I couldn't find a turd floating in water.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
THE BLACKBIRD - A Personal View
FROM AN SR-71 PILOT, Very interesting read.
A "Personal" History of the SR-71 Blackbird
In April 1986, following an attack on American soldiers in a Berlin disco, President Reagan ordered the bombing of Muammar Qaddafi's terrorist camps in Libya ..
My duty was to fly over Libya , and take photographs recording the damage our F-111's had inflicted.
Qaddafi had established a 'line of death,' a territorial marking across the Gulf of Sidra, swearing to shoot down any intruder, that crossed the boundary.
On the morning of April 15, I rocketed past the line at 2,125 mph.
I was piloting the SR-71 spy plane, the world's fastest jet, accompanied by a Marine Major (Walt), the aircraft's reconnaissance systems officer (RSO).
We had crossed into Libya , and were approaching our final turn over the bleak desert landscape, when Walt informed me, that he was receiving missile launch signals.
I quickly increased our speed, calculating the time it would take for the weapons, most likely SA-2 and SA-4
surface-to-air missiles, capable of Mach 5 - to reach our altitude. I estimated, that we could beat the rocket-powered missiles to the turn, and stayed our course, betting our lives on the plane's performance.
After several agonizingly long seconds, we made the turn and blasted toward the Mediterranean ...
'You might want to pull it back,' Walt suggested. It was then that I noticed I still had the throttles full forward.
The plane was flying a mile every 1.6 seconds, well above our Mach 3.2 limit.
It was the fastest we would ever fly.
I pulled the throttles to idle, just south of Sicily, but we still overran the refueling tanker, awaiting us over Gibraltar.
Scores of significant aircraft have been produced, in the 100 years of flight, following the achievements of the Wright brothers, which we celebrate in December.
Aircraft such as the Boeing 707, the F-86 Sabre Jet, and the P-51 Mustang, are among the important machines,
that have flown our skies.
But the SR-71, also known as the Blackbird, stands alone as a significant contributor to Cold War victory, and as the fastest plane ever, and only 93 Air Force pilots, ever steered the 'sled,' as we called our aircraft.
The SR-71, was the brainchild of Kelly Johnson, the famed Lockheed designer, who created the P-38, the F-104 Starfighter, and the U-2.
After the Soviets shot down Gary Powers U-2 in 1960, Johnson began to develop an aircraft, that would fly three miles higher, and five times faster, than the spy plane, and still be capable of photographing your license plate.
However, flying at 2,000 mph would create intense heat on the aircraft's skin. Lockheed engineers used a titanium alloy, to construct more than 90 percent of the SR-71, creating special tools, and manufacturing procedures to hand-build each of the 40 planes. Special heat-resistant fuel, oil, and hydraulic fluids, that
would function at 85,000 feet, and higher, also had to be developed.
In 1962, the first Blackbird successfully flew, and in 1966, the same year I graduated from high school, the Air Force began flying operational SR-71 missions.
I came to the program in 1983, with a sterling record and a recommendation from my commander, completing the week-long interview, and meeting Walt, my partner for the next four years.
He would ride four feet behind me, working all the cameras, radios, and electronic jamming equipment.
I joked, that if we were ever captured, he was the spy, and I was just the driver.
He told me to keep the pointy end forward.
We trained for a year, flying out of Beale AFB in California , Kadena Airbase in Okinawa , and RAF Mildenhall in England.
On a typical training mission, we would take off near Sacramento, refuel over Nevada, accelerate into Montana,
obtain a high Mach speed over Colorado , turn right over New Mexico, speed across the Los Angeles Basin, run up the West Coast, turn right at Seattle , then return to Beale.
Total flight time:- Two Hours and Forty Minutes.
One day, high above Arizona , we were monitoring the radio traffic, of all the mortal airplanes below us. First, a Cessna pilot asked the air traffic controllers to check his ground speed. 'Ninety knots,' ATC replied. A Bonanza soon made the same request. 'One-twenty on the ground,' was the reply.
To our surprise, a navy F-18 came over the radio, with a ground speed check.
I knew exactly what he was doing.
Of course, he had a ground speed indicator in his cockpit, but he wanted to let all the bug-smashers in the valley,
know what real speed was, 'Dusty 52, we show you at 620 on the ground,' ATC responded.
The situation was too ripe.
I heard the click of Walt's mike button in the rear seat. In his most innocent voice, Walt startled the controller
by asking for a ground speed check from 81,000 feet, clearly above controlled airspace. In a cool, professional voice, the controller replied, 'Aspen 20, I show you at 1,982 knots on the ground'. We did not hear another transmission on that frequency, all the way to the coast.
The Blackbird always showed us something new, each aircraft possessing its own unique personality.
In time, we realized we were flying a national treasure.
When we taxied out of our revetments for take-off, people took notice.
Traffic congregated near the airfield fences, because everyone wanted to see, and hear the mighty SR-71.
You could not be a part of this program, and not come to love the airplane.
Slowly, she revealed her secrets to us, as we earned her trust.
One moonless night, while flying a routine training mission over the Pacific, I wondered what the sky would look like from 84,000 feet, if the cockpit lighting were dark.
While heading home on a straight course, I slowly turned down all of the lighting, reducing the glare and revealing
the night sky.
Within seconds, I turned the lights back up, fearful that the jet would know, and somehow punish me.
But my desire to see the sky, overruled my caution, I dimmed the lighting again.
To my amazement, I saw a bright light outside my window.
As my eyes adjusted to the view, I realized that the brilliance was the broad expanse of the Milky Way, now a gleaming stripe across the sky.
Where dark spaces in the sky, had usually existed, there were now dense clusters, of sparkling stars.
Shooting Stars, flashed across the canvas every few seconds.
It was like a fireworks display with no sound.
I knew I had to get my eyes back on the instruments, and reluctantly, I brought my attention back inside.
To my surprise, with the cockpit lighting still off, I could see every gauge, lit by starlight.
In the plane's mirrors, I could see the eerie shine of my gold spacesuit, incandescently illuminated, in a celestial glow.
I stole one last glance out the window. Despite our speed, we seemed still before the heavens, humbled in the radiance of a much greater power.
For those few moments, I felt a part of something far more significant, than anything we were doing in the plane.
The sharp sound of Walt's voice on the radio, brought me back to the tasks at hand, as I prepared for our descent.
San Diego Aerospace Museum
The SR-71 was an expensive aircraft to operate. The most significant cost was tanker support, and in 1990, confronted with budget cutbacks, the Air Force retired the SR-71. The SR-71 served six presidents, protecting America for a quarter of a century.
Unbeknown to most of the country, the plane flew over North Vietnam, Red China, North Korea, the Middle East, South Africa, Cuba, Nicaragua, Iran, Libya, and the Falkland Islands. On a weekly basis, the SR-71, kept watch over every Soviet Nuclear Submarine, and Mobile Missile Site, and all of their troop movements. It was a key factor in winning the Cold War.
I am proud to say, I flew about 500 hours in this aircraft. I knew her well. She gave way to no plane, proudly dragging her Sonic Boom through enemy backyards, with great impunity. She defeated every missile, outran every MiG, and always brought us home.
In the first 100 years of manned flight, no aircraft was more remarkable. The Blackbird had outrun nearly 4,000 missiles, not once taking a scratch from enemy fire.
On her final flight, the Blackbird, destined for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, sped from Los Angeles to Washington in 64 Minutes, averaging 2,145 mph, and setting four speed records.
A "Personal" History of the SR-71 Blackbird
In April 1986, following an attack on American soldiers in a Berlin disco, President Reagan ordered the bombing of Muammar Qaddafi's terrorist camps in Libya ..
My duty was to fly over Libya , and take photographs recording the damage our F-111's had inflicted.
Qaddafi had established a 'line of death,' a territorial marking across the Gulf of Sidra, swearing to shoot down any intruder, that crossed the boundary.
On the morning of April 15, I rocketed past the line at 2,125 mph.
I was piloting the SR-71 spy plane, the world's fastest jet, accompanied by a Marine Major (Walt), the aircraft's reconnaissance systems officer (RSO).
We had crossed into Libya , and were approaching our final turn over the bleak desert landscape, when Walt informed me, that he was receiving missile launch signals.
I quickly increased our speed, calculating the time it would take for the weapons, most likely SA-2 and SA-4
surface-to-air missiles, capable of Mach 5 - to reach our altitude. I estimated, that we could beat the rocket-powered missiles to the turn, and stayed our course, betting our lives on the plane's performance.
