Occupy Wall Street?

[Shawn]

I always find it interesting that there is a sect of people who are always crying "tax the rich". Um, last time I checked it's the "rich" who pay most of the taxes.

The top 50% pay 94% of all taxes. The top 1% pay 33.7%, and the top 5% pay 57% of all the taxes.

What does disturb me is guys who are uber rich paying only 15% or less. The loop holes need to be closed.

I only see about 60% of my paycheck. And that is before, real estate, gas, and sales taxes. When it's all said and done, I will see about 50% of what I earn. I think most of us pay more than our fair share. Where we should concentrate our venom is towards the waste that goes on within our government.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

The way things are going, they could tax us all 100% of our income, and it wouldn't be enough to make the interest payments on the national debt...

Things are going to change dramatically...they have to. When I see the news video of all these protesters, complete with their ipads and techie phones, I just have to shake my head, because they don't have a clue.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

If these people put as much effort into getting a job, unemployment wouldn't be so high.

It never ceases to amaze me the amount of effort and creativity people can put into complaining. If they could only channel those efforts into something positive, we'd all be in much better shape right now as a country.

I bet no one in the "1%" ever got there by joining one of these protests.

They don't have to join protests - they just rob and steal from the 99%. They stay a lot warmer that way, and they get to take showers too!

Rob and steal? You're thinking of Congress. You choose to give your money to a private company. You are forced at the point of a gun to give it to Washington.

I agree with that too.

Some might say that it's all the same: corporations give money to ... >> lobbyists, who give perks/money/job offers to ... >> Washington congresspeople and senators, who write laws to financially benefit ... >> corporations, who give money to ...

Case in point: How much federal income tax did GE pay in 2010? If you're interested, it's out there on the web. But, amazingly enough, GE is having a hard time saying they will owe ANYTHING for 2010. I repeat - less than you and I owe on Federal Income Tax. I guess some people would say that's not a problem, it's good for business and businesses hire people.

Yeah, they do. Overseas.

While I'm ranting anyway ... did you know that members of congress are LEGALLY allowed to use privileged information they learn in the course of their work (information we are not privy to) to buy and sell stocks? Somebody did a really good job of investigating how so many congresspeople arrive in congress solidly middle class, and leave really really rich. That's how.

The whole thing stinks worse than feet and dead fish.

[Jigawatts]

The jelly of the month club would be an improvement.

That's the problem. We've come to expect bonuses and perks as human rights. It was nice when companies would provide full health care, matching 401k, bonuses, etc. I'm sure nobody thanked them when they did, but they sure damn them when they don't go above and beyond their contractual agreement when they hired you.

Which was to pay you for working.

America has become pillow soft. If Brokaw's generation was the greatest, this may be the weakest.

Upper management gets hefty bonuses based on production while the hourly worker gets
shat on. Congrats to them, they worked hard to climb that ladder and get where they're
at. But those fargin somanabatches try to bullstein us with their "cuts" right after they
release their quarterly profit report.

"The reason companies are sitting on two trillion dollars worth of cash is uncertainty."

[WindyCitySteel]

You want to fix things, eliminate all taxes except for a flat national sales tax. Nobody escapes that - the 50% who aren't paying now, the rich who use loopholes to evade paying taxes, illegals who aren't on the books, etc.

In addition, drastically reduce the size and scope of government. We're on the road to Greece, and everyone in Washington (well almost everyone) is terrified of getting booted out of office so they continue to kick the can down the road rather than make tough decisions.

[flippy]

I wish we could start with the premise of eliminating government completely and taxing no one.

Then from that basis, we begin deciding what government must do for the good of everyone.

I suspect we'd come up with a tiny list of necessities and people could stop paying taxes.

For example, most charities are made up of primarily volunteers. What if all gov't jobs were volunteer jobs and no one collected a gov't paycheck?

And what if the gov't took donations instead of forcing taxes. And uber rich people could provide endowments targeted to specific things they want to have done.

I really can't think of a single thing our gov't could do better than an individual or private entity. Do we really need gov't at all?

I say no.

If we truly believe in freedom, we should all have the freedom to choose where our money goes - including charities.

And if our gov't believes in the whole in God we trust - doesn't God demand the first 10% for him. It's anti God for the gov't to put their hands in my wallet before God does.

Maybe gov't should remove all reference to God if they're going to misuse God.

They even f'd up by putting God on my money.

[ricapritts]

I don't know why anyone would think that ANY of these insane dictators that we're working with would actually share wealth with their people.

[Chadman]

The only thing a progressive scale tax system does is penalise those who are lucky enough to earn well.

30% of your income taxed, is 30% regardless of how much you earn- guys on minmum will pay substantially less than those earning millions- but at least the % is the same for all.

In Australia we've (brilliantly ) got a progressive % tax system- low earners pay a lower percentage that high earners. I think it's 20ish% for low earners up to around 45% for the high rollers. This is remarkably stupid- you are simply penalising the successful- making the idea of success a lot less attractive.

Surely governments, if nothing else, should be trying to encourage people getting off their collective hand-out grabbing bums, go out & do well for themselves? No- not here in Australia.

Socialist ideals are not that far removed from Communist ideals- the 'masses' are looked after- screw the elite. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Progression as a community requires someone, or a bunch of someone's, to go out & do well. Otherwise we'll all sit about playing xbox waiting for someone else to do it.

Capitalism really is the system comminuties require in order to be pregressive.

It's funny that it's always the long haired, guitar playing hippies ( yes, that is a gross generalisation! ) that get together & blame the 'corporates' for screwing them over. Yet it's the 'corporates' that tend to pay for their 'god given right to a damn hand-out'. So yes, let's bring down the corporate bastards. Then let's see who pays our damn hand outs.

[Shawn]

Well Chad the issue here is that the parties world wide that tread those socialist waters are basically paying out bribes. If you can get a whole population of people dependent upon the government crack dollar, then you have a whole population of voters who will vote along socialist lines.

Do I think it's fair that I only see around 50% of my pay while others see most or all of theirs? No. But, it's life here in the US. If you do well you are demonized and taxed with a heavy hand.

The only issue I agree with is when you have uber rich who are able to skirt the tax laws. Guys like Buffet only paying 15% really gets under my skin. If I only see 50% of my pay then so should Buffet.

[Chadman]

Well Chad the issue here is that the parties world wide that tread those socialist waters are basically paying out bribes. If you can get a whole population of people dependent upon the government crack dollar, then you have a whole population of voters who will vote along socialist lines.

Do I think it's fair that I only see around 50% of my pay while others see most or all of theirs? No. But, it's life here in the US. If you do well you are demonized and taxed with a heavy hand.

The only issue I agree with is when you have uber rich who are able to skirt the tax laws. Guys like Buffet only paying 15% really gets under my skin. If I only see 50% of my pay then so should Buffet.

Couldn't agree more Shawn- everyone pays the same tax percentage- nobody can complain about being harshly done by.

It's so simple, you'd think anyone could implement it.

Well, nearly everyone...just not those we elect to ACTUALLY implement it..