I'm an alien I'm a legal alien... :whistle:

[sea-monkey 13]

I bet it would look like Madison, Wisconsin

Taxes are one of the reasons you pay so much for a plumber. 15% of what you pay him is gone immediately in self employment tax. If he is charging $75 per hour...

I doubt the plumber is really going to report that he scammed charged a customer $300 for the clogged toilet to the govt Most likely he's going to under reporting his income and pocketing that difference

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

With high salaries, they're still corupt. Not like its going to make a difference. Check out this news that broke here this week:

Prosecutors say the commander of a state narcotics task force in Contra Costa County has acknowledged stealing and selling drugs that were seized during raids.

Forty-nine-year-old Norman Wielsch, the head of the Central Contra Costa Narcotics Enforcement Team, was arraigned Friday on 28 felony counts, including drug possession. He did not enter a plea.

Incredible. Things like this never happened when we outlawed that "other drug"...alcohol.

[sea-monkey 13]

The entire system in America is corrupt. In Russia, you pay the cops when you mess up. Here, you have to pay an entire industry. Meanwhile the taxpayers are also paying for it.

Over there, your DUI costs $50. Here, it costs several hundred bucks each to: get out of jail, pay an attorney, go to court, pay fees, take remedial classes, pay your DL reinstatement fees, increased insurance premiums and whatever else you have to pay to get from point A to B in the meantime.

My brother's employee was nabbed by a red light camera a few weeks ago. This was his result

[mckay76 11]

With high salaries, they're still corupt. Not like its going to make a difference. Check out this news that broke here this week:

Prosecutors say the commander of a state narcotics task force in Contra Costa County has acknowledged stealing and selling drugs that were seized during raids.

Forty-nine-year-old Norman Wielsch, the head of the Central Contra Costa Narcotics Enforcement Team, was arraigned Friday on 28 felony counts, including drug possession. He did not enter a plea.

Corruption is everywhere..there will never be 100% compliance with any profession or anything for that matter. Private sector has their problems as well remember ENRON, and lets not forget to mention the banks and those great mortgages they were selling us.

[mckay76 11]

My brother's employee was nabbed by a red light camera a few weeks ago. This was his result

$480 Nice..guess he has to chip in for the illegals living in cali

[sea-monkey 13]

$480 Nice..guess he has to chip in for the illegals living in cali

Don't forget about those $200k-$300k/year public worker salaries.

Also, they're not illegals, they're just un-documented The media here does not use the term "illegal". They don't want to be insensitive

Fun times living in Cali, my brother just returned from a weeklong cruise and I had to check up on his shop after my job and be there on the weekend while he was gone. During this time, I saw someone getting chased down the street with a hammer and had the hammer thrown at him. Then he picks up the hammer, turns around and clocks the guy who threw it at him on the head with the hammer

Next day, the toilet drain was clogged. The kitchen area in the next room was ok. Pulled up the toilet and we snaked up a flushed diaper

Sat night, 3 hoodrat teen girls loitered in the store and wouldn't leave when asked. Then they made a scene and called us racist. Its not a store that does any business to kids or teens. They really had no business being in there except to kill time waiting for their mama to pick them up.

I don't even want to know what goes on regularly, I keep my distance for a reason ...

Edited February 21, 2011 by sea-monkey

[eekee 182]

And that's partially because Russian police is... well, Russian police is being Russian police... But also, it's because American women actually call the police, get divorced and have their husbands punished, while 4 out of 5 Russian women, experiencing domestic violence would just stay hoping that their husbands will change, which actually means waiting for their own death

Only 1/4 of domestic assaults get reported in the US, as well: http://www.ncadv.org/files/DomesticViolenceFactSheet(National).pdf It has to do with the psychology of the victims of domestic violence and the cycle of abuse. But once someone does decide to report it, there are more avenues available to them, and it's also a much larger taboo in American society, and neighbors, etc. are more likely to call the police.

