2020 – How Much Does Your Vote Really Matter? The Electoral College Explained in Plain English!

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Does Your Vote Really Count?

The short answer is, "Yes, it does!"

However, most people don’t believe that because so much talk goes on about this weird thing called the “Electoral College.” So I’m here to tell you all about it and help you to understand how your vote really does matter.

What is the Electoral College?

The Electoral College is a group of party officials (chosen or voted for at various political state conventions) that represent the voters in their state. These folks are referred to as “electors.” The number of electors from each state is equal to the number of representatives each state has in the House and Senate.

Currently, there are a total of 538 members of the Electoral College that represent all 50 states, including three from Washington D.C.

What does the Electoral College do?

The Electoral College votes for the President of the United States, after the results of the popular vote (votes cast by the voting public on or before Election Day) are tallied.

  • There is no Constitutional provision or Federal law that forces an elector to cast their vote according to the popular vote in their state.
  • However, some states require it's electors to cast their votes in accordance with the popular vote.
  • Political parties may extract pledges from electors to vote for the party's nominees.
  • Electors may "vote their conscience", but may be fined or disqualified by their party for doing so.

Who wins: Popluar Vote or Electoral College?

The Electoral College elects the President of the United States!

Since the electors usually cast their vote according to the state's popular vote, the electors are usually voting on your behalf.

YOUR VOTE COUNTS!!.

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There is only one thing you can say about the “New Normal:” We WILL run out of other people’s money.

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Economic Rule Number One

The govt doesn’t generate revenue. That means no one working in the Capitol sells a product or a service for which they charge a fee. Period.

Economic Rule Number Two

We will eventually run out of other people’s money. And here is why.

Ahhh Romance! The most romantic belief I hear these days is that many people believe that turning the US into a socialist country is going to be a good thing. After all,

“Look at all the other countries that have free medical care for all and free college for all. It works in France and Canada and Sweden and all those other countries so it can work here.”

Surprise! 11 Socialist Countries

This might be a good time for me to share the names of the 11 countries most often referred to as socialist* in the world:

  • Bangladesh
  • China
  • Guyana
  • India
  • Laos
  • Nepal
  • North Korea
  • Portugal
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tanzania
  • Vietnam

*This list seems to change depending upon the source. So I’ve put together a list of the countries that appeared most often in various sites I came across in my search.

This is one source: Socialist Countries 2020

Have you ever heard about all the poverty and hate for the leaders in these countries? Are these the countries on which you’d really like to model the United States? Would you really like to live in any of them?

Keep in mind that many people from these countries are always trying to get out of there and into the US.

Where Do All Governments Get Their Money?

free government programs All governments in the world collect taxes from the citizens and they collect tariffs (which is a tax on foreign imports).

The more tax government officials decide to collect from citizens, the less money each citizen has in their bank account with which to pay bills, buy food, save for their retirement and/or a kid’s college fund, or spend on extracurricular activities or vacations.

Many citizens in our United States already struggle to pay bills and feed their families. When those funds get decreased (for reasons that do include higher income taxes), they are in a category labeled as “poor.” As a result, many of those poor citizens find themselves in the position of having to depend on government assistance programs in order to feed their families.

Economic Rule Number Three

He who has the most money has all the control. Yep, very simple and very true.

This point was really driven home with me when I was once married to a man who spent a lot of time telling me that since he made more money than I did, his decisions were always the final decisions. So, guess how many wealthy men (and very few women) run governments. (Yes, that’s rhetorical.)

Government Programs Have Rules too!

Anyone who has ever had to depend on a government program knows that all those programs have rules or guidelines that must be followed. Those rules and guidelines can be changed at will and the citizens who depend on them, have no say in such things. Any citizen who breaks a rule or doesn’t follow said guidelines will be kicked out of the program.

One of the rules of many government programs is that if you make a salary over a certain amount, you no longer qualify to collect money from those programs. For instance, if you want to get food stamps, you cannot make any more than $1,000 per month. The same type of rule applies if you want to live in a government-subsidized apartment. Oh, and you have to drain all liquid assets (savings, retirement, etc) and sell any assets with any value before you can even qualify for most government assistance.

Can you tell I’ve had to do this once before in my life? I was even told to sell my car and live off that money for a while, then come back and reapply for welfare and food stamps. I ended up living off my credit cards for six months instead because I needed my car to get to a new job when I got one.

Now, have you ever heard there are multiple generations of people who have figured out if they follow all the rules, they can basically live for free off the government? My situation is exactly how this can happen: if I had sold my car, I would have had no way to even apply or show up for an interview for a job. It’s a fact that I have multiple extended family members who live like this.

