WonWay.Biz

Full Joe Stack statement:

“If you’re reading this, you’re no doubt asking yourself, “Why did this have to happen?” The simple truth is that it is complicated and has been coming for a long time. The writing process, started many months ago, was intended to be therapy in the face of the looming realization that there isn’t enough therapy in the world that can fix what is really broken. Needless to say, this rant could fill volumes with example after example if I would let it. I find the process of writing it frustrating, tedious, and probably pointless… especially given my gross inability to gracefully articulate my thoughts in light of the storm raging in my head. Exactly what is therapeutic about that I’m not sure, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

We are all taught as children that without laws there would be no society, only anarchy. Sadly, starting at early ages we in this country have been brainwashed to believe that, in return for our dedication and service, our government stands for justice for all. We are further brainwashed to believe that there is freedom in this place, and that we should be ready to lay our lives down for the noble principals represented by its founding fathers. Remember? One of these was “no taxation without representation”. I have spent the total years of my adulthood unlearning that crap from only a few years of my childhood. These days anyone who really stands up for that principal is promptly labeled a “crackpot”, traitor and worse.

While very few working people would say they haven’t had their fair share of taxes (as can I), in my lifetime I can say with a great degree of certainty that there has never been a politician cast a vote on any matter with the likes of me or my interests in mind. Nor, for that matter, are they the least bit interested in me or anything I have to say.

Why is it that a handful of thugs and plunderers can commit unthinkable atrocities (and in the case of the GM executives, for scores of years) and when it’s time for their gravy train to crash under the weight of their gluttony and overwhelming stupidity, the force of the full federal government has no difficulty coming to their aid within days if not hours? Yet at the same time, the joke we call the American medical system, including the drug and insurance companies, are murdering tens of thousands of people a year and stealing from the corpses and victims they cripple, and this country’s leaders don’t see this as important as bailing out a few of their vile, rich cronies. Yet, the political “representatives” (thieves, liars, and self-serving scumbags is far more accurate) have endless time to sit around for year after year and debate the state of the “terrible health care problem”. It’s clear they see no crisis as long as the dead people don’t get in the way of their corporate profits rolling in.

And justice? You’ve got to be kidding!

How can any rational individual explain that white elephant conundrum in the middle of our tax system and, indeed, our entire legal system? Here we have a system that is, by far, too complicated for the brightest of the master scholars to understand. Yet, it mercilessly “holds accountable” its victims, claiming that they’re responsible for fully complying with laws not even the experts understand. The law “requires” a signature on the bottom of a tax filing; yet no one can say truthfully that they understand what they are signing; if that’s not “duress” than what is. If this is not the measure of a totalitarian regime, nothing is.
How did I get here?

My introduction to the real American nightmare starts back in the early ’80s. Unfortunately after more than 16 years of school, somewhere along the line I picked up the absurd, pompous notion that I could read and understand plain English. Some friends introduced me to a group of people who were having ‘tax code’ readings and discussions. In particular, zeroed in on a section relating to the wonderful “exemptions” that make institutions like the vulgar, corrupt Catholic Church so incredibly wealthy. We carefully studied the law (with the help of some of the “best”, high-paid, experienced tax lawyers in the business), and then began to do exactly what the “big boys” were doing (except that we weren’t steeling from our congregation or lying to the government about our massive profits in the name of God). We took a great deal of care to make it all visible, following all of the rules, exactly the way the law said it was to be done.

The intent of this exercise and our efforts was to bring about a much-needed re-evaluation of the laws that allow the monsters of organized religion to make such a mockery of people who earn an honest living. However, this is where I learned that there are two “interpretations” for every law; one for the very rich, and one for the rest of us… Oh, and the monsters are the very ones making and enforcing the laws; the inquisition is still alive and well today in this country.

That little lesson in patriotism cost me $40,000+, 10 years of my life, and set my retirement plans back to 0. It made me realize for the first time that I live in a country with an ideology that is based on a total and complete lie. It also made me realize, not only how naive I had been, but also the incredible stupidity of the American public; that they buy, hook, line, and sinker, the crap about their “freedom”… and that they continue to do so with eyes closed in the face of overwhelming evidence and all that keeps happening in front of them.

