I just asked Google what states are stepping up to fill the void. Notice anything?
"As of November 8, 2025, several states are issuing or have issued full SNAP benefits following a federal court order, including California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Wisconsin, with others like Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut expected to follow suit. Other states have also taken action, such as using state funds to provide temporary assistance or directing their departments to make the payments as soon as possible."
The wealthiest county in Colorado, and one of the wealthiest in the country, is Douglas county, named after the slaver.
Colorado had a feed the kids with a $478 a year tax only on folks making more than $300K a year. It failed in Douglas county but the rest of the state passed it.
I've made that much in my career, and wouldn't have missed $5000 really, much less $478 to feed school kids.
The complaint from the too comfortable was "the kids just throw it away". Maybe their spoiled brats do, but the hungry ones don't.
Bill, thanks for the piece and the pictures. Just the ticket as I have coffee before heading out to help with today's food drive. I'm going to have to learn how to grow asparagus.
You raise a lot of good points, Bill, but there are no easy answers that can be implemented easily. Much of the wealth of the rich is accumulated thru leverage and sustained thru tax loopholes. In the case of entertainers and athletes, it’s largely talent and popularity.
People like Musk shouldn’t be allowed to create share-based compensation structures in public companies that allow them to make the companies essentially private. Perhaps capital gains should be taxed based on degrees of windfall. I don’t know what can be done about the obscene wealth of entertainers or athletes except perhaps high tax rates based on their professions.
How about this for a tax idea: high tax rates on all income, with only partial deductions (say 50%) for loopholes (e.g., carried interest, reinvestment, etc.), and bonus deductions (say 125%) for charitable gifts to a certain class of charities?
Sounds like the beginning of some solid legislation! I love the incentive to give to vetted charitable institutions.
Which then gets me thinking. I wish I could plant in the brain of people like Zuckerberg what the pain of poverty and hunger feel like. In my crazy sci-fi movie, he skis down a particular slope that transforms him into an 11 year old kid being raised by a single mom who was abused by his dad. The mom works two jobs. Can't afford decent food if she pays the rent and utilities...
Or another film where a scientist finds a gene responsible for empathy. He figures a way to integrate it with food that rich people eat...
Your perspective on a meaningful life well-lived resonates with me. I wish more of us focused on sharing our good fortune with those less fortunate…after all, fortune is rarely fairly distributed.
Most millionaires inherit their wealth. My late ex husband did, and then his new wifey stole it from his only child, to whom he promised the million+ home he bought for her. Two months after his death she evicted her and her special forces husband, who was deployed.
She had no legal recourse as he had written his will a year into his marriage to the c#nt.
Another great post, Bill. We NEED a wealh tax, not raising the income tax on wealth.People like Elon Muck, Bezos, and Zuckerberg, have NO INCOME. Muck once bragged that he lives free of cost, He takes out a couple of billion in a bank loan, which he pays off with interest earned on his stocks which is tax deductible the following year. Voila! a free 2 billion dollars. Of course he feels no sorrow for poor starving children, his 16+ children are doing quite well, thank you very much! A 5% tax rate on all WEALTH over $500,000,000 would hardly put a dent in their fortunes - but it sure as hell would educate, feed, and provide health care for EVERY child in America
Excellent point, Fay. The Patriotic Millionaires have made that "scheme" clear. The ultra rich have diabolical tools that our tax system encourages.
But taxing assets will be a hard fight. I'm all in because I consider the money that Muck and Zuck have as "stolen National Treasure". They deserve big compensation for their success. But not this much. Not even close. I think Abigail Disney is on to something. I think having more than $999 million is essentially psychopathic - and IMO, immoral.
If someone has more money than they could possibly need, more money than they know what to with - and millions of fellow citizens are suffering - there is one word for that: EVIL.
I just asked Google what states are stepping up to fill the void. Notice anything?
"As of November 8, 2025, several states are issuing or have issued full SNAP benefits following a federal court order, including California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Wisconsin, with others like Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut expected to follow suit. Other states have also taken action, such as using state funds to provide temporary assistance or directing their departments to make the payments as soon as possible."
