We’re not sugar daddy for the government
Responding to letter writer Tommy Holeman’s plea to the middle class to get angry about taxes (Sept. 3), I would say he is welcome to send all his money to the government if he wishes.
And yes, I am already angry at people like Holeman who think I exist only to fund the government, angry that my Republican Party didn’t have the spine to make the tax cuts permanent, and angry that they have abandoned President Reagan’s wisdom and turned up the spending spigots!
Holeman’s halcyon days of 80 percent and 90 percent tax rates are not sane — they are slavery. Even under what Holeman calls welfare for the rich, the richest 20 percent still pay 78 percent of all federal income taxes. He obviously doesn’t understand that we the people are not here to be a collective teat that the government can latch onto and drain.
As for his Minneapolis bridge collapse example, he should follow the money spent over the years allocated for bridges and roads but instead wasted on feel-good mass-transit projects that most people refuse to use because they don’t take you where you want to go!
Jim Kiel, Aurora
Well said, Jim...................................
Save the USA!!!
Impeach Congress Today....
Posted by on September 24, 2007 03:28 AMHigher taxes won't keep the bridges from falling.
Among all the states Minnesota ranks seventh in personal income tax and third in corporate tax rates. The Legislature began the year with a $2 billion budget surplus and since then the economy has thrown off and additional $149 million in unanticipated revenue.
Minnesota spends $1.6 billion annually or transportation. Nearly $1 billion has been diverted from repair work to the state’s light rail network. Democrat Senator James Oberstar recently procured more than $12 million in federal funds for his state. Ten million went to commuter rail lines, $250,000 to bike/walk trails, $250,000 to bus service and $150,000 went to the Mesabi Academy of Kidspeace in Buhl.
In 1999, engineering reports declared that the cracks found in the bridge that collapsed were “a major concern.” Spending on mass transit and bike paths is a higher priority to the politician who understands how public relations work with the press - until a bridge collapses.
When reality sets in the scramble for a solution inevitably leads to the political class default position – raise taxes.
yes we are jim, and it is because we are all too stupid and lazy to say enough is enough.
guess what, IT ISN'T EVER GOING TO CHANGE
Posted by Frewsh on September 24, 2007 06:37 AMRight on. No taxes for anything, except the WAR ( and even then, no taxes, lets just keep borrowing and screw the next generation)!!!! Screw the infrastructure and those damn whiney poor. As for the children and especially the elderly, I say put them on ice flows like the eskimos do.
Posted by Keith on September 24, 2007 06:48 AMWhat an interesting title for a letter. "We’re not sugar daddy for the government". Yet is this not the opposite of what liberal progressive thinkers want. Instead of the public being a surgar daddy, do they not want the government to be thier surgar daddy. Provideing all wants and needs, daily care for the citizens so that they do not have to think or act in thier own behalf.
A complete reversal of who the surgar daddy role ios played by. Well thats if you arnt rich, in which case if you make more then 50,000 a year you can pay for all this.
Posted by Osamalives in the democratic party on September 24, 2007 06:49 AMJones has a great idea. Just turn the bridges over to private industry and it will fix them for free. As we all know, the essence of capitalism is to provide for the public at the lowest cost.
Jones: "Minnesota spends $1.6 billion annually or transportation. Nearly $1 billion has been diverted from repair work to the state’s light rail network. Democrat Senator James Oberstar recently procured more than $12 million in federal funds for his state. Ten million went to commuter rail lines, $250,000 to bike/walk trails, $250,000 to bus service and $150,000 went to the Mesabi Academy of Kidspeace in Buhl."
Isn't it garbage to claim that someone is spending too much by simply stating how much they are spending without showing that the money was wasted?
Unless, of course, you are, as Jones seems to be, opposed to having a state spend money for light rail transportation or hiking/biking trails or commuter rail lines or bus service. There are a lot of governments which don't spend money on these items but they are all third world countries. There are no first world countries that don't spend money on these items. Perhaps that is Jones' problem, perhaps he wishes the United States were a third world country.
Posted by Truth on September 24, 2007 07:45 AMSome people, aparently still don't understand the relationship between tax rates and tax revenue. Tax revenue is enhanced when economic activity is enhanced. In so far as an increase in tax rates goes, this will always depress economic activity to some extent and thus may well depress revenues. Raising tax rates is not a virtue in of itself, since the object is enhancing tax revenues.
GG
Posted by GG on September 24, 2007 07:58 AMJim obviosly dosen't feel that an income tax should be paid by wealthy "publicans".
Although the first President to impose one was the first "publican" Abraham Lincoln.
