California

California collects $100 billion in individual state income tax and the 204 billionaires that live there pay $23 billion of the $100 billion. Corporations pay another $28 billion. The bottom 50% of workers pay no income tax. California is proposing a billionaire’s tax that will bring in another one billion per year. California’s plan to grow the economy is to provide $600 million to various industry groups to expand. This could be done by lowering the corporate income tax but that would remove the state from control.

ACA cost

The additional subsidies added to Obamacare because of Covid have been discontinued and the result is that in 2026 only 23 million signed up which was less than the 24.3 million who enrolled in 2025. 92% of these receive subsidies and 5 million have zero premium and zero deductible. 27 million people remain uninsured and many of these, plan to sign up after they get sick. Federal spending on Affordable Care Act (ACA/Obamacare) subsidies has risen significantly, with projections estimating a cost of approximately $92 billion in 2023 and up to $138 billion by 2025 The average cost of the Obamacare Silver Plan is $495 per month with an annual deductible of $5,300. After subsidies these costs are decreased to $80 per month and $3,700 annual deductible. This means that the average customer will pay almost $5,000 out of pocket each year before they receive any benefits excluding some preventive care like vaccinations. Family plans are more expensive and very low-income people are mostly on Medicaid which for the most part is free. Medicaid cost the government $930 billion and $140 billion of that was for nursing home care. There are about 1.3 million patients in nursing homes and 62% are covered by Medicaid at a cost of $14,000 per month per patient.

AI Jobs

One of the leaders in the AI movement, Palantir’s Shyam Sankar says that new methods will lead to a new way of doing business that will provide more equality and less over management. "AI should eliminate bureaucracy, not add to it. No new compliance theater. No ‘AI governance’ committees designed to slow things down and centralize power in ‘managers.’ AI should empower the American worker to move faster, not slow him down," Sankar argued. "Every layer of process that stands between the frontline worker and their ability to do their job is deadweight to be destroyed." He said, “The most important advice I'd have for corporate leaders is to recognize that AI is going to be a massively meritocratic force. It's going to upset your existing organizational structure," This is from Google AI: AI can create middle-class jobs by acting as a tool that enhances human expertise, allowing workers without advanced degrees to perform higher-value tasks, such as in specialized medical care, legal analysis, and software development. By automating routine tasks, AI enables workers to focus on complex, human-centric, or "one-off" decisions, which can rebuild middle-skill roles and boost productivity. Companies will be looking for people right out of high school to receive on the job training in new manufacturing plants. Instead of the traditional assembly line work the new jobs involve monitoring, operating and troubleshooting computer driven machinery.

Champaign's

The democrats, understanding that the economy is the big issue, are speaking about the cost of things that the average family must buy, things like food, insurance and healthcare. Hopefully they will be wise enough not to say they will lower prices but what is their plan. It will be some form of income redistribution like government paid childcare. The republican plan is to continue what they are doing which means increase fossil fuel production, reducing regulations, helping private companies by buying their stock instead of offering subsidies, bringing back manufacturing jobs, lowering taxes and pushing lower interest rates. The party out of power does not have to offer solutions to problems until it gets close to election time when they have to campaign on the issues and offer answers. That time is near.

Birth certificate

On line there a numerous entries telling people not to vote for the Save Act because it requires a birth certificate to vote. These can be acquired by mail or online. Online takes about 10 minutes to fill out name and address plus mother’s name and fathers name of if not known to blank. To apply for welfare in MN requires the following. Identity: Social Security numbers (SSN) for all applicants, birth certificates, or a driver’s license/state ID. Proof of Income: Pay stubs from the last 30 days, tax records for self-employment, and proof of unearned income (unemployment, Social Security, child support). Assets: Bank statements, vehicle information, and proof of other property. Residency & Housing Costs: Rent receipts, lease agreements, or mortgage payments. Expenses: Documentation of utility bills, medical expenses (for elderly/disabled), and childcare costs, which may increase benefits.

fling taxes

The law requires that all employees have a social security number because when the employer sends out a W2 they need a social security number. The question arises as to how an illegal alien can legally work. The most common way is to work as an independent contractor or less commonly to be a business owner. In either case the person is required to file income tax and they use an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN). These are numbers much like SSN but start with 9. There are about 4 million people who file each year using ITIN. When they file, they must pay 15.4% self-employment tax in addition to state and federal income tax. This then allows them to deduct business expenses. For many the temptation is to forgo the deductions and skip filing. The government estimates that 5 to 8 million fall into this category. A business installs siding and shingles for home owners and is paid by check. The homeowner does not deduct the expense and the business does not report income. Another way around the law is to use false social security cards through illicit networks, identity theft or the creation of counterfeit documents. An obvious sign that something is wrong happens when a person filing using an ITIN includes a W-2. Strange as it sounds the IRS allows filing with both, using the SSN on the W-2 where ever it came from.

Work

People looking for work, especially young people with minimal experience, quickly find out that who you know may be more important than what you know. The value offered by elite universities, is not in education but in the contacts. Your fellow students have friends and relatives who are successful business people and that can open doors. Here is what Google AI has to say: The most valuable aspect of an education at an elite university—often considered more significant than the classroom curriculum—is the acceleration of professional and personal opportunities through an unparalleled network and high-status signaling. If you have the right friends, you can just skip the schooling. Prior to WW 2 if a young person wanted to go into business they went to work for a businessman and learned on the job. In time they had enough experience to strike out on their own. This can be done today and save the time and cost of college. Many small business owners are on the lookout for the go getter who is willing to do more. Any young person who exhibits ambition will usually catch the eye of the boss.