Tax cuts for the Rich

“I used to be dirt poor, raising 5 children these days will do that to you. I got to deduct the mortgage interest, and claim a total of 7 deductions for me and my dependents. There was one year when I paid the federal government exactly 0 dollars. The state and local didn't too much either. Does that seem fair to you???? I mean, look at how many services I was using. There were the schools, the "free" inoculations, and all the other gov't services available.

Incidentally, I never received AFDC, food stamps, HEAP, or any other program, with one exception. That was WIC coupons, which really were a Godsend. Most years I actually made too much to qualify for most programs. For 10 years, I worked 80 hours a week, for 10 more, 60 hours a week. My kids, I'll have to feed them. One year, I applied for food stamps. I made $180.00 too much so was denied a rather sizable allotment of food stamps. They wouldn't even prorate it for me. If only I had taken one week off of the overtime, I would have had it made and sponged off the system.

Now that I pay through the nose for child support, I don't get many write offs, and I am paying huge taxes. At a time when I am not using so many gov't services.

I tell you, it never made sense to me, except that you had to pay your taxes or go to jail....”

“here it is, read it and weep...


Washington Times Op-Ed: The Richest 1%



Dateline: December 18, 2002
Headline: The richest 1 percent
Byline: The Washington Times

So much for Republicans being the party of the wealthy. According to a new study by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, that moniker more appropriately belongs to the Democrats. "Republicans raised more than Democrats from individuals who contributed small and medium amounts of money during the 2002 election cycle," the report notes, "but Democrats far outpaced Republicans among deep-pocketed givers." Among donors who gave more than $200 but less than $1,000, Republicans enjoyed a substantial $68 million to $44 million edge over Democrats. The margin was closer among those individuals who gave $1,000 or more: The GOP took in $317 million, compared to the Democrats' $307 million.

But among the fabulously wealthy, the Democrats cleaned house. Donors of $10,000 or more gave $140 million to Democrats, while only $111 million went to Republicans. Among those individuals who gave $100,000 or more, the Democrats raised $72 million compared to the Republicans' $34 million. And when it comes to the millionaires' club - those kicking in $1 million or more - the Democratic Party skunked the GOP, $36 million to $3 million. Needless to say, despite the near-parity in overall amounts - $384 million to the Republicans vs. $350 million to the Democrats - the number of individual donors to the GOP exceeded those to the Democratic Party by more than 40 percent.

In other words, in 2002 a select group of bigwigs dumped big money into Democratic causes, while a broad base of folks donated respectable [but not overwhelming] amounts to Republican candidates. That goes a long way toward explaining the Democrats' shallow support in the midterm elections, and should give an indication of which party's agenda has been hijacked by the big money-men.

But it also sheds light on the president's first round of tax cuts - arguably the highest-profile domestic referendum in the midterm elections. We can't help but notice that only those who are so stinking rich that money doesn't matter supported the Democrats' opposition to tax cuts. Meanwhile, the many more who form the backbone of America's economy supported the Republicans. As the White House and congressional Republicans prepare a new tax package, we hope they bear that in mind. And just to show that there are no hard feelings, we'll still support tax cuts for the limousine liberals. With all that extra change in their pockets, maybe they'll put it to more productive uses than propping up the rejected policies of the Democratic Party.”

“Strat - Are you a Moonie? Do you worship the Reverend Moon? Do you have a photo of him on your nightstand when you have sex?”

“Stratdewd, not suprising since the top three wealthiest senators are Democrats: John Kerry of Massachusetts, with a net worth of at least $164 million; Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, with a net worth of at least $111 million, and John "Jay" Rockefeller of West Virginia, with an estimated net worth of at least $82 million.”

“Good artical Strat. I heard (I think on NPR) that of the doners to the RNC the average donation was only like $273 dollars. So much for the myth of big business owning the party.”

“right prosicuter, in fact 9 out of the richest 12 senators are dems.

it's funny how Kerry is worth 700 million and he's talking about sticking it to the rich man...

nigal, i'm surprized NPR would run that. cool”

“So much for the myth of big business owning the party."
Nigal
09:15:24 AM
03/12/04

Ignorant statement. Where are your facts? Or is this just a belief?”

“you call it sticking it to the rich man, I call it being fair to everyone.”

“"nigal, i'm surprized NPR would run that. cool"

Don't quote me on that being NPR Strat because it was a while ago I heard it and I might have heard it on Hannity.”

“If it wasn't for those relatively few 'fabulously wealthy' philanthropists, the party of greed would own the country outright.”

“That'$ it. I'm running for pre$ident. I'm willing to take lots of ca$h from the backpacking lobby. Oh and I promi$e as pre$ident I will lie and cheat everyone, so there won’t be any $urpri$e$.”

“tilt, you have a firm grasp of the obvious.....NAWT

9 out of the 12 richest senators are dems tilt.....Kerry is worth 700MILLIN

care to comment on that?”