And Reagan was a pitiful example of a president, as he forgot his role to represent the people over corporations.
Jim obviosly dosen't feel that an income tax should be paid by wealthy "publicans".
Although the first President to impose one was the first "publican" Abraham Lincoln.
And Reagan was a pitiful example of a president, as he forgot his role to represent the people over corporations.
GG -
In so far as an increase in tax rates goes, this will always depress economic activity to some extent and thus may well depress revenues. Raising tax rates is not a virtue in of itself, since the object is enhancing tax revenues.
The idea that reducing the rate will result in more tax revenue only applies in theory if tax rates are too high. The way the theory goes, there is an optimal tax rate for maximum revenue generation - if tax rates are higher or lower than the optimum, then the amount of revenue generated will be lower.
Google "Laffer curve" or see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laffer_curve
The problem though is determining what the optimum level of taxation is mainly because a progressive tax rate really means there is an optimal point for each bracket and other economic factors affect revenue generation other than the tax rate which makes the optimal point a shifting value.
So no one really knows whether reducing or increasing tax rates will increase revenue generated. My personal opinion is that the mid & higher brackets are too high for maximal revenue generation and the lower brackets might be close to being just right.
Posted by CL on September 24, 2007 09:00 AMJim,We are lucking out,Newt Gingrich is going to run.You know the guy responsible for balancing the budget and welfare reform.He will bring back a true conservative gov. and wipe out liberalism with education.
Posted by Keith on September 24, 2007 09:20 AMI bought a bird feeder. I hung it on my back porch and filled it with seed. What a beauty of a bird feeder it is as I filled it lovingly with seed. Within a week we had hundreds of birds taking advantage of the continuous flow of free and easily accessible food.
But then the birds started building nests in the boards of the patio, above the table, and next to the barbecue.
Then came the poop. It was everywhere: on the patio tile, the chairs, the table...everywhere!
Then some of the birds turned mean. They would dive bomb me and try to peck me even though I had fed them out of my own pocket.
And others birds were boisterous and loud. They sat on the feeder and squawked and screamed at all hours of the day and night and demanded that I fill it when it got low on food.
After a while, I couldn't even sit on my own back porch anymore. So I took down the bird feeder and in three days the birds were gone. I cleaned up their mess and took down the many nests they had built all over the patio.
Soon, the back yard was like it used to be...quiet, serene and no one demanding their rights to a free meal.
Now let's see..... our government gives out free food, subsidized housing, free medical care, and free education and allows anyone born here to be an automatic citizen.
Then the illegals came by the tens of thousands.
Suddenly our taxes went up to pay for free services; small apartments are housing 5 families; you have to wait 6 hours to be seen by an emergency room doctor; your child's 2nd grade class is behind other schools because over half the class doesn't speak English.
Corn Flakes now come in a bilingual box; I have to "press one" to hear my bank talk to me in English, and people waving flags other than "Old Glory" are squawking and screaming in the streets, demanding more rights and free liberties.
Just my opinion, but maybe it's time for the government to take down the bird feeder. If you agree, pass it on; if not, continue cleaning up the poop!
That's funny, "they have abandoned President Reagan’s wisdom and turned up the spending spigots!" Would that be the wisdom that brought us the greatest expansion of the national debt in the history of the republic? The wisdom that told us that deficits don't count? The wisdom that has shifted the burden of our fiscal insanity onto the backs of our children and grandchildren?
Posted by Romulus on September 24, 2007 09:29 AMTruth...surprise, surprise, the U.S. is turning into a third world country!!!
Posted by A on September 24, 2007 09:38 AM09:29 - sounds like you have bad bad karma with birds. Besides, when did birds ever force you to "press one" to hear them squawk and scream in english?
Posted by wingedpoop on September 24, 2007 09:43 AMTo "I bought a bird feeder." Great job of plagiarizing. There are several websites with the story; from which one did you clandestinely copy to make yourself look good?
Posted by Truth on September 24, 2007 12:17 PMUn Truth: If I wanted credit for something plagiarized (as you quite frequently do), I would have put a screen name following the often repeated story in an attempt to garner such false pride. I just thought it fit, in a general sense, with the discussion of people like you seeking to spend other's money - just an example of how you justify flushing money down the social toilet.
Now go wax philosophically and don't expose yourself to self ridicule again.
Posted by on September 24, 2007 12:31 PMLet's see.... I have to make decisions with my budget every day. Do I buy new tires for my truck or a new topper? Well, since I want to stay on the road and not have a blow out, I will forego the new topper and get a new set of tires....btw, I do need new tires.. anyone seen any good sales?
