100 Comments
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Tmitsss's avatar

I praised Don’s wordsmithing yesterday but today’s praise goes to Kurt S, for his laceration of Governor Newsom. "So, of course, he wants to be president. The Bouffant Buffoon promises to do the same for the United States of America. What a campaign slogan: “America, let me do for you what I did for California!” It’s like a backwoods hillbilly touting his canoe trip guide services with a five-star Yelp review from Ned Beatty. "

Amy's avatar

Thanks for sharing this quote, I hadn’t seen it. Then I got thinking about what might be a more current analogy than a 53 year old movie that millennials and Gen whatever’s might relate to. Maybe a Harry Potter or Hunger Games reference would work? The Deliverance analogy is hard to beat but I wonder how many under 50 have seen it.

Brian LeMay's avatar

Tell them to remember " Shooter " ; without looking I think Ned Beatty played the corrupt, mouthy Senator in the aforementioned film . As a side , probably Mark Wahlberg's best work .

Don Reed's avatar

06/12/25: Newsom ought to be deported. In other news, "1858" is amusing. Should it not be "1958"? And Kurt S.'s smug assumption that Trump couldn't lose in 2020 is STILL annoying...

PM's avatar

1858 is correct-prove me wrong, o wise ass on the hill. (NHL started in 1917), 59 years later. I hardly find it 'amusing' If you weren't a Founding Member, I'd tell you how I really feel.😇

Don Reed's avatar

06/12/25: But how do you really feel about Kurt S?

(Bought a book of his. One readable chapter. Tossed. Some writers never break out from the 750-word, 3 page daily column format.)

PM's avatar

Fair Q-Kurt was right. Trump won the 2020 election with the most votes ever recorded. But the vegetable got 81 mil. They thought Hill was a cinch in 16, but too many hated her. They vowed that would never happen again, and it didn't. Just to be sure, they manufactured at least 11 million votes, and this country let them get away with it. Happily, they picked the bottom of the bottom in 24. Personally, I think Kurt is a MAGA Patriot. Now, tell Don you're sorry about 1858.

Page Turner's avatar

Get a tight grip, NY. Florida taxes are about to get lower. DeSantis wants to eliminate property taxes.

revmaddog1948's avatar

Pardon my French, but holy s*** Batman! Congratulations to Don the Great for bringing great clarity to today's events. I of course am still on track to slowly become viral again, although now the restraining force is myself. I will as usual explain as I go because I'm too busy to answer every question. That does remind me of my second to the youngest grandson whom I am sure has the fastest brain on the planet. I made up a restraining order on him by putting a temporary rule in place. He is not allowed to ask a second question until I have answered the first question. So many stories. So little time. Later Gators.

Brian LeMay's avatar

And here I thought " smokes " had six letters in it . Thanks Rev, hadn't heard that reference in a long time .

revmaddog1948's avatar

Brian, your comment made me giggle in a manly way 12 Days later. Tai chi. I'm enjoying my slow life immensely.

Joseph Kaplan's avatar

That will only move the chairs around on the ship of state. The money has to be collected. The schools, etc have to be paid for.

Don Reed's avatar

06/12/25: One more hurricane like what hit the west coast of Florida and there won't be any property to tax...

revmaddog1948's avatar

Hurricanes? Earthquakes? Tornadoes? Liberals? Forest fires? All about the same in my mind. I'm from Indiana and country road I used to live on Redwood has a couple of foundations of former farmhouses that were taken out by tornadoes. Just like some Democratic cities. So many stories. So little time.

Don Reed's avatar

06/12/25: That's called "getting Biden whether or not you voted for him."

Jim Murray's avatar

Many financial factors, not just income taxes, fit Don's theory: California sales taxes are 10.75% in some areas, about 9% across the state. Gasoline costs $2.50 more per gallon than the national average. (Gas taxes are $1.40 per gallon.) In the SF Bay area, an 80 year old 1000 sq. ft., one bath, uninsulated, wall heater equipped, cracker box home can cost you $700,000. Public schools embarrass the word education. Public policies like cutting off water to the once hugely productive Central Valley farmland and destroying hydroelectric dams, constantly add to the cost of living. Encouragement of illegal immigration, a lack of will to enforce the law, inability to keep the lights on, failure to maintain roads. That is your Blue State in a nutshell. Those conditions and policies drive good people elsewhere. It is those very people who make cities and towns and states desirable to live in. Athletes are like everyone else. Given choices, they choose to raise their families in the best environments.

William Coulter's avatar

State income taxes or the lack of them do play a role in where people choose to live. High income athletes do seem to choose low income tax states for their main residence.

When I left Clownifornia and moved to Florida my net take home pay went up $1500 a month.

Now instead of the state getting my money the property insurance companies get it as property insurance has gone bonkers here.

Steven W Ham's avatar

Do illegal immigrants play hockey? Yuge advantage for the high tax states. Have to prohibit ICE from arresting them during a game .. in fairness.

Jeremy R's avatar

They skated on ICE from 21 to 25. They should be at the pro level already.

Epstein Did Not Kill Himself's avatar

Good one, Jeremy. I guess no one else got it.

LuAnn's avatar

No, they don't. They don't even play street hockey.