“2008”

“"9 out of the 12 richest senators are dems tilt.....Kerry is worth 700MILLIN"

Damn! And here I thought all democrats were humble paupers that wanted nothing but to serve their fellow man as best they could. Didn't Kerry have to morgage his house to raise money? WTH? I think it will be interesting to see how deep Kerry’s pockets go as far as special interest groups are concerned in the coming months.”

“Who’s willing to make me some campaign contributions? I could use some money to embezzle. I’d like to get a nice new Western Mountaineering bag.”

“I don't know what the above have to do with tax cuts but I'll throw some gasoline of my own on the fire.

The House of Saud has transferred at least $1,477,100,000 (that's $1.47 BILLION) to George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, James A. Baker III, Dick Cheney and the major institutions that they are tied to, including the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library, the Carlyle Group and Halliburton.”

“Asked and answered.”

“i didn't think so tilt.....”

“The point isn't how much they've GOT, it's what they DO with it.”

“Tilt, it's sad that you actually have to say it.”

“you big-government Demo-types never seem to make the connection between lowering taxes and creating jobs....

"They never get around to explaining how higher taxes would help create a single job in America, except maybe at
the IRS."

GW Bush”

“I have yet to be shown any examples of where we were able to tax our way out of a recession.

Tax cuts made by democrats (JFK) good...tax cuts by republicans...BAD!”

“Guys - how many jobs have been created by Bush's tax cuts?

One of the largest programs of tax cuts targeted to the wealthy was sold on the same grounds just a few years before the Great Depression.

Learn your economic history and look around you.”

“Oh... and Clinton raised taxes on the wealthy just before the longest and greatest economic expansion in our history.”

“so you think higher taxes are good for job growth , violin?

please explain how that works....”

“What? You think the jobs just spring up over night after the cut is signed in? What school of economics did you go to anyhow? The savings haven't even been felt yet. Any kind of groth would simply be on speculation until the cash gets in our hands, no?”

“I think he went to Rutgers school of economics.

Job growth for India sure seems to have been stimulated!”

“Rutgers is correct.

Supply side is bunk and has been thoroughly discredited by experience. Only ideologues with a self-serving political agenda make this argument. I don’t know why so many people of modest means (or less) buy into this crap so eagerly. It’s against your immediate self-interest!

Textbook, plain vanilla economic theory tells you that you stimulate an economy buy stimulating aggregate demand. You can do that by putting money in the hands of the poor and middle classes because they will spend it and create jobs. In my opinion, the greatest threat to our prosperity is the widening income gap. There are scores of empirical studies that show this hurts an economy. Look at Latin American economies. Lopsided tax cuts make matters worse in the long run.”

“I guess I should finish taht thought.

By raising taxes on the wealthy (raise capital gains tax for example) and lowering the burden on the working class (increase earned income credit for example), the budget could be balanced, aggregate demand stimulated, jobs created and basic fairness restored to our system. There is more than enough capital searching for profits in the world, what is needed is someone to buy what is produced.”

“put money in poor peoples hands.....by what means? theft?

i have shown over and over how the poorest 50% don't pay any taxes so how do you give them a tax break?”

“strat - you are wrong and you're a broken record.”

“are you afraid to answer the question? shall i show you again how the top of wage earners pay 96.03% of income taxes?

perhaps you doupt the IRS's numbers?”

“It's like Amway. If you keep telling yourself that it will work...”

“See strat, you don't count and your facts are lies because they don't agree with Violin.

And WE'RE closeminded?”

“This has puzzled me for years, V.

Supporting tax cuts for the wealthiest 1 or 2% runs counter to the self interest of middle class Republicans.

Why do they do it? Are they completely bamboozled? Perhaps they support the Conservative social agenda so stongly that it's a price they're willing to pay (and pay dearly).”

“Besides federal income taxes there are federal witholding taxes, state income taxes, state sales taxes, local property taxes and on and on... Many of those start at the first dollar... so yes, the poor DO pay taxes.

I mentioned the earned income credit in the post right above you. That is a way to cut taxes on even the neediest who pay no federal income tax. That was a program that was expanded by your great leader, Ronald Reagan so it has to be good... right?”

“See David Stockman's 'Trojan Horse' explanation, Tilt.”

“yeah well, you'll have to look to local and state legislatures for that violin. Kerry or bush can do nothing about sales tax or property taxes. our town has so many hidden taxes it's criminal, and guess who runs things round here....DEMOCRATS. yup, the dems are the ones who cram those taxes down our throat. i don't even own my land, i rent it from the gubment. ciggy taxes, beer tax, gas tax, property tax, impact fees, hotel/resturant tax, internet tax, phone tax, all democrat ideas...all democrat ideas. bush can't do a thing about it.....states rights dontcha know.

now, bush did give a tax cut to the "rich...the richest 50% of wage earners...who pay 96.04 of all income taxes. that's who got tax cuts from bush. people who pay taxes....everyone who pays income taxes. an earned tax credit is not a tax cut, it's an entitlement program. it's a giveaway, not a tax cut. that's the same doublespeak that says if we raise taxes, we'll save money...or if we lower taxes, it "saves" us money. it's rediculous.

now please tell us all how taking someones money creates jobs....why don't we just give everyone whatever they want and make everybodies house the same size and feed everyone the same thing and....well, you get the idea.


tilt, i work for rich people....they ARE my interest. they feed and clothe my kids, fill my truck w/gas, pay my bills. you want to harm them and you think it won't harm me? i'd be willing to bet you are in the top 25% of wage earners tilt....wouldnt that make you rich? thus, voting for dems is againt your best interest, right?