Before even having to make a shaky recovery from the sting of the first lesson on what justice really means in this country (around 1984 after making my way through engineering school and still another five years of “paying my dues”), I felt I finally had to take a chance of launching my dream of becoming an independent engineer.

On the subjects of engineers and dreams of independence, I should digress somewhat to say that I’m sure that I inherited the fascination for creative problem solving from my father. I realized this at a very young age.

The significance of independence, however, came much later during my early years of college; at the age of 18 or 19 when I was living on my own as student in an apartment in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. My neighbor was an elderly retired woman (80+ seemed ancient to me at that age) who was the widowed wife of a retired steel worker. Her husband had worked all his life in the steel mills of central Pennsylvania with promises from big business and the union that, for his 30 years of service, he would have a pension and medical care to look forward to in his retirement. Instead he was one of the thousands who got nothing because the incompetent mill management and corrupt union (not to mention the government) raided their pension funds and stole their retirement. All she had was social security to live on.

In retrospect, the situation was laughable because here I was living on peanut butter and bread (or Ritz crackers when I could afford to splurge) for months at a time. When I got to know this poor figure and heard her story I felt worse for her plight than for my own (I, after all, I thought I had everything to in front of me). I was genuinely appalled at one point, as we exchanged stories and commiserated with each other over our situations, when she in her grandmotherly fashion tried to convince me that I would be “healthier” eating cat food (like her) rather than trying to get all my substance from peanut butter and bread. I couldn’t quite go there, but the impression was made. I decided that I didn’t trust big business to take care of me, and that I would take responsibility for my own future and myself.

Return to the early ’80s, and here I was off to a terrifying start as a ‘wet-behind-the-ears’ contract software engineer… and two years later, thanks to the fine backroom, midnight effort by the sleazy executives of Arthur Andersen (the very same folks who later brought us Enron and other such calamities) and an equally sleazy New York Senator (Patrick Moynihan), we saw the passage of 1986 tax reform act with its section 1706.

For you who are unfamiliar, here is the core text of the IRS Section 1706, defining the treatment of workers (such as contract engineers) for tax purposes. Visit this link for a conference committee report (http://www.synergistech.com/1706.shtml#ConferenceCommitteeReport) regarding the intended interpretation of Section 1706 and the relevant parts of Section 530, as amended. For information on how these laws affect technical services workers and their clients, read our discussion here (http://www.synergistech.com/ic-taxlaw.shtml).

SEC. 1706. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN TECHNICAL PERSONNEL…. See More

(a) IN GENERAL - Section 530 of the Revenue Act of 1978 is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection:

(d) EXCEPTION. - This section shall not apply in the case of an individual who pursuant to an arrangement between the taxpayer and another person, provides services for such other person as an engineer, designer, drafter, computer programmer, systems analyst, or other similarly skilled worker engaged in a similar line of work.

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE. - The amendment made by this section shall apply to remuneration paid and services rendered after December 31, 1986.

Note:

· “another person” is the client in the traditional job-shop relationship.

· “taxpayer” is the recruiter, broker, agency, or job shop.

· “individual”, “employee”, or “worker” is you.

Admittedly, you need to read the treatment to understand what it is saying but it’s not very complicated. The bottom line is that they may as well have put my name right in the text of section (d). Moreover, they could only have been more blunt if they would have came out and directly declared me a criminal and non-citizen slave. Twenty years later, I still can’t believe my eyes.

During 1987, I spent close to $5000 of my ‘pocket change’, and at least 1000 hours of my time writing, printing, and mailing to any senator, congressman, governor, or slug that might listen; none did, and they universally treated me as if I was wasting their time. I spent countless hours on the L.A. freeways driving to meetings and any and all of the disorganized professional groups who were attempting to mount a campaign against this atrocity. This, only to discover that our efforts were being easily derailed by a few moles from the brokers who were just beginning to enjoy the windfall from the new declaration of their “freedom”. Oh, and don’t forget, for all of the time I was spending on this, I was loosing income that I couldn’t bill clients.