After several agonizingly long seconds, we made the turn and blasted toward the Mediterranean ...
'You might want to pull it back,' Walt suggested. It was then that I noticed I still had the throttles full forward.
The plane was flying a mile every 1.6 seconds, well above our Mach 3.2 limit.
It was the fastest we would ever fly.
I pulled the throttles to idle, just south of Sicily, but we still overran the refueling tanker, awaiting us over Gibraltar.
Scores of significant aircraft have been produced, in the 100 years of flight, following the achievements of the Wright brothers, which we celebrate in December.
Aircraft such as the Boeing 707, the F-86 Sabre Jet, and the P-51 Mustang, are among the important machines,
that have flown our skies.
But the SR-71, also known as the Blackbird, stands alone as a significant contributor to Cold War victory, and as the fastest plane ever, and only 93 Air Force pilots, ever steered the 'sled,' as we called our aircraft.
The SR-71, was the brainchild of Kelly Johnson, the famed Lockheed designer, who created the P-38, the F-104 Starfighter, and the U-2.
After the Soviets shot down Gary Powers U-2 in 1960, Johnson began to develop an aircraft, that would fly three miles higher, and five times faster, than the spy plane, and still be capable of photographing your license plate.
However, flying at 2,000 mph would create intense heat on the aircraft's skin. Lockheed engineers used a titanium alloy, to construct more than 90 percent of the SR-71, creating special tools, and manufacturing procedures to hand-build each of the 40 planes. Special heat-resistant fuel, oil, and hydraulic fluids, that
would function at 85,000 feet, and higher, also had to be developed.
In 1962, the first Blackbird successfully flew, and in 1966, the same year I graduated from high school, the Air Force began flying operational SR-71 missions.
I came to the program in 1983, with a sterling record and a recommendation from my commander, completing the week-long interview, and meeting Walt, my partner for the next four years.
He would ride four feet behind me, working all the cameras, radios, and electronic jamming equipment.
I joked, that if we were ever captured, he was the spy, and I was just the driver.
He told me to keep the pointy end forward.
We trained for a year, flying out of Beale AFB in California , Kadena Airbase in Okinawa , and RAF Mildenhall in England.
On a typical training mission, we would take off near Sacramento, refuel over Nevada, accelerate into Montana,
obtain a high Mach speed over Colorado , turn right over New Mexico, speed across the Los Angeles Basin, run up the West Coast, turn right at Seattle , then return to Beale.
Total flight time:- Two Hours and Forty Minutes.
One day, high above Arizona , we were monitoring the radio traffic, of all the mortal airplanes below us. First, a Cessna pilot asked the air traffic controllers to check his ground speed. 'Ninety knots,' ATC replied. A Bonanza soon made the same request. 'One-twenty on the ground,' was the reply.
To our surprise, a navy F-18 came over the radio, with a ground speed check.
I knew exactly what he was doing.
Of course, he had a ground speed indicator in his cockpit, but he wanted to let all the bug-smashers in the valley,
know what real speed was, 'Dusty 52, we show you at 620 on the ground,' ATC responded.
The situation was too ripe.
I heard the click of Walt's mike button in the rear seat. In his most innocent voice, Walt startled the controller
by asking for a ground speed check from 81,000 feet, clearly above controlled airspace. In a cool, professional voice, the controller replied, 'Aspen 20, I show you at 1,982 knots on the ground'. We did not hear another transmission on that frequency, all the way to the coast.
The Blackbird always showed us something new, each aircraft possessing its own unique personality.
In time, we realized we were flying a national treasure.
When we taxied out of our revetments for take-off, people took notice.
Traffic congregated near the airfield fences, because everyone wanted to see, and hear the mighty SR-71.
You could not be a part of this program, and not come to love the airplane.
Slowly, she revealed her secrets to us, as we earned her trust.
One moonless night, while flying a routine training mission over the Pacific, I wondered what the sky would look like from 84,000 feet, if the cockpit lighting were dark.
While heading home on a straight course, I slowly turned down all of the lighting, reducing the glare and revealing
the night sky.
Within seconds, I turned the lights back up, fearful that the jet would know, and somehow punish me.
But my desire to see the sky, overruled my caution, I dimmed the lighting again.
