Redistribution of Wealth

[wtm442]

Just got the following e-mail. Very interesting, especially the last papragraph.

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Today on my way to lunch I passed a homeless guy with a sign that read "Vote Obama, I need the money." I laughed.

Once in the restaurant my server had on an "Obama 08" tie, again I laughed as he had given away his political preference--just imagine the coincidence.

When the bill came I decided not to tip the server and explained to him that I was exploring the Obama redistribution of wealth concept. He stood there in disbelief while I told him that I was going to redistribute his tip to someone who I deemed more in need--the homeless guy outside. The server angrily stormed from my sight.

I went outside, gave the homeless guy $10 and told him to thank the server inside as I've decided he could use the money more. The homeless guy was grateful.

At the end of my rather unscientific redistribution experiment I realized the homeless guy was grateful for the money he did not earn, but the waiter was pretty angry that I gave away the money he did earn even though the actual recipient deserved money more.

I guess redistribution of wealth is an easier thing to swallow in concept than in practical application.

REDISTRIBUTION OF SOMEONE ELSE'S WEALTH, A GREAT IDEA .............. or just a fools game?

Below is the opinion of a wise Roman written some 2000 years ago. I believe the clowns in D.C. could benefit from this, if they would only listen....

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance." Marcus Tullius Cicero

[DAVID GAGNARD]

I never get involved in discussions about religon or politics,till now.........

I have but one question, please anyone,give me a reasonable answer.............

WHY DO WE HAVE TO HAVE A REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH????????

Since the begining of time, there were poor,middle class, and rich, been like that, and will always be like that till the end of time........

Some will work hard to get ahead, some will work just enough to get by and some will not work no matter what........

David (just a hard working middle/middle class guy)

[wtm442]

Originally Posted by DAVID GAGNARD

WHY DO WE HAVE TO HAVE A REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH????????

Ask any Socialist like Obama. That is what Joe the Plumber asked him. They believe that they (the people in power) have to redistribute the wealth amongst their subjects to prevent class warfare. Of course, it just creates class warfare. Poor people love the idea, and everyone else hates the idea.

Vote for Obama ... and you will definitely get CHANGE. You ain't going to like the change unless you are dirt poor, but remember ... its your patriotic duty to pay more taxes.

[427 S/O]

Quote David: Since the beginning of time, there were poor,middle class, and rich, been like that, and will always be like that till the end of time........

fact!...And even though Americans are the most generous, it will always be a fact!.

[NeoConMan]

I have a little insight on this most ignore - if they are aware at all.

GIVE money to the poor - they will always expect more.
Will they save it?
No.

Will they invest it?
No.

Will they spend it?
Damn right.

Think of it as an economic stimulus, they will piss it away on beer, cigarettes, TV's and other bullsh!t. I can tell you this for a fact, as my Mom's extended family is full of white-trash rednecks and inbred hillbilly types.

None of them have any credit, few have jobs, and it pisses them off that they "have to" have a bank account to receive Welfare and Social Security checks.
Why can't they just get the check mailed to their house so they can run down to the liquor store to cash it?

Here's my insight;
In the early sixties, my aunt won a new Ford T-Bird in a radio station give away. In a couple months, the transmission was trashed in it because of her drunk-ass husband and his good-time wino buddies.
Unable to afford a repair or replacement transmission (even a used salvage yard tranny) the car sat in their yard as playground equipment for their kids.
The windows were left open and it got rained in all the time, birds finally sh!t all over the inside so the kids quit playing in it.
It was finally robbed of parts for a few dollars here and there, and in a year was nothing but a hulk.

A ONE YEAR OLD, BRAND NEW FORD THUNDERBIRD was given away as a junker and it finally left their front yard on a wrecker headed for a salvage yard.

This is the mindset of MILLIONS of Americans, they are eager to accept anything you'll give them and think they are so smart because they have it figured out.


The reason this came to mind?
There were 8 children in my Mom's family.
There are three left.
The youngest brother was a slick ladies man, a hustler who always had a good looking lady on his arm.
After fathering children across the land, stealing from everybody he ever met, getting shot twice, beat up dozens of times, in and out of jail, he finally got Jesus and is in AA to learn how to manage his Social Security check.
He's almost 70 and he finally had his moment of clarity.

My Mom has modest investments and lives like it in west Texas.
She is now caring for her oldest sister (the T-Bird lady) who is hospitalized and may not see her 75th birthday.
She got a Power of Attorney drawn up to manage her sisters SS check and keep her gov't apartment up.

This woman's 6 children (my cousins) have the smarts and compassion of babies raised by wolves, and are attacking my Mom because she won't let them strip their own mother's apartment.
One played her hand after driving to the hospital to get her mom's purse.
My mom refused to give it to her, so she got pissed and left. Never bothered to look in on her mom.
- Not the contents, she simply wanted the purse. I dunno, it's worth nothing.