After months of struggling it had clearly gotten to be a futile exercise. The best we could get for all of our trouble is a pronouncement from an IRS mouthpiece that they weren’t going to enforce that provision (read harass engineers and scientists). This immediately proved to be a lie, and the mere existence of the regulation began to have its impact on my bottom line; this, of course, was the intended effect.

Again, rewind my retirement plans back to 0 and shift them into idle. If I had any sense, I clearly should have left abandoned engineering and never looked back.

Instead I got busy working 100-hour workweeks. Then came the L.A. depression of the early 1990s. Our leaders decided that they didn’t need the all of those extra Air Force bases they had in Southern California, so they were closed; just like that. The result was economic devastation in the region that rivaled the widely publicized Texas S&L fiasco. However, because the government caused it, no one gave a shit about all of the young families who lost their homes or street after street of boarded up houses abandoned to the wealthy loan companies who received government funds to “shore up” their windfall. Again, I lost my retirement.

Years later, after weathering a divorce and the constant struggle trying to build some momentum with my business, I find myself once again beginning to finally pick up some speed. Then came the .COM bust and the 911 nightmare. Our leaders decided that all aircraft were grounded for what seemed like an eternity; and long after that, ’special’ facilities like San Francisco were on security alert for months. This made access to my customers prohibitively expensive. Ironically, after what they had done the Government came to the aid of the airlines with billions of our tax dollars … as usual they left me to rot and die while they bailed out their rich, incompetent cronies WITH MY MONEY! After these events, there went my business but not quite yet all of my retirement and savings.

By this time, I’m thinking that it might be good for a change. Bye to California, I’ll try Austin for a while. So I moved, only to find out that this is a place with a highly inflated sense of self-importance and where damn little real engineering work is done. I’ve never experienced such a hard time finding work. The rates are 1/3 of what I was earning before the crash, because pay rates here are fixed by the three or four large companies in the area who are in collusion to drive down prices and wages… and this happens because the justice department is all on the take and doesn’t give a fuck about serving anyone or anything but themselves and their rich buddies.

To survive, I was forced to cannibalize my savings and retirement, the last of which was a small IRA. This came in a year with mammoth expenses and not a single dollar of income. I filed no return that year thinking that because I didn’t have any income there was no need. The sleazy government decided that they disagreed. But they didn’t notify me in time for me to launch a legal objection so when I attempted to get a protest filed with the court I was told I was no longer entitled to due process because the time to file ran out. Bend over for another $10,000 helping of justice.

So now we come to the present. After my experience with the CPA world, following the business crash I swore that I’d never enter another accountant’s office again. But here I am with a new marriage and a boatload of undocumented income, not to mention an expensive new business asset, a piano, which I had no idea how to handle. After considerable thought I decided that it would be irresponsible NOT to get professional help; a very big mistake.

When we received the forms back I was very optimistic that they were in order. I had taken all of the years information to Bill Ross, and he came back with results very similar to what I was expecting. Except that he had neglected to include the contents of Sheryl’s unreported income; $12,700 worth of it. To make matters worse, Ross knew all along this was missing and I didn’t have a clue until he pointed it out in the middle of the audit. By that time it had become brutally evident that he was representing himself and not me.

This left me stuck in the middle of this disaster trying to defend transactions that have no relationship to anything tax-related (at least the tax-related transactions were poorly documented). Things I never knew anything about and things my wife had no clue would ever matter to anyone. The end result is… well, just look around.
I remember reading about the stock market crash before the “great” depression and how there were wealthy bankers and businessmen jumping out of windows when they realized they screwed up and lost everything. Isn’t it ironic how far we’ve come in 60 years in this country that they now know how to fix that little economic problem; they just steal from the middle class (who doesn’t have any say in it, elections are a joke) to cover their asses and it’s “business-as-usual”. Now when the wealthy fuck up, the poor get to die for the mistakes… isn’t that a clever, tidy solution.

As government agencies go, the FAA is often justifiably referred to as a tombstone agency, though they are hardly alone. The recent presidential puppet GW Bush and his cronies in their eight years certainly reinforced for all of us that this criticism rings equally true for all of the government. Nothing changes unless there is a body count (unless it is in the interest of the wealthy sows at the government trough). In a government full of hypocrites from top to bottom, life is as cheap as their lies and their self-serving laws.

