Cheers RedStaters and TGIF!  Gather up at the Water Cooler and let’s see what’s on your mind on this fine Autumn day.  Water Cooler is always an Open Thread, so this is the place to pop off about any and everything!

Nighttime Savings Time starts this Sunday

If Daylight Savings Time started in March, then it must be Nighttime that we are trying to save starting Sunday November 5th.  Hopefully you bottled up some good nighttime almost two weeks ago during the new moon, otherwise you may only find lower-quality nighttime to bottle up in the next few days.  Set that aside, and then remember to set your timepieces back (officially from 2AM Sunday to 1AM Sunday) and then enjoy that extra hour.

Mainstream News IS Fake News

Ok, they are not exactly one and the same, but if you label it that way you will bat better than 50%.  Not many surprise me anymore, but this one surprised me – from NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo or NPR (emphasis mine):

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo described the attack as a “classic case of a radicalization of a domestic jihadist who associated with ISIS,” telling CBS on Wednesday that “the best evidence we have is that he was a lone wolf.”

Fake News Factor: we award this the full Правда.

Bergdahl more likely

Trent Baker, in this piece on Breitbart captures that Clay Travis, some radio personality or other, feels Colin Kaepernick could be a backup quarterback to to Tom Brady.  The name that came to mind for me if Colin were to backup someone was Bowe Bergdahl.  Just me?

A win in California

I know, “even a broken clock is right twice a day”.  But just for the record – every once in a while I read something that happened in California that puts a smile on my face.  Thankfully I do not rely on this stimulus for all my smiling or I would look pretty grumpy indeed.  From Breitbart:

A California judge has tossed a state law that requires “pregnancy centers,” which exist to provide alternatives to abortion, to notify clients that the state offers free abortion and contraception services.

Lest you start packing a moving van to head west, the news item notes:

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has promised to appeal the ruling.

And a Counter-Balance

Coincidentally, on the day I caught this good news, California woke up to the first signs of the “Gas Taxtrophe”, which hits most state drivers immediately with a 12-cent gas tax increase on gasoline.  If you are thinking you win because you have a diesel – no.  Diesel goes up 20-cents.  Win because you have a ZEV?  Nope.  They get you too.  A gas tax, but much more complex.  From the Sacramento Bee:

Taxes and fees

Gas taxes

Existing: The base excise tax is 18 cents a gallon. A price-based excise tax is currently set at 9.8 cents a gallon, for a total rate of 27.8 cents a gallon.

Nov. 1, 2017: The base excise tax will increase to 30 cents a gallon.

July 1, 2019: The price-based excise tax will reset to 17.3 cents a gallon, about half-a-cent more than the rate the Brown administration projects will be in effect by then anyway.

The 47.3-cent combined excise tax in effect July 1, 2019 will be adjusted for inflation beginning July 1, 2020.

Average annual revenue: $2.4 billion

Diesel taxes

Existing: The base excise tax is 16 cents a gallon. The state also collects two categories of sales taxes on diesel fuel: the regular state and local sales tax, which averages 8.44 percent, and an additional 1.75 percent sales tax.

Nov. 1, 2017: The 1.75 percent diesel fuel sales tax will increase to 5.75 percent.

Estimated annual revenue: $1.08 billion

Transportation improvement fee

Existing: The Department of Motor Vehicles’ base registration fee is $53.

Jan. 1, 2018: People will pay a new “transportation improvement fee” ranging from $25 to $175, depending on the value of their vehicle

Followed by the table.  And wait, we’re not done:

The fee will be adjusted for inflation beginning Jan. 1, 2020.

Estimated revenue: $1.6 billion

Zero-emission vehicles

Existing: There are no ZEV-specific charges.

July 1, 2020: New $100 “road improvement fee.” The fee will be adjusted for inflation beginning Jan. 1, 2021.

Estimated revenue: $20 million

These taxes were totally necessary, because California doesn’t have a spending problem, it has a revenue problem.  No state income tax!  Just kidding.  Ours is one of the highest!  No property taxes!  JK again.  We have those.  No sales tax!  Yeah, I know.  we have some of the highest sales taxes, which vary by county and city – you can guess where they are high, and where they are stratospheric…

Foreshadowing

Have you ever invited anyone to live in your home?  Outside of the obvious spouse and child relationships that make cohabitation less optional.  What rules would you apply?  If I knock on your door and tell you I want to live in your home, will I be allowed to do so?

Answer that one before you read ahead.

Now, what if I hang out outside a prison, wait for someone getting paroled, and tell this person to knock on your door and make the same request.  Will you allow this person to move in?

Gratitude

Here we are coming up quickly on Thanksgiving.  How will you use your freedom on the coming holiday?  Favorite traditions?

Looking forward to hearing what you all have to say this fine Friday.  And remember, the Water Cooler is always an Open Thread!

Mike