LuAnn's avatar

But the illegals are trying to skate away from ICE.

Don Reed's avatar

06/12/25: All of this fiddle-faddle cuts no ice with me...

revmaddog1948's avatar

Very loud laughter. Fortunately for my neighbors I had the air conditioning on briefly.

mktelephoneman's avatar

I voted nothing... because who cares.. Hockey bores me

Dropping Illinois taxes won't get a better Bears team

(fled years ago, but still a Bears fan)

Adorable Deplorable's avatar

Hockey is the best game on the planet. And the Stanley Cup is the most coveted award in sports. Granted, the fast paced action does not make for good TV like slow sports do such as golf, football and baseball. Talk about boring...

But nothing like being in an arena for a live hockey game. Especially a live playoff hockey game.

Andrew Gase's avatar

I couldn’t agree more. No better spectator sport for live action. I wish more games had substitution on the fly!

tzed's avatar

I gave up watching sports when all the bs started five plus years ago. I haven’t m missed it, but I have to agree, there is nothing like playoff hockey.

LuAnn's avatar

Playoff hockey rocks. I will be watching at least some of Game 4 tonight between Edmonton and the Panthers. Panthers are solid and the Oilers have been taking too many penalties. Canadians want Stanley to come home.

LuAnn's avatar

Hockey girl here. Hockey still rocks. Stanley was born in the cold and ice of Montreal.

LuAnn's avatar

Stanley, of course, is the Stanley Cup.

LuAnn's avatar

I love live hockey. The energy is incredible.

Joseph Kaplan's avatar

Baseball used to be but they’ve ruined that. After a lifetime of being a fan I now ignore them all

Larry B's avatar

I fled too. My whole utility bill (electric, garbage,water/sewer) NOW is what I used to pay for electricity or Gas depending on the season. Then add in water, city stickers, parking meters, tickets, tax on everything, horrible schools, Jew Hating mayor, high property taxes, etc. Why anyone stays there is beyond me!

Don Reed's avatar

06/12/25: You must be delighted that they finally dumped that schmo head coach last year... as for the Giants and the Jets, it doesn't matter who their head coaches are. It never will.

Suzie's avatar

“Yes, those wily Floridians dumped their state income tax in 1858 knowing that 59 years later the NHL would come into existence and eventually their state would get a couple of teams.

Never trust Florida, man.”

How much do you love that!?

Hilarious! 😂

Wim de Vriend's avatar

I have to confess, the supreme unimportance of today's topic, professional sports, leaves me speechless.

LuAnn's avatar

Oh come on, Wim. Have you no love at all for sports?

Wim de Vriend's avatar

Nope, I've always considered it a waste of time and effort. And, I've done well by it. No broken legs from playing soccer, which were common when I was young ... The only sport I can think of as useful is swimming, just in case accidentally I end up in the water.

Wim de Vriend's avatar

And one more thing: why do American parents worship high school sports? Is it the schools' way of making up for failing to teach them? My best employee had a bad back because his dad had pushed him to play football in HS, and he was a big boy, so he was equipped for it --- and then a player from the opposing team purposely ran into his back, using his helmet as a weapon. Nice.

Vince Gallo's avatar

The NYT is run by a bunch of Hockey pucks.

Michael Davis's avatar

Florida is a right to work state with limited union influence for government workers. That and tourism are among among the factors keeping Florida tax rates low.

Damn the torpedoes's avatar

PDJT could eliminate the whole argument by abolishing the IRS, then governors could compete for winning teams by similarly dropping state income tax. All sports would benefit, not just hockey! I think that’s why they call it leveling the playing field….

Don Fey's avatar

Who gives a "spit?" FLORIDA ROCKS!

John Swindall's avatar

Taxes, and the NYT stink on ice.

Suzie's avatar

Taxes are a Penalty, any way you slice it. And if there’s one word Hockey players hate it is “Penalty”!

Now, whether state taxes are a major factor in building teams, or even just a minor factor, they can be a factor, as Don states, when players and managers, etc. consider all around lifestyle for family and the future, just as when one is considering a job relocation.

But however great or small a factor they may be, this example of winning hockey teams exhibits a microcosm about high tax states in general. You could make the same argument using housing prices, food, gas, or any number of things that state taxes affect.

While the NYT reveals its envy of low tax states such as Florida, its dumbfounding suggestion lurking there seems to be that they think FL or low tax states should be to raise their taxes to make things a more level playing field! Hah!

Tax rates reveal the caliber of the management team of that state, city or town. The higher the rate the lousier the management team.

Maybe they can also reflect that sports team management? Hmmmmm…..

Jeremy R's avatar

Millionaires galore running away and taking their businesses with them and they complain about hockey teams.

Forbes's avatar

It is disturbingly bizarre that the NYT is complaining about the relative difference in the state income tax burden for 7-figure professional hockey players. For as long as I've been alive--going back to the 20th century--people have retired to Florida in droves. My late grandmother moved from Upstate NY to North Palm Beach in 1968. They're even called "Snowbirds"--whether wintering or retiring to FL. No doubt the lack of a state income tax was a magnet as compared to other warm weather locations in the South. That writers at the NYT are oblivious to these factors should be surprising, but at this point it's pro forma.