From what I have read, seen, and heard it means the gap between the rich and poor is widening.
These might have changed recently but the statistics from my college days were that 2% of the population owns 97% of the resources. Yet they pay only 47% of the taxes. Now I am no great mathmatician but that just seem to add up. That leaves over half of the tax burden to be placed on the middle and lower middle class.
Now I am all for people earning their own way. If you work hard and succeed then you should enjoy the fruits of your labors but you also must pay your fair share. The truly wealthy people don't seem to be doing this.
Now these are just examples made up by me. I don't know what the actual tax basis for certain incomes are.
If you make $100,000 a year and pay 22% in taxes or roughly $22,000 a year. While that is a decent wage it wouldn't afford you the luxury of the high priced attorneys who find all the loopholes to get you out of paying certain taxes. You are also not entitled to things like the Earned Income Tax Credit. You just have to bite the bullet and pay.
Now take someone like Bill Gates. He pays himself an annual salary of $1.00. On the surface you may think Wow what a great guy. But how much does he make in profits from his company? Plenty. That's were the fancy lawyers come in. He technically doesn't have much of an income but he has managed to pay people to find every loophole there is to keep his share of the profits from his company.
From my POV both the Democrats and Republicans work for the big business'. The politicians do nothing to close these loopholes. Yet they don't think twice about handing out a little corporate welfare.
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Comments: 26
It is almost like the old time company store that paid its employees in credit in their own store.
I own a business and the governor felt the need to privatize worker's compensation insurance. They wanted $150 more than what I paid all year as a deposit. They try to keep the little people in their place.
We get screwed there too. The worker never sees the money unless they are injured on the job. I have had several employees who would rather get paid more than have worker's comp.
The insurance company makes more. They take any way they can.
Here is another load of crap. I pay taxes on items that I get for wholesale. Then the customer is charged tax again on the final markup. It is a shame. But usually it is a rich person getting taxed the 2nd time. LOL
Needless to say politicians work for who ever gives them "campaign" money. We see and live it every day.
They will do anything to keep us down. I broke free. I got tired of working for someone who owned a company but had nothing to do with the business. As well as live in a better house than I will ever be able to afford on the measly salary they paid me so they can have an easy, lazy life.
Between my divorce and job changes, I'm one of them. Before my ex and I moved and split, we made about $80K/year combined... Now I'm a checker at wal-mart. (They don't make much, if you haven't guessed).
Wal-mart and other low pay jobs instead of jobs at the local steel mill or auto plant.
Kids leaving college with so much loan debt that they may never see the light of day- get out of debt. This kills off a lot of future investment capital also!
Not affording to become sick any more.
Housing costs in certain places that a teacher, postal worker or cop can't afford to live in the community they work.
Young people going into the military as the only chance to better themselves and getting killed or maimed in Iraq.
New high tech prisons and old schools with old text books.
The list goes on!
PS- Lori, forgive any reposts by me- I had my computer crash a few times.
Now, if a family is fortunate enough to still have a two parent home, even if both parents are college educated, they can still barely make ends meet with both parents working.
There was a time when you didn't need a college education to work jobs that meant good money - (railroad, construction, autoworkers, some industrial)
Now, some of these jobs still exist, but sometimes the environment is different. Automation means fewer people necessary in some industrial & auto plants. Companies are building their plants overseas where the labor is cheaper, but bringing their products over here, where for now that wages are still higher.
Illegal immigrants are replacing many workers down south (my neck of the woods) on farms and in factories. Many low skilled Americans used to holds these jobs. Most of us probably remember a time when even the landscapers, nannies, maids, etc. were lower skilled Americans.
I think Lori is right. I think we're seeing the gap widening. Sometimes, I wonder if our government just caught us all sleeping or what?
Lisa B I know the feeling. Divorce is a killer to the pocketbook.
Vicki I think the government doesnt care. They cater to big business we as regular folks cant help them or hurt them....or so they think.
Hey Missy.
Heidi I agree.
In the 2006 election only 46.3% of eligible voters actually went to the polls, about100 million Americans did not even bother to vote. This is one of the real causes of low wages and salaries, Americans are refusing to participate in the democratic process, allowing a minority of organized voters to control the process
As the old saying gos: in the long run people get the government they deserve.
I will be voting in the next election because there was too much blood spilled over the years not to vote.
Brian thanks. I agree.
Life is hard for just about everyone. But unless you're willing to pick up a gun and start another revolution what good is bitching about it going to do? We need more personal accountability and less whining. I keep hearing about the evils of big business yet what whiners fail to mention is that big business actually employs millions of Americans who are doing very well. Maybe the rest of you should have tried a little harder and bitched a little less and maybe you might be an exec making six figures.
Between housing costs, gas costs, student loans and credit cards many Americans cannot save. The spirit is willing, but the flesh or money is weak in this case.
Now days the best hope of a comfortable retirement for too many Americans depends on winning the lottery.
Therein lies the rub. If you choose to live beyond your means you deserve no sympathy when you later choose to bitch about how hard it is.
In DuPage county I saw a food pantry and people going into it. I believe they were going in there because on need and not greed.
I personally own a consutling practice (Liberal Joe has passed on to me great tips about marketing, insurance etc., which is more than anyone else on Gather has done to date), I also manage a business and am able to run it about at 17% net profit margin and bring the operation in above budgeted gross and net profits.
In my consulting, I normally charge between $125 and $175 per hour. I know what hard work will accomplish.
The fact of the matter is despite my success, I've worked a minimum wage job and you can't tighten your belt if you can't afford to buy one. These low pay, low bennie, jobs don't pay enough to buy basic transportation, a trip to the dentist- forget it and don't mention a decent diet. Where there is proverty you see fast food and liquor stores. People living in those areas are cut off from fresh veggies and good nutrition, which leads to diabetes, high blood pressure etc. and they die early because of it. If I end up a millionaire, I will really bitch about the struggle of the middle class and America's poor. Odds are I'll have more time to do it.
Dana, I invite you to try living on a Wal-Mart job for six months, forget about me I like my lifestyle.
Brian some very good comments on your part.
The fact still remains that the middle class is losing ground and these McJobs, or what ever you want to call them do not offer a wage that you can support your family on.
As far as belt tightening and cutting frills, my answer is no matter how hard you sqeeze, there's only so much juice in an orange.
Yo, surf, we are ruled by the elite.
The good news is they rely on us to stay in power.
They scare easy, so write em`.
Tax practices that hamper small businesses
The lack of good paying jobs for the average American worker especially in the rust belt area
Unaffordable college costs for the average American
The war in Iraq falling on the shoulders of the poor and working classes
The exporting of American jobs
Lack of affordable health care and the rising number of uninsured
Failing public schools
The lack of retirement security for Americans
Illegal immigration keeping wages down by creating an excess labor supply
Hyper-inflation in the housing market by mortgage lenders keeping the American dream out of the reach of many Americans
Crime on the street and in the boardroom
Heidi- I also agree with your statement that the only one who don't feel that taxes are messed up are the poloiticians and upper - upper class. Great point.
I'm trying hard to become more of an optimist so I can believe that we can do what needs to be done. I think a lot of people have given up and don't believe it CAN be done, or they've decided it's all too hard and that they're better off settling for whatever they can get.
That works out pretty well for those whose wealth and power depend on keeping the middle classes, the working classes and the underclasses under control.
Duane, I agree that we end up with the governments we deserve. Active participation in a democracy involves more than voting every few years, and a lot of people can't even be bothered to do that much.