To my amazement, I saw a bright light outside my window.
As my eyes adjusted to the view, I realized that the brilliance was the broad expanse of the Milky Way, now a gleaming stripe across the sky.
Where dark spaces in the sky, had usually existed, there were now dense clusters, of sparkling stars.
Shooting Stars, flashed across the canvas every few seconds.
It was like a fireworks display with no sound.
I knew I had to get my eyes back on the instruments, and reluctantly, I brought my attention back inside.
To my surprise, with the cockpit lighting still off, I could see every gauge, lit by starlight.
In the plane's mirrors, I could see the eerie shine of my gold spacesuit, incandescently illuminated, in a celestial glow.
I stole one last glance out the window. Despite our speed, we seemed still before the heavens, humbled in the radiance of a much greater power.
For those few moments, I felt a part of something far more significant, than anything we were doing in the plane.
The sharp sound of Walt's voice on the radio, brought me back to the tasks at hand, as I prepared for our descent.
San Diego Aerospace Museum
The SR-71 was an expensive aircraft to operate. The most significant cost was tanker support, and in 1990, confronted with budget cutbacks, the Air Force retired the SR-71. The SR-71 served six presidents, protecting America for a quarter of a century.
Unbeknown to most of the country, the plane flew over North Vietnam, Red China, North Korea, the Middle East, South Africa, Cuba, Nicaragua, Iran, Libya, and the Falkland Islands. On a weekly basis, the SR-71, kept watch over every Soviet Nuclear Submarine, and Mobile Missile Site, and all of their troop movements. It was a key factor in winning the Cold War.
I am proud to say, I flew about 500 hours in this aircraft. I knew her well. She gave way to no plane, proudly dragging her Sonic Boom through enemy backyards, with great impunity. She defeated every missile, outran every MiG, and always brought us home.
In the first 100 years of manned flight, no aircraft was more remarkable. The Blackbird had outrun nearly 4,000 missiles, not once taking a scratch from enemy fire.
On her final flight, the Blackbird, destined for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, sped from Los Angeles to Washington in 64 Minutes, averaging 2,145 mph, and setting four speed records.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Palin Stole "Target" Map from Democratic Leadership Council
 | DLC | Blueprint Magazine | December 13, 2004 Heartland Strategy Democrats can't be a national party if they cede all of red America to the GOP. They must compete in the heartland. Here's how they can do it. By Will Marshall
|
Monday, September 20, 2010
AAADD
KNOW THE SYMPTOMS!
Thank goodness there's a name for this disorder.
Somehow I feel better even though I have it!!
Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D.
Age Associated Attention Deficit Disorder.
This is how it manifests:
I decide to water my garden.
As I turn on the hose in the driveway,
I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.
As I start toward the garage,
I notice mail on the porch table that
I brought up from the mail box earlier.
I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.
I lay my car keys on the table,
put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full.
So I decide to put the bills back on the table & take out the garbage first.
But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway,
I may as well pay the bills first.
I take my check book off the table,
and see that there is only one check left.
My extra checks are in my desk in the study,
so I go inside the house to my desk where
I find the can of Pepsi I'd been drinking.
I'm going to look for my checks,
but first I need to push the Pepsi aside
so that I don't accidentally knock it over.
The Pepsi is getting warm.
I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep
it cold.
As I head toward the kitchen with the Pepsi,
a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye.
They need water.
I put the Pepsi on the counter and
discover my reading glasses that
I've been searching for all morning.
I decide I better put them back on my desk,
but first I'm going to water the flowers.
I set the glasses back down on the counter,
fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote someone had left it on the kitchen table.
I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV,
I'll be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table,
so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs..
But first I'll water the flowers.
I pour some water in the flowers.
Quite a bit of it spills on the floor.
So, I set the remote back on the table,
get some towels and wipe up the spill.
Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.
At the end of the day:
the car isn't washed
the bills aren't paid
there is a warm can of
Pepsi sitting on the counter
the flowers don't have enough water,
there is still only 1 check in my check book,
I can't find the remote,
I can't find my glasses,
and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.
Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done,
I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all blankety blank day,
and I'm really tired.
I realize this is a serious problem,
and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail.....
Do me a favor.
Forward this message to everyone you know,
because I don't remember who the blank I've sent it to.
