| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 9:41:41 AM | Easytag you appear to have left off some of the numbers in your taxes paid list. Like what percentage of the money each group makes.
Such as:
The top 1% of wage earners paid 33.89% of all income taxes.
But they own 90% of the wealth and stuff their pockets with Billions each year. While, those on the bottom own nothing and get less then $10,000 per year.
The bottom 50% of wage earners paid 3.97% of all income taxes.
This means the Middle 49% are paying 62.14% of the taxes, while owning 10% of the wealth.
Thus I would say the top 1% are not pulling their weight. If they own/control 90% of the resources/wealth, should they not pay 90% of the costs?
They are riding on the backs of the middle class and telling us it is the fault of the people at the bottom. Stuffing their bank accounts with BILLIONS each, well denying others a few thousand to live on.
So, What’s gone wrong with America can be traced to 1% of the population and perhaps, those who support/believe them. | |
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| vouchers
Posted: 3/24/2005 9:55:14 AM | easytag
I did some quick scanning of a few sites concerning vouchers
First, I wonder if those vouchers could be applied to cost of homeschooling, which I feel is the best education. Because, that allows the parents to control what propaganda they want their kids to believe.
Second, I don't like gov't controlled schools anyway. Simply because lessons and guidlines are too easily susceptable to gov't interference. But, it could lead way to promotion of prejudice that can be found in some belief systems.
Third, it would seem to me that this would promote creation of more private schools that cater to the cultural variety in the US.
It seems to me that it is worth looking into as a valid possibility. | |
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| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 9:56:25 AM | | Vouchers do not answer the debate about what should be "taught" in this country. If you want to send your kids to Private School pony up and foot the bill, that's what my parents did. Money needs better direction to be sure, but moving kids around isn't going to solve the fundamental flaws in the Curriculum of American Schools. | |
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| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 9:58:28 AM |
Thus I would say the top 1% are not pulling their weight
Not true, the top 1% does not own 90% of the wealth, I don't know where you got that from. The top 20% own 80% of the wealth. The top 10% of wage earners paid 64.89% of all income taxes. The top 20% are clearly pulling MORE than their fair share. Especially when you consider that the vast majority of social programs benefit the bottom 20% of the people. You know, that bottom group that doesn't pay any taxes AT ALL.
The top 20% of American taxpayers are being fleeced to pay for the free rides that the bottom 20% are getting... | |
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| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 10:04:23 AM | so by that cabin you are saying that poor kids aren't important enough to educate properly? We should leave them in schools where violence and drugs run so rampantly.
Since you parents paid for your private school, it would seem that you have no grounds to understanding what public education is like.
I think that biggest problem people have with the vouchers boils down to elitism. They don't want their schools spoiled by the poor. | |
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| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 10:06:50 AM | | Easytag, even with your numbers the Rich still are not carrying their share. If they own 80% of the wealth they should pay 80% of the costs. | |
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| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 10:09:10 AM |
Easytag, even with your numbers the Rich stiil are not carrying their share. If they own 80% of the wealth they should pay 80% of the costs.
Says who? 80% of the costs are benefiting the poor! Why should they provide a free ride for poor people just because they work harder and earn more money? Maybe you would just like to redistribute all the wealth in the country so everyone has an equal amount? | |
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| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 10:10:07 AM | | Yes I would, after all most of todays rich are rich because their Grandfathers Stole their wealth. So I see no problem with stealing it back. | |
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| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 10:10:09 AM | No, I said NO to vouchers however inarticulate I was. Taking money out of something rarely solves problems. I love doing a Bird Show in the inner city. Reminds me how privlidged I am, and how much I need to be part of the soulution. I'm actualy considering teaching for a year on the Navajo Nation. Not the inner city, but after what we saw at Red Lake the other day i think you know where I'm coming from.  | |
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| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 10:16:39 AM | | Watchman, can you show me stats (Since you know I don't have any) on how the poor get 80 percent of the benefits? Was years ago, but don't remeber that in the budgetary pie I saw then. If it's changed that much I'm more conservative today than I was yesterday. | |
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| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 10:17:19 AM |
Yes I would, after all most of todays rich are rich because their Grandfathers Stole their wealth. So I see no problem with stealing it back
How about you get started first, you take half of what you make and go give it to someone that has nothing. Then the two of you will both have the same amount ok?
