So WHO should pay more?

[LA_MERC_Wetzny]

Politician's like to throw around the word "Rich"; it serves (I think) as a way to divide us even more. My grandparents would consider me "Rich" they didn't have indoor plumbing until my father was seven, 1940. Which was the year my grandfather completed the home he, his brothers, friends and co-workers built by hand.

"Rich" is a moving target, it's my opinion that most left of the aisle politicians consider anyone who makes more than 50k a year as "Rich". That's right a grand a week, welcome to the "Rich" side of town pal!!!

So when you hear the words "I believe the "Rich" should pay more" or "their fair share" consider this article and the fact that even though you and I aren't "Rich" somebody in Congress thinks we are and we don't pay our "FAIR" share.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121659695380368965.html?mod=djemEditorialPage

[LA_MERC_LaTech]

The interesting thing for me (haven't read the article yet...will change this if I need to) is that $50k, for MOST people with families etc, isn't even enough to survive on...thus having to have both adult members of the family work...just to sustain. Add to this the rising costs of fuel, food and other necessities, and you are quickly going to see a larger and larger portion of the population turn to the government for assistance in one form or another (welfare, food stamps etc).

[LA_MERC_th33_r00k]

Like all statistics, they are only as good as all the whole of the data given.

My questions would be:

What is the median average?
Income is based off what filing?
Where is the whole of the data he extracted his numbers from?

The median average may lie around $60,000. Couple that with single status filing, that would bring the "mean" up to $120,000 filing jointly or combined income. Even more if you bring into accountability of children.

Good reflection on a point that will never get better.

[LA_MERC_YellowDog]

Well, this article dose not specify who is considered "Rich", However I know im not.. unless I get married, and you consider the combined income of me and my wife... then maybe I would break the 50 K mark, but only by a little I think.

So if 50k is rich... well, im not there yet

Ohh.. and the possessions I do have on this earth were earned by my Blood Sweet and Tears... Not bought and paid for.. or loaned out to get... If I got it, I had to get it the hard way.

[LA_MERC_th33_r00k]

Found this article interesting.
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewarticle+articleid_2413945&title=The_Lower_Your_Income.html

[LA_MERC_Drax]

This Rich paying more taxes is complete BS in my opinion, its a form of communism pushed in our society. Whats the incentive to go out and make more, if they're gonna take more. Now I know this is a very basic way of thinking, but it just breaking it down. I pay a sh!tton of taxes, i pay around 38% of my income, and if i were to make alot lower, i'd only pay 23% or so? How is that fair? I wish there was a tax line near me so I could divert money into 401k, stock options, and such to get me under a line, but at 74k(thats what the line was last year under me) its nearly impossible to diverty 26% of my income away to get anywhere near that line. Taxing the people who make more harder sucks, its just another way to make you wanna say I'll take my median income and benefit from what the rich pay in instead of driving yourself to make that income yourself.

The sick part to me, maybe i fall in the "rich" category, i dunno, but being single and no kids, i get hit the hardest. I made around 101k last year, but after taxes, 401k, stocks and what nots, I only ended up pocketing around 53k or so. Just kinda disgust me.

[LA_MERC_th33_r00k]

I made around 101k last year, but after taxes, 401k, stocks and what nots, I only ended up pocketing around 53k or so. Just kinda disgust me.

That is up to you mano. What was the true taxes you paid. Prolly 33% of your income or less. The 401k you can not do if you want. That would give you back 8-13% of income. Stocks = company investment prolly. Prolly cannot defer that. Taking home over 50% after investing in 2 different retirement accounts, pre-taxed, and whatever the what-nots are, is not to shabby. Better than some do.

[LA_MERC_Drax]

Thats just rough numbers, but I invest 6% into my 401k, and 3% of my salary goes into stock options (around 3k). From what I look up, 28% is my federal percentage that Im taxed and state is 6%, so thats 34% there. I'm not sure, but does federal taxes include social security, medicare, and all the extras they take?

[LA_MERC_Bacowrath]

I got blowed up defending the governments freedom to tax us, and they give me $600.00 a month because I cant work, run around with my kids, run 10 miles a day, or get out of the tub without assistance anymore. My wife makes about $23,000.00 a year, for a grand total of $30,200.00 a year to support wife, 2 kiddos, and my gimpy self........so....I guess I am poor. As a poor person, I don't want to see "rich" folk pay a higher percentage than I do. They owe this country no more than anyone else, and owe me (the poor guy) nothing.

