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I expected more booing for Palin at Scottrade, but it was mostly silent. Some cheers and clapping.
Curious to know why you "expected more booing for Palin @ Scottrade"?
Also, you give the impression that it was just kinda lukewarm response from the crowd?
Just gotta ask, was ya there? Cause from my ears listening to the crowd as I was standing in the lower sections, and even from the YouTube link you provided, seemed like they were quite vocal, and mostly from the positive side of the coin - even tho' I saw ~4 signs and ~2 buttons and 1 shirt for Obama/Biden during the evening, and only two items for McCain/Palin. She and her family were quite welcome to come there, IMHO. As I was jiving for a decent place to capture some photos, I asked one usher lady about what she thought it was gonna be like - shades of Philly or what,,, she replied that 'hope the crowd would be nice hosts, and treat 'em w/ respect, as StL folk do'. Was proud to say that for most part, they were, and did.
I'm not saying she should've been booed, but from reading forums, listening to radio, and talking to people, I expected more booing. I know St. Louisans are generally more polite, but I figured it would be more like Philly. And I meant the booing wasn't as loud (you couldn't hear much). (I am basing this from what I saw on TV.) That's what I meant by quieter.
I'll be glad when this election is over. Anything I say I get yelled at.
Exactly. Things like flat taxes and sales tax are a retrogressive tax on the poor and lower middle class. If you are making $10/hour and have a couple kids, every dime you have will be spent on rent, food, and gas. Taxing these people more puts them in even worse shape than they already are. If you are making $300k a year, a 5% increase in taxes means you may have to keep your BMW an extra year before getting a new one, but you'll still have plenty of food in the fridge. Are they "lazy" for only making $10 an hour? Some, maybe, some, no. Does every millionaire work for their money or are some just lucky or inherited it? Probably a little bit of both. A complete flat tax would be very unfair, as people with six-figure and higher incomes would get HUGE tax breaks, at the expense of the lower- and middle-classes who are having a harder and harder time getting by as it is. That, I consider to be very unfair.
I'd personally be for a much simplified income tax system, where people making a household income under a certain amount (say, $25k for a family of 3 or 4) pay zero income taxes, and then have closely-spaced income tax brackets for people making more than that (so there aren't huge jumps in taxes if you make lets say $49,999 a year compared to $50,000). Cut out all the other tax crap, the complicated tax code, and all the loopholes that allow people to evade paying billions in taxes at the expense of the rest of the honest taxpayers. Also, the size of the IRS could be drastically reduced, saving even more of the taxpayers dollars.
Edit:
After thinking about this a little more, I think a tax on disposable income is probably the most fair a tax system could be. This way, people spending every dime on the basic necessities of like such as food and shelter won't be unfairly burdened by a retrogressive tax system, and as the tax slides up on the income scale, people who have more money for non-essential items pay more tax. This would minimize the amount of "pain" caused by taxes as much as possible, and be much more fair than a pure flat tax. Closing up all the loopholes in the tax code would instantly increase tax revenue and lower the tax burden for everyone, except for those who had tax experts and lawyers helping them evade the same taxes the rest of us pay.
Not sure what that income cutoff would be, but those living within or close to the poverty level spend every dime on survival needs. When they pay income tax, the rebound affect is that then we have more social services needed to provide for their basic necessities. More social services equals more government. More government equals more taxes.
Multi millionaires and billionaires don't need a tax break. The trickle down for Joe the CEO, is stimulating the economy by buying a new house in the tropics, a new jet, trips to Europe, etc. They also manufacture many of their products overseas using cheap labor or child labor. My husband and I are in the 28% tax bracket, why should a billionaire pay 15%?
IMHO, small business owners that are represented by Joe the Plumber's American dream would not be able to afford to hire and insure their workers. They will instead pocket the profit, hire two part-timers, instead of one full timer, maybe a few illegals, and not have to pay workers comp. either. This pollyanna belief that Joe the Plumber will create jobs and stimulate the economy is idealism and a fantasy based on the belief that people are inherently altruistic, not inherently selfish. This is not what I've experienced in my 30 years of working for a living.
I don't think that increasing tax rates as people get richer is an answer. I don't think they should pay lower tax rates, but we shouldn't punish the creation of wealth.
I do think the guidelines for tax-exempt should be changed. The teenage kid working at Burger King and living at home, shouldn't be treated the same as someone older, who is working in a similar situation, and trying to put food on the table. On the one hand, the teenager needs to understand what it means to pay taxes, and on the other, the older person shouldn't be burdened with paying taxes. Not sure what the solution there is..
Then, of course, there's the problem of people staying in those low-paying jobs instead of trying to better their situation, in order to avoid paying taxes. I don't think that would be a huge problem, though, as the lure of a better lifestyle should be enough for most.
