Tuesday, December 07, 2004

I heart Clark Howard

If you don't know who Clark Howard is, then you probably don't listen to a lot of talk radio. Clark Howard is my hero. He's this rich guy down in Atlanta who does a talk show about ways to save money and stick it to the man. Last year he saved over 70% of his (six, possibly seven-figure) income. He drives a hybrid car to save on gas. He clips coupons. He has a rule never to wear or buy any outfit that costs double digit dollars ($10 or greater). That's the whole outfit, not just the shirt. He named his dog Costco Wholesale, out of his love affair with the good deals in that big box warehouse club. The man is amazing.

The dude is such a cheapskate I can hear his butt squeak all the way up here in Greensboro, 400 miles away from Atlanta.

I want to be just like Clark. I want to get the best possible deal on everything I consume, and save the majority of my money for my retirement and for my posterity. Being an anarcho-capitalist, I hate any attempt by an authority to take some portion of what I have rightly earned. It's mine, dammit. Hands off.

So I was particularly pleased to hear Clark on the Brad and Brit show on WZTK today. The subject? Dell incentives. Clark's response? He hates it when governments do that. It's not fair to the small business owners who make up a larger portion of our workbase (and who have to pay those taxes to Dell). The better solution? Lower taxes across the board so that businesses can come willingingly, without a bribe. God bless you, Clark Howard.

He talked about how Atlanta, where Clark was born and raised, was a little southern town 35 years ago, and now it's this economic juggernaut. And he said to his knowledge there has never been a single piece of corporate welfare to lure Coke or whoever down there. The businesses came willingly, and not at the expense of the regular taxpayer.

Brad and Brit talked about how Clark was sounding an aweful lot like Sen. Webster, whom theshu first introduced me to, who is a Republican also opposed to Dell welfare.

I didn't get my talking points from Sen. Webster when I was campaigning, and I don't think he got his from me. We just have the same opinion on the subject. Judging from some of the posts on Ed Cone's blog recently, I'd say there are a lot of us that share the same opinion.

I'm just really relieved that my hero Clark Howard feels that way too.

2 Comments:

Blogger David Wharton said...

Bravo, Rusty. We need to be doing more for small businessmen.

Did I see you on Tate St. on Monday? I was driving by on a red motor scooter.

2:53 PM  
Blogger Rustam Sheridan said...

Dr. Wharton,

Yes, you probably did see me on Tate St. I'm there quite frequently. I work in the UNCG Carmichael building right across from Tate St.

5:31 PM  

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