My mom sent two of my cousins $400 so they could afford to come see their mom, who was on death's door.
They left east Texas and went to Houston. Who knows why?
They finally finished out the triangle and got to west Texas, broke, and needing money.
They got the key to their own mother's apartment and went on a beer/weed bender.
They're married women in their forties and fifties!
They left with only one visit to the hospital to see their mother - they had to get home....
They really are that stupid.

You bet your ass they want Obama to win.
Payday for them.
Their kids need new Ipods, cell phones, and video games....

[pfalk]

Redistribution of wealth always assumes that wealth is a finite capacity. It ignores the fact that wealth can be created anywhere capital flows from low value to high value use.

Stop redistributing wealth and give the people a chance to generate their own. Redistribution is a policy failure based on failed logic.

[Dan40]

Doesn't "Redistribution of the wealth" ultimately mean that each of us end up with the exact same amount?
Barack Obamination says he just wants to take a little from the "haves" to give to the "have nots." But when you start that, where do you end it? When everybody is "equal?" Don't know what we do about those that think they are "more equal," than somebody else. They will foul up the whole system.

Hey, Warren Buffet, how about you and I do a little Redistribution, just the 2 of us!

Dan

[cobra bill]

I think I'm beginning to understand your disdain for people, I am, as you guys no a liberal, I have never collected any kind of government hand out nor has any of my family, I grew up with 6 brothers and 1 sister, and both parents worked, and most people I know living around me are the same, I'm sure there are people like you described around, they are no doubt every ware but most of the liberals as well as conservatives that I know are hardworking honest people, I don't know what percentage of people are as you described, but I like to think that most Americans are honest hard working people that love there country! Yes we do have a difference in ideology, but we are still all Americans that love our country and only want what's best for it.
This idea of the redistribution of wealth is a bit a red herring, the only people that would get a cut in taxes is people that pay taxes, now some are saying that they will get a return, even if they don't pay federal taxes, but everyone that works, pays federal income tax, some that don't make enough get it back, but that's the ones below the poverty level. Have any of you ever tried to live on that amount of money? I know a lot of senior citizens that are forced to go back to work and do it for minimum wage just to survive! These are still hard working people and deserve some compassion, its the same for the youth, how many of you like me worked and went to college on a minimum wage
job? Well that cannot be done anymore, When I grew up most families only had to have, one income, my parents wanted to buy a business, so both worked hard and achieved there goals, but with the price of everything it's no longer a reality. Two incomes are the norm and even that is not enough to get ahead, much less to even stay afloat. Now I know you would all agree that we should all be responsible for ourselves, and I agree with that, but even the little guy need help with that and if not having him pay as much in taxes as someone that is well off then I think its only right, we have run our debt up to the point ware it is out of control, and it needs to be paid down! I think Bush made a huge mistake asking Americans to just go shop and not sacrifice in anyway or form, and we would just put it on a credit card! Well its time to pay, that card down, and if that means that top 5 percent of hard working Americans have to pay more, they have benefited more! Over the last 30 years that we have been lowering taxes for them.
If 5% of the population have 50% the nations wealth, then its high time they pay for all that they have benefited from.
If we allow the less fortunate to keep more of there money then the wealthy it will only benefit the economy, if as they say is true, and I have no reason to doubt it, 95% of wage earners had more money to spend, and they will, it will almost all go back into the economy and those that are already running those small business are going to see more profits as well, the way it works is from the bottom up, not the top down when 95% put into the economy, its way better then 5% and will turn around the economy much faster!

[BeanCounter]

Bill,

If you're going to rob people then at least have the decency to stand in front of them face to face and hold a gun on them.

Everyone benefits in this country. I'm of the mind that everyone, and I do mean everyone, owes something back to this country. And in equal amounts. If it's taxes then let's set it at 20% and everyone pays that percentage. If for whatever reason, you're ill educated, you're stupid, you're lazy, you've had a lot of lousy breaks, whatever the excuse is that you can't pay, well then you can donate your time to your country. Can't make time during the week because you're working to get by, well then do it on the weekend. Imagine what a lovely country this would be with 40% of the population out cleaning up the countryside, planting trees, putting roofs on old people's houses, doing work at the local hospital, my god man there's hundreds of things that need to be done. All of us need to share our time, be it in the form of money or labor, to better this country.

[MChat]

Originally Posted by BeanCounter

Bill,

If you're going to rob people then at least have the decency to stand in front of them face to face and hold a gun on them.

Everyone benefits in this country. I'm of the mind that everyone, and I do mean everyone, owes something back to this country. And in equal amounts. If it's taxes then let's set it at 20% and everyone pays that percentage. If for whatever reason, you're ill educated, you're stupid, you're lazy, you've had a lot of lousy breaks, whatever the excuse is that you can't pay, well then you can donate your time to your country. Can't make time during the week because you're working to get by, well then do it on the weekend. Imagine what a lovely country this would be with 40% of the population out cleaning up the countryside, planting trees, putting roofs on old people's houses, doing work at the local hospital, my god man there's hundreds of things that need to be done. All of us need to share our time, be it in the form of money or labor, to better this country.

