The Senate Version of the Tax Bill has been presented to the House to be voted one. Soon thereafter, five House Republicans objected, stating that they wouldn’t vote for the bill given the deficit it would create and other difficulties.
The GOP can only lose three votes, given their slim majority in the House, if the bill is going to pass. This led the White House to go through an evening and morning of arm twisting and cajoling to turn those nays in to yeas.
Republican Leaders have announced that they now have the votes necessary to pass the bill, and it has been scheduled for a vote this morning. If it passes, we’re going to have a lot to talk about.
I’ll keep you updated.
Let me leave you with this…
Two weeks ago, Julie and I were on a trip to Morocco. The reason I mention this is not to brag, but rather to tell a story.
We went to the city of Fez, that’s the city, not the hat. We toured the Medina which is the ancient, walled portion of the city.
Originally built in the 9th Century, it’s one of the largest and best preserved Medina’s in Morocco. It houses about 300K people and only God knows how many businesses.
Most of those businesses are housed in smaller stalls, not more than 9 or ten feet across by maybe 15 or 20 feet deep. They all specialize in one thing or another. Whether it’s sandals, live poultry, or household items, the stalls and purveyors are housed near each other creating individual markets for goods and services.
Please allow me to give you an idea of what this place is like.
An endless labyrinth of ancient alleyways where children play hide and seek tripping over the feline droppings of an endless population of feral cats. The smell from the tanneries and live meat markets is indescribable and enough to gag a maggot.
Morocco is a place where professions are taught and passed down from father to son for multiple generations. It’s not uncommon for a stall keeper to be the third or fourth generation family member selling the same products from that same miserable, tiny stall.
I looked into the faces of those weary men and realized that given one simple twist of fate, that could have been me.
It could have been me in that little stall spending my entire life from the time I was able to work, until the day they carted me off in a box, trying to scrape enough money together to feed my family. It could have been me in those filth alleyways, dodging feces as I walked, doing the only thing I knew how to do to make a living. That could have been me with that sad, completely broken look on my face until I died.
That could have easily been me or any of you.
I go to Europe every year after tax season with one stated purpose in mind. It’s to remember what a pleasure it is to be an American.
America isn’t easy. When you look at how fractured our society has become given the myriad of issues we face, it’s easy to see how we came to where we are today.
But where are you going to go that’s any better? I’ve been to most of the world, and I can tell you that I’ve never found anywhere that’s any better.
I’ve never found a place where a story like mine is possible. Where a kid who grew up in a $200 a month apartment in Uptown, who’s a third Native and a sixth Black could become the multi-millionaire that I am today. There’s only one place where that’s still possible and it isn’t Morocco.
It’s these United States of America. I came back from Africa, landed at O’Hare, and almost kissed the ground. Most of you have no idea how lucky you really are.
With all of our problems, we’re still the greatest nation to ever grace God’s Green Earth.
There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t walk out of my home, stand at attention before the Stars and Stripes, put my hand over my heart, and say the Pledge of Allegiance. I do it everyday without fail, before I come to work.
Sometimes, given what’s happening in the news, it isn’t easy. But we should all remember the sacrifices made by our forefathers to give us the freedoms we enjoy today.
Please know that tomorrow is the day we celebrate our Independence from the tyranny of a monarchy.
Fly our flag with pride in front of your home. Round up your family. March them outside. Teach them to put their feet together, shoulders back, head up, and to put their right hand over their heart. If they don’t know the Pledge, then teach it to them. Please repeat after me…
I Pledge Allegiance…
Say it loudly, with pride, remembering the millions of Americans who died to give you this right. Be proud of their sacrifices and enjoy the freedoms that so many take for granted.
And realize that this really is the best place on the planet.
May God bless you, your families, your businesses, and The United States of America.
Enjoy the holiday. We’ll talk again on Monday.
We’re all going to get through this. Let’s get through it together.
Accounting Solutions Ltd. stands ready to complete our mission and purpose of protecting you, your family, and your business. Whether you need Payroll Services, or Accounting and Tax Work, you have but to ask. I’m here and I remain,
Sincerely yours,
Chris Amundson
President
Accounting Solutions Ltd.
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