Taking from the Rich to give to the Poor

[BlessedMan]

Nice to hear a little honesty coming from the Clintons and the Democratic party. FYI to all people working really hard right now to make over $200,000 a year...you'd better slow down...Robin Hood is coming to divvy up your hard earned money and do it for the "common good".


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/06/28/politics2039EDT0165.DTL&type=printable

 

[Ampmonster]

i thought you were talking about the new "millionare" tax here in NJ.
the logic is typical.

 

[renegade pariah]

........hope Robin Hood makes fools of the Sheriffs men.

 

[BlessedMan]

There may be some good that actually comes out of this (really reaching here). All you families that are two income and both VERY successful with kids should really reconsider having one of you give up your careers to spend more quality time raising your children. Going to be self-defeating in Kerry's future. Reconsidering my vote...Kerry is pro-family!!!

 

[the_cheat]

Anyway, not to be a commie, but why on Earth would you need more than $200,000 a year?

 

[neocon]

Anyway, not to be a commie, but why on Earth would you need more than $200,000 a year?

Another person's need for what they themselves have produced/earned is not yours to question.

 

[Smidlee]

Ok; Clintons and the Democrats are the Sheriffs men but who will be Robin Hood?

 

[feral]

FYI to all people working really hard right now to make over $200,000 a year...you'd better slow down...Robin Hood is coming to divvy up your hard earned money and do it for the "common good".

Good! Why should people making the big bucks and living in the lap of luxury get the tax cuts when others are struggling to care for their families on $8,000 or $10,000 a year? I think this is a wonderful move by the democrats and I support it fully. There is no reason anyone who is wealthy should be getting even more financial benefits when many people don't have enough.

 

[MikeK]

I am all for compasion and charity, but I have a real problem with government mandated charity. It's not my neighbor's job to put food on my plate, it's mine. The fact that I'm a failure who doesn't plan ahead doesn't give my neighbor additional responsibilities.

 

[desi]

I could be mistaken, but is it right to take something away from someone if they've earned it? It seems like stealing, even if some of it is given to the poor.

 

[the_cheat]

I guess it depends on whether you think they earned it, desi. Considering the upper class cannot exist without the lower class to stand on, one might suggest that the lower class earned much of that money for many of the people in the upper class.

Moreover, I question whether a person who works 40 hours a week at McDonalds is really working less hard than someone who works 40 hours a week as petty management of some big firm...

 

[kikboru]

Sounds like socialism at its finest. I have a master's degree and work in public education. We are concerned about having a third child because of finances. On the other hand- a mother I know who has four children, all requiring extensive behavioral and educational support, who has been homeless 11 times in the past year, can still collect her government support for alcohol and potato chips.

 

[the_cheat]

Sounds like socialism at its finest. I have a master's degree and work in public education. We are concerned about having a third child because of finances. On the other hand- a mother I know who has four children, all requiring extensive behavioral and educational support, who has been homeless 11 times in the past year, can still collect her government support for alcohol and potato chips.

I think this is rather more indicative of the fact that public school employees don't get paid enough than anything else.

I'm a public school teacher myself. I'd like to complain about my paltry paycheck, but the fact of the matter is, I knew I wouldn't get paid what I was worth going into this job, and I accepted that fact, because it was what I wanted to do with my life. Not to be all callous or anything - but you didn't go into this job expecting to get rich at it, did you?

 

[renegade pariah]

......hard work does not always equivicate to financial security. Things like income level, status, the lack of home ownership, health, divorce, job severance and the winds of happenstance can destabalize a situation regardless of how fastidious one is. If people realized that we are all relatives, and that tithing and charity are called for there would be less complaining about sharing. It is better to give than to receive. There would be less of a problem if there was more affordable housing and appropriate wages for dead end jobs. There are simply not enough middle class niches to go around for everyone to earn enough to gain stability. Until low prestige jobs receive a living wage, people will require further help in a n economy where the price of goods is always rising. Wealth is just a borrowed circumstance, but the earth belongs to everyone even though much of it has been apropriated by the wealthy few who prosper by the labor of the worker ants.

 

[jameseb]

Sounds like socialism at its finest. I have a master's degree and work in public education. We are concerned about having a third child because of finances. On the other hand- a mother I know who has four children, all requiring extensive behavioral and educational support, who has been homeless 11 times in the past year, can still collect her government support for alcohol and potato chips.

Mmmm....reminds me of an old friend of mine. He grew up in a very poor neighborhood, the vast majority of the community recieving government assitance..... it always disgusted him that those in the community took that money and bought gawdy, gold jewelry and $200 pairs of sneakers. Well, at least my tax money is making sure someone out there stays poor with style.

 

[the_cheat]

......hard work does not always equivicate to financial security. Things like income level, status, the lack of home ownership, health, divorce, job severance and the winds of happenstance can destabalize a situation regardless of how fastidious one is. If people realized that we are all relatives, and that tithing and charity are called for there would be less complaining about sharing. It is better to give than to receive. There would be less of a problem if there was more affordable housing and appropriate wages for dead end jobs. There are simply not enough middle class niches to go around for everyone to earn enough to gain stability. Until low prestige jobs receive a living wage, people will require further help in a n economy where the price of goods is always rising. Wealth is just a borrowed circumstance, but the earth belongs to everyone even though much of it has been apropriated by the wealthy few who prosper by the labor of the worker ants.

Yessir.

I'm no advocate of Marxism, but I think it's ridiculous that in a country as wealthy as this one, anyone should be struggling for basic necessities while they are holding down a full-time job.

 

[ThePhoenix]

This is honesty that I'm willing to applaud. Whether or not you are for or against the tax cuts (and in either position you'll have to admit they are making an already nasty debt that much worse) Clinton is clearly speaking to a crowd that is rich. If you're shelling out 10 grand for a dinner you are not poor. This is telling the people who will be hit by the policy exactly what they're planning to do. I've never seen this sort of honesty out of the republicans, and I really doubt I ever will.

 

[renegade pariah]

.......poverty has allways existed for any number of reasons, political doctrines are not the issue...just plain sharing is. There is plenty of wealth in America to go around, but the way it is distributed prevents some from getting ahead. Owning your own home makes a big difference in the ability to save money, or invest it in opportunities that generate more money. But too many people are disenfranchised from this basic step our of poverty. Also basic survival skills such as how to manage money should be taught in schools, so that people might have a clue on how to get ahead. Too many people grow up with unrealistic expectations, making critical errors which prevent stabulity. The higher bracket people who capitalize enough interest to live off of are the ones who have arrived....and yet they have the highest salaries...higher than all public servents and higher than all the little people who do the dirty jobs. Prthaps in the future Job stress and energy expended will be monitored on a machine to evaluate which jobs indeed require harder work...and people will be paid apropriate wages. Now that would be something.

 

[jameseb]

....poverty is also a result of poor financial management (see post above), irresponsibility, lack of maturity, etc. Personally, I think giving people money is the absolute worst thing to do. Provide them with the resources they can't afford, but desperately need, but one should be reluctant and cautious about 'throwing money' at the problem.

 

[renegade pariah]

.......tax reform is not a matter of being frivolous with the Community Chest.