As for the Joe the Plumber situation, true, there's some of those people who take the easy way, and avoid hiring full-time workers... but as someone who's worked at several companies, many of them very small businesses like that, I can honestly say that there's a lot of good guys out there, too. Just about all the job's I've had like that were full-time with benefits.
Don't forget, that most of our biggest and best companies were started by people like Joe the Plumber.
As many jobs as we lose overseas each year, we don't need to discourage anyone trying to start their own business.
I absolutely think that tax rates should be lowered for everybody, yes, even for the absolute wealthiest. No, they certainly don't need to be paying less. We keep spending more and more tax dollars... yet our roads, which should be one of the most basic responsibilities of government, fall apart. The war in Iraq is one thing, but the redistribution of wealth experiment we have going on within our borders is failing us miserably.
Government should drastically downsize. I don't know what else to say about that. Let the states tax and spend as they please. Some will lean socialist, some will be libertarian. That way, if I don't like how my state's run, I can go somewhere else, and still be in the U.S. It is like that to an extent now, but I'd like to see more.
As it is, there's so many people moving from one place to another for whatever reason, and they take their politics with them. It would be nice if they would respect the politics of their new home, instead of trying to mess it up like the places they've left (you know who you are, Californians). They left those places because they were forced out through high home prices, ridiculously lax immigration policies, and otherwise just downright bad governing. Why on earth would anybody want to take that nonsense to Montana with them? Or Missouri, for that matter.
It's still early, I'm rambling, and now I'm thoroughly off topic.....
I don't think that increasing tax rates as people get richer is an answer. I don't think they should pay lower tax rates, but we shouldn't punish the creation of wealth.
I do think the guidelines for tax-exempt should be changed. The teenage kid working at Burger King and living at home, shouldn't be treated the same as someone older, who is working in a similar situation, and trying to put food on the table. On the one hand, the teenager needs to understand what it means to pay taxes, and on the other, the older person shouldn't be burdened with paying taxes. Not sure what the solution there is..
Then, of course, there's the problem of people staying in those low-paying jobs instead of trying to better their situation, in order to avoid paying taxes. I don't think that would be a huge problem, though, as the lure of a better lifestyle should be enough for most.
As for the Joe the Plumber situation, true, there's some of those people who take the easy way, and avoid hiring full-time workers... but as someone who's worked at several companies, many of them very small businesses like that, I can honestly say that there's a lot of good guys out there, too. Just about all the job's I've had like that were full-time with benefits.
Don't forget, that most of our biggest and best companies were started by people like Joe the Plumber.
As many jobs as we lose overseas each year, we don't need to discourage anyone trying to start their own business.
I absolutely think that tax rates should be lowered for everybody, yes, even for the absolute wealthiest. No, they certainly don't need to be paying less. We keep spending more and more tax dollars... yet our roads, which should be one of the most basic responsibilities of government, fall apart. The war in Iraq is one thing, but the redistribution of wealth experiment we have going on within our borders is failing us miserably.
Government should drastically downsize. I don't know what else to say about that. Let the states tax and spend as they please. Some will lean socialist, some will be libertarian. That way, if I don't like how my state's run, I can go somewhere else, and still be in the U.S. It is like that to an extent now, but I'd like to see more.
As it is, there's so many people moving from one place to another for whatever reason, and they take their politics with them. It would be nice if they would respect the politics of their new home, instead of trying to mess it up like the places they've left (you know who you are, Californians). They left those places because they were forced out through high home prices, ridiculously lax immigration policies, and otherwise just downright bad governing. Why on earth would anybody want to take that nonsense to Montana with them? Or Missouri, for that matter.
It's still early, I'm rambling, and now I'm thoroughly off topic.....
Hey Northbound,
I applaud your post, even though I disagree with you, it is your honest opinion, with your argument backed up by why you believe what you do, without bashing a candidate. This is a great way to open up a discussion based on issues, not on personalities, or with mud slinging. Do you think that everyone in Montana or Missouri wants things to stay the same? It's not just California or New York transplants that want change, is it?
I applaud your post, even though I disagree with you, it is your honest opinion, with your argument backed up by why you believe what you do, without bashing a candidate. This is a great way to open up a discussion based on issues, not on personalities, or with mud slinging. Do you think that everyone in Montana or Missouri wants things to stay the same? It's not just California or New York transplants that want change, is it?
Depends on what you mean by change.
I think most people want things to get better regardless of where they live, but I've heard lots of stories of people moving from California to other places, and the people in those other places really resent that the newcomers try to impose their politics on them. A lot of us who don't live in California see nothing but chaos when we look at their political situation. I don't blame people for leaving there, but sometimes they want to bring the policies and attitudes that caused that chaos with them.
Not only that, but when people move inland from the coasts, they often bring higher real estate prices with them, because that's what they're used to paying.
