How Much Is A Billion?

Republished with permission of the original author. By Robert H. Williams, Common Sense Politics.

What is a Billion?

HOW MUCH IS A BILLION!!!!

How many zeros in a billion?

This is too true to be funny.

The next time you hear a politician use the word 'billion' in a casual canner, think about whether you want the 'politicians' spending YOUR tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of it's releases.

A.

A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B.

A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C.

A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

D.

A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

E.

A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.


While this thought is still fresh in our brain...

let's take a look at New Orleans ....

It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division.

Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D)is presently asking Congress for
250 BILLION DOLLARS to rebuild New Orleans . Interesting number....
what does it mean?

A.
Well...if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every
man, woman, and child) you each get $516,528.

B.
Or... if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.

C.
Or... if you are a family of four... your family gets $2,066,012.

Washington, D.C. HELLO!!! Are all your calculators broken??

Accounts Receivable Tax

Building Permit Tax

CDL License Tax

Cigarette Tax

Corporate Income Tax

Dog License Tax

Federal Income Tax

Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)

Fishing License Tax

Food License Tax

Fuel Permit Tax

Gasoline Tax

Hunting License Tax

Inheritance Tax

Inventory Tax

IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)

IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)

Liquor Tax

Luxury Tax

Marriage License Tax

Medicare Tax

Property Tax

Real Estate Tax

Service charge taxes

Social Security Tax

Road Usage Tax (Truckers)

Sales Taxes

Recreational Vehicle Tax

School Tax

State Income Tax

State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)

Telephone Federal Excise Tax

Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax

Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax

Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax

Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax

Telephone State and Local Tax

Telephone Usage Charge Tax

Utility Tax

Vehicle License Registration Tax

Vehicle Sales Tax

Watercraft Registration Tax

Well Permit Tax

Workers Compensation Tax

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago.. and our
nation was the most prosperous in the world.

We had absolutely no national debt...We had the largest middle class in the world... and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What happened?

Can you spell 'politicians!'

And I still have to press "1" for English.



It is PAST TIME the PRIVATE Federal Reserve Board PAID the taxpayers for being the "Bank of Choice" for The United States of America. Watch the video, visit Common Sense Politics and READ America Inc. and apply the numbers. Also see this Chart which is likely we can go back to 1981 When Reagan Took Office and the defict REALLY started to sky rocket...note that ALL LARGE increases were on REPUBLICAN "tax-cuts for wealthy" ideology.



Bob... Have a nice day and I pray the Universe looks out for us "little folk"...because PURE "capitalism" sure isn't.





Republished with permission of the original author, Robert H Williams. Common Sense Politics.



Cheers!!!!

It is like I have been saying in all those other threads about stimulus packages and bailouts, where billions will be allocated to already corrupt corporations and companies that are already fat at the hip with money and we get but a fraction of those billions, and end up having to pay for all of it anyway through our taxes.

Shafted, battered and beat. When does it end? When do we retake this out of control habit of Washington and corrupt companies that are nothing but thieves stealing from us? Why do we let this happen? What is our problem? Have we become so passive that the only thieves we hold accoutable are the thugs on the streets that rob convinience stores of 20 bucks worth of beer and cigarettes, yet let the politicians and corrupt CEO's steal billions????

Its a shame. And makes me very angry.



Cheers!!!!

[edit on 5-2-2009 by RFBurns]

GET Thread s+f

The more we try to streamline things the more we F-it up...

I am of the mind we should just split the money up and do what we please with it - spend it, save it, pay bills, buy cigarettes -

Honestly I just don't know - If we fix this MESS we will be back to trickle down in a heart beat - repeat - repeat...


PS I am in the sub poverty tax bracket ( if one existed) and yes, I still pay a quarter of my income a year.

MAybe we should just pay a direct tribute to the wealthy, provided they stay out of politics for good.

I guess that you are referring to the American billion as opposed to the billion that they use all over the world.

American billion is one thousand million and the "real" billion is a million million (hence the change of word to billion) which actually makes much more sense.

now post a thread on the TRILLIONS he us government has alloted sice september. that is truly nausiating..well never see it again

Originally posted by haika
I guess that you are referring to the American billion as opposed to the billion that they use all over the world.

American billion is one thousand million and the "real" billion is a million million (hence the change of word to billion) which actually makes much more sense.

Does being politically correct about billion is a million million change what is happening, be it in America or in the UK or elsewhere?

No it doesnt. The question in the OP is not asking literally what is a billion, it is asking of the depth of what is a billion, and what is happening to those monies that is OUR money, USA, UK, wherever, and is putting into prospective that depth of it. Bob's article is saying that these politicians casually throw around that billion word that is attached to the million millions, meaning to them its nothing, because its OUR money, not theirs.

