$447 bil

[shmike]

Originally Posted by askmrjesus

You know Ed, for years I thought (based on your posts) that you were kind of...dim.

OK, so that hasn't really changed, BUT, I do believe you're really on to something here.

Social services were designed to help the folks that fall through the cracks. Who better to finance those programs, than the poor, the elderly, and those stupid blind people? You just have to know that they are not reporting all the income they make, selling pencils on street corners.

It's clear, that old, blind, poor people, are ruining America for the rest of us.

The definition of "poor" here in the US, is somebody that makes around 22 grand, with a family of four. WTF are they doing with all the extra cash they must have laying around? They should be giving that shit to the Government.

So, I agree with you. Tough love is the only way we can stop this bullshit, so here's the plan: Raise the tax rate on the poor, elderly and the blind, to 99% of their income. What better incentive could their be, to make people wake up, and be rich, young, and well sighted?

Fucking 'A, problem solved.

JC

C'mon Jesus.

This is why I have such a hard time not paying attention to these threads.

The "TAX THE RICH, THEY DESERVE IT" crowd seems to feed off emotion.

"OMG, if the Bush tax credits are extended, my blind Granny's taxes are going to be 110% of her income!"

I know your post is more a jab at Ed than a commentary on our tax code but the poor, the blind and the elderly all get tax breaks not available to "regular" citizens.

[fatbuckRTO]

Originally Posted by RACER X

whens enough enough?

Currently, 35% is enough. If and when I ever make $380K, the point at which I'd have to pay 35% income tax, something tells me I'll still be able to squeeze by on $247K a year.

Originally Posted by RACER X

lets say you make $150k how much are you willing to keep contributing to "help" others, remember some/many people don't pay a dime into "the system".

First, this assertion that you keep repeating is disingenuous, since many payroll deductions aren't refunded even if you've been determined to owe no income tax. Second, about half of these households that "don't pay a dime into the system" take in $20,000 a year or less. That's hard enough when you're single. Try housing and feeding a family on that. Even if you're only taxing them 10%, now try housing and feeding a family on $18,000. Hell, just housing.

Originally Posted by RACER X

do people in escalades come up to the grocery store w/ their coach purses and done up nails and hair and pay for their groceries w/ a govt food stamp card?

I thought "where the money goes" was a different topic? Ok, assuming it's part of the conversation again:

Taking away food stamps is not going to put a scratch in the $133K I would be paying in income tax if I made $380K. Add up all the other discretionary spending of the 2011 federal budget, and you still don't come within $100 billion of the spending for the DoD alone. Again, that's before the wars. If you really want to pay less in taxes, tell your congressman to buy fewer Tomahawks, or close down Fort Hood.

As I've said, your income tax money isn't going to "help others." The vast majority of it is going to keep the federal government running. There are literally hundreds of places we could go to trim the fat before we start hitting up the $20K and under club for contributions.

[Homeslice]

Originally Posted by RACER X

So if a person doesn't pay taxes how do they pay for the military that defends them? Let Alone welfare and such.

How often is our military used to defend us? Afghanistan maybe, but I don't think I'd put Iraq in that category.

[fasternyou929]

Reading through this, I can't help but wonder how many of you do your own taxes? When you reach a new tax bracket your entire income isn't suddenly taxed at that rate. For example, should you make $390k this year, only $10k would be taxed at the 35% rate, not all $390k.

This has never been more obvious than when bonus payouts come around. "ZOMG, this is going to put me in a new tax bracket and cost me more money!!!" as if their bonus just netted them a loss.

[Homeslice]

Originally Posted by shmike

"OMG, if the Bush tax credits are extended, my blind Granny's taxes are going to be 110% of her income!"

Just curious, why do so many people seem to think Bush's cuts are supposed to be permanent? At least, that's the impression I'm getting from reading the media and people who post comments. It's like they think those cuts were written into the Constitution or something. They do realize there's an expiration date, right? What, do they think taxes can only go down, not up? Do these people ever hear of economic cycles?

[RACER X]

Originally Posted by fatbuckRTO

Currently, 35% is enough. If and when I ever make $380K, the point at which I'd have to pay 35% income tax, something tells me I'll still be able to squeeze by on $247K a year.

.

ah but you see you only have to make about 70k a yr to pay 35%, so now you really only make 45k a yr, and w/ other taxes you make less then that. and if your single w/ ni kids and no house.....you're gonna get bent.


if you only make $20k a yr, then don't have a household, stay single till you can afford kids or make do. and if you do decide to have a household when you only make 20k a yr, why should the gov't help you sustain yourself.


and yes, fix gov't spending.

[RACER X]

Originally Posted by Homeslice

How often is our military used to defend us? Afghanistan maybe, but I don't think I'd put Iraq in that category.

right now, everyday, whether you believe in the war or not. they are there fighting. costing us $

[fatbuckRTO]

Originally Posted by fasternyou929

Reading through this, I can't help but wonder how many of you do your own taxes? When you reach a new tax bracket your entire income isn't suddenly taxed at that rate. For example, should you make $390k this year, only $10k would be taxed at the 35% rate, not all $390k.

This has never been more obvious than when bonus payouts come around. "ZOMG, this is going to put me in a new tax bracket and cost me more money!!!" as if their bonus just netted them a loss.

In my defense, a lot of the numbers I'm throwing out are rounded / estimated so I don't have to spend an hour doing calculations for one post. I try to round against my argument; for instance, I took the entire US population into account when splitting up the DoD bill instead of just the tax-paying ages.

[Homeslice]

Originally Posted by RACER X

right now, everyday, whether you believe in the war or not. they are there fighting. costing us $

I agree.

So shouldn't that money be evaluated / re-considered? Just like social services?

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by shmike

C'mon Jesus.

This is why I have such a hard time not paying attention to these threads.

The "TAX THE RICH, THEY DESERVE IT" crowd seems to feed off emotion.

"OMG, if the Bush tax credits are extended, my blind Granny's taxes are going to be 110% of her income!"

I know your post is more a jab at Ed than a commentary on our tax code but the poor, the blind and the elderly all get tax breaks not available to "regular" citizens.

I would put myself in the, "Tax the rich, they can afford it" camp.

I'm a single male, making a good living wage, with no additional deductions. You can be damned sure that I'm paying a pretty hefty amount on income tax. I can afford it. Would I like to keep more of my own money? Undoubtedly, but if they're going to take as much as they do, then I'm more worried about it being used properly.

And you think that the "tax the rich" people are the only ones, who play upon emotion? What about the "leave the rich alone" people, who base their position on rhetoric and selfishness?

Originally Posted by RACER X

ah but you see you only have to make about 70k a yr to pay 35%, so now you really only make 45k a yr, and w/ other taxes you make less then that. and if your single w/ no house.....you're gonna get bent.

if you only make $20k a yr, then don't have a household, stay single till you can afford kids or make do.

and yes, fix gov't spending.

If I made $20K a year, in Toronto, I would be living in someone's unfinished basement and eating Kraft Dinner. I would be in sore need of the universal health care, that we have up here, as I would be constantly sick.

As it is I'm one of those people, who makes more than $70K a year and is single.