tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31416117.post3142039769864691840..comments2023-10-30T08:48:10.254-04:00Comments on The Progressive Movement: A good discussion or debate topicRedWinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16615385568209354300noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31416117.post-59215800161477853582009-03-20T14:43:00.000-04:002009-03-20T14:43:00.000-04:00Redwing- maybe the folks making so much money "on ...Redwing- maybe the folks making so much money "on your back" should just go out of business and that would solve your problem. Sounds like you have a JOB. Most people make the choice to either HAVE A JOB or CREATE JOBS FOR OTHERS. Your lack of ambition/ desire to create jobs or choice of career does not mean those that GIVE YOU A JOB owe more in taxes. They could argue they are being charitable enough in employing you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31416117.post-47682898413783809642009-03-18T16:27:00.000-04:002009-03-18T16:27:00.000-04:00Our tax system is completely fair. You can't just...Our tax system is completely fair. You can't just look at the numbers. You have to look at the fact that they made that money because of the wonderfulness that is the America. They made all their millions on the backs of us making $50,000 and it's only fair that they pay more. <BR/><BR/>Anyone who doesn't agree with that, is Republican.RedWinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16615385568209354300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31416117.post-50232457797012938022009-03-18T16:01:00.000-04:002009-03-18T16:01:00.000-04:00I massaged the figures a little, and decided to ca...I massaged the figures a little, and decided to call it the "Bill Gates and Warren Buffet walk into the room Principle."<BR/><BR/>Instead of mere millionaires, assume a couple billionaires (the much maligned "top 2%") step in.<BR/><BR/>Now there are 98 people making $50K, and their total taxes are $735,000.<BR/>Bill and Warren each have a billion, so their share comes to $150,000,000 each. (They get to keep the remaining $750,000,000)<BR/>Add their collective $300,000,000 to the $735,000 the others paid in, and the total tax revenues are $300,735,000.<BR/>The $300,000,000 that Bill and Warren paid is indeed 99% of tax revenues. So, the tax system is unfair to billionaires. <BR/><BR/>File under Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics.Grey Fedorahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05260537604985291599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31416117.post-74315834506623662082009-03-18T14:31:00.000-04:002009-03-18T14:31:00.000-04:00Thanks, Linda. I had suspicions about this article...Thanks, Linda. I had suspicions about this article being from a Rush Limbaugh-Bill O'Really-Pat Buchanon type. It contains just enough "common sense" to launch into a right-wing apologetic. <BR/>Yes, it is true we have overspent ourselves, and gotten into way too much debt, but what the article doesn't mention is for many Americans, maintaining a middle class lifestyle on a declining income is responsible for a lot of the debt. We didn't all go out and buy wide-screen TV's. <BR/>Health care and medical expenses also contribute to a large number of bankruptcies. The problem is never as simple as the pundits claim.<BR/><BR/>I have always been suspicious of the claim that "The top two percent of the population pays some huge share of taxes argument. I call it the "Bill Gates walks into the room" argument.<BR/><BR/>While it is a little more complex, and I don't have all the figures at hand to respond, but here is the principle: <BR/><BR/>Assume the median income in the US is $50,000, and the tax rate is 15%.<BR/>A person earning $50K pays $7,500 in taxes. <BR/>If you have 99 people each paying $7500, you collect $742,500 in revenue.<BR/>Now add a millionaire. his 15% comes out to $150,000. Add this to the 99 other people, and you have collected $892,500 in taxes.<BR/><BR/>Now comes the hat trick: $150,000 is 16% of 892,500. <BR/>$7,500 is .85% of $892,500.<BR/>So, by this logic, the millionaire pays 16% of the total taxes, while everyone else pays less than 1%! Sounds so unfair when you look at it this way.Grey Fedorahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05260537604985291599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31416117.post-82084301300018206222009-03-18T11:10:00.000-04:002009-03-18T11:10:00.000-04:00This article is a hoax that is being spread over t...This article is a hoax that is being spread over the Internet. Please remove my bio from this article.<BR/><BR/>The original article was written by Pat Buchanan in September 2008. For more information, see below:<BR/><BR/>http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/partysover.asp<BR/><BR/>http://buchanan.org/blog/2008/09/pjb-the-partys-over/<BR/><BR/>Sincerely,<BR/><BR/>Linda R. Monk, J.D.<BR/>Author of The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution<BR/>http://www.lindamonk.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com