JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- English Instructor (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe)
- Berlitz Japan, Inc. (ベルリッツ・ジャパン株式会社), Kansai
- Salary: ¥125,000 ~ ¥250,000 / Month
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- FT English Teachers for Kids - Osaka
- Kohgakusha Co., Ltd. （株式会社興学社）, Osaka
- Salary: ¥255,000 ~ ¥275,000 / Month Travel Expenses, Encouragement of Japanese learning*
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- Translator
- ZAIHON, Inc. (日本財務翻訳株式会社), Tokyo
- Salary: ¥6.0M / Year Negotiable
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Alphaape
@Armen Aslanyan: Please tell me how wonderful it is in countries that seem to be orbiting the China or Russia (USSR) sphere are doing? I guess there are no poor in either countries, and they have an equal chance to get as much as they want out of life.
Posted in: U.S. credit rating cut for first time ever
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Alphaape
@yabits: Go do a search on the problems with Section 8 housing in LA. I believe the area is Lancaster (I may be mistaken) but the home owners decided to rent out their houses to section 8, mostly blacks (and I am black too) who have decided to move from South Central since the rise in the hispanic and illegal populations. As a result, Lancaster property values have gone down, and residents there are seeing a rise in petty theft problems and other situations that were not there before.
Also, the same thing is happening in Detroit. Poorer blacks on Section 8 are moving into the suburbs that middle class blacks have moved into, causing problems between the two in regards to property upkeep, and as they say, "bringing the hood" out to the suburbs.
Posted in: U.S. credit rating cut for first time ever
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Alphaape
I heard one rioter speaking on the news, and she said that they are doing it to protest against the rich. When the reporter asked her why burn down local stores in her area, she gave the classic "because they are rich and taking advantage of the people."
Store owners in the area, I believe are not what I would be considered rich, unless it was a chain of nationwide stores or one that sells high-end mercandise, which I imagine are not the ones in the rioting areas. They are probably just like the rest of the working public, having to go to the grind day in and out and eke out a living like the rest of us, only that they have a bit more control of their condition since they own their own business. But it is the smal business, that pays the majority of the taxes that provides the social services that these "freeloaders" want.
Again to my previous posts about an increase in bat sells in Britian, I guess you will not see shop owners standing in front of their business with shotguns defending it against rioters like LA during the Rodney King riots. Funny thing, this whole thing started when London police reported that they killed a man after he had opened fire on them. Most bobbies don't wear guns, so I guess the ones that do must be called out for a reason. I guess that goes to the point that if you ban guns, only the outlaws will still have them, and the rest of the population will just have to bring a bat to protect themselves.
Posted in: Londoners strike back with 'Operation Riot Clean-up'
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Alphaape
I have read and heard that online orders at Amazon in the UK have increased for American baseball bats. I guess people are ordering them to either 1. Defend their property, 2 cause more mayhem.
If they are buying them to defend their property, I guess it must be because the average Briton can't own a gun.
Posted in: Londoners strike back with 'Operation Riot Clean-up'
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Alphaape
@yabits: THey could factor that into the percentage you are taxed at. They just need to say that for everyone's tax bill, at least 3% of that goes to SS. Therefore everyone pays. As it stands right now, you may be paying at the highest rate for SS tax, but whenit comes time to get your benfits, you may not be getting that much. Also, from personal experience, when a spouse dies who is on SS and the surviving spouse is on SS, the surviving spouse doesn't get the full amount, they were both getting. They take away the decased SS and only give you a small portion. Never mind, you have paid all of the tax over a 50 year period, they just decide to take it away and not give it to your surviving spouse. That is why I am for privatizing SS.
Posted in: U.S. credit rating cut for first time ever
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Alphaape
@Wolfpack: I wish you would pass that on to D.C. that soiunds reasonable. But it will probably not get any traction simply because people (mainly on the left) will say that the plan is not being "fair" to those who don't make as much. I fully get your plan, those who amke a lot will be paying more, simply based on the percentage. They will say that those who make more money can afford to pay a flat rate, while those who make less will feel the affects more. Mainly because they will loose all of those exemptions and tax credits that gives them money back at tax time. If your proposal were to get debated, the one group that will firecly rally against it will be the taxprepares, who specialize in the "tax loans" that prey on the poorer people since it will cut into their business.
But if at least both parties came up with a solution, and actually discussed its merits based on the facts other than trying to please some special interest group, I would welcome it. One thing about Obama during the debt ceiling crisis, he kept saying he has a plan, but never presented a plan. Only said that other plans presented by the GOP would not work, but never did provide his plan.
Posted in: U.S. credit rating cut for first time ever
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Alphaape
@LFRAgain: I am well aware that corporations that back GOP as well as Dem politicians try to avoid paying as much taxes as possible. THey are only looking after themselves and their bottom line.