We won't all hold our breath waiting for that to happen.... | |
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| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 10:21:05 AM | Gee! I would have thought that you'd just call me a commie or something.
And bye the way I already do, OK maybe not half, but I do give what I can. Now how about you? | |
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| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 10:33:07 AM |
And bye the way I already do, OK maybe not half, but I do give what I can. Now how about you
So you give what you can. You mean you give what YOU determine you are comfortable with giving. Why should people that make more than you not have the same opportunity? How would you feel if the Government came in and forced you to give 2/3 of your money to someone else simply because they don't make as much as you do?
You would flip out like anyone else would...
As for me, I probably give more, volunteer more and provide more for people in need than most people do... | |
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| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 11:14:07 AM | @cabin
First, visiting the inner city is nothing like living there. You have no concept of the realities that those children face. Its telling who's parents just died that you understand and then go home to your parents. We don't want you to feel sorry for us, because are not below you in any way other then financially. What we want are the same oppurtunity afforded to the rich, ever notice the differance in technology from schools in poor neighborhoods to the ones in the rich? And that's public schools.
Second, most premeditated violence such as what happened in Red Rock occurs in middle income schools. The violence found in the inner city is rooted in emotional rage that explodes spontaneously. The causes and effects between the two are very differant.
Its like comparing a serial killing to a drive by. | |
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| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 11:49:14 AM | Yes they do. They take 1/3 right off the top and another 1/3 on everything you buy (sales tax, service tax and a ton of hiden taxes).
And it goes to subsidize the top 1% who do not carry their share of the load. | |
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| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 12:18:30 PM | | trewq, I assume you're talking about Canadian taxes? My sales tak in MI is 6%, not 33.3% There are other taxes, but I pay nowhere near 1/3 of my money to them. What happens in Canada doesn't necessarily happen in the States. | |
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| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 12:22:08 PM | | There are a LOT of "hiden" taxes you're not considering, such as Liquor and Gas, to name two, which are taxed at over 70% that does not show on your bill. | |
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| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 12:27:48 PM | | I know what taxes are. We have quite an exorbitant Sin Tax in MI. But if I don't buy cigarettes or liquor, I'm not being taxed for them, am I? Even if I did by them, if I net 10 grand a month, and buy only i pack of smokes, it's nowhere near 1/3 of my salary. | |
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| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 12:43:56 PM |
First off, lets realize the issue here. What you are arguing is that poeple who are 'proactive' should be able to consume more non-essentials than those who are innactive. In other words , you get the hummer, children go hungry.
Second, although I will stay in context, we are only talking about the income dispartity in America, not the whole world in which it is much much worse.
The rules are set by the rich and moneyed. Social policy is constructed to benefit them. More money should not equal more votes or say in a democracy. The majority of wealth in America is still 'Old' money, passed down through generations. And the amount the top ranks receive compared to the bottem ranks is still a larger share. Thus the wealthy have an ever growing share of the 'democracy'.
Really , ones opposition to paying for social justice is greed. If you want to live in a society with a larger incidence of violence and crime, sure... take away the money.
As for Bush, he is beholden to oil interests. Try this equation -> what is the pruported costs to transform the american infrastructure to hydrogen power and alternative power sources. What is the cost to the end consumer that is. And what is the cost of the Iraq war? Military and rebuilding costs. Which would have been cheaper? | |
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| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 4:45:05 PM | | trewq36, you're clearly way off base with your 2/3 deal. It is no where near that in America. Perhaps you're paying for all that marvelous health care you get in Canada with all those taxes you claim you pay? | |
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| What’s gone wrong with America?
Posted: 3/24/2005 4:49:02 PM | | That's what I'm thinking. America has some of the lowest tax rates in the world, iirc correctly. | |
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