Promises, Promises

2 Apr 2009 / PE

WASHINGTON — One of President Barack Obama’s campaign pledges on taxes went up in puffs of smoke Wednesday.

The largest increase in tobacco taxes took effect despite Obama’s promise not to raise taxes of any kind on families earning under $250,000 or individuals under $200,000.

This is one tax that disproportionately affects the poor, who are more likely to smoke than the rich.


A Time to Worry

24 Dec 2008 / PE

It was a weird day for dog walking. Just after Lightning had a run-in with a rottweiler, who fortunately turned out to be docile, we came upon a young man and what looked like his mom walking a pit bull.

The woman said “Hold ‘im, Cody” to the kid in a chain-smoker voice and I veered Lightning in another direction.

I wasn’t taking any chances because they looked exactly like the kind of people who’d own a violent pit bull. You’ve got Ma, the chain-smoking meth addict, and her boy Cody, the kid with the white trash name.

Whenever I hear someone say “Hold ‘im, Cody” to a guy with a pit bull, I am outta there . . .