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Get it right. I want more of the money I EARNED!!!! Not a handout. I want to see more of the money I earn work for me and let me choose to spend it how I see fit. If I put that money into my own retirement or God forbid, take a vacation, let that be my choice.
Do you also want police?
Do you also want fire protection?
Do you also want a military?
Do you also want public schools?
Do you also want a court system?
Do you also want emergency medical services?
Do you also want air traffic control?
Do you also want protection from food-borne illness?
Do you also want prisons?
Do you also want safe roads and bridges?
Do you consider it a handout when the police come to the aid of you and your neighbors? Do you consider your children's enrollment in public schools a handout?
Or do you only support the government programs that benefit you and disavow the ones that benefit others?
Look, I'd like a tax break as much as the next guy. Realistically, though, you have to keep in mind what services those monies support. Is there some waste? Yes. is there bureaucracy? You bet. However, living in a society comes at a cost.
Somalia has really low taxes. Hasn't seemed to improve the quality of life much there.
It seems that QOL for the middle class was better when taxes on the richest Americans were much, much higher. That's where we should go back to. Then maybe those in the middle class could get a tax break.
I was shocked that Texas was as high as 14, given that they have the lowest graduation rate in the nation.
I do think that of all the taxes I pay, the pay spent on teachers salary is some of the more worth while. There are plenty of places to save like school construction and general spending. But the teachers I had were pretty smart and I think paying them a decent wage makes a lot of sense.
Do you also want police?
Do you also want fire protection?
Do you also want a military?
Do you also want public schools?
Do you also want a court system?
Do you also want emergency medical services?
Do you also want air traffic control?
Do you also want protection from food-borne illness?
Do you also want prisons?
Do you also want safe roads and bridges?
So you're telling me only the highly taxed tri-state areas has all of these services? I hate to tell you but even red states have these services. I can honestly, honestly say I have not seen ONE bit of difference in any local services between the northeast and the south. Nothing. Now maybe if I was living on government handouts, I'd see it. But as a working person, there is not one thing that CT gives me that the states of FL and VA did not.
You could hold a gun to my head and I could not tell you one thing. The roads are the same down south. There are fire trucks and police cars. Big shiny ones. There are ambulances too. And prisons. And bridges. I swear.
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Somalia has really low taxes. Hasn't seemed to improve the quality of life much there.
And Hartford and Bridgeport ghettos have really high taxes. Hasn't seemed to improve the quality of life or the school there.
I guess we can conclude that government spending does not make an area better.
Wow, the state has really done a number on people. I cannot believe there are people that think if you don't pay half of your income in taxes, you won't get any "services". Wow.
Well, the *** is up Connecticut. Soon, this state will only be left with those who are either stuck here or are afraid to leave.
It's reminding me of that M. Nigh Shamalan movie, The Village. They had everyone convinced if they left, they would die in the big scary world. Better to stay in the controlled environment.
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seems that QOL for the middle class was better when taxes on the richest Americans were much, much higher. That's where we should go back to. Then maybe those in the middle class could get a tax break.
I'd rather see the government rein in their spending first before we even talk about who should be taxed more. I'll never be a a millionaire but even I don't think someone should pay more than half of their pay in taxes because the government thinks they've made enough money.
I guess we should all just play Mother May I with the government with our own spending money? May I go out to eat this weekend? Is this restaurant okay or is it too expensive? I can always downgrade to Taco Bell and give the difference to the government to do as they see fit. I mean, we can play this game all day long.
I honestly feel I give enough of my money to other sources. Not only do I have taxes but my charitable donations include: church, any charity that calls the house (Special olympics, cancer research, disabled children), tons of charities from Facebook friends and family (somebody is always, always trying to raise money for something), several animal charities (the rescue I was involved in Florida and Virginia as well as two local CT rescues) I am not a greedy person. Not by a long shot.
A person questioning the manner in which their taxes aren't spent isn't greedy. It's being smart. When all is said and done, we are living on less than 50% of what we make. Keep in mind my husband is self employed. Jviello can back me up that this state is merciless on the self employed.
When all is said and done, we are living on less than 50% of what we make. Keep in mind my husband is self employed. Jviello can back me up that this state is merciless on the self employed.
I am not going to respond to all of your post. We've covered the ground before. You're not changing me, and I am not changing you.
I am self-employed as well.
You ought to find a new accountant if you are taking home less than 50% of what you make.
Less taxes and more money in your pocket? Say it ain't so! Seriously, is there anyone that denies this? I'm greedy because I want see more of the money I make going into my checking account?
a) It's hard to listen to people that use the term '*******' seriously. Besides, I don't toe even the Democratic party line, and am an Independent. I also have many conservative viewpoints.
b) To answer your question, yes, there are people who deny it and say they're complaining on ideological grounds. 'I want more money' is not an ideology.
c) My point is obviously not being understood here, but I was trying to get across that these numbers (pay, tax, take-home pay, cost of living) are not unaffected by one another. In general, places with higher cost of living pay higher salaries. It works both ways -- employers offer higher salaries because the cost of living is higher and they want to attract people to the position, AND cost of living is higher because people in those areas have more money at their disposal. Cost of living is higher in places with good schools that pay teachers well. Regardless of whether someone is self-employed or employed by a company, their income does not get calculated by a robot that decides how much they're worth. How do you know you'd make the same amount of money if you had the same job but the cost of living were 50% of what it is, or taxes were 25% less? You don't think an employer would realize they could pay less and still attract someone to your position? In the case of a business owner, you don't think your competition could realize they could undercut you in an area where the market would beg for it?
I don't have a problem with people keeping their money, I have a problem with people thinking some sort of super-intelligent robot decided how much they got paid and if all the other costs that drag them down were removed or reined in, they'd magically be a lot wealthier.
mlassoff:"It seems that QOL for the middle class was better when taxes on the richest Americans were much, much higher."
LOL, lets see what else was going on. The period referenced occured right after WWII:
(1) Ct a manufacturing state-which has the best ratio of supplier-direct jobs
(2) Japan and Europe in ruins. Asians in their rice paddies. So the competition to increase productivity and remove waste from the mfg sector came from, um um um, we'll find it..no one.
Now life is challenging, and each state must learn to compete. If they don't do so, and don't become efficient as the private sector has, result is no new net jobs in 21 years. This book ranks the critical aspects affecting costs by state beautifully. Its produced independently of any one state, but states that rank well often link their sites to it.
Yankeerose:"I'd rather see the government rein in their spending first before we even talk about who should be taxed more."
Excellent point; your governor is one of few this year who announced tax hikes up the ying yang first, with just a "placeholder" for union savings. That increases the unions ability to say "no", and create a Malloy PATCO moment. Who blinks first loses! In 2011, you won't see a union try that with a Republican, for good reason.
Christie said it best this am on Morning Joe: "Labor needs to have an adversary, not a friend, across from it at a negotiating table." Malloy is not elected w/o labor. Malloy needs labor. Now Malloy can blink and save himself, but it will be interesting to see if he creates a anti-Democratic mood in Ct.
BTW, Christie did say he'll be greeting corps fleeing from Malloy's excess taxation at the state line. NJ's budget is down 5 bill (real $) in 2 years-1/7! Cuomo is also likely to cut spending in real dollars, not just under new budget amounts the WH likes to call "cuts". So its not a RTW thing, or a Southeast thing, or Southwest, or Rust Belt, it comes down to being able to say "We have a spending problem if state budget increases have consistently outpaced every independent indice, such as COL, per capita, etc. Cuomo correctly tied it to lack of job growth, and is making the tough decisions.
Somalia has really low taxes. Hasn't seemed to improve the quality of life much there.
Wait...so you think that the United States got where it is because they taxed more? Really? I have news for you that they never taught you in the government schools...we prospered and became the best nation on earth because we REJECTED excessive taxation!
Wow, you really don't get it. You really don't.
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Originally Posted by mlassoff
I am self-employed as well.
You ought to find a new accountant if you are taking home less than 50% of what you make.
Mark. Stop it. Seriously. I owned a technology company in CT from 1999 to 2003. I know the game. You are pretty much tax free, and don't have a fraction of the operating costs a brick and mortar business in CT does. So just give it up. Your big dilema is your income tax based on your schedule C.
Deal with local government for permits and license, property tax and insurance and then come talk to me. You don't have a friggin clue what running a business in CT requires. Tell me for one second that you have a DRS ID and file quarterly reports and I'll laugh in your face because you do NO business in CT and if you do it's 1% and tax free.
Your business is NOT in CT, just your mailing address.
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Originally Posted by bobtn
Yankeerose:"I'd rather see the government rein in their spending first before we even talk about who should be taxed more."
Excellent point; your governor is one of few this year who announced tax hikes up the ying yang first, with just a "placeholder" for union savings. That increases the unions ability to say "no", and create a Malloy PATCO moment. Who blinks first loses! In 2011, you won't see a union try that with a Republican, for good reason.
Christie said it best this am on Morning Joe: "Labor needs to have an adversary, not a friend, across from it at a negotiating table." Malloy is not elected w/o labor. Malloy needs labor. Now Malloy can blink and save himself, but it will be interesting to see if he creates a anti-Democratic mood in Ct.
BTW, Christie did say he'll be greeting corps fleeing from Malloy's excess taxation at the state line. NJ's budget is down 5 bill (real $) in 2 years-1/7! Cuomo is also likely to cut spending in real dollars, not just under new budget amounts the WH likes to call "cuts". So its not a RTW thing, or a Southeast thing, or Southwest, or Rust Belt, it comes down to being able to say "We have a spending problem if state budget increases have consistently outpaced every independent indice, such as COL, per capita, etc. Cuomo correctly tied it to lack of job growth, and is making the tough decisions.
Does your accountant work to minimize the taxes you pay?
Yes, within the law, that's what an accountant does. Am I missing something?
Last edited by mlassoff; 02-23-2011 at 08:16 PM..
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