Author Archives: Tin Man

47%: Taxpayers vs. Citizens

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A quick note about Mitt Romney’s “47 percent” comments, which many other conservatives seem to share.

There are many aspects of these beliefs that are odious, but one of the most odious is that people who don’t pay federal income taxes don’t have any “skin in the game.”

When our country was founded, most states had property qualifications for voting. In other words, you weren’t eligible to vote unless you owned property. The idea was that only stakeholders knew the relative costs and benefits of different economic policies; if you didn’t have any “skin in the game,” as it were, then you were unaffected by policy choices or couldn’t possibly be aware of the effects of those policy choices. As our society became more democratic over the first half of the nineteenth century, states reduced or even eliminated these property qualifications.

Today, the idea that there should be a property qualification for voting seems ridiculous. Under such a rule, nobody who rented an apartment would be allowed to vote.

Now, those who decry the mooching 47 percent aren’t saying that the 47 percent — which includes the elderly, the working poor, war veterans, and others — shouldn’t be allowed to vote. But the sentiment is similar. Certain people are better than others because they “produce” and pay taxes. Everyone else doesn’t count. (Except that it’s apparently all-American to try to pay as little taxes as you possibly can.)

If you’re homeless or unemployed, you’re not a full person. Can’t afford a voting ID, or don’t have a car to get to the DMV? Too bad. (My favorite argument about voter ID is, “You need an ID to get an airplane; why shouldn’t you need an ID to vote?” Um, do you think everyone in this country flies on airplanes?)

There’s this subtext (and sometimes it’s not even the subtext — it’s the actual text) that certain people just shouldn’t be allowed to participate in our democracy. We got rid of property qualifications in this country sometime before the Civil War; some people seem to want to bring them back in some form.

But being a human being is about more than owning property.

And “taxpayer” is not a synonym for “citizen.”

Jimmy Carter Breaks a Record

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(Warning: useless political data geekery below.)

Today, former president Jimmy Carter has reached a milestone: he is now the longest-retired president in U.S. history. In other words, he has lived longer after leaving the presidency than any other U.S. president. He has been “ex-president Jimmy Carter” for 11,554 days: that’s about 31 years and 7 1/2 months.

How long has he been an ex-president? When Jimmy Carter left office on January 20, 1981, there was no MTV. There was no IBM PC. Lady Diana Spencer was not yet the Princess of Wales. Nobody had heard of AIDS. Since Carter left office, children have been born and have grown up to have children of their own. The Reagan era, the Clinton era, and two Bushes have come and gone.

Previously, the longest-retired president was Herbert Hoover. Hoover left office on March 4, 1933, and on July 5, 1958, he became the longest-retired president in U.S. history, surpassing John Adams. Hoover died on October 20, 1964, having lived 11,553 days as an ex-president:

Yesterday, Carter tied Hoover’s record, and today he surpasses it.

The day after Carter left office — after a quick stop home in Plains, Georgia — he flew to Germany to greet the just-released Iranian hostages.

Four days ago, he spoke via video to the Democratic National Convention to endorse President Obama’s re-election.

It’s been a long ex-presidency. He turns 88 in a few weeks. Longer may he live.

My Photos of Jason Bateman in Paris

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Matt and I have booked a trip to Paris next month. I was there once before, in August 1989, when I was 15 years old. It’ll be Matt’s first trip. I can’t wait.

Today I dug up some photos I took the last time I was there. We happened to be there the same time that the cast of The Hogan Family was shooting a special three-part episode set in Paris. We actually ran into them on two different days in two different locations.

Here are the photos I took of Jason Bateman. I guess he must have been 20. Episode descriptions are below the photos.

Part 1 (9/18/89) – “The Hogans take a free trip to Paris and once there they plan on meeting the Pooles who are already on vacation. As the rest of the family enjoys the sites and sounds of Paris, David befriends an attractive woman, Julia, who unknowingly to him is a princess playing hooky from her royal duties. However, private investigators soon begin searching for her.”

Part 2 (9/25/89) – “Paris, the City of Lights, has cast a romantic glow over David and Julia, however, Julia’s day of playing hooky begins to slowly come to an end as the private investigators stake out the Hogan family. Sandy and Mrs. Poole quickly find themselves in trouble as they are chased through Paris by two private investigators who believe they may be planning to harm the princess.”

Part 3 (10/2/89) – “After a night of running away from the private investigators, David and Julia breathe a sigh of relief, that is until the private investigators catch up to Julia sitting on the bench and whisk her away leaving David without an explanation or a goodbye. Later, Sandy discovers Julia’s secret on the cover of a magazine and things turn around for David and Julia when she invites him and his family to a Parisian party fit for a princess.”