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I didn't say that. Though, I have drastically reduced my federal income tax liability by retiring early, and barely pay any payroll tax anymore. I'm boycotting (for the most part) being a tax slave. Someone else can be milked to pay others' bills.
You conservatives kill me with your tax "victimization" whining. I wish you could have your wish to live in a society without any taxes....and see how well you wold like it. Eventually you would end up spending MORE to provide yourself with what the government provides via taxation.
WAY too much of my life has been spent being a tax slave for others' benefit. Why not treat all income earners the same? Flat federal income tax rate. Then we're all tax slaves for the same percent of the year. Some people would still be paying way more than others, but at least we'd ALL have the same burden of the amount of time each year we spend in tax slavery.
Obviously, you fell for another Obama lie (beyond keep your plan, keep your doctor) and that is that the prior plans were "junk." Mine covered everything I needed, including a retinal detachment, and my deductible was just $2,000. Now I pay 2.5X as much, with 3x the deductible.
No.
First, health insurance plans that have lifetime dollar limits and don't cover pre-existing conditions are junk by definition.
Second, the HC expenditure per capita in this country is 11k per year. Maybe more by now.
Third, my GROUP coverage premium (the total amount, not my portion) exceeded your magical $400/month long ago, and this is a very very large employer.
Norway, Sweden, Finland. Much different. Way better than USA.
The only problem - it's too cold there. Way too cold to consider the move.
You forgot Denmark.
Way better? In what way?
These are the Nordic countries and are all pretty small, about the same as a mid sized US state - adding all 4 together is less than 8% of US population.
You do know that these countries have a 25% VAT tax on all purchases and income tax rates about 50% for someone making close to an average US wage. Also the average wage is about 30% lower in these countries.
Top brackets
Sweden - 56.6% above $85.8K
Denmark - 55.38% above $70.6K
Finland - 49.2% above $87.2K
Tax rates and VAT tax on purchases for a low wage earner
Denmark - 40% - VAT 25%
Norway - 36.6% - VAT 25%
Sweden - 32% - VAT 25%
These are the Nordic countries and are all pretty small, about the same as a mid sized US state - adding all 4 together is less than 8% of US population.
You do know that these countries have a 25% VAT tax on all purchases and income tax rates about 50% for someone making close to an average US wage. Also the average wage is about 30% lower in these countries.
Top brackets
Sweden - 56.6% above $85.8K
Denmark - 55.38% above $70.6K
Finland - 49.2% above $87.2K
Tax rates and VAT tax on purchases for a low wage earner
Denmark - 40% - VAT 25%
Norway - 36.6% - VAT 25%
Sweden - 32% - VAT 25%
you're missing the point.
those countries don't struggle, because they have become satisfied with what they eventually do have in cash, and they have no obligation for all the "good stuff" that would cause them to struggle. And they are eternally grateful for the benevolent government that provides for them.
These are the Nordic countries and are all pretty small, about the same as a mid sized US state - adding all 4 together is less than 8% of US population.
You do know that these countries have a 25% VAT tax on all purchases and income tax rates about 50% for someone making close to an average US wage. Also the average wage is about 30% lower in these countries.
Top brackets
Sweden - 56.6% above $85.8K
Denmark - 55.38% above $70.6K
Finland - 49.2% above $87.2K
Tax rates and VAT tax on purchases for a low wage earner
Denmark - 40% - VAT 25%
Norway - 36.6% - VAT 25%
Sweden - 32% - VAT 25%
No.
The income tax rates are not directly comparable, due to the many things that are paid through taxes in these countries, and are completely separate (and very regressive on the middle class) items here. Examples include: healthcare, college, daycare, parental leave, etc.
Really? I was earning $6/hr in the early 80s, as a newly-minted college graduate. It was quite typical for an entry-level salary. Your aunt's salary, if true, equates to $40,000 a year - and that's what first-line management was making back then. Hard to believe she was earning that kind of money.
I will attest that $20/ hour in the early 1980s was _not_ unusual for labor-type factory or plant jobs -- maybe manufacturing or maybe food packaging. I knew another kid who worked in the slaughterhouses (very dirty work btw) around the same time, pulling in around 20 per hour. This was not unusual in the midwest.
The point is, these jobs are g-o-n-e. Some of them became automated, some of them went overseas, some followed the "illegals" model (which IMHO is outrageous).
The equivalent pay rate today would be $50 per hour, and that pay scale now is reserved for educated workers -- nurses, some tech workers, legal staff.
Many Americans remain in precarious financial shape even as the economy continues to grow, with 7 of 10 saying they struggling with at least one aspect of financial stability, such as paying bills or saving money.
For instance, centrist think tank the Urban Institute has found that 4 in 10 Americans struggle to pay for basic needs such as groceries or housing. And a Zillow report released Thursday found that roughly a quarter of renters say that affording their payments is difficult or very difficult.
Here’s an idea....stop paying $5 per day for a skinny mocha latte, stop paying $1,000 every year for a new iPhone, save up your money to buy things instead of charging all your (the general you, not OP) credit cards to the max and get out of debt.
People would be surprised at how much money they squander and how much they could save if they were out of debt.
Many Americans remain in precarious financial shape even as the economy continues to grow, with 7 of 10 saying they struggling with at least one aspect of financial stability, such as paying bills or saving money.
For instance, centrist think tank the Urban Institute has found that 4 in 10 Americans struggle to pay for basic needs such as groceries or housing. And a Zillow report released Thursday found that roughly a quarter of renters say that affording their payments is difficult or very difficult.
That's like saying "most Americans are entitled to run up credit cards for stuff they can't afford and stuff they don't need, like $1500 iPhones..."
...you're right...you all ready for BLACK FRIDAY!!!!!!....buy some more crap you don't need with money you don't have...YAH!!...
That’s 99.9% of all Americans right there. But for a lot of people who don’t buy into the hype many money is still tight.
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Eventually you would end up spending MORE to provide yourself with what the government provides via taxation.