I know I’m hardly the first one to decide I have had all I can stand. It has always been a myth that people have stopped dying for their freedom in this country, and it isn’t limited to the blacks, and poor immigrants. I know there have been countless before me and there are sure to be as many after. But I also know that by not adding my body to the count, I insure nothing will change. I choose to not keep looking over my shoulder at “big brother” while he strips my carcass, I choose not to ignore what is going on all around me, I choose not to pretend that business as usual won’t continue; I have just had enough…. See More

I can only hope that the numbers quickly get too big to be white washed and ignored that the American zombies wake up and revolt; it will take nothing less. I would only hope that by striking a nerve that stimulates the inevitable double standard, knee-jerk government reaction that results in more stupid draconian restrictions people wake up and begin to see the pompous political thugs and their mindless minions for what they are. Sadly, though I spent my entire life trying to believe it wasn’t so, but violence not only is the answer, it is the only answer. The cruel joke is that the really big chunks of shit at the top have known this all along and have been laughing, at and using this awareness against, fools like me all along.

I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different. I am finally ready to stop this insanity. Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let’s try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well.

The communist creed: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.

The capitalist creed: From each according to his gullibility, to each according to his greed.

Joe Stack (1956-2010)

02/18/2010″

  Is there a certain way to do things that is always the right way? Why, no matter which way the response to that question is angled, does the answer always beg for a soulfully deep yes?  At the core of our being, we know that there must be a certain way - a better way.

  A problem for me is staying focused on pursuing that certain way. And, even wanting to pursue that course. By nature, I am a lazy creature. Lazy. Could success be measured by one’s attained level of laziness, I may be tempted to perfect my nonproductive natural condition. But, then, that would take even an effort.

Success will now be considered. Enough of the laziness discussion. Success, measured not so much on what is achieved by our efforts, but, success, measured more importantly in how we labor for achievement. The ‘what’ will one day mean nothing to all. In the twinkling of the eye, eternity arrives for all. The ‘how’ of achievement, however, is of eternal consequences. ’You can’t take it with you’ does not apply to this treasure being considered. This sought after treasure, the ‘how’ of achieved success, will follow us to the Throne of Judgment. For me, longing to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant” keeps me encouraged through my deserts of despair and seas of turmoil. 

  Talents were not made to be buried. Achieving financial success is a good, Godly goal.  The key is in how we use our talents to achieve financial success in a good, Godly way.

 

Massive amounts of money fallen like golden Autumn leaves blanketing the ground titillates my imagination.  To help you achieve that level of financial success in a good Godly way - the Won Way, is a goal of Won Way Biz. The venture would be in vain if the foundation for achieving such success was not built upon a firm foundation - the right way, the Won Way.

There is a certain way to do things that is always the right way.  In having a soul searching look at eternal principles and truths, it is my hope that in application of this certain way your measurement of success will be far greater than you would ever have anticipated . “Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established.” Pro 16:3

Welcome to the Hits4Pay Team blog.

 

Humility. This is a tough discipline for me to get a good grasp of. It may be exactly my lack of any respectable level of humbleness that leaves me lacking any reasonable level of confident exhortation concerning the matter of humility. Jesus had the power to move mountains, but chose to allow Himself to be crucified by His very own creation. This seems to be a simple enough example of true humility. And, equally, an act of inaction which seems unobtainable for any mere mortal.

The striving to reach the level of humility that Jesus displayed is, in itself, what we must continue to pursue. We must press on for the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ, Jesus. When we stop this pursuit, we cease to obey. When we cease to obey, we cease to love. When we cease to love, what have we become? - unholy?

Understanding humility is less important than practicing it. Put your neighbor’s needs before yours. Hold your tongue where letting loose would be justified. Let the undeserving have the last one; the best one; the first one; or, even, the only one of whatever it is. That he is undeserving and you have the power to give or not is the key - give. Jesus did.

