I
mean." Nods. I said, "You have some problems with corporate tax. We
disagree on what those problems are." We shared smiles. I said, "The
public wants you to lower the rates, and eliminate the loopholes which
gives unfair breaks to international corporations. What I've done in my
proposal is to balance it out between what the public wants, er, those
who know anything about it at all, and small and large companies. The
only people who are really negatively affected by this are corporate
tax lawyers, with reduction in their er, usefulness. I think the people
of America can live with that very nicely." Suppressed grins. I showed
them what the specifics meant, and their justifications, and said,
"Some of the biggest corporations in America have actually supported
this. Well, when they didn't think it would pass." Hard grins.
I said, "Tax breaks to companies that bring jobs BACK to America are
part of my proposal only as temporary optional add-ons. Who wants that,
and who doesn't, and how that changes, could be interesting to watch."
President laughed.
We discussed more issues with my tax proposal. It went pretty much
the same. Then near the end, one said, "We can still provide something
like a partial mortgage rebate to some first time buyers?" I said,
"Offered up front, and spread out in years, yes. That would be an
effective incentive to push the market, but you have to be careful
about doing that only for fully qualified buyers. You know what
happened before, with bad loans." Nods. I said, "Not being managed by
the IRS, would make that much less expensive to run." They felt good
about that. I said, "And make it taxable. People who get that, should
pay a little for it, because it comes from other Americans. That's
fair." They looked at me with earned respect.
I said, "How do you feel about all this now. Good or bad?" They all
said it made them feel good, and that surprised them. I said, "When you
work within the framework of honor and fairness, with well thought out
things, you feel good about it. A little proud, too." Nods. I said,
"Motivation to do more of that?, For you, and your country?" One said,
"Yes!" She looked embarrassed. I said with a grin, "Well, if you
weren't on their minds before, you sure are now." Chuckles. Another
said, "Are you going to make this public?" I said, "And make the banks
angry with me?" Grins. Most wanted that. I said, "So they'll blame me
for what they don't like? Sure. What can they do to me? I don't use
money." Grins. I said, "Madam President?" She said, "Vote." Most were
in favor of it right away. Some hesitated, and then voted for it. I
said, "I think we won't publish the actual vote in the video, just the
result." I received some grateful good wishes for that. I said softly,
"I'm not your enemy." I hugged them all with love.
I met with the president later. She said, "You wowed them!" I said,
"But no real insults. Disappointing." Grins. We went through the
recording of the meeting, and agreed on what to publish, and how. I
gave it to CNN. It was set up with commercial breaks, and still left
room for added commentary in the hour, which was noticed. I said, "Use
your own experts. I said it all in the meeting." And that's what
happened, and it went well. Reviews were good, except for some clownish
loudmouths. That made it better. I released a statement about it. I
named them, and said, "When those people oppose something with such
loud inarticulate noises that are empty of anything factual, that's
when we know we're doing good." Newscasters tried to hide their grins
when they read it, which was noticed. One said, "It's been a while
since Solomon poked some public people like this. Who hasn't missed
it?"
A man walked into my temp government worker interview office. He
said, "I don't like what you're doing." I said, "Alright. You can
leave." He said, "What do you mean?" I said, "You don't like it. Then
you shouldn't be here. I can't make it any simpler than that." He said,
"Oh. I didn't mean this here, but other things." I said, "There's so
many other things I do, it could fill up a whole lot of specific
oceans." He started to say something, then he stopped and thought about
what I said, catching the intended pun. He said, "You're interfering in
government." I said, "I am, with practically everything I do on Earth.
Impossible to avoid, with governments so much involved in everything,
themselves. But not political. But that's irrelevant here. You haven't
left yet. Can't find the door?" He said, "You want to kick me out
because I insulted you?" I said, "No. You've complained, not insulted
me, and I want you to leave, because who would want to hire somebody
who deliberately antagonizes the job interviewer, and with
irrelevancies? Why waste more time with this?" He got up to leave. I
said, "One more thing. You violate the privacy of this, the whole
recording goes public. I will know." I sent a crystal of it to State.
He called me and said, "Full support. Sorry." I said, "But you're
grinning." He laughed, and said, "I have to like how you handled him.
But specific oceans?" Chuckles.
A woman came in. She said, "The man who just left. I know him." I
said, "My condolences." She grinned. I said, "He works at State. For a
few more days. You used to work there. What happened?" She said,
"Patronage ruled. I didn't have it. Other brown nosing schmoosers did."
I said, "Ruined State. I know you. You're in. Fix it." We stood, and
she said, "I will! You can bet on that!" We hugged.
A man came in. I said, "Pegged for Ambassador, but with no country.
Know why?" He said, "I haven't decided to accept a position with
State." I said, "I sense a role reversal here. Go ahead." He smiled,
and said, "It's well known that you improve people. More than the
public knows. The Secretary. One of your er, victims?" I said, "That's
privileged information." But I was nodding. He said, "I understand." We
did the rest of the interview. He said, "Recommendations?" I said,
"Recommended, both ways." We shook hands.
Two men walked in. Twins, and both half psionic. I said, "Applicants
coming in pairs. Unusual. Probably more so for the fruit." They
laughed. I said, while faking writing on the file, "Approved for humor
appreciation." Grins. I said, "So, why?" One said, "We work as a team."
I said, "Each takes one half of the keyboard? I see your reaction.
You're going to get a lot more of it on the job. We need to see how
well you'll take it." Nods. I said, "You haven't fully explained this
yet." The other said, "We're twins, and very close. We work well
together." I said, "How strong is that desire?" One said, "We won't
take a job where we can't work together." I said, "That's not enough.
How tight are you? Go to the bathroom only together? No, it's not an
insult. It's happened." He said, "Not that tight."
I said, "Still more to explore. If one of you is in there, and the
other one is called to deal with an emergency that involves going to
another building, and he isn't able to notify the bathroom half of
that? You don't have to tell me. I see the reaction. You're
codependent. Private industry might take you, but government won't.
Want to claim disabled status? Would be interesting how that's
handled." One said, "It would, but we won't be doing that. Thank you
for your offer." I offered to shake their hands. I made a second right
hand for that, saying, "I don't want to indicate a preference." Grins.
Poor Hawk wasn't expecting that at all.
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Grant
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