Now, that means I may have to put off spending on another area... i.e the topper.
Here is how the .gov likes to do it..... They will put off buying new tires to get racing stripes and a new garage door opener. When the tires explode, they blame the neighbor cuz the neighbor did not give enough money to buy the .gov new tires AND the racing stripes and garage door opener. Silly neighbor, wanting to keep the money he worked for... ungrateful sot.
So, instead of putting off purchases and reallocating money to things like fixing infrastructure, the .gov expects you to give up more of what you earn so it can have the racing stripes AND the new tires.
It's time for the .gov to learn to budget.....
Posted by Dravur on September 24, 2007 12:50 PMThe one thing about Jesus... He didn't hold a gun to anyone's head and FORCE them to partake in generosity.
See the difference?
And I worked for the money I have, not apologetic about that at all. So, if you want to be envious of successful people, go for it, but it might be wise to try and be successful yourself rather than waiting on the .gov to be your saviour.
Posted by Dravur on September 24, 2007 01:49 PMOh Dravur that was funny, Jesus pretty much told them they would go to Hell if they didn`t do things his way. You are right, that was a much kinder, gentler way then our paying taxes at gunpoint.
Posted by Sharon B. on September 24, 2007 02:59 PMAnybody see how the US Dollar is doing versus the Euro or Canadian dollar?
Posted by on September 24, 2007 03:18 PM Jimmy is still whining about paying taxes,
too frigging bad.
What about the "transportation tax" imposed by the oil barons?
The poor pay WAY more.
Look at it this way 2 guys, everything equal. 1st guy takes home $5000 a week. 2nd guy takes home %500.
They both have similar cars ( yeah, right) same mileage commute, etc
Both pay $50 to fill up their tank per week.
. WHO PAYS A BIGGER SHARE?
It's a hell of a lot more than the taxes the wealthy pay today.
Jim and publicans need quit bitching.
YES !!! BRING BACK THE 1950s TAX RATES!
Our letter writer, Jim has serious issues,
Reagan's "wisdom" turned this country into the mess we find ourselves in.
He was a Democrat but was turned to the "dark side" by greed and envy.
And Jim, your comment about slavery was despicable. But then, Republicans in general are despicable, brought on by the same motivations.
And about income taxes,
What, do you hate Honest Abe and freedom?
Can your business survive without the infrastructure paid for with taxes?
Did you and yours even PAY any?
I somehow really doubt it
Just get rid of all taxes, and all government. The rich can have hired guns to protect their wealth from the have-nots. The have-nots can join the army and fight wars to protect the rich, since they have earned every penny through hard work, not like those life lifes who do manual labor for pennies. Why is it our duty to pay for the wretched poor? Let the churches do that. NO BODY gets my money! NOBODY!
Posted by Keith on September 25, 2007 08:57 AMJust get rid of all taxes, and all government. The rich can have hired guns to protect their wealth from the have-nots. The have-nots can join the army and fight wars to protect the rich, since they have earned every penny through hard work, not like those life lifes who do manual labor for pennies. Why is it our duty to pay for the wretched poor? Let the churches do that. NO BODY gets my money! NOBODY!
Posted by Keith on September 25, 2007 08:57 AMTo Anonymous 12:31 P.M.
I have read "The bird feeder" on other sites it was in perfect response to Mr. Keils letter! Kudos to you for posting it!!!
I wonder if Truth even recognizes the fact that he/she has been givin the bird!
Posted by A on September 25, 2007 11:30 AMso screw taxes and just do what Bush does, borrow and then borrow some more, thats how he is running his war. hope the GOP doesnt yell too loud when we have to start paying off the loans. Wonder how we could do that without raising taxes?
A at 11:30, you left off your last name..isnt it Hole?
About the bird feeder story. It is of course spurious. Millions of people have bird feeders and enjoy them. Likewise, the attempted inference that people are like the mythical birds in the story is spurious. It is said that all analogies limp, but this one doesn't even have any legs. And it is no surprise that the poster did not even try to say what lesson to draw from his spurious analogy. For example, does the poster think we should discontinue all programs to help poor children? Does he want to do away with Medicare? Does he want to do away with all foreign aid? Does he want to do away with all poverty programs? It would require a working brain to deal with such issues. It doesn't take any brain power to cut and paste.
Posted by Truth on September 25, 2007 01:10 PMThat's funny Truth, you seem to be the only one who didn't understand the bird feeder story. No one else seems confused by it.
Posted by A on September 26, 2007 12:14 PM