Here’s How it All Ties Together

Our federal government could encourage our individual state governments to keep millions of people home from work to prevent the spread of a virus with a 99.98% survival rate. This behavior will cause the following results:

  • More businesses to go belly up,
  • More people will lose their jobs, and
  • Therefore, more people will become reliant on government assistance.

That’s a TON more people having to follow government rules in order to pay their bills and feed their families. Extracurricular activities, entertainment and vacations will continue to be wiped out of the picture therefore killing those companies and putting more people out of work.

Bottom Line

With those three things continuing to happen there will continue to be fewer businesses and fewer people who will be paying taxes to the government.

How Do You Suppose the Government is Going to Make Up That Shortage?

Well, they’ll have to keep raising taxes on the fewer businesses and workers that are left. All citizens of socialist countries pay 50-60% of their paychecks in govt taxes. Even those who are not living in socialist countries but have to pay for extreme socialist programs such as “free” medical care for all, pay this much in personal income taxes to support them.

How Do You Suppose Corporations Will Make Up the Cost of Their Higher Taxes?*

When a POTUS says he wants to tax the rich (those making over $400,000 a year) and corporations. let me explain why this will cost you more money than it will cost the corporations.

Let's say Walmart makes a billion dollars a year, and the POTUS decides to take away 10% of that. Do you really think the powers that be at Walmart will say,

"Wow - what a great thing it is that we make less money!"

Probably not.

So what will they do to make up that hundred million dollars?

You got it: they will raise the prices. But because of the "new" tax structure, they will need to raise prices about 12% to recover that hundred million the POTUS took, for the government. Not only that you will pay higher prices, but you will also pay additional sales tax because the retail price is higher -- So that 10% the POTUS took from the corporations, will cost YOU between 12% and 15% depending on where you live.

Now you might say well the rich will pay the higher price too, and you are right, but here is the catch:

The average working person spends 98% of his or her income mostly just to live, while the wealthy spend roughly 60% of their income. Taxing corporations benefit the rich, shifting the tax burden to the middle and lower class, but in a sneaky, roundabout way by raising their prices.

*Some of the text in this and the next section was copied from a FB post with no information as to its origin. If anyone recognizes it, please let me know who wrote it so I can give credit where credit is due.

Well, What About Taxing People with Incomes Over $400,000?

These are doctors, lawyers, business owners, maybe even the guy that owns the company you are working for. None of these people got up this morning willing to accept less money at the end of the week, so what will they do?

  • Raise the prices for their services,
  • Layoff more employees,
  • Freeze wages,
  • Cut benefits,
  • Cut hours, or more likely,
  • A combination of all of the above.

Again, guess who is paying the tab in the long run? YOU!

Don't be fooled by promises of free stuff or more government benefits, there is no such thing as a free lunch: you WILL pay for it all in the end. And if you get politicians involved there will be a massive "Administration fee" meaning you will pay even more and get less.

In easy-to-understand terms, you will make less and pay more in this type of plan because the burden always comes back to the 99% that are not in the 1%.

What it Looks Like to Depend on Government Programs to Live

The millions of newly minted unemployed people will now have to depend on government programs which means they will face a few more hurdles:

  1. They will have a hard time finding a new job because a lot of businesses have closed thus cutting the number of available jobs.
  2. f they do find another job, it may take 1-2 months to get back on their feet with a new, higher salary so they’ll still need the govt assistance to help them get caught up during that time.
  3. But, they have restrictions regarding the amount of money they can make while collecting that assistance so they’ll be cut off in the first two weeks of that new job if they’re honest on the govt forms.

    Soooo living on that new job in the first two months is gonna be tricky especially since people had to drain their savings before they could even qualify for the program. For this reason alone, in many cases, it’s more cost-effective for many to stay home and collect on the government programs.

  4. Taking out any kind of personal loan will be nearly impossible because people’s credit was probably ruined when they lost their job and could no longer pay their bills.

And boy, all these now unemployed and increasingly poor people will become extremely desperate and highly dependent upon those government programs.

The big problem here is that with fewer businesses and fewer people working, the US will now have a lot less money going into the government’s tax bank accounts.

Again: How Do You Suppose the Government is Going to Make Up That Shortage?

Well, they’ll have to keep raising taxes on the fewer businesses and workers that are left.

And That brings us back to:

Economic Rule Number One:

The govt doesn’t generate revenue. That means no one working in the Capitol sells a product or a service for which they charge a fee. Period.

Economic Rule Number Two

We will eventually run out of other people’s money.

Ahhh how romantic to depend on the government for anything and everything, right? Sighhhhhh.

So where does that leave what used to be the hardest working, most innovated citizens of the United States?

Good question.