LOOK!
Top 5% pay 53.25% of all income taxes. The top 10% pay 64.89%. The top 25% pay 82.9%. The top 50% pay 96.03%.

The bottom 50%? They pay a paltry 3.97% of all income taxes. The top 1% is paying more than ten times the federal income taxes than the bottom 50%!

The top 1% earns 17.53 of all income. The top 5% earns 31.99. The top 10% earns 43.11%; the top 25% earns 65.23%, and the top 50% earns 86.19% of all the income.


NOW LOOK AT THIS!!

according to the IRS:
if you make 2000:......313,469 you're in the top !%......128,336, top 5%......92,144, top 10%......55,225, top 25%......27,682 you are in the top 50% of wage earners in adjusted growth income.

that means that soem of those mean rich people that got tax cuts ....the top 50%...are only making 27G's a year. you idiots think that's tax cuts for the rich? dayum ya'll are so mind numed it's actually sad.



JIHAD TRUTH!”

“Why do you hate America?”

“If it is a fact that 50% of America doens't pay tax, then THAT'S a phuckin problem.

You pay tax, Strut?”

“"i have shown over and over how the poorest 50% don't pay any taxes so how do you give them a tax break?............"


OR


"The bottom 50%? They pay a paltry 3.97% of all income taxes. The top 1% is paying more than ten times the federal income taxes than the bottom 50%!.........."



Which IS it!?!

Also, don't "they" pay tax on purchases at stores, or is that some Gubment program I'm not aware of?




Strut, we both know that the cut the "top 1%" got adds up to more money than what you and I got. Let's not try to mislead anyone here.

Here's a good example.

I went into my bosses office the other day to dicuss pay. He told me that there was no money for a raise, we all got 1% and that's it.

He makes at least $110,000, so his raise was $1,100.

I make 30,000. My raise was 300.00.


His gross amount is almost 4 times mine.

Tell me that's fair?”

“Lagtis, your boss thinks that is fair.

A friend of minenicknamed Moose, from Ashland, Wisconsin, worked for his brother-in-law selling stainless steel. He asked his brother-in-law for a $5,000 a year raise. His brother-in-law laughed, and said he wasn't worth it. The guy quit, and went to work for a rival company on commission, and by November of that year, he made more money than his brother-in-law. Years later, the company cut the commission percentages because the guy was making more money than his bosses. He demanded that they re-institute the old rate of commissions. They laughed and said he wasn't worth it. He quit on the spot and opened up his OWN company. Within two years, he is now a millionare.

But on the whole issue, AFTER the economy is firmly moving ahead, the best thing to do is cut some of the spending and scale back some of the tax cuts.”

“went into my bosses office the other day to dicuss pay. He told me that there was no money for a raise, we all got 1% and that's it.

He makes at least $110,000, so his raise was $1,100.

I make 30,000. My raise was 300.00.


His gross amount is almost 4 times mine.

Tell me that's fair?"


Get off your butt and become the boss. Only your envy of those above you and the time you waste posting here are holding you back.”

“Crack me UP!

Savage, if I ever meet you, I want to buy you a beer or three!

Some people out here want to work in areas where they can make a difference. Sorry for trying to do something with your kids.


I have no envy of what my boss has to go through. All that time he wastes reading students Live Journals to be used against them is not what I'm into.

BTW - Funny you should mention your suggestion, Savage.....seeing as though I'm quiting my job in a couple of weeks and going back to school, for the second time. LMAO! Your claro-phuckin-voyant!

You be Ms. Cleo!?!

Besides, I feel that my time is not wasted here, seeing as I get the inside scope on how an ass pirate, such as yourself, operates!


PS - There's no phuckin money where I work cuz of your dip chit, cocksmoker of a President. Down turn in the economy has me going up against the wall, having to make tuff decisions with a wife and two kids, phuck me very much!”

“A. Make it good beer.

B. I don't need you to do squat for my kids.

C. Good for you! This time pick a major that will allow you to support your family without all the whining.

D. I'm heterosexual, but you can still fantasize.

E. He's the President of the USA, so that makes him your President too.”

“"B. I don't need you to do squat for my kids........"


Prolly the main reason why the Mexicans will be doing the jobs they should be.


Heee, alrightly then. Name yer beer and it'll be provided.......



I hope I can return enough bottles to cover this :)”

“Geeze, if you're that bad off, I'll pay for the beer, you just need to come to CA to get it.”

“Heheeee. Cripes, can't even make fun of myself!

How about we both have a standing invite?

I'll even through in a hike also.”

“For the laughs you two just provided me, I'll buy the beers.”