For several years I lived on a narrow street in Cleveland, Ohio which should have been made a one-way street. With parked cars on it most of the time there was just barely enough room for two cars coming in opposite directions to pass one another. Quite often, one of the passing vehicles would jump the curb and drive partially upon the narrow curb lawns to avoid a collision. It was hard to keep that piece of lawn looking nice with the constant intrusion of vehicle tires, though I could not really get too upset at the drivers considering their predicament.

 

In my walk with the Lord, I’ve noticed that the Way of Holiness is not a one-way street! It seems to be full of two-way traffic and, even, parked Christians.

 

That observation surprised me, at first. How could anyone wish to park upon the Way, let alone, turn around and head back to where it is that they were delivered from? But, after having a look at my own progress upon the Lord’s road, I am grateful that He does not ticket or tow violators upon His holy Way.

 

I am one of the worst motorists. The time I spend parked along the side of the Way getting in every other Christian’s way is sinful. My actions cause others to momentarily end up off the Way as they try to navigate around me. Even worse, I am sure I somehow have not been so sure which way I was supposed to be going on the Way to Holiness.

 

I think I understand why He has not made the Way of Holiness a one-way street. If we are faithful to confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive. I am, too often, a reckless Christian who even spends too much time parked on the Way of Holiness grumbling about how narrow the Way seems to be and the lack of motoring skills those other Christian’s seem to have.

Thank God for His mercy and grace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giving without expectation or merit.  Selflessly contributing of ourself to the benefit of another. The ultimate act of love. Sacrificing for another.

No greater an enemy does greed have than charity. When we find ourselves struggling to let loose of the currency in our posession, we have found how close to our heart greed has set it’s formidable barrier.

False accusations abound in this world. When building upon a firm foundation, it is the true accusations that we must always address. Let a weed go unattended in your garden and it will consume all of the resources the good crop ’success’ needs to flourish.

Is your conscience piping up? Don’t ignore it! Confront the matter and honestly assess your position and actions. If you can be convinced of your guilt, reverse your course, make ammends if necessary, and settle the matter - pull that weed out of your garden!

Our top ten days of all of our days for an eternity - that feeling, that enthusiasm, that excitement just to be. Our slice of paradise found in those ten days, yet, not even close to the Eternal condition we hope for.

A thought, a question, a reflection for us all - just what was it in those top ten days that we found to be so desirable and worthy of praise? What were we doing? And, in our answer to the question the condition of our heart may be found, no? And, the destination of our eternal soul? Hopefully, acts of charity may be found in our reflections of paradise.

More questions than answers. Were I relying wholly upon my own merits to plot out my eternal course, I would be a sorry sojourner eternally lost. Better to leave my eternal salvation in the hands of the Man who could calm the seas and show my gratitude by my deeds.

Just for the pragmatic point, forgive those who have trespassed against you. How much energy and time is going to be consumed in the nonproductive activity of bearing a grudge? The enemy would rather we wasted our time pursuing fruitless venture instead of pursuing ventures paving a golden road in eternity.

 

What’s done is done. Sure, it isn’t fair. And, if vengeance is exacted for the grievance let it not come from your impartial hand - there are those appointed to mete out such things.

 

An unforgiving heart feeds off of a bitter root. Life will not be lived to the fullest.

 

A finer point, forgiving is expected from those who have been forgiven. Have you been forgiven?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greed cannot be measured on the eternal scale of success. The two are incompatible For one to pursue such a corrupted state of heart almost seems the workings of a madman, yet, far too many do. Greed is everywhere and invasive. Worse than the common cold, greed seems so easy a condition to catch and without a natural cure.

Amazingly, many of us become infected and are unawares of our ailment until far into it’s destructive course. There is hope for the infected, if one desires. For as pathogenic as greed is to the eternal soul, it’s addictive nature keeps many of the stricken from seeking help until they are caught up in a public outrage, a personal tragedy, or maybe even at the court of their eternal judgment - where, some believe, the time to repent has been already spent.

Do not glean the fields. Do not take your neighbor’s only lamb. Do not take your neighbor’s spouse. Do not take what is given as charity for the needy. Do not withhold your worker’s wages. The ‘do not’ list is seemingly endless. Be aware of conviction. It is your conscience. It was put there for a reason. Yield to it and seek wise counsel.