Don't laugh -- if this isn't you yet, your day is coming!!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Retribution is less than 1 year away!
Retribution is less than 1 year away!
Take a look at this and just remember elections in November 2010.
- U..S.. House &Senate have voted themselves $4,700 and $5,300 raises.
- They voted to NOT give you a S.S. Cost of living raise in 2010 and 2011.
- Your Medicare premiums will go up $285.60 for the 2-years.
- You will not get the 3% COLA: $660/yr.
- Your total 2-yr loss and cost is -$1,600 or -$3,200 for husband and wife.
- Over these same 2-years each Congress person will get $10,000..
- Do you feel SCREWED?
- Will they have your cost of drugs - doctor fees - local taxes - food, etc., decrease?
- NO WAY.
Congress received a raise and has better health and retirement benefits than you or I.
- Why should they care about you?
- You never did anything about it in the past.
- You obviously are too stupid or don't care.
- Do you really think that Nancy , Harry, Chris, Charlie, Barny, et al, care about you?
- Send the message to these individuals --- "YOU'RE FIRED!"
In 2010 you will have a chance to get rid of the sitting Congress: up to 1/3 of the Senate and 100% of the House!
Make sure you're still mad in November 2010 and remind their replacements not to screw-up.
It is ok to forward this to your sphere of influence if you are finally tired of the abuse.
Maybe it's time for Amendment 28 to the Constitution..
28th Amendment will be as follows:
"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators or Representatives, and Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States ."
Let's get this passed around, folks - these people in Washington have brought this upon themselves! It's time for retribution. Let's take back America ..
If you don't forward this to all your friends you're just part of the problem of national apathy.
Monday, August 2, 2010
10 Surprising Ways Your State May Tax You Next
10 Surprising Ways Your State May Tax You Next
Remember the line from The Beatles' "Taxman"? -- "If you try to walk, I'll tax your feet"?
Here we go. Where and Who.
Plumbing & Electrical Services
One plan in Pennsylvania, supported by Governor Ed Rendell and many in the legislature, would add a 6% sales tax to both services. Industry groups representing plumbers and electricians are ratcheting up the opposition. A compromise may be to make the service tax temporary until the state budget picture improves. Guess who would pay?
Watch Repair & Tailoring
Owners of fancy wristwatches in New York are sure to get wound up over an Empire State legislative proposal to tax watch-repair services at the 4% sales tax rate. A related proposal would tax tailoring services for clothes at the same rate.
Shoe Repair
Will the Keystone State tax the soles of its residents? Professional cobblers have attracted the attention of legislative taxwriters. The legislature is looking at extending Pennsylvania's 6% sales tax to shoe repair services. Critics of the plan say the state is targeting shoe repairers in part because they don't have the political heft to fight the plan in the state capital of Harrisburg.
Working Out
Later this year, Alabama will debate taxing gym memberships, a plan that could raise several million dollars a year in state revenue. A monthly membership would include the Yellowhammer State's 4% sales tax. Look for gym users to get plenty exercised over the plan. The District of Columbia proposed a gym fee earlier in 2010 but it was shouted down by vocal opponents, including yoga practitioners.
Bowling
Big Lebowski, take note. Twenty-six states already apply some type of sales tax or selected fee on the use of bowling alleys. Several more, including Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and New Mexico, are considering doing the same. The extra fee is not a large revenue raiser for states -- most estimates are in the $2 million range. (There are only so many bowling alleys and only so many big spenders on bowling.) Still, it's a small step many states are taking to help fix their budgets. The Dude may abide. But The Dude will surely abhor this.
Golfing
If you're on the links in Kentucky, the 19th hole may be the one in your pocket. One of several revenue enhancement plans lawmakers in the Bluegrass State are considering is slapping a 6% state sales tax on golf course greens fees. A decision is expected by the end of the year.
Horseback Riding
Faced with a $2 billion gap in the state budget, lawmakers in Arizona, the Grand Canyon State, will soon consider adding a 5.6% sales tax to basic charges for boarding riding horses on horse farms. The legislature may impose another tax on hiring professional horse trainers. Similar horse-boarding taxes are already in place in South Dakota, Nebraska and New Jersey.