My Thoughts

  • Watch what you wish for.
  • Don’t ever vote with your feelings.
  • Vote with a clear understanding of your personal household economy, who you need or want to depend on for your lifestyle, and the cost of all those pie-in-the-sky dreams that someone else will pay your way at no cost to you.
  • Get all your facts together before you go and vote!!

I hope this information helps you to understand how the money goes round in this country: from the worker to the government, to the government programs and how it really affects your personal bank account.

If you have any questions, thoughts or would like to share more information on this topic, please leave a comment below. And please, be kind.

Sincerely,

Jan

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Four Ways to Fail

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What did Jimmy Buffett do?

By Lee Silber

http://www.leesilber.com/blog

I often use Jimmy Buffett as an example of what’s possible even if you’re not the most talented, tallest, best connected, or smartest person in the room—because early on, Jimmy was none of those things. Most know the Jimmy Buffett who is one of the most successful musicians, authors, and entrepreneurs of the past 25 years and is worth $600 million dollars. But there’s another side to this story with some important life lessons. Here’s four ways to fail, and how Jimmy Buffett beat the odds.

1. Party All the Time.

It would be easy to assume that a man who made millions from selling and promoting Margaritaville, had a hit song about day drinking (“It’s Five O’clock Somewhere), and seemingly lives a life of leisure would love to party. The truth is Jimmy Buffett lives a healthy lifestyle and rarely drinks. There’s no way he would have the long-term success he has if he were a heavy drinker or drug user. Moderation (or abstention) is the key to dealing with vices that can drag you down and derail your career and your life.

2. We Don’t Need No Education.

It may surprise you to learn that Jimmy Buffett graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi, and was a member of a fraternity. (It was also in college that he met the person that would teach him how to play guitar.) Formal education is very important, but so is informal education and being a lifelong learner—which Buffett is. He’s a voracious reader, became a pilot later in life, and took voice lessons for years.

Throughout his career Buffett has been a genius at being ahead of trends, teaming up with others, and taking advantage of opportunities. Early on he found sponsors to help finance his tours, was one of the first to have his own radio internet station and teamed up with others to help build an empire around the Margaritaville brand.

3. Make Excuses.

Jimmy Buffet grew up in Mobile, Alabama. His parents were both involved with the shipping industry, and he and his sister grew up in a middle-class neighborhood. He had zero connections in the music industry growing up. It was his decision to write for Billboard magazine that helped him meet important people in the music business and helped him get his start. He didn’t use his lack of money as an excuse, but found places to play, record a record, and eventually travel to Florida (and Key West) despite being broke.

Jimmy Buffett is not tall by any means. He's not known for being a particular strong singer or good guitar player. He would often introduce a fictitious band when he didn’t have one. He didn’t make excuses, he made it happen.

4. Be a Quitter.

This will sound like a country song, but it’s all true. Jimmy Buffett was married and divorced by the time he was 25 years old. His first album sold less than 500 copies, and the tapes for his second recording were lost. He played for tips in New Orleans, the Chart Room Bar in Key West, and at Steak and Ale restaurants where nobody showed up—but he didn’t give up. Instead, he started small.

It took five albums and a slowly growing fan base before Margaritaville become a hit in 1977. He started a small clothing line and promoted it through his newsletter. His first retail store was a little shop on Duvall Street in Key West. His first book was a children’s book he co-wrote with his daughter.

You only fail when you stop trying.

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2021 Job Competition is Stiff: What You Need to Know…

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Professionally dressed men and women
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First impressions and personality are 80% of a successful job interview. You will never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

What is a Job Interview?

This is where your potential employer contacts you to arrange a meeting, or a phone interview, to get to know you. They liked what they saw on your job application or your résumé and want to know more: Do you look professional, can you carry on an intelligent conversation, and will you get along with other employees? The next few sections describe a few things to keep in mind when preparing for an interview.

The Most Important Rule About Resumes and Job Interviews

Do NOT ever LIE!

Not on your application, your resume or in the interview. Even if you think it’s a just a little white lie such as where you may have lived or that you have a high school diploma versus a GED. These days everything can be validated with a quick on-line search or even a quick phone call. And the second a potential employer catches you in a lie, you are completely out of the running for the job. No one will knowingly hire a liar. Also, in most cases, if your lie is discovered after you are hired, its grounds for immediate termination. So, just don’t.

Employer Homework

JanetMNast.Professional men and women in business meeting

Get on the Internet and look up the company for which you want to work. Find out things like what the business does to make money, how big the company is (how many employees, how much money it makes in a year, in how many states or countries it has offices) and any other interesting tidbits of information such as the company culture and any “buzz words” they might use. Pictures can help give you an idea of how employees dress; perhaps you can also see examples of how they interact with each other or clients.

