Ask Joe the Plumber

(Editor's Note: The Angry Drunk Bureaucrat is pleased to announce that we have signed on Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, aka, "Joe the Plumber," fresh on the heels of his reporting for PajamasMedia on the current Middle East conflict. Joe will answer your reader submitted questions. We hope this will be a regular feature on our site, until such time as his fifteen minutes of fame are over.)

Dear Joe the Plumber:

During his campaign, the President-Elect promised Middle Class tax relief for 95 percent of workers and their families with a tax cut of $500 for workers or $1,000 for working couples. Given the current economic situation, is this campaign promise still feasible, given the proposed stimulus package, or will it just drain the economy further?

Frank M., Eugene OR

Dear Frank,

You can keep your drains clog-free and odorless by using the following homemade noncorrosive drain cleaner weekly. Combine 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup table salt, and 1/4 cup cream of tartar. Stir ingredients together thoroughly and pour into a clean, covered jar. Pour 1/4 cup of mixture into drain, and immediately add 1 cup boiling water. Wait 10 seconds, then flush with cold water. Flushing weekly with a generous amount of boiling water also works well.

-JtP

Dear Joe the Plumber:

The Russia-Ukraine gas dispute is causing massive disruption of service between the former Soviet Union and the nations of Western Europe. Is the Russian position, as they say, as a result of a Ukrainian $2.4 billion debt to Russian state-controlled gas supplier Gazpro, or is this the start of a new energy imperialism policy by the Kremlin?

Brian H., Kalamazoo, MI

Dear Brian,

Before installing, turn off the water at the shutoff valve. Flush the toilet to empty the bowl and tank, and sponge out any remaining water. Disconnect the water-supply tube from the shutoff valve, drain the water from the tube into a bucket, then unscrew the coupling nut on the supply tube at the bottom of the tank.

If the hold-down bolts that fasten the toilet to the floor are corroded to the extent that you can't remove the nuts, soak the bolts with penetrating oil or cut them off with a hacksaw. When you bolt the new bowl to the floor, be very careful not to overtighten the nuts as this can crack the porcelain.

-JtP

Dear Joe the Plumber,

Is it worthwhile to install an insulation blanket on top of my hot water heater? What can I expect to see in energy savings?

Greg T., Pittsburgh, PA

Dear Greg,

After three years of my business growing through word of mouth, I am at the point of considering expanding by hiring my first employee. As a small business owner, more governing regulations and taxes would prevent me from expanding my American Dream. That sounds like Socialism to me.

-JtP

If you want Joe to answer your questions on plumbing, country music, politics, the works of Marcel Proust, or metaphysics, drop us an email at notoriousadb[at]gmail[dot]com.