It's funny how I'm called "ignorant" when I advocate keeping one's own money. I have a proposal. If you want to pay out of your tokus in taxes, knock yourself out. You can write a check, and trust me, the feds won't turn it down. When they send you a refund check for overpaying, shred it. No one is forcing you to keep what you make. I'm not real thrilled that you want my tax bill to go up, however.

The people that I referred to a couple of days ago as socialists are the ones that think we should be taxed every time we so much as drive past a bank. I want to know what free market model you're using to make your assessment that higher taxes, more taxes and government force actually promote free market capitalism.

The housing "crisis", as it is being dubbed, wasn't caused by the banks and it wasn't caused by Bush's tax cuts. It was caused by idiots buying houses that they couldn't afford. They are budgeting $1000 a month in mortgages when they only bring home $1500. Taxing money that has already been taxed two or three times is not going to solve that. I know it sounds cold and heartless, but the foreclosures need to happen. The people can rent their $200 a month apartment in the part of town they really don't want to live in until they save enough to buy something they can actually afford to own.

Tax deductions make sense. I always hear the Hillary Clintons of the world trying to act like the saviors of the middle class. They are going to give tax breaks to the "middle class." OK, then why take away my mortgage deduction? I'm middle class. I'd like to keep my deduction, O Saviors of the Middle Class. How does it hurt the economy to allow me to keep a few hundred bucks that I earned anyway? Guess what happens when I get a tax refund? I pay off a debt. I save it. I get that car service that I've been putting off. I buy that new bowling ball I've been eyeing up. Guess what happens when I owe the government money? None of that.

Now, before you misinterpret, I pay my bills on time. My debt is quite managable. I do my best to budget my income. What I'm saying is that sucking more money out of my wallet each month, be it from my investments or my straight salary income, does not stimulate anything. It reduces my ability to engage in economic activity. I know, I know. The government is trying to protect me from "speculating," right? Thanks, Mr. Government. You're a life saver. Mind if I keep the mortgage deduction so I can make an extra car payment?

The problem is societal. The idea that the government is our caretaker is out to lunch, if not completely un-American. People need to educate themselves on what they're getting into when they buy that $200,000 house or that $40,000 Lexus. They need to pay attention to those little details like utility bills and food. They might just have to settle for the $100,000 house and the $20,000 Toyota (it's the same damn car anyway). Society needs to replace, "I want it, therefore I deserve it," with "I want it, but I can't afford it, so I'll get something cheaper."