Georgia Senate plans to reduce or cut out income tax (living, shops)

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Somewhat. It's also becoming a game of how little employers can pay their employees and get away with it.

The employment system is rigged to be a seller's market, and the people at the top of the chain usually take advantage of this.

I've run some small businesses and don't believe that's true. The owner gets paid last, and doesn't get paid at all when times are lean. And if the business goes under you don't get unemployment benefits yourself, even though you may have paid in for years for your employees.

Not to mention the fact that we always felt like our employees were family and treated them as such. We often helped them out with things like school tuition, medical bills, summer jobs for the kids, scrapes with the law, you name it. Nice bonuses whenever we made money, too.

The notion that employers are some big evil force is simply not well founded in my opinion.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I've run some small businesses and don't believe that's true. The owner gets paid last, and doesn't get paid at all when times are lean. And if the business goes under you don't get unemployment benefits yourself, even though you may have paid in for years for your employees.

Not to mention the fact that we always felt like our employees were family and treated them as such. We often helped them out with things like school tuition, medical bills, summer jobs for the kids, scrapes with the law, you name it. Nice bonuses whenever we made money, too.

The notion that employers are some big evil force is simply not well founded in my opinion.

I wasn't talking about average businesses, many of whom are quite small. I was talking about multi-billion-dollar empires that have morphed into entities that serve to profit their shareholders at the expense of potentially anyone else.

[erick295]

I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. You're not making any sense. Maybe an example would help..?

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I've run some small businesses and don't believe that's true. The owner gets paid last, and doesn't get paid at all when times are lean. And if the business goes under you don't get unemployment benefits yourself, even though you may have paid in for years for your employees.

Not to mention the fact that we always felt like our employees were family and treated them as such. We often helped them out with things like school tuition, medical bills, summer jobs for the kids, scrapes with the law, you name it. Nice bonuses whenever we made money, too.

The notion that employers are some big evil force is simply not well founded in my opinion.

Originally Posted by toll_booth

I wasn't talking about average businesses, many of whom are quite small. I was talking about multi-billion-dollar empires that have morphed into entities that serve to profit their shareholders at the expense of potentially anyone else.

This is pretty much exactly how I was going to answer. I had pretty much the same argument with someone else on this board (LovinDecatur I think) last year. No one is faulting the guy who runs a small pottery shop, knowing that he's probably not rolling in coin himself. My wife finally got a job after months of trying everything from mega corporate to single-person shop. She's making a whopping $8 an hour part time, but I'm positive that the owner is driving home in her Rolls.

This becomes quite a different story with larger companies.

Originally Posted by erick295

I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. You're not making any sense. Maybe an example would help..?

Are you referring to toll_booth's quote? I guess you've never heard of WalMart or much of the food industry.

[10 feet tall]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

You mean the state with the greatest percentage of uninsured in the nation? No thanks, I don't want to be a model of a state trying to become a third-world country.

You mean the state attracting high tech high paying jobs consistently? Yes, please.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

This is pretty much exactly how I was going to answer. I had pretty much the same argument with someone else on this board (LovinDecatur I think) last year. No one is faulting the guy who runs a small pottery shop, knowing that he's probably not rolling in coin himself. My wife finally got a job after months of trying everything from mega corporate to single-person shop. She's making a whopping $8 an hour part time, but I'm positive that the owner is driving home in her Rolls.

This becomes quite a different story with larger companies.

Well, I was thinking of small businesses with 20-50 employees, not only the small pottery shop. That's still the size where employees are family. We never stuck it to an employee and rode off in a Rolls.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Well, I was thinking of small businesses with 20-50 employees, not only the small pottery shop. That's still the size where employees are family. We never stuck it to an employee and rode off in a Rolls.

Arjay, you have to remember that the criticisms against big businesses are primarily directed against big corporations in certain industries, particularly financial. I've worked with an organization the size you mentioned and yes, it did feel somewhat like a family.

[CaniMove]

Originally Posted by jsvh

But do you really want to discourage spending? Sending people out of state to spend money?

I support a simplified tax system, which would accomplish. However, taxes must be progressive and focus on disposable income. Even "Fair Tax" Recognizes this with their "Prebate".

This bill only accomplishes "prevent[ing] the Legislature from raising the state income tax" hardly eliminating it. And I think this bill has flaws: "SR 412 would require that any increase in the sales tax go toward lowering the income tax." Makes it sound like you would eliminate the ability for counties to do sales taxes to support schools and the like.

Tennessee and Texas don't have income taxes, and spending is just fine in both places.

Originally Posted by arjay57

I've run some small businesses and don't believe that's true. The owner gets paid last, and doesn't get paid at all when times are lean. And if the business goes under you don't get unemployment benefits yourself, even though you may have paid in for years for your employees.

Not to mention the fact that we always felt like our employees were family and treated them as such. We often helped them out with things like school tuition, medical bills, summer jobs for the kids, scrapes with the law, you name it. Nice bonuses whenever we made money, too.

The notion that employers are some big evil force is simply not well founded in my opinion.

Get a grip. Nobody is talking about your dinky businesses. I'm pretty sure they are talking about huge multinational corporations.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by CaniMove

Tennessee and Texas don't have income taxes, and spending is just fine in both places.

But both Texas and Tennessee have sales tax rates comparable to GA. All are in the 6-9.25% range.

[A2DAC1985]

Originally Posted by arjay57

...And why punish people for working? Especially when you are giving a free ride to able-bodied people who are doing nothing but sitting around and drawing a government check (or checks)?

I will give you a free ride. I have a Ford Fiesta and a Ferrari.

Which one would you rather ride in?

And which one do you think the people living on "government money" is riding around in?