His premise is deeply flawed. People are moving to Texas for oil jobs which have been heavily subsidized by the previous administration. Bush is from Texas and he took good care of his home state when it came time for government handouts. Texas got the benefits of other states' higher taxes without paying them themselves.

However, it seems to me that our tax dollars don't just disappear, anyway. They turn into salaries for government workers, contractors and teachers as well as educations for our children. Government workers take those salaries and spend them on food at grocery stores, tipping wait staff and clothing, etc. Taxes are the most effective way (or should be if we didn't have disproportionatly low taxes on our richest citizens) of moving money from the top of the tax bracket back to the bottom where it can start moving back up again.

The big problem with the "trickle down" theory has always been that money doesn't trickle down, it flows up. People at the bottom always give their money to the wealthy who own their mortgages, grocery stores and clothing outlets. But, only some of tha money comes back down in the form of salaries. A lot of it ends up in CD's and overseas bank accounts which takes it out of circulation, slowing the economy. Taxes are a necessary method of moving money around.

I would buy one, I think. After all, it's Styrofoam and will last longer than some old degradable Picasso. ;)

The Non Hippie - There is actually some evidence (a Dutch study) that smokers cost the health system less than non-smokers because of how much people cost in their last ten years of life. Smokers generally die before they get really expensive.

And before anyone says anything; I don't smoke and plan to get REALLY expensive before I go.

"Mr. T pities the fool that didn't get a Nancy Reagan puppet for Christmas."

"Just Say No to Bling."

I would like a B-version in gunmetal with orange LED's please.

Transceiver in black, please.