Colorado has.
The wealthiest county in Colorado, and one of the wealthiest in the country, is Douglas county, named after the slaver.
Colorado had a feed the kids with a $478 a year tax only on folks making more than $300K a year. It failed in Douglas county but the rest of the state passed it.
I've made that much in my career, and wouldn't have missed $5000 really, much less $478 to feed school kids.
The complaint from the too comfortable was "the kids just throw it away". Maybe their spoiled brats do, but the hungry ones don't.
Maine too (Janet Mills announced on Fri afternoon)
Cherokee Purple, my favorite 🤩
Great points and photos, Bill!
Bill, thanks for the piece and the pictures. Just the ticket as I have coffee before heading out to help with today's food drive. I'm going to have to learn how to grow asparagus.
Your tomatoes look healthy and happy! I have never seen a tomato look that contented...
Bill, well written. Here is today’s editorial from France’s Le Monde with similar suggestions
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2025/11/08/thomas-piketty-le-pen-s-rn-has-clearly-positioned-itself-as-the-party-of-billionaires_6747256_23.html
You raise a lot of good points, Bill, but there are no easy answers that can be implemented easily. Much of the wealth of the rich is accumulated thru leverage and sustained thru tax loopholes. In the case of entertainers and athletes, it’s largely talent and popularity.
People like Musk shouldn’t be allowed to create share-based compensation structures in public companies that allow them to make the companies essentially private. Perhaps capital gains should be taxed based on degrees of windfall. I don’t know what can be done about the obscene wealth of entertainers or athletes except perhaps high tax rates based on their professions.
How about this for a tax idea: high tax rates on all income, with only partial deductions (say 50%) for loopholes (e.g., carried interest, reinvestment, etc.), and bonus deductions (say 125%) for charitable gifts to a certain class of charities?
Sounds like the beginning of some solid legislation! I love the incentive to give to vetted charitable institutions.
Which then gets me thinking. I wish I could plant in the brain of people like Zuckerberg what the pain of poverty and hunger feel like. In my crazy sci-fi movie, he skis down a particular slope that transforms him into an 11 year old kid being raised by a single mom who was abused by his dad. The mom works two jobs. Can't afford decent food if she pays the rent and utilities...
Or another film where a scientist finds a gene responsible for empathy. He figures a way to integrate it with food that rich people eat...
Your perspective on a meaningful life well-lived resonates with me. I wish more of us focused on sharing our good fortune with those less fortunate…after all, fortune is rarely fairly distributed.
Thank you for sharing pictures from your garden!
Most millionaires inherit their wealth. My late ex husband did, and then his new wifey stole it from his only child, to whom he promised the million+ home he bought for her. Two months after his death she evicted her and her special forces husband, who was deployed.
She had no legal recourse as he had written his will a year into his marriage to the c#nt.
Now she's a millionaire too!
Another great post, Bill. We NEED a wealh tax, not raising the income tax on wealth.People like Elon Muck, Bezos, and Zuckerberg, have NO INCOME. Muck once bragged that he lives free of cost, He takes out a couple of billion in a bank loan, which he pays off with interest earned on his stocks which is tax deductible the following year. Voila! a free 2 billion dollars. Of course he feels no sorrow for poor starving children, his 16+ children are doing quite well, thank you very much! A 5% tax rate on all WEALTH over $500,000,000 would hardly put a dent in their fortunes - but it sure as hell would educate, feed, and provide health care for EVERY child in America
Excellent point, Fay. The Patriotic Millionaires have made that "scheme" clear. The ultra rich have diabolical tools that our tax system encourages.
But taxing assets will be a hard fight. I'm all in because I consider the money that Muck and Zuck have as "stolen National Treasure". They deserve big compensation for their success. But not this much. Not even close. I think Abigail Disney is on to something. I think having more than $999 million is essentially psychopathic - and IMO, immoral.
If someone has more money than they could possibly need, more money than they know what to with - and millions of fellow citizens are suffering - there is one word for that: EVIL.