Bitchin Dave's Newsletter - August 11th
Most states that lean conservative have these weird plans to cut taxes! Florida is no exception, with lots of moves designed to "help the average individual" - though we all know that these types of things disproportionately benefit the wealthy among us. And I recently read about yet another push to eliminate property taxes in my fair state (more on that below). Because #FreeDumb
The obvious problem is that counties and cities have less in the way of capital that they can spend on infrastructure, services (including emergency type things), and even schools.
To combat that loss of revenue, there are many communities around Florida that are finding new ways to take in money from residents. Among them are automated cameras around school buses, in school zones, and in construction sites. They use radar detection to measure speed, and read the tag on the car. They then issue a citation to the owner of that car for an amount. It's not a ticket, per se, and it comes off as a kind of a tax.
There are so many issues with this setup, but the biggest concern is about enforcement. Take school zones, for example. The system operates on school days for a period of time around 30 minutes *before* the stated school zone time, and around 30 minutes *after* the stated school zone time. It will generate these citations if a driver is 10 miles an hour over the 15 MPH school zone speed. And during the rest of the day, it will generate a citation if you are 10 miles an hour over the regular posted speed limit for non-school times.
School zones here all have a flashing warning light to let you know that you're in a school zone, but they go on during the hours posted - not in the 30 mins before and after. So they are utterly meaningless.
Oh, and don't miss the fact that some communities don't follow this rule, and simply issue citations if you're going over 25MPH during the school day. Full stop. Even though the signage indicates otherwise.
It's a confusing mess, but has generated millions for these communities!
So thanks Florida legislature for trying to make the tax less of a burden, while allowing for these silly loopholes that allow communities to make up their own rules for "taxation" - without the need to have anyone present (don't we have a constitutional right to know our accusers?!) and a complete inability to fight against this.
And back to the property tax question. The legislature passed something that will put this on a ballot in November, for voters to decide. I am opposed to it, and think saving a relatively small amount (a few thousand in taxes for most owners?) will be harmful to everyone. I would encourage anyone reading this to make an informed decision about what will likely happen if this is approved.
(as an aside: yes, there is surely waste at all levels of government. But, with these pushes to reduce the amount available, will we see a decrease in funding for things like stadiums or data centers, that is commensurate with the reduction in taxes? I hear crickets!)
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Their study is intriguing. In short, what they found was that the weight loss drugs affect your brain chemistry so that not only do you “feel full,” but you also don’t crave certain food types.
You might say it’s a side effect that wasn’t completely intentional, but is useful in a way.
And that got me to thinking… back when Covid was the talk of the day, a vaccine was introduced that had been developed and tested for quite some time. It helped the body’s immune response, so that it could fight off the infection. It did this by working with the response at the RNA level.
But people got stupid, and listened to their crazy uncle or some “influencer” who told them that it affected their DNA (different three letter acronym, but also in the body; nice try but ignorance is bliss!) and would change them somehow. And they flatly stated that this vaccine was never tested, and on and on. They rejected the science, and accepted wild conspiracy theories, and ultimately attacked (and continue to attack) the person who was the voice of science.
And yet, when GLP-1s were introduced, they were never tested for use in weight loss, but people used them that way because - like magic - they were able to shed pounds. And here we are. It wasn’t tested thoroughly for this purpose, and it does, in fact, change one’s brain function.
But it’s perfectly okay! It’s recommended by these same influencers and crazy uncles because it helps fight off obesity.
I think “the jury is still out” on these drugs, and their long-term effects. And yeah, they apparently do work as weight loss drugs. And ar least some of the side effects related to cravings may be an okay thing.
I’m just fascinated (maybe alarmed) by how science is eschewed, until something has a seemingly desirable effect, and changes behaviors and a person loses weight. Then its all the rage!
And if we draw with a broad brush, you might notice that drugs like GLP-1, drugs for baldness, reducing wrinkles, and the like are all related to vanity. And that is way more important in a me-first world.
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A team in Australia has come up with a washing machine sized device that uses magnets to remove microplastics from water, and they appear to have a way to dispose of the plastics
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Such a strange occurrence. And it should serve to remind us that even though we have this technology, things can and do happen as we watch.
So take what the media tells you about conflicts around the world with a heaping of salt. It is entirely possible that the story you're being told is misleading - or worse, wrong.
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I have to say that this particular plan seems complicated, perhaps overly so.
The plan is to launch the Artemis astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, and then have it synch up with both of the proposed lunar landers (one from SpaceX, the other from blue origin) to test up how all this will work out.
It’s a reasonable test, but it just feels like a lot to try and coordinate.
We’ll see how this works out.
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Another really clever advancement in energy storage. Finland has developed a battery that uses sand - but does NOT use any sort of rare earth metals. Which is good news for the environment.
And, there’s another benefit! Emissions are cut as the battery is used. And it appears to be fairly efficient.
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