I bring it up for one simple reason, all during "W's" term we kept hearing about the evil Haliburton, and that they were behind the push for us going to war in Iraq and Afgh so that they can get a higher bottom line. How they moved their corporate HQ to the MIddle East, and all of the other rants we kept hearing. Funny, I don't seem to be hearing about the same coporate evils of GE doing the same thing.
The same GE that owns NBC/MSNBC so that they get nothing but favorable press, or the same GE that was backing this adminstrations "green" energy plans. Or the same GE that decided to move their X-ray macine division from Wisconsin where it has been for over 100 years, to Shanghai, which will cost 2,000 jobs, and their promoise to invest $2 billion in China to make sure that they will have the brightest students become engineers. All this from the company that Obama's "jobs Czar" is the CEO. The man who is supposed to be looking out for Americans and their jobs.
@yabits: I lieten to talk radio from LA. The budget that was submitted by CA is not really going to make the savings that they claim, the one reason why it was passed was because the CA comptroller actually upheld a law that stated lawmakers would not get paid unless a state budget was submitted ontime. It wasn't at first, and they had to go back and actually do a budget. The problem with the budget they have submitted was that the revenues that they believed were going to be coming in was based on how much that they would be getting from the Federal govt, and those numbers are off.
Posted in: U.S. credit rating cut for first time ever
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Alphaape
Look at GE. In 2010 they made $5 billion in the US, but paid $0 in corporate taxes. I guess withtheir CEO Immelt being the "Jobs Czar" for the Obama administration sure helps.
Posted in: U.S. credit rating cut for first time ever
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Alphaape
@globalwatcher: I live and work in Japan, and I lean to the right on some issues. But I do pay US taxes. I work for the US Govt, so my income is taxed, and highly. I ahve been putting into SS since the age of 17.
What is really sad is that during the lead up to the debt ceiling vote, Obama made the comments to the press that he was not sure that the SS checks will go out in August. I was surprised when no one in the media asked him, why should that be a problem. After all, we are told that youi should get back what you have been putting in into SS. So the fact that I ahve been paying for over 30 years into a system, that they now tell me I may not be able to get any money back is really starting to get to me.
It just shows that the US Govt has a problem when dealing with the money it receives from taxpayers.
Imagine, I put money into a plan (mandatory), and when it comes time for me to draw it out, they get to tell me how much of the money I get to have. If I decide to work while I am drawing the money I put in, they can limit the amount I get. Yet, people who come to America illegally, are "entitled" to receive money, without ever having to put in any.
Posted in: U.S. credit rating cut for first time ever
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Alphaape
I am not sure I get this. So you are saying that it should be normal for the US to be highly taxed? May I as for what. Take a drive around San Francisco. The roads are a shamble full of pot holes around a major tourist attraction like the Golden Gate Bridge or other tourist spots. But the homeless bums get free needles and condoms.
As far as being lightly taxed in the US, in 1987, the richest 1 percent paid roughly one quarter (25%) of all income taxes, while the bottom 50 percent paid 6 percent.
But just 20 years later, the richest 1 percent were paying 40 percent of all income taxes and the bottom 50 percent were paying just under 3 percent.
Obama's plan for 2012 is to get the vote, but by making sure that there are more people on the government dole who would not want to vote anyone into office that would end some of the "entitlements" that they receive.
I believe in helping those who need it, but right now we need to refocus and get more jobs back into the US, and get those on the dole off of it.
Posted in: U.S. credit rating cut for first time ever
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Alphaape
I thought they said that if we didn't get the debt limit raised, that the markets would fall and we would loose our high credit rating. Well we passed the debt limit, and what they said would happen if we didn't pass it did when we did pass it. I guess this was just like the stimulus and the "shovel ready jobs" that was promised.
Still, I have to draw up some suspicion on S&P themselves. Weren't they the ones saying that all of those investments and firls were giving high ratings before the housing market crashed?
Posted in: U.S. credit rating cut for first time ever
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Alphaape
in 1987, the richest 1 percent paid roughly one quarter of all income taxes, while the bottom 50 percent paid 6 percent.
But just 20 years later, the richest 1 percent were paying 40 percent of all income taxes and the bottom 50 percent were paying just under 3 percent.
We need tax reform, as well as spending reform if we want to try and tackle our money issues. The productive class is already picking up a disproportionate share of our government's tab, and still, things seem to be getting worse,
Posted in: It's a deal: Obama, Congress will avert debt default
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Alphaape
@American Devil: I feel the same way also. I think the GOP made some of their own (i.e. Tea Partyers) try to look bad, so that in 2012 there will not be more of them getting elected into Congress. Like it or not, some of them actually tried to hold the "established" Republicans to their words. Also, the Dems are probably glad that there is a fracture in the GOP, they then at least can show that the GOP is going back on their words.
Both parties need to get back to basics, and stop screwing over the American taxpayer.