Then there's that issue where they don't always like to mingle with the natives... my in-laws in southwest Missouri really get irritated with that. They say that the Californians build big, fancy houses that stick out like a sore thumb, and then keep to themselves. They aren't very neighborly.
Depends on what you mean by change.
I think most people want things to get better regardless of where they live, but I've heard lots of stories of people moving from California to other places, and the people in those other places really resent that the newcomers try to impose their politics on them. A lot of us who don't live in California see nothing but chaos when we look at their political situation. I don't blame people for leaving there, but sometimes they want to bring the policies and attitudes that caused that chaos with them.
Not only that, but when people move inland from the coasts, they often bring higher real estate prices with them, because that's what they're used to paying.
Then there's that issue where they don't always like to mingle with the natives... my in-laws in southwest Missouri really get irritated with that. They say that the Californians build big, fancy houses that stick out like a sore thumb, and then keep to themselves. They aren't very neighborly.
Hi Northbound,
I can understand why you feel the way you do, given the examples of how transplants have dissassociated themselves, both economically and socially.
It's funny, but where I live in Orange County, NY, which by the way has a republican majority, I am currently in the minority in my political views. Will most likely be in the minority in Missouri, as well.
Ironically, we feel the same way about the recent influx of "NYC folks". We bought here in a blue collar, semi-rural sort of environment 20 years ago, but the newcomers are building very high end homes, driving very expensive cars, and raising taxes for all of us. The traffic is a nightmare. The shopping is much better though. The bright side of materialism, lol.
Many people in our area are being "taxed" out of their houses, including my family. Now the really frustrating thing is, we can't sell our houses do to the economy, and they are worth less in today's market, but the property taxes aren't decreasing. We pay for our school taxes based on property valuation. We pay the town a separate tax, also based on property valuation.
Again, I sincerely appreciate your opinion, and hearing the specifics on how your area is being affected by the influx of people from the coast.
Government should drastically downsize. I don't know what else to say about that. Let the states tax and spend as they please. Some will lean socialist, some will be libertarian. That way, if I don't like how my state's run, I can go somewhere else, and still be in the U.S. It is like that to an extent now, but I'd like to see more.
I do agree with stronger state governments and a weaker federal government. The federal gov't spends money very recklessly right now, which I see with things like the stimulus checks earlier this year, the recent financial bailout, and the war in Iraq. Members of congress know they will commit political suicide if they try to reign in spending by cutting various programs, or try to balance the budget by raising taxes. As a result, we paid something like $400 billion in interest alone on the national debt last year. A lot of that money was loaned by the Federal Reserve Bank (not actually a part of the US government), and the money was more or less created out of thin air, and now we have to pay interest on it (this is why we have inflation). That is of course another whole problem in itself.
I really don't like the direction our country has been going in. I think ending free trade agreements like NAFTA, investing in renewable energy (researched and produced right here in the United States), ending our dependence on foreign oil, and starting to bring back manufacturing to our country would be the way to go. We'd all have a little less wealth as a result, but we'd have a much more sustainable country. With fewer national interests abroad, we could drastically reduce the size of our military and cut taxes for everyone.
Depends on what you mean by change.
I think most people want things to get better regardless of where they live, but I've heard lots of stories of people moving from California to other places, and the people in those other places really resent that the newcomers try to impose their politics on them. A lot of us who don't live in California see nothing but chaos when we look at their political situation. I don't blame people for leaving there, but sometimes they want to bring the policies and attitudes that caused that chaos with them.
Not only that, but when people move inland from the coasts, they often bring higher real estate prices with them, because that's what they're used to paying.
Then there's that issue where they don't always like to mingle with the natives... my in-laws in southwest Missouri really get irritated with that. They say that the Californians build big, fancy houses that stick out like a sore thumb, and then keep to themselves. They aren't very neighborly.
I know you know this already, but my wife and I would never, ever wish to "Californicate" Missouri. If and when we are ever blessed with selling our house just north of San Francisco and moving to St. Joseph or wherever the Good Lord leads us, we won't want a McMansion or a gated community. We'll be good neighbors.
We don't have any children--at least not yet. We would be extremely distressed and uncomfortable with trying to raise them in California. Please read this article: First Graders Taken on Field Trip to San Francisco City Hall For Homosexual "Wedding" How can anyone not be chilled to the bone at what our public education system out here is trying to do to our young children? Please don't let this happen in Missouri or anyplace else. And we would fight the poison of the Westboro so-called "Baptist" Church with equal vigor.
Again, I fear for the economic, social and cultural future of our country if Obama wins on November 4. Don't let California's present be America's near future.
Yeah, the military loves Democrat-controlled Congress with a Democrat President. Clinton's 1993 dismantling of the military forced a lot of Americans into early unexpected retirement.. I know firsthand of what happened then.
There's a reason current and former military service men and women are averaging around 60-65 to 35-40 in favor of McCain.
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. The bright side of materialism, lol.
