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Middle class is just different I what standards people expect to be middle class. Basically at one time it was a roof over your heads and enough to eat with a little extra. Now its many of the toys and more. Nothing wrong with it tho persay if that is what people want and work towards it.
Here’s an example of what the rich think and feel. Perkins of California compares the plight of the wealthiest Americans to the Jews in Nazi Germany. And don’t miss his idea of "If you pay a million dollars, you should get a million votes,"
What happened to democracy in America – one man one vote.
I'm the OP and I'm not interested in the least in discouraging "flamboyant displays of wealth." In fact, Elton John is one of my favorite people. What I am interested in discouraging is:
1. The rich hiding their money in Switzerland, The Caymans, or other off-shore locations so they avoid paying taxes.
2. Corporations and individuals who spend huge amounts of lobbying money to contort tax laws in favor of the already rich.
3. Corporations and individuals that hire teams of lawyers to find every possible means by which they can avoid taxes they can well afford to pay, however absurd or hurtful to others.
4. The rich who pay a far, far smaller percentage of their income in taxes than ordinary people do. (As in the famous example of the CEO who pays a lower percentage of taxes than his secretary.)
If people have tons of money, they are welcome to spend it in any way they please, the way I look at it. You want a $10,000 pair of shoes, have at it ... unless you got the money by ripping off the taxpayers who are your maids and gardeners. That I disapprove of. All people in this country are theoretically supposed to have equal opportunities. Presenting me with the opportunity to pay more taxes than Exxon pays is unAmerican. Especially if corporations are people, too, my friend.
Great post Jukesgrrl! It is just simply amazing how many people blame the poor, union workers and such for the current state of affairs. When corporations and the rich are doing so much more damage to the middle class.
Here’s an example of what the rich think and feel. Perkins of California compares the plight of the wealthiest Americans to the Jews in Nazi Germany. And don’t miss his idea of "If you pay a million dollars, you should get a million votes,"
What happened to democracy in America – one man one vote.
It is still "one man one vote". As for Perkins, I was super angry with his remarks until I came to the conclusion that he is demented (as in the early stage of Alzheimer's or such). Seriously. So, I figure it's best to ignore him since he won't be around for very long.
What happened to democracy in America – one man one vote.
What happened was that the franchise was extended, for political purposes, to a lot more people who enter the voting booth speculating upon what they have to gain (by selling their vote) than what they have to lose.
I wouldn't put too much stock into a biased NYT article. Yes, the wealthy are prospering from the middle class. But so do the poor and illegal immigrants who don't belong here. Unnecessary wars that make the rich richer and social programs that give handouts to the poor. Illegal immigration...who pays for that? Your middle class tax dollars. While the wealthy corporations like Google, GE, Microsoft, Boeing are paying less than 10% in taxes vs the 35 - 40% most middle class citizens pay.
Despite that I don't like subscribe to the "eat the rich" mentality. To date, a poor man has never given me a job.
Seriously, you're really going to go there?? Number 1, the Obamas pay for their own clothes. The taxpayers do not, unless you count the fact that the taxpayers pay the president's salary which is used for dressing his family, among other things. It is unlawful for the president's family to take freebies from designers, but it's certainly not against the law for them to pay the wholesale price, which I'm sure they do — as Mrs. Reagan, Mrs. Clinton, and both Mrs. Bushes did.
Do you know how much free publicity a designer gets any time ANY first lady wears one of their outfits? And to a state dinner in honor of the president of France, no less? Even if designer Carolina Herrera sold Mrs. Obama a $12,000 dress for the wholesale price of $1,200, Ms. Herrera's company got 10 X $12,000 worth of free publicity from the photos alone. Not to mention the cache gained by her work being seated next to the president of the fashion industry's world capital. And just for the record, do you think the James Galanos gowns worn by Mrs. Reagan, or the Neiman Marcus clothes favored by Laura Bush, were paid for by the taxpayers? Or paid for at retail prices? The United States fashion industry benefits worldwide from publicity generated by our nation's first ladies.
So that was an uncalled for cheap shot. Unless you can make a case for the president of the U.S. being overpaid (the president's salary was increased from $200,000 to $400,000 by order of Congress in 2001, the first year of the Bush administration).
Yes, we the tax payers pay them so they can enjoy those things like the rich people do. None of them should live like king and queens at the expense of tax payers. America is not a monarchy or a plutocracy regardless of party (dems or repubs). You accuse the corporations but it's the very same politicians who line their pockets from them (corporate lobby groups) rather than listening to the people. Instead of telling the rich and the middle class how to behave they need to look at themselves in the mirror first and set a better example then. WE pay them. Only hipocrites can't practice what they preach (equality).
I'm the OP and I'm not interested in the least in discouraging "flamboyant displays of wealth." In fact, Elton John is one of my favorite people. What I am interested in discouraging is:
1. The rich hiding their money in Switzerland, The Caymans, or other off-shore locations so they avoid paying taxes.
2. Corporations and individuals who spend huge amounts of lobbying money to contort tax laws in favor of the already rich.
3. Corporations and individuals that hire teams of lawyers to find every possible means by which they can avoid taxes they can well afford to pay, however absurd or hurtful to others.
4. The rich who pay a far, far smaller percentage of their income in taxes than ordinary people do. (As in the famous example of the CEO who pays a lower percentage of taxes than his secretary.)
If people have tons of money, they are welcome to spend it in any way they please, the way I look at it. You want a $10,000 pair of shoes, have at it ... unless you got the money by ripping off the taxpayers who are your maids and gardeners. That I disapprove of. All people in this country are theoretically supposed to have equal opportunities. Presenting me with the opportunity to pay more taxes than Exxon pays is unAmerican. Especially if corporations are people, too, my friend.
The government is the biggest wasteful spender than all the corporations combined. 17 trillion in the hole and putting the tax payers on the hook for it. The reason why companies like GE, Google etc. (not just Exxon, btw) pay little to nothing is because the politicians (dems and repubs) are taking the money from them to pass such laws. Until there is lobby reform in DC nothing is going to change. It the politicians who actually allow this to happen. It's how they make their side money my friend.
[quote=malamute;33451108]The greedy rich would include Oprah but how does she take my income unless I choose to watch her show or whatever it is she offers now? Or Bill Gates, but he gets my money only if I buy one of the products his companies produce. And the filthy rich Hollywood celebrities -- but they get my money if I pay to see some movie or buy music. In other words, with the rich, I get something in return.
The government dependent only take. I pay thousands in property taxes, and federal income taxes, gasoline taxes, and many other taxes and I don't benefit but others do.
/quote]
The all-around benefit is supposed to be a quality of life one- we don't have to live with bars over our windows (in many places) or with machine guns strapped to our backs, and there are no favelas, not in the sense that there are in many places in the world. We are fortunate enough to live in a generally clean, safe society in part because some of those folks who might pose those risks otherwise are lifted up a bit.
I personally don't agree with welfare and believe most benefits should have an expiration date: good old tough love to get people back to work. Unfortunately jobs today are of course low paying and non-benefitted, with little room for advancement. The incentive to work versus sitting back and receiving free -or reduced price- housing, food, healthcare, etc. is going to tip heavily to the wrong side unless changes come on the job front. Sad state of things. Pride falls by the wayside, every man out for himself with the shameful state of jobs and the lack of future opportunities.
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What I am interested in discouraging is:
