Fair Use and Free Money
One of the first things that my stepmother did after joining our newly minted family was to put a little pewter tankard under the downstairs phone. It was the Fair Jar. Anytime either my ster or I said "That's Not Fair!" we were fined a quarter. And at that age, a quarter was damn good money. It didn't matter how cruelly we were wronged, if the word fair crossed our lips, it was a quarter into the jar. And being the little rules lawyer that I was, I said "what if I'm talking about the annual exposition that happens in Puyallup? What if I'm talking about that?" I was told to deploy to my room for the night. She obviously meant business.
Over the last few months, and especially in political ads and discussions, I heard the word "fair" thrown around. About what's fair to who, who is paying their fair share, are some people being treated unfairly. And it bugs me, because that whole deal was beaten out of me at a young age. Some people have things that others don't. Some people have physical talent, and some don't. Some people seem to be good at everything they try, and other people have to struggle and practice and they might only be mediocre at it. Some people have everything they want with no effort, and some people have to fight for every scrap they bring home. Sometimes life is fair to you. Sometimes it is fair to another person, and you can't just wallow about it.
I bring this all up because recently Jane Hamsher (of FireDogLake and director of Natural Born Killers) was on MSNBC discussing the potential expiry of the current tax cuts. Her angle was that if you levy taxes on the millionaires and millionaire families, and divvy that up among everyone else, that means that every taxpayer would get a $1,000 check, as opposed to allowing each of those millionaire taxpayers to keep their $100,000.
it is as if Jane was asleep for the whole election cycle. We just got done saying "Quit taxing us so much. Let us keep our own stuff," and Jane (a Hollywood liberal from Seattle. Shock there!) wants to take a huge step back. My problem isn't that I believe that those millionaires represent jobs that will go un-made if the money stays in their pockets, because I don't think that holds much water. I think that if you earn something, you should get to keep it. Not just that, but the idea that you should get something for nothing seems positively un-American.
All through my years of childhood and adolescence, I never got an allowance. I worked for any money that I got from my parents. There were always chores to be done, and if I wanted something, I had to pay my way. That millionaires should have to bankroll people who aren't by giving them free money appalls me. This theme isn't new for me: the welfare/community service trade, the income tax/vote trade...the earned income credit...it all bothers me. I get up every day and go to work, not because I love my job or it is the thing I most want to do in all the world, but because I trade my sweat, effort and time and they give me money. A beautiful symbiosis.
Washington state voted down an income tax this month. Bill Gates, Sr. put up $500,000 of his own money into the campaign, along with the SEIU ponying up a decent chunk. Elder Bill doesn't have to worry about anything ever because his son is one of the ten richest people on the planet. If he was so keen on the income tax, he could have cut that half-million check to the Washington State Treasury. He could put his money where his mouth is, as it were. I'd believe that he was serious about the cause if he were to do that. If Jane is so concerned about the little guy, she should be first in line to give them her extra money and stuff. She can afford it, after all! She's a high-falutin' film producer and author, she probably lives in a huge home with a fleet of cars and all sorts of stuff, and plenty of money.
Before you come to me with your hand out saying how you want to take my money and spread it around to everyone else, prove to me that you've done the same. That you're living a bare existence and giving a big chunk of your money to the needy. Otherwise I don't want to hear it.
Over the last few months, and especially in political ads and discussions, I heard the word "fair" thrown around. About what's fair to who, who is paying their fair share, are some people being treated unfairly. And it bugs me, because that whole deal was beaten out of me at a young age. Some people have things that others don't. Some people have physical talent, and some don't. Some people seem to be good at everything they try, and other people have to struggle and practice and they might only be mediocre at it. Some people have everything they want with no effort, and some people have to fight for every scrap they bring home. Sometimes life is fair to you. Sometimes it is fair to another person, and you can't just wallow about it.
I bring this all up because recently Jane Hamsher (of FireDogLake and director of Natural Born Killers) was on MSNBC discussing the potential expiry of the current tax cuts. Her angle was that if you levy taxes on the millionaires and millionaire families, and divvy that up among everyone else, that means that every taxpayer would get a $1,000 check, as opposed to allowing each of those millionaire taxpayers to keep their $100,000.
it is as if Jane was asleep for the whole election cycle. We just got done saying "Quit taxing us so much. Let us keep our own stuff," and Jane (a Hollywood liberal from Seattle. Shock there!) wants to take a huge step back. My problem isn't that I believe that those millionaires represent jobs that will go un-made if the money stays in their pockets, because I don't think that holds much water. I think that if you earn something, you should get to keep it. Not just that, but the idea that you should get something for nothing seems positively un-American.
All through my years of childhood and adolescence, I never got an allowance. I worked for any money that I got from my parents. There were always chores to be done, and if I wanted something, I had to pay my way. That millionaires should have to bankroll people who aren't by giving them free money appalls me. This theme isn't new for me: the welfare/community service trade, the income tax/vote trade...the earned income credit...it all bothers me. I get up every day and go to work, not because I love my job or it is the thing I most want to do in all the world, but because I trade my sweat, effort and time and they give me money. A beautiful symbiosis.
Washington state voted down an income tax this month. Bill Gates, Sr. put up $500,000 of his own money into the campaign, along with the SEIU ponying up a decent chunk. Elder Bill doesn't have to worry about anything ever because his son is one of the ten richest people on the planet. If he was so keen on the income tax, he could have cut that half-million check to the Washington State Treasury. He could put his money where his mouth is, as it were. I'd believe that he was serious about the cause if he were to do that. If Jane is so concerned about the little guy, she should be first in line to give them her extra money and stuff. She can afford it, after all! She's a high-falutin' film producer and author, she probably lives in a huge home with a fleet of cars and all sorts of stuff, and plenty of money.
Before you come to me with your hand out saying how you want to take my money and spread it around to everyone else, prove to me that you've done the same. That you're living a bare existence and giving a big chunk of your money to the needy. Otherwise I don't want to hear it.