(Untitled)

[crashska]

I think the reason the whole Democratic spending bill pisses me of so damn much is because it's making apparent the fact that this nation has become one where most people expect stuff to be given to them.

It's not a stimulus bill.  Recessionary economies are revived by encouraging business to produce more and hire more.  The most effective way

Comments

Re: Sorry, I'm long winded.

[crashska]

But we WILL pay. Who pays more when cigarette taxes are increased? Who will pay more of the disposable percentage of their income when carbon taxes (labeled as 'cap and trade')are instituted? When my electricity rates "skyrocket", to quote Candidate Obama, because the producer has to pay the government money for the carbon emitted, how is that NOT me paying a tax? It's going to come out of my pocket. Who gets hurt more by a 50% increase in electrical rates, or in the cost of fuel for their vehicle- the rich person or the poor person? These are hidden taxes that will destroy the ability of the middle class to plan for their future and support themselves in their retirement.

Who is out of a job when the incentive to invest is taken away from the rich folk? What the heck do you think rich people DO with their money- hoard and count the dollars, roll in the coins, make fortresses of bonds and stocks?? They INVEST the damn money! Investment lowers interest rates, makes it easier for all the small business people to get loans to start and keep businesses running. The cheap capital is the essential lubricant in the economic engine of wealth creation. It lets all the people and organizations work together easier. Take it away, and the economy grinds to a halt, as we have seen.

Your assertion that the top 20% of wage earners are 'ancillary' strikes me as the statement of someone who is unaware of how a modern economy works. That's just an unintelligent thing to say. We are not an agrarian or feudal society- our wealth is not based on the land we own, or the allegiances we give or hold, but on being able to take resources and add ingenuity to create value. Without access to cheap capital, innovation and productivity take a nosedive.

In the end, even those who are indigent lose- people who are taxed more invest less, and they GIVE less. Charities take it in the shorts when people lose their disposable income.

No need to get huffy with me. I AM close to that lower 20%- I made about 35,000 last year, and that was by hustling my ass off and grabbing every bit of extra work I could, and if I'm left alone I can pay my way, healthcare included. But if you tax rich people, business falters, my employer has to cut back, I get less work, and now I can't pay my way.

So what if a rich guy uses his money to make more money? In doing so, he helps to employ a lot of people! The economy is not a zero-sum game- wealth is CREATED. I don't care what figures you saw about rich folk being able to run around, tossing handfuls of 20s to the masses without feeling the pinch- in terms of the effect on the economy, that's a non-sequitur. I don't aim for the status quo- I want to earn more and have a higher standard of living than I did last year. Take away the incentive, take away the likelihood of doing better, and people walk away- they figure it's not worth it. If you make them unwilling to create and invest, it's the whole economy that suffers.

And when you base an entire tax structure and social programs on having rich people around to suckle from, what happens when they throw in the towel and leave, or find ways to shelter their wealth? You look at the next tier down.