This type of information might just come up in the interview and you don’t want to look like an idiot.

What to Wear

Rule #1: “It’s better to be overdressed than underdressed.”

Janet M. Nast Professional

Again, do some homework: You might be able to get an idea by looking up the company on the Internet. Ideally, you will find pictures of employees. The other option is to drive by the company and look at employees in the parking lot. If neither option works, then go with Rule #1 above. If you really aren’t sure, it’s always best to err on the more conservative side. Here are a few general guidelines:

  • Women, stick with conservative necklines, skirt and dress hemlines to the knees and nothing sleeveless unless covered by a jacket. The more skin you show, the less seriously you will be taken. Right or wrong, that is just the way it is. Solid colors are the most business-like. Also, keep your accessories simple.
  • Janet M. Nast Professional man
  • Men, go with slacks, shirt and a tie. No wild graphics or words written on the tie. Add a jacket that can be removed if you find that your (male) interviewer is not wearing one.

There are many Internet sites that offer tips on how to put forth a more professional image: Take the time to look at a few.

Tattoos and Piercings

Yeah, they seem pretty cool to you and your friends. But unless you plan on working for your friends or relatives or having minimum-wage jobs for the rest of your life, I strongly suggest you have these things done on a body part that is easily covered.

Take a minute to think about who runs and works for the companies for which you want to work; They are usually people in their 30s and up. The paying customers of those companies are around that age too, if not older. If it’s a very successful business, then management probably wants all of its employees to look professional. That is to say, to look like the majority of the paying customers it serves. And guess what? The majority of paying customers don’t have nose rings, eyebrow piercings or extreme tattoos.

Argue all you want, but this is the way it is in the business world. So, downplay the unusual piercings and cover the tattoos.

What to Bring with You

  • A pen
  • Janet M. Nast Professional woman with tablet
  • A notepad
  • A turned off cell phone: Some would say that you could use this for notes. But tapping into a cell phone gives the impression you are not present or paying attention: not good.
  • A copy of your resume. If this is your first job you can still type up a sheet containing your name, address, contact info, education info, special skills, and three references w/their contact information.
  • Your driver’s license and your Social Security card – Used for identification and payroll taxes only after you have been offered a job.

What Not to Say

  • Don’t ask to “borrow a pen” to fill out an application or take notes. (Refer to previous section, “What to Bring with You.”)
  • Don’t bad-mouth your previous employer, boss or coworkers.
  • Don’t say those people weren’t ready for your amazing ideas (Arrogance is not a marketable skill).
  • Don’t talk about how you couldn’t get along with someone, regardless of the reason.

Acceptable Answers to the Most-Asked Interview Question

Why did you, or are you, leaving your current employer?
  • I’ve heard a lot of great things about this company and I’m excited for (looking forward to) the opportunity to be a part of it.
  • I’m relocating (moving to another city or state).
  • I’ve gone as far as I believe I can go at (current company name) so I’m looking for more opportunities for growth in a company such as this. I’ve read, “this that and the other thing” (fill in the blanks), and I believe I can add to “blah blah blah (fill in the blanks)” part of the business and, at the same time, expand my skill set.

Learn more information about the job hunt and more in Shifting to the Business of Life. If you are a recent high school or college grad, email me directly for your free eBook: jan@janetmnast.com

Sincerely,

Jan

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2020 – How Much Does Your Vote Really Matter? The Electoral College Explained in Plain English!

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Does Your Vote Really Count?

The short answer is, "Yes, it does!"

However, most people don’t believe that because so much talk goes on about this weird thing called the “Electoral College.” So I’m here to tell you all about it and help you to understand how your vote really does matter.

What is the Electoral College?

The Electoral College is a group of party officials (chosen or voted for at various political state conventions) that represent the voters in their state. These folks are referred to as “electors.” The number of electors from each state is equal to the number of representatives each state has in the House and Senate.

Currently, there are a total of 538 members of the Electoral College that represent all 50 states, including three from Washington D.C.

What does the Electoral College do?

The Electoral College votes for the President of the United States, after the results of the popular vote (votes cast by the voting public on or before Election Day) are tallied.

  • There is no Constitutional provision or Federal law that forces an elector to cast their vote according to the popular vote in their state.
  • However, some states require it's electors to cast their votes in accordance with the popular vote.
  • Political parties may extract pledges from electors to vote for the party's nominees.
  • Electors may "vote their conscience", but may be fined or disqualified by their party for doing so.

Who wins: Popluar Vote or Electoral College?

The Electoral College elects the President of the United States!

Since the electors usually cast their vote according to the state's popular vote, the electors are usually voting on your behalf.

YOUR VOTE COUNTS!!.

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