Taking from the Rich to give to the Poor

[the_cheat]

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

Heh. It is, however, an opportunity to tell abusers of the system, "do not pass go, do not collect $200..."

 

[BlessedMan]

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

So the doctor who spends $300,000 and 8 years of his life doesn't deserve more than $200,000 a year?

Or what about the businessman who mortgages everything he owns to start up a small business...puts his entire livelihood at risk...hires several employees...the business becomes successful and he begins hiring more people and then is finally earning more than $200,000 a year...we should be punishing this guy more? What's to motivate the next guy to do the same thing?

As for the statement somebody made about whether working 40 hours at McDonalds' versus 40 hours at a management job is about the same amount of work, that is just ridiculous. Again, people invest time and money into their education to be successful. Believe me, there are many days when I wish I far away from the stresses and responsibilities of management and preparing a new batch of fries.

 

[BarbB]

I received the following story in my email today! It speaks to the OP:

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age she considered herself to be a very Liberal Democrat and for distribution of all wealth.

She felt deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, which she expressed openly. One day she was challenging her father on his beliefs and his opposition to taxes on the rich and the addition of more government welfare programs.

Based on the lectures that she had participated in and the occasional chat with her professors, she felt that for years her father had obviously harbored an evil, even selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his. The self proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth, and she indicated so to her father.

He stopped her and asked her point blank, how she was doing in school. She answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain. That she studied all the time never had time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn’t even have time for a boyfriend and didn’t really have many college friends because of spending all her time studying. That she was taking a more difficult curriculum.

Her father listened and then asked, “How is your good friend Mary doing?”

She replied, “Mary is barely getting by”. She continued, “She barely has a 2.0 GPA”, adding, “and all she takes are easy classes and she never studies.” “But Mary is so very popular on campus, college for her is a blast, she goes to all the parties all the time and very often doesn’t even show up for classes because she is too hung over.”

The father then asked his daughter, “Why don’t you go to the Dean’s office and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your 4.0 GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0.” He continued, “That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA. Certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA.”

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father’s suggestion, angrily fired back, “That’s not fair! I worked really hard for mine. I did without and Mary has done little or nothing, she played while I worked real hard!”

The father slowly smiled, winked and said, “Welcome to the Republican Party.”

 

[BlessedMan]

Great post Newlamb...I love it! Point made!

 

[BarbB]

Great post Newlamb...I love it! Point made!

Glad you liked it BlessedMan!

I sent it to my fanatic left-wing commie liberal best friend this a.m. and she admitted that she understood the point. We have this argument all the time. Luckily she still loves me even though I've been deluded by God!

 

[jameseb]

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.

I think that is a very simple and a somewhat naive way to look at it. But according to your own model of how the world works, do you think the "lower class" could exist without the leadership and direction of the "upper class?" After all it is the wealthy that pioneer new companies, create wealth and provide jobs to thousands of people because of their success.

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...

"Petty" managegment? It sounds like your argument is based less on substantive points and based more on your emotional reactions and personal interpretation of how the world operates. This is a classic ad hominem.

 

[jameseb]

Glad you liked it BlessedMan!

I sent it to my fanatic left-wing commie liberal best friend this a.m. and she admitted that she understood the point. We have this argument all the time. Luckily she still loves me even though I've been deluded by God!

Yes, that was a very nice post, newlamb.

 

[PatrickM]

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

Since this was reported in SF, it is very relevant to CA. $200K in SoCal is middle-class income.

In my community, the median price for a home is $425,000! You need $200K just to qualify for an average home here.

And for those who might jump in with the ol' "just move" response, I've two children in school here, they've got childhood friends here, we've been here for 10 years. Living here is "do-able", so why would I move if I can make it here?