[slim 1,514]

Are you seriously insinuating that the Russian system of dealing with that particular crime is better

I didn't insinuate that either was better. I insinuated they handle corruption at a lower level.

shelters for women where they can go and not be found, that have special protections in place. The town I grew up in in the States? The one with 20,000 people? It has one. The entire city of Moscow, the largest city in all of Europe, also has one.

If there's only one shelter in town... doesn't he know where to find her?

Slim, I disagree strenuously on this! This is not corruption, this is JUSTICE! There is a very good reason for the penalties paid by people convicted of DUI.

JUSTICE for whom? Most people who get DUIs don't get it because they've wronged someone, they get it because they violated a rule. That's it.

And when you say there's a good reason, what is it?

Whats with all the taxes we pay?

That's to offset the bribes govt. employees don't get.

there's a reason people have to pay so much when they get in trouble.

What is it, to teach them a lesson?

Or is it to subsidize the institutionalized corruption we've allowed our govt. to become?

I suppose if you really want to see corruption in San Jose drop city workers salaries in half and then see how things are.

The justification for this is always "Well, the CEO of a Fortune 500 company makes $X,XXX,XXX per year so our city manager, who also manages a similar size 'company' should make a similar salary."

Only problem with that is Fortune 500 companies tend to be self-sufficient and actually make money. Govt. AT ALL LEVELS is a waste of money. They don't build or make anything and any goods or services they provide aren't paid for by the consumers of those - they're paid for by other people. Can you imagine how successful your business would be if you made nothing yet got paid more money every year? The only thing you have to do to stay in business is grow.

Agree with you 100 percent on this one gary...if we could only find a way to make the other 47% of the population pay taxes, joe the plumber might be able to make some decent wages.

In Russia, EVERYONE pays taxes - they're just in the form of bribes. Pensioners subsidize the mailmen. Drunk drivers subsidize the police. It's truly a user-bought system!

[Ban Hammer 12,829]

With high salaries, they're still corupt. Not like its going to make a difference. Check out this news that broke here this week:

Prosecutors say the commander of a state narcotics task force in Contra Costa County has acknowledged stealing and selling drugs that were seized during raids.

Forty-nine-year-old Norman Wielsch, the head of the Central Contra Costa Narcotics Enforcement Team, was arraigned Friday on 28 felony counts, including drug possession. He did not enter a plea.

he was probably too stoned to enter a plea.......

[Mila&Clinton 0]

My fiance once told me, we wants to make a surprise for me. Surprise was that he was going to send me 6 fake roses. (F) (F) (F) Omg, I told better not. I said it's better to leave them on the cemetery, to some who needs that. He looked upset

Elena, I think your fiance wanted to give you flowers because he loves you. This is not his fault that he did not know the number of flowers. He does not know traditions of your country as well as you don't know traditions of the country where you are going to come soon. I was in the same situation when my husband gave me even number of flowers for the first time. I said nothing because it didn't matter to me how many roses I got. The most important to me was to know that he loved me. After a while when we had a talk about the different ways of living in our countries I said that it was not good luck to give even number of fake roses where I lived. He said, "Ok, honey". Elena, you wrote your husband looked upset and you seems to be happy now! One more thing I would like to tell you, that it is rude and cruel to mock at your fiance on forum. You told your story about your feelings hurt by the guy and you don't care about feelings of your future husband. Your NOA2 is approved so you have a lot of time to think. Do not make a mistake!

[Nick&Elena 1]

He said, "Ok, honey". Elena, you wrote your husband looked upset and you seems to be happy now! One more thing I would like to tell you, that it is rude and cruel to mock at your fiance on forum. You told your story about your feelings hurt by the guy and you don't care about feelings of your future husband. Your NOA2 is approved so you have a lot of time to think. Do not make a mistake!

I know what exactly my fiance wanted to say or to do. Are you trying to explain me his actions? Fake flowers is not good sign for russians, better I tell him now when I'll get it. He was upset because he didn't want to hurt me and he was happy I told him. We're both happy, any troubles? What is rude and cruel we will decide between each other. It's our relationships and we're happy. I'm discussing general things on forum and don't see any troubles show an example. Don't teach me, ok. Think about your husband and how keep your OWN relationships. Поучать меня не нужно.