Pool Cleaning
Having a professionally cleaned backyard pool in Indiana may soon come at an extra cost. Hoosier lawmakers may place the state's 6% sales tax on the service, possibly raising a couple of million dollars a year to help balance its budget. It's not an entirely novel idea. Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota and South Carolina have skimmed taxes from residential and community pool cleaning services for years.
Interior Decorating
Is it too early to measure drapes for your new office? Oregon, Colorado and New Jersey are mulling various proposals to add 2% to 6% fees on professional interior decorating services. Such fees could add to the cost of new commercial buildings and major home refurbishing. Interior decorators won't take this sitting down.
Van and Truck Rentals
Need to rent a large truck to move office equipment or for a big project for your business in Louisiana? The Bayou State is considering taxing such rentals at 4% of the total charge. A competing draft proposal would establish a flat user fee for rentals. In any event, business owners would have to pay more where they hadn't before.
http://content.kiplinger.com/tools/slideshows/slideshow_pop.html?nm=state_taxes
.
Remember the line from The Beatles' "Taxman"? -- "If you try to walk, I'll tax your feet"?
Here we go. Where and Who.
Plumbing & Electrical Services
One plan in Pennsylvania, supported by Governor Ed Rendell and many in the legislature, would add a 6% sales tax to both services. Industry groups representing plumbers and electricians are ratcheting up the opposition. A compromise may be to make the service tax temporary until the state budget picture improves. Guess who would pay?
Watch Repair & Tailoring
Owners of fancy wristwatches in New York are sure to get wound up over an Empire State legislative proposal to tax watch-repair services at the 4% sales tax rate. A related proposal would tax tailoring services for clothes at the same rate.
Shoe Repair
Will the Keystone State tax the soles of its residents? Professional cobblers have attracted the attention of legislative taxwriters. The legislature is looking at extending Pennsylvania's 6% sales tax to shoe repair services. Critics of the plan say the state is targeting shoe repairers in part because they don't have the political heft to fight the plan in the state capital of Harrisburg.
Working Out
Later this year, Alabama will debate taxing gym memberships, a plan that could raise several million dollars a year in state revenue. A monthly membership would include the Yellowhammer State's 4% sales tax. Look for gym users to get plenty exercised over the plan. The District of Columbia proposed a gym fee earlier in 2010 but it was shouted down by vocal opponents, including yoga practitioners.
Bowling
Big Lebowski, take note. Twenty-six states already apply some type of sales tax or selected fee on the use of bowling alleys. Several more, including Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and New Mexico, are considering doing the same. The extra fee is not a large revenue raiser for states -- most estimates are in the $2 million range. (There are only so many bowling alleys and only so many big spenders on bowling.) Still, it's a small step many states are taking to help fix their budgets. The Dude may abide. But The Dude will surely abhor this.
Golfing
If you're on the links in Kentucky, the 19th hole may be the one in your pocket. One of several revenue enhancement plans lawmakers in the Bluegrass State are considering is slapping a 6% state sales tax on golf course greens fees. A decision is expected by the end of the year.
Horseback Riding
Faced with a $2 billion gap in the state budget, lawmakers in Arizona, the Grand Canyon State, will soon consider adding a 5.6% sales tax to basic charges for boarding riding horses on horse farms. The legislature may impose another tax on hiring professional horse trainers. Similar horse-boarding taxes are already in place in South Dakota, Nebraska and New Jersey.
Pool Cleaning
Having a professionally cleaned backyard pool in Indiana may soon come at an extra cost. Hoosier lawmakers may place the state's 6% sales tax on the service, possibly raising a couple of million dollars a year to help balance its budget. It's not an entirely novel idea. Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota and South Carolina have skimmed taxes from residential and community pool cleaning services for years.
Interior Decorating
Is it too early to measure drapes for your new office? Oregon, Colorado and New Jersey are mulling various proposals to add 2% to 6% fees on professional interior decorating services. Such fees could add to the cost of new commercial buildings and major home refurbishing. Interior decorators won't take this sitting down.
Van and Truck Rentals
Need to rent a large truck to move office equipment or for a big project for your business in Louisiana? The Bayou State is considering taxing such rentals at 4% of the total charge. A competing draft proposal would establish a flat user fee for rentals. In any event, business owners would have to pay more where they hadn't before.
http://content.kiplinger.com/tools/slideshows/slideshow_pop.html?nm=state_taxes
.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
