Comments by Gene Scarborough | Eastern North Carolina Now

. . . so tell me what is her point, good buddy . . .

Commented: Friday, January 23rd, 2015 @ 7:08 am By: Gene Scarborough

I don't really get what she is trying to say. The smartest people are able to COMMUNICATE complex thing in a simple fashion. I was involved in Insurance and Financial Planning for a number of years. The wise insurance person first asks, "Tell me how much you think of your family." Then we speak of "money at work / people at work." A proper amount of life insurance places invested money and its interest earned as the source of a steady income stream from the person who might die. The invested values have tax advantages if it becomes your retirement fund in the event you live to that time of life. New products even allow for Mutual Fund use as the investment part---with no capital gains tax as you change funds (unlike a simple separate Mutual Fund).

When it comes to Estate Taxes, the wise person can purchase sufficient life insurance to take care of it all. After some 2.6 million, heirs must pay 53% and up on each dollar transferred from the Estate. You establish the basis of the need before discussing any more technicalities.

I was fortunate to graduate from Emory University. The people who made good grades on any essay were required to examine both sides of a given issue and then finish with the answer to why you choose your position. Just "I am right" will get you an "F."

Emory, now, has an international flavor to its incoming classes. They have about 1/4 from non-US places all over the world. Such interaction gets one out of his simple culture and gives first-hand exposure to the world.

Their concept has been and still is to produce Renaissance Graduates who have inquisitive minds and an ability to reason. If there is any failure in education today it is the idea that "college is a big party around a winning sports team."

I hope I have made some complex things more simple and expressed in terms we can all understand. Otherwise, ask me a few questions and let's see if we can get to the bottom of educational failure at secondary levels today . . .

Commented: Thursday, January 22nd, 2015 @ 5:41 pm By: Gene Scarborough

Hey, bud~~~you gave me the title of "from the middle."

I accept "Independent" better. A guy with several degrees starting with Emory is hardly one without much sense. I was top 10% at Clarkston High School outside Atlanta and did well with the challenge to analyze things from Emory, SEBTS, Insurance, Series 6 exam, etc.

For your information I was Emory Debate Team qualified and did right well in any argument. They, by the way, required you know all sides of any debate . . .

Commented: Thursday, January 22nd, 2015 @ 9:04 am By: Gene Scarborough

Stan, old buddy, I watched the same speech, but see it far different. Your comment above is audacious in its Conservatism: "One thing is for sure: Liberals don't believe in involving the federal government in protecting our citizens from a determined evil. That is actually its top responsibility."

There are only 2 reasons for a good government: (1) To do thing collectively for the citizens who pay the taxes, (2) Protect citizens from abject abuse of money and control as well as using our taxes to aggrandize corporate income.

I saw the main thrust: Return the Middle Class to a place of opportunity in the dream of "All men created equal . . ." This nation has taken a poor track of making a person like Dick Cheney rich over war contracts---from a war he invented. The Koch Brothers did not invest so much money in the Tillis campaign for no ulterior motive of Fracking and (soon) drilling offshore of the Outer Banks for oil with the high risks of severe winter storms on the Graveyard of the Atlantic.

Do we want that kind of local risk to our Sounds and Aquaculture????

Commented: Thursday, January 22nd, 2015 @ 7:52 am By: Gene Scarborough

Let me put it simple for you, Stan ~~~ I graduated Emory in Psychology / I have many graduate designation, all of which required great intelligence and honesty to achieve. I am now age 68 going on 69 in March.

Wise people respect their elders if they make good sense, which you certainly by now know I do. We can always agree to disagree on any matter. When it comes to the President and Democrats you always call "liberal," it does not show much perception to me, good buddy . . .

Only a 2~2X4 mule requires a broken timber to get his attention and then another equal one to get the message across. Too many hard-headed mules are buried behind the barn from pure stubbornness, my friend ~~~ never learning important lessons from life and elders.

Commented: Wednesday, January 21st, 2015 @ 3:25 pm By: Gene Scarborough

If we spent less on war and more on education we just might have citizens with some ability to reason ~~~ which means see through the smoke and mirrors of abject Conservatism of the Tea Party variety . . .