Solution:

1. Stop sending billions of dollars in aid to foreign countries before we take care of ourselves. (ie. veterans who served this country, and are now living on the street...I meet them all the time in the VA hosp. Mostly bright guys, but due to injuries, or PTSD unable to work)
2. Stop spending millions of dollars on studying cow farts (because some dip**** global-warmist thinks that if we shove a muffler up a cows ass, it will stop the polar ice caps from melting)
3. Let the hard working aliens in, send the non-working, perfectly healthy, lazy tard-nuggets who get govment-cheese every month out. (Call it a cultural foreign exchange program)
4. Make Al Gore live in a tee-pee, and ride a cow with a fart-muffler shoved up its ass, to lower fuel consumption, and lower gas prices.
5. Vote Barak Obama into office so that he can turn the USA into a 3rd world country, and recieve pity money from France.
6. Make Diesel work for AT&T for free, and send his would-be salary to homeless cows who cannot afford to live up to EPA standards, and buy a fart-muffler for their asses, and because of this, are not allowed to graze in the fields.
7. Resurrect Ronald Reagan.
8. Force all ice cream manufacturers (ie: Baskin Robbins, Ben & Jerry's, etc etc...) to ship all of their ice cream to the polar ice caps causing a "spackling" effect to repair all of the damage done by cow farts. Force the oil companies in the middle east to pay for the ice cream, since it is their fault the cows are farting and melting the ice.
9. Burn all detainees at Gitmo for a clean-burning sorce of fuel to generate enough power to last at least one day. Which, in theory, will give the earth one more day to survive. Then take all of the millions of dollars that would have been spent on retard lawyers to defend the detainees, and give it to the VA to help American vets, instead of a bunch of cow-fart worshiping terrorists.

and last but not least....

10. Start charging fines to the media every time they report something wrong. All money collected from these fines, will be distributed to the American public so that they may purchase gas masks to battle Bill Clinton's cow-fart inhalation dooms day prediction.

[LA_MERC_Captain_Obvious]

1. Stop sending billions of dollars in aid to foreign countries before we take care of ourselves. (ie. veterans who served this country, and are now living on the street...I meet them all the time in the VA hosp. Mostly bright guys, but due to injuries, or PTSD unable to work)
2. Stop spending millions of dollars on studying cow farts (because some dip**** global-warmist thinks that if we shove a muffler up a cows ass, it will stop the polar ice caps from melting)
3. Let the hard working aliens in, send the non-working, perfectly healthy, lazy tard-nuggets who get govment-cheese every month out. (Call it a cultural foreign exchange program)
4. Make Al Gore live in a tee-pee, and ride a cow with a fart-muffler shoved up its ass, to lower fuel consumption, and lower gas prices.
5. Vote Barak Obama into office so that he can turn the USA into a 3rd world country, and recieve pity money from France.
6. Make Diesel work for AT&T for free, and send his would-be salary to homeless cows who cannot afford to live up to EPA standards, and buy a fart-muffler for their asses, and because of this, are not allowed to graze in the fields.
7. Resurrect Ronald Reagan.
8. Force all ice cream manufacturers (ie: Baskin Robbins, Ben & Jerry's, etc etc...) to ship all of their ice cream to the polar ice caps causing a "spackling" effect to repair all of the damage done by cow farts. Force the oil companies in the middle east to pay for the ice cream, since it is their fault the cows are farting and melting the ice.
9. Burn all detainees at Gitmo for a clean-burning sorce of fuel to generate enough power to last at least one day. Which, in theory, will give the earth one more day to survive. Then take all of the millions of dollars that would have been spent on retard lawyers to defend the detainees, and give it to the VA to help American vets, instead of a bunch of cow-fart worshiping terrorists.

and last but not least....

10. Start charging fines to the media every time they report something wrong. All money collected from these fines, will be distributed to the American public so that they may purchase gas masks to battle Bill Clinton's cow-fart inhalation dooms day prediction.


completely agree with you there. except for #5. I think he needs to be included with #9.

instead of worrying about taxing people more or less, they need to get the damn budget under control first - cut the fat and extra padding. then it would be more of a question on who gets the biggest % of refund.

[LA_MERC_T4rg3T]

The problem with #3 is that aliens are already pouring into the country costing billions in tax dollars. Spent in the form of reeducating teachers to speak other languages, medical care, untaxed income, and millions of dollars leaving the country being wired to their home country. All the while, greatly reducing the american dollar.

I agree on the foreign aid. It seems that Americans have to have a "cause". They just tend to overlook their next door neighbor or the American Citizens in their own city/state. We still have people going hungry in the US but we jump at the chance to sent food to other countries. Hell, even when they don't want our help, we argue with them until they let us send aid.

The federal government has just gotten to big for it's own good. The FED buys Bear Stearns with tax payer money and then sells it at a HUGE discount to J.P. Morgan Chase. Wait? Where is my piece of the stock that I bought since it was tax payer money? HOW the **** can the FED use tax payer money to buy Bear Streans and sell it a huge discounted rate? Basically, all the tax payers are bailing out Bear Steans and we get nothing for it.

Judges now think they are above the constitution and the law. They went to school to study law only to think they can change it to meet their feelings or needs. Instead of passing new laws, all state and federal representatives should be looking at ways to reduce and consolidate laws. There are millions of laws out there. Have we become such an idiotic society that we need our hands held for everything? There is no decency, common sense, or sense of responsibility left in this world.