It would be like as if someone took your paycheck every pay day and dictated to you where and how it will be spent, without you even seeing the check in the first place to even have a chance to decide if you want to cash it, deposit it, or even burn it if you want.




Cheers!!!!

Star and flag my friend. Well put. It seems lately that we always talk in billions. Billions here billions there. Hire a few government contractors for that job. Put Halliburton over there for this one etc etc.

I have a friend that used to work for the state of California. He used to tell me that they would purchase items they didn't need (5.1 speakers for their computers as an example) just to keep their budget from getting lowered.

Its sad really and the monster is so big that I don't know how it can be fixed.

Obsidience

Originally posted by invisibleman11
now post a thread on the TRILLIONS the us government has alloted since september. that is truly nausiating..well never see it again

Very true!! That is the whole point in Bob's article. They take it, they spend it, and what do we as the ones who pay for it get out of it?

Nothing. Just more taxes, more bills, more layoffs, more excuses, more political nonsense..all dressed up with pretty words and smiles behind podiums.


Cheers!!!!

Originally posted by RFBurns

Does being politically correct about billion is a million million change what is happening, be it in America or in the UK or elsewhere?

No it doesnt. The question in the OP is not asking literally what is a billion, it!!

Well...it does make a difference in the list of events that happened a billion seconds, minutes, days ago. That's all I'm saying.
As for money.....however you see it, it's still a LOT

reply to post by obsidience


Exactly! They spend the money on things they dont need to keep the line item intact. And later that line item entry is increased on the next budget meetings. No they dont return that unused money back to the people, which is how it should be, they keep it, spend it, and waste it, and in the end, want more for the next fiscal raping of the taxpayers.



Cheers!!!!

Originally posted by haika
I guess that you are referring to the American billion as opposed to the billion that they use all over the world.

American billion is one thousand million and the "real" billion is a million million (hence the change of word to billion) which actually makes much more sense.

MAybe so BI - meaning two - MILLION -

so is trillion three millions or two BILLIONS?

?????


Although $1,000,000,000,000,000,000.00 is the billion you are referencing is greater than the entire world economy I believe, so it is not very practical-

Like how do you say

$1,090,098,777,885,675,885,987.00 the proper way?

$#@$@ if I know

One thing I know

the letter Z

Pronounced ZED in ALL the world, is sort of special-

Why is the consonant D in the pronunciation of a LETTER?

America has it right on this one

Z

Pronounced ZEE

Like C

CEE

D

DEE

E

EEE

P

PEE

Z

ZED? WTF???

Okay sorry OP- Good thread

reply to post by haika


Indeed! I understand Bob's article perfectly, those politicians use the word like its nothing, has no meaning, just another word put into their speech like the word duh or any other non-relevant word.

Those politicians make plenty of money to absorb anything that happens in the economy. They wont ever feel the impact of a major layoff or an economic crash. They easily have the means to shift their portfolios to other profitable ventures at a turn of a dime, yet us out here who work and struggle to keep up with bills and barely break even if at all, cannot absorb an economic crash or even absorb an economic stumble.

I dont think those politicians ever will get it.



Cheers!!!!

Some useful information:

U.S. National Debt Clock

U.S. Public Debt

Federa Budget Spending

Debt Chart

U.S. National Debt Real Time Figure

Government Bonds



Cheers!!!!

Thank RF on posting over here and those handy nifty links above.

As I state in the YouTuber...it is the PRIVATE FRB (CENTRAL) BANKS not only here in the USA, but France, Germany, China, Russia, Japan, UK, South Africa, Brazil...EVERYWHERE !!!

there are 400 "families" who OWN n CONTROL 95% of the ENTIRE EARTH'S WEALTH in $$$$ amounts....and we should PAY THEM for the "PRIVILEDGE" of being a country's "Bank of Choice" ????

Like I said in the video, or elsewhere ANYONE can go to ANY bank and get an INTERET bearing checking account with NO FEES OR CHARGES for our business...they pay US...for choosing THEM.

With all banking being basically ellectronic transfers the US Dept of Treasury "QUALIFIES" under these simple rules to even choose a LOCAL bank like my Glen Falls National Bank in NY which doesn't NEED any bailout money because they cap the executive salaries, hold the fractional reserve amount lended to a reasonable level, don't make BAD LOANS, AND most importantly doesn't try to sell off "Wizard-of-Oz" behind the curtain credit default swaps and toxic mortgage packages.

I.E. The run the bank with some COMMON SENSE.

Thanx to all who resond but the REAL crooks are the 400 families in cahoots with mostly Republican ideologues who wish to make those 400 richer because they give BIG BIG contributions to campaign coffers, executive trips, and "other" pleasures like no-bid contracts such as Haliburton, Enron, BlackWater, etc.

Bob...

Starred and flagged!! Great thread as always RF. They really should just give all of us a cut of that package. There sure are enough of us out there who can use it.