vagymmomma
Proud Parent
Whoah, somehow I missed this.
I would LOVE to be that "not rich." And if I ever get that "not rich," I will go on record right now saying that I will not complain one bit about having to pay a larger portion of my "not rich"-ness back to the country that made me so "not rich."
Because, you see, people who get this "not rich" don't do it in a vacuum. Most of them started out with an education that we all pay for. They and their employees get to and from work on roads that we all pay for. They are secure in their homes and businesses because of a police force, a fire-fighting force, a legal system, and a military that we all pay for.
So, yes, I DO think that all those "not rich" people making over $250,000/year owe it to the rest of us to pay a big chunk of that forward.
Okay, I guess it's time to join the discussion since I'm one of the so-called "rich" (although not by much). My parents were both immigrants. Never went to college. Never were given much of anything. My father didn't speak any English till he started school and he was forced to join the Army to keep him out trouble. I wore hand me down clothes from my brothers and cherished the one Barbie doll that my mother found one day.
I was taught early on the importance of an education and I took it to heart. I went to public schools and earned academic scholarships. I worked in the dorms as an RA to pay for my room and board. When I went to grad school where I worked 2 jobs (7 days a week) while attending school full time. I tell my kids how I used to stop by the local market to buy a baked potato and a can of diet coke for less than a dollar. I lived on that for nearly 2 years. There were literally days I couldn't scrape together enough pennies to ride the bus so I walked to work.
That's how I was raised. I live in a modest home with a modest 5 year old car (a hybrid). I give a lot to charity. And I pay a lot of taxes. The 35% tax rate is such an over simplication because it doesn't count the deductions I lose for being "rich", or the AMT I've paid since before I had kids, or the self employment tax I pay. My health insurance is ridiculous as a self employed person (and the health legislation is designed to "tax" me more). I'm responsible for keeping 7 people employed and I take that responsibility to heart. Any one who works for me would tell you that no one works harder than I do.
Tax investment income - I have very little). Tax the Kardashian types with their extravagant lifestyles. But don't tell me that I'm "entitled" and I owe it to those poorer because I wasn't the one drinking behind the gym in high school. I was the one who hit the library every weekend to find new books.
I believe in gay marriage. I'm a strong proponent of green initiatives. But I also strongly feel that much of the current welfare structure is not designed to pull people out of their situation -- if anything it binds them to it. Take care of the young, the handicapped and the elderly, but let's change things so those who can work, work for what they're getting from the government. Train them. Give them responsibilities. But stop with all the handouts without any long term plan to help them out.
Stepping off soap box now.