• reverse.org - infor on reverse mortgages
• aarp.org - more info on reverse mortgages
• idtheftcenter.org - info on identity theft
• asktheinventor.org - tips on inventions
• asktheinventor.org - tips on inventions
• inventored.org - tips on inventions
• howstuffworks.com - tips on inventions
• inventors.org - tips on inventions
• uspto.gov - U.S. Patent & Trading Office
• nolo.com - tips on inventions
• bankrate.com - "Best Rates" on CDs
• skype.com - high speed Internet connection overseas
• telestial.com - buy calling cards in a foreign country
• nfcc.org - find legitimate credit counseling help
• talk.com - cheaper local phone service

In the aftermath of Ronald Reagan’s death, Clark wanted to reflect on what he liked best about Reagan and what he did while in office. In 1986, Reagan reached a deal with Democrats to simplify the tax code. Not only was it a great plan, but the parties did it together, which was really amazing at the time. They reached a deal and the country went to just two tax brackets: 15 percent and 28 percent. There were no games or gimmicks or credits and deductions. People could fill out their tax returns in minutes and it was a great thing. But it didn’t last. The various politicians wanted “tax preferences” to help out their special interest groups. So they started adding in all of these credits and debits to line the pockets of their supporters They added more tax brackets, too, including the10, 15, 25, 28, 33 and 35 percent brackets. We have phase-outs and phase-ins and the AMT, or “alternative minimum tax,” which has ensnared tons of people. The system is so complicated that the IRS doesn’t understand it. If people in Washington want to do something to honor Reagan, they should re-instill the tax code he implemented. The second thing that would honor Reagan would be to stop the hand-to-hand combat between the political parties. Reagan had very conservative views on things, but he was always willing to work with anyone. He didn’t see Democrats as the enemy. People are so wrapped up in politics that they don’t realize the real enemies are the terrorists overseas who want to destroy us. We need to show each other decency whether you agree with one opponent or not.

Clark has been an opponent of Blockbuster for many years because the company basically tried to make money off of people through late fees. What happened was people dropped their movies off on time, but employees wouldn’t get around to clearing them in the system until after the “due back” deadline. So people were charged late fees when they didn’t deserve it. Customers were willing to put up with Blockbuster’s way of doing business until Netflix came around. Netflix revolutionized the movie rental business because there were no late fees. You pay a monthly fee to “check out” a certain number of movies per month, and you can return them whenever you want. Then, Wal-Mart came along and it started the same subscription service. Now, Blockbuster has jumped on the bandwagon and has started its own system called “Movie Pass.” You walk into Blockbuster and can check out two movies at a time for $24.99 a month. If you forget often or you don’t rent a lot of movies, it’s not smart to subscribe. But if you watch a lot of movies every month, you’ll be getting a great deal. People watch an average of 12 movies a month with this service, according to Orlando Sentinel. Ask about it at your local store.

Clark was just in New York meeting with his publisher and he has two new books in the hopper. The first will be “Clark Smart Kids.” The second will be “Clark Smart Real Estate.” They will probably be released in 2005. Political books and news are crowding the shelves right now, so it will be a while. He will release a third book that has not been named at an undetermined date. But keep your ears and eyes open! They'll be on the shelves before you know it!

You’ve heard all the talk about gasoline prices and how much we’re suffering at the pump. But how much is the cost of gasoline when compared to the cost of operating a car? Would you believe that the cost of the fuel is minimal compared other costs such as depreciation, maintenance, financing and insurance. So, what is depreciation? Well, a car is worth a certain value when you buy it. As soon as you drive off the lot, it’s worth a lot less. The typical car loses 20 percent of its value when you leave the dealership. That is depreciation. As for insurance, the difference in premiums can be eye-popping depending on the kind of car you get. Most of the time your insurance cost will exceed your fuel cost per year, even with today’s high fuel prices. People often ask Clark if they should dump their current car and get a hybrid car because gas is so expensive these days. It’s really not worth it unless your car has reached its “useful replacement cycle point.” In other words, don’t ditch a car early on in the payment cycle because you’ll end up owing a lot more.

---

What about running your car on restaurant grease? Have you heard about this? If you have a VW or Mercedes diesel, you can run your car on restaurant grease. You’ll have to perform small modifications to your engine, but it works and it burns cleaner than the regular diesel fuel we put in our cars. Check out cheap gas prices at gaspricewatch.com.

For years, Clark has been on a rampage about phony credit counseling services that steal thousands of dollars from desperate customers. One of the companies that has had unfortunate success in this scheming industry is Ameridebt. Ameridebt was pretending to be a non-profit company helping those in debt. But really the company was taking customers’ money and transferring it to a for profit business that was lining executives’ pockets. They weren’t helping anyone. Well, now Ameridebt is filing bankruptcy and will soon be out of business. There are legitimate ways to get help in the credit counseling business. The NFCC has legitimate credit counseling centers all over the country. Just go to nfcc.org and get information for your area.

How would you like free unlimited long distance calling across the U.S. to Canada and across Western Europe? Think about it. Talk as much as you want at no cost. It’s the promise of a lingo.com, an offshoot of Primus. Lingo provides an unlimited Internet telephone connection and all of the extras for $20 a month. It tells you how much things are changing in the telephone business. For years, there been a huge fight on Capitol Hill over whether companies should be able to compete with the four dominant local phone companies. Verizon, BellSouth, SBC and Qwest don’t want and competition, so they’ve been fighting it tooth and nail. But these new-age companies have blown past all of that and have figured out that all it takes is two high-speed Internet connections. Check it out at lingo.com.

Clark has a new poll up at clarkhoward.com. The question stems from a story coming from the West Coast regarding Longs Drugs. This pharmacy chain, which promotes wellness and health, recently had its shareholder meeting. Shareholders urged the pharmacy to stop selling cigarettes because it went against the message of the store. But company executives think they should be able to sell cigarettes. They are legal and the company has a right to make money, company execs say. What do you think? Tell us in our weekly poll.