Commented: Tuesday, January 20th, 2015 @ 4:00 pm By: Gene Scarborough

At LAST ~~~ ugly remarks about someone besides the President . . .

Commented: Tuesday, January 20th, 2015 @ 4:13 am By: Gene Scarborough

If it tortures POW's and smiles as though that's lawful~~~it must be part of the George Bush Administration . . . Just sayin'

Commented: Wednesday, January 14th, 2015 @ 5:51 pm By: Gene Scarborough

Here is the stupid of conservatism: costsofwar.org

When we start deciding to use tax money for US needs ~~~ it is more than smart. . .

Commented: Wednesday, January 14th, 2015 @ 11:59 am By: Gene Scarborough

Is it possible on Torture that our President believes in honoring the Geneva Convention guidelines we formed against POW torture. Don't give the the BS that "they are terrorists and not soldiers . . ."

Commented: Wednesday, January 14th, 2015 @ 8:32 am By: Gene Scarborough

Hey folks ~~~ it's a no brainer ~~~ if the President withdraws from war ~~~ guess what money is available in buckets and wheelbarrows. Give me a break your stingy idiots . . .

Commented: Tuesday, January 13th, 2015 @ 7:35 pm By: Gene Scarborough

I disagree with you, Mattie. Politics is a practical business requiring more than some party label to be effective. What Paul is doing is to reach across the aisle to both parties so divided in Raleigh right now.

I thought you both said nice things about keeping the mud out of the race and now you you went to the red clay hills of NC and brought back a big load of mix you are slinging right now, in my view . . .

Commented: Tuesday, January 13th, 2015 @ 6:48 am By: Gene Scarborough

LBJ signed the Title XX War on Poverty legislation and Voter Rights legislation as well . . . The "racist democrats" have all become Conservative Republicans as be I can tell.

LBJ also commented after signing Title XX and Voter rights that the South would go Republican for the next many years . . .

Was he right or what????

Commented: Tuesday, January 13th, 2015 @ 6:25 am By: Gene Scarborough

I am agreed on this assessment. I like AG Roy Cooper for governor ~~~ regardless of his party. . .

As a Senator from Nash County, he was always accessible and honest with those of us Life Underwriters who went for our "Day on the Hill." He welcomed us to his office and took our a yellow legal pad to take notes.

"What can I do for you?" was his first question, then he listened and took notes. The exceptional his of his interview amazed me . . .

"Tell me what are the possible NEGATIVE aspects to your request for Nash County Citizens?"

He does that with everything he encounters as AG~~~Makes the person with a request think and criticize themselves over what they want.

Did our current Governor and Majority do such over Fracking and making it's chemicals a felony to disclose????

Commented: Monday, January 12th, 2015 @ 8:14 am By: Gene Scarborough

This is one NC constituent who is concerned with the immediate acts of Congress last week.
Fracking is foolish.
A pipeline over pristine lands to the Gulf makes no sense when a more direct route from Canada to the Pacific is shorter and wiser ~~~ and will cost us taxpayers far less money.
Solar is the wave of the future as well as wind and ocean tides, in my view.
I want you to represent the views of ALL in NC if you want a future representing us. You are most unwise to take your small majority vote as a mandate from a far more diverse state.

I WAS a supporter with a Conservative viewpoint. I am not a supporter of any one-sided and "no compromise" legislator. I expect you to show more intelligence in the future votes whatever they might be.

Commented: Sunday, January 11th, 2015 @ 12:48 pm By: Gene Scarborough

You just went from a BS in hate and derission to a MS with this response, buddy

Commented: Sunday, January 11th, 2015 @ 7:52 am By: Gene Scarborough

Jesse was the "go to" guy for the Republicans in Congress if they wanted it said so all would understand even with a 3rd grade comprehension level.

My personal favorite Senator from NC is still Sam Erwin. He was far more balanced than Jesse or Tillis. When he led the Watergate hearings on Nixon, he had only the Constitution in his coat pocket for all to see. Had he been there when Congress took on the stupid of Bill Clinton, he would have laughed it off the floor ~~~ because it had everything to do with hate and nothing to do with the Constitution . . .

Commented: Saturday, January 10th, 2015 @ 6:01 am By: Gene Scarborough