Posted in: It's a deal: Obama, Congress will avert debt default
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Alphaape
@globalwatcher: What the numbers show is an increasing trend in spending for the US Govt, which is the crux of the problem and needs to be gotten under control. People like to think that Defense spending is the key cause, Looking at 2010, Defense spending was around $800 billion. But payments to welfare ($500 billion) and Pensions (i.e. SS) ($700 billion) came to a total of $1.2 trillion.
I work in the Defense industry, and we have been experiencing serious cuts. The amount of things that we can no longer due has decreased due to the reduction of funding. Have we been able to get the job done, yes. Some of hte cuts were needed but some really do cut into how we do business. Dept of Def. has really taken hits in terms of budget reduction efforts, but I think we still have a problem with our other entitlement programs. Cuts need to be made.
I don't want to use scare tactics to try and scare the elderly about cutting their benefits, but I do believe that we can start looking at those who are receiving benefits, and finding those who shouldn't be there and start trimming there, and finding ways to reduce costs for those services.
Congress needs to become serious about reducing spending. I am not worried about savings that are supposed to come "10 years from now" I need to see them make efforts to start saving now.
Posted in: House approves debt bill; Senate rejects it
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Alphaape
An easier to read version of my previous post:
Looking at spending for the years above:
Posted in: House approves debt bill; Senate rejects it
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Alphaape
2001 budget submitted by Clinton: $1.9 trillion 2002 budget submitted by Bush: $2.0 trillion 2003 budget submitted by Bush: $2.2 trillion 2004 budget submitted by Bush: $2.3 trillion 2005 budget submitted by Bush: $2.4 trillion 2006 budget submitted by Bush: $2.7 trillion 2007 budget submitted by Bush: $2.8 trillion 2008 budget submitted by Bush: $2.9 trillion 2009 budget submitted by Bush: $3.1 trillion 2010 budget submitted by Obama: $3.6 trillion
@yabits: Looking at spending for the years above: 2001: $1,863 billion 2002: $2,011 billion 2003: $2,160 billion 2004: $2,293 billion 2005: $2,472.2 billion 2006: $2,655.4 billion 2007: $2,7289 bullion 2008: $2,985 billion 2009: $3.5 trillion 2010: $3.5 trillion
It seems that in the first year of "W's" term, he still managed to stay below the buget limit set by Clinton. Looking at 2009, the first year of Obama's term he went over the budget. As a matter of fact, W's budgets were high, but somehow the spending managed to remain at budgeted projections of slightly lower, even including the cost of wars.
Posted in: House approves debt bill; Senate rejects it
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Alphaape
@Chewitup: Take a look at Nancy Pelosi's husband's business dealings with China since she has been in office along with Sen "Babs" Boxer and her husbands connections. How is it that Pelosi', Boxer, and numerous others in both parties in Congress have managed to see their personal icomes more than triple. I am not against them making money, but I am sure that a few "no contract bids" were had by them and their associates.
Posted in: House approves debt bill; Senate rejects it
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Alphaape
Where was Moody's and other rating companies when they were giving Bear-Sterns, Lehman, etc favorable creidt ratings when the housing boom was going? Now we are to believe that they have "scruples" and will report honestly?
Wall Street is worried that if they don't keep getting help from D.C. they will have to begin to operate as any investment company should, by actually showing what is on their books, and if what's there is not actually worth what they are claiming, then they will have to take a loss. With the previous TARP bailout, Wall Street basically was able to gamble, and not loose, since they had the backing of the US government. I say, let them fall.
We keep hearing that in economic downturns, that small business tend to get started, but right now, they don't have a chance since the big banks are not willing to take risks, even though they have access (thanks to the current Adminstration and Congress) to capital to cover any losses. TIme to drain the swamp that is D.C, from both parties.
Posted in: House Republicans delay vote on debt limit, spending cuts
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Alphaape
@YongYang: Where does the government get it's money from. Sure they can print it up, but if they kept on doing that, it's value would be worthless. By using your reasoning, instead of Obama giving the same Wall Street you are bashing te TARP and stimulus money, he should have just given every tax paying US citizen at least $200K to let them pay off what they owe and thenstart spending. That way business would still be going and everyone would have money. Then when they have spent their money, they just ask for more from the government. Just look at Greece and the situation it is in now.
Posted in: House Republicans delay vote on debt limit, spending cuts
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Alphaape
@BreitbartVictorious: I think the whole situation with Obama's "Jobs Czar" closing down a plant in WI that has been there for over 100 years and sending the jobs to China and a promise to invest $2billion over there is a bigger scandal. Yes GE is a private company, and as CEO Immelt can do as he sees fit. But to do that, and then be an advisor to the President on keeping jobs in America to me is worse than the Teapot Dome single bid contracts back in the 20's. Taking a plant that has been there and viable for 100 years, from a state whose Gov, just happens to have enacted tougher union laws, and moving it out of the country should be investigated. Not to mention, GE's media outlet (MSNBS) is saying nothing about this. Tha's a scandal, along with Gunwalker is more than what they had on Clinton in the 90's.
Posted in: House Republicans delay vote on debt limit, spending cuts