[LA_MERC_Bacowrath]

The problem with #3 is that aliens are already pouring into the country costing billions in tax dollars. Spent in the form of reeducating teachers to speak other languages, medical care, untaxed income, and millions of dollars leaving the country being wired to their home country. All the while, greatly reducing the american dollar.

I agree on the foreign aid. It seems that Americans have to have a "cause". They just tend to overlook their next door neighbor or the American Citizens in their own city/state. We still have people going hungry in the US but we jump at the chance to sent food to other countries. Hell, even when they don't want our help, we argue with them until they let us send aid.

The federal government has just gotten to big for it's own good. The FED buys Bear Stearns with tax payer money and then sells it at a HUGE discount to J.P. Morgan Chase. Wait? Where is my piece of the stock that I bought since it was tax payer money? HOW the **** can the FED use tax payer money to buy Bear Streans and sell it a huge discounted rate? Basically, all the tax payers are bailing out Bear Steans and we get nothing for it.

Judges now think they are above the constitution and the law. They went to school to study law only to think they can change it to meet their feelings or needs. Instead of passing new laws, all state and federal representatives should be looking at ways to reduce and consolidate laws. There are millions of laws out there. Have we become such an idiotic society that we need our hands held for everything? There is no decency, common sense, or sense of responsibility left in this world.

Oh, I agree that they are costing us money, but here is the solution. THEY WANT TO WORK!!!! The only reason we are giving them benefits is because sleezy produce companies are taking advantage of them and paying them 10 cents a week, so when their kids get sick, they die. If we LEGALLY import them, while EXPORTING lazy welfare turd-a-muffins out, it WILL save us money. They will be registered, and the companies will not have their illeagal status to hang over their heads. Then they go to work and make a living for themselves, which MOST of them are willing to do. You got to hand it to the little burrito eatin spuds, they DO work hard....unlike a certain contingent already dwelling in this great land, like a grease stain on a silk shirt :p

[LA_MERC_DocSparky]

1. Stop sending billions of dollars in aid to foreign countries before we take care of ourselves. (ie. veterans who served this country, and are now living on the street...I meet them all the time in the VA hosp. Mostly bright guys, but due to injuries, or PTSD unable to work)

The first is by far the biggest grievence I have with the Federal Gub'ment. Call me an isolationist, but I'm for bringing home the troops from Japan, Germany, S. Korea and Iraq as well. Put more money into long range missles & UAVs for the border and let the rest of the world solve their own disagreements. Let's spend that money first on our vets (whom we should all be thankful for) and second on those that are unable to work (those that are able shouldn't be getting money.... only training). If you took care of those things, we wouldn't need to ask the "rich" (however you define them) for more money. Balance the budget already! (hat tip to CO).


Judges now think they are above the constitution and the law. They went to school to study law only to think they can change it to meet their feelings or needs. Instead of passing new laws, all state and federal representatives should be looking at ways to reduce and consolidate laws. There are millions of laws out there. Have we become such an idiotic society that we need our hands held for everything? There is no decency, common sense, or sense of responsibility left in this world.

Have you ever thought about how complex the "law" is these days? We've had over 200 years of more and more laws piled on top. I'm amazed that they can figure out which ones apply. Judges can rule the way they do because no one really knows what the laws mean anymore. Target's last statement is unfortunately very close to truth. Very frustrating.

[LA_MERC_Drax]

Common sense??? people actually use that these days???

[LA_MERC_T4rg3T]

It would take some type of dictatorship with the right person or small group of people to get everything back on track. Right now, you are looking at 100 years with more of the same congress that we have now to get a budget balanced. They are making their money and retiring with fat pockets, they could care less about the working class.

[LA_MERC_Bacowrath]

The first is by far the biggest grievence I have with the Federal Gub'ment. Call me an isolationist, but I'm for bringing home the troops from Japan, Germany, S. Korea and Iraq as well. Put more money into long range missles & UAVs for the border and let the rest of the world solve their own disagreements. Let's spend that money first on our vets (whom we should all be thankful for) and second on those that are unable to work (those that are able shouldn't be getting money.... only training). If you took care of those things, we wouldn't need to ask the "rich" (however you define them) for more money. Balance the budget already! (hat tip to CO)..


Yeah Doc, I agree mostly, but we do NEED to have our troops in Japan, Germany, etc.... its a strategic thing. Trust me, I have seen the plans at the war college on fighting several fronts at once. We need troops in these regions to be readily deployable.

[LA_MERC_YellowDog]

Well, I don't know much about military strategy, but it makes sense to me keeping our military stationed in areas over seas to ensure our security world wide, as well as locally. However I think we are in places that don't want us there, or don't appreciate what we are doing there. So to those places that don't help use strategically, get out and leave them to their vices.

Also, by all means, get free of foreign energy needs. This makes us vulnerable to the whims of other nations.