You mean people on welfare should have to perform "community service" in order to get their welfare check? Don't you realize what that would do? That would just encourage them to go out and get "real" jobs instead of relying on welfare...

[cobra bill]

I agree with you, if there were a flat tax that would be ideal! however, you and I both know that is unlikely to happen anytime soon. Think about this though, if 1% of that top 5% made there fortune as a result of this war, and I suspect more have, on the blood of those that can't afford to do anything but join the military, to get a start in life, they are paying a high price for the few that are profiting! Personally I think war profiteering should be a crime! Warren buffet even admitted that his secretary paid a higher percentage of her income to taxes then he does. My wife owns her own baseness and other then social security, she can write off most of her taxes and its the same for corporation, not to mention we have the likes of Haliberton moving to Dubai to avoid paying taxes, and you can't tell me that's not on the blood of our citizens! And they have the nerve to move to avoid taxes. As for donating time to the country, I agree, there should be no welfare for those that are capable of work, there are those that need it and they should get it, but its sad when our soldiers families have to collect food stamps to survive while there are those getting rich of the war, I train soldiers and I see it everyday. So yes we do all need to pitch in and work to make this country better, but the way I see it for the past 30 years of giving tax breaks for the wealthiest has not work to keep a strong middle class, and no country can be great without a strong middle class, all you have is another Mexico.

[jhv48]

Unfortunately, the "have nots" breed like rats and are quickly becoming the majority in this nation. And they all have their hands out.

And they will vote B.O. into office.

[cobra de capell]

[cobra bill]

Originally Posted by jhv48

Unfortunately, the "have nots" breed like rats and are quickly becoming the majority in this nation. And they all have their hands out.

And they will vote B.O. into office.

That's my point, we are becoming another Mexico, and a good reason for legal abortions

[wtm442]

Originally Posted by cobra bill

and if that means that top 5 percent of hard working Americans have to pay more, they have benefited more! Over the last 30 years that we have been lowering taxes for them.

Wrong! The taxes on the top earners have been a lot lower than they are now. Just how have the top 5% benefited more? By paying more tax dollars than the bottom 50% of all wage earners? How is that a benefit?

Love your economics ... must be the new math they teach in school, because I have absolutely no idea how the top 5% of the taxpayers have benefited by paying a much higher percent of their income as compared to the other 95% of the population.

Of course, the will benefit even higher % of their income under Obama. No class warfare for him. Attack the rich and all the nasty corporations in the country. Get them all. Round them up and make them benefit by paying higher taxes. Oh, wait a minute ... US corporations pay the second highest tax rate in the world. But when Obama gets elected, we will be #1 in the world! OK, everybody chant. USA, We're #1, USA, USA. But what will the companies do? They will send more jobs overseas because the stupid tax policy favors the company doing business overseas as compared to doing everything here in the USA.

Remember, paying taxes is the patriotic thing to do.

Of course, it might help him get elected by instilling hate in the lower 95%, but it will just make a bad economic situation worse. Most of the stock declines we are seeing now in the last month or so are due to investors not knowing what is going to happen in the future if Obama is elected.

If anyone has any investment that has made a lot of "capital gains", prepare to sell it no matter who is elected. Obama will be raising the cap gains tax rate so you will want to sell it before the increase. But if McCain is elected, he has talked about maybe decreasing the cap gain tax by 50% for a year or so. Again, it would be a perfect time to sell with the lower tax rate.

[BeanCounter]

Bill,

Your logic is tragically flawed. You talk about the military and I doubt that you really know much about it. My son was in Desert Storm, I was in Viet Nam, his grandfather was in the 3rd wave at Normandy and across the road from the 506th at Bastogne, my grandfather was wounded at Chateau Thierry, and my grt grandfather at Vicksburg, and my gt gt grandfather at Murphysboro (at age 53 I might add), and his father was with Jackson and the Tennesee Vols at New Orleans, and his father at 14 picked up a rifle to fight in the revolution. So don't tell me about the military. I grew up with my brother and sister in a two room apartment above a bar. And I worked my ass off to get where I'm at and they can kiss my ass before they start handing my money out to everyone who doesn't deserve it. I'll fold everything up and put everyone on the street and sit back and enjoy what I've got and not worry about them and their socialist messiah. And I might add that I'm bringing the three grandsons up to understand that people with those ideas don't deserve defending by us any more. From here on out the robbers can defend themselves, we'll look after our own selves. I just hope you don't need any help when the time comes because the likes of me that you so look down on aren't going to come to your aid ever again if you get what you want. We'll be fighting you.

[DAVID GAGNARD]

I'm from a middle/middle class family with four siblings that grew up in small town America, pop. about 4,000 then, still live there and love it.

According to the papers the United States Social Security Admin. has been sending me for the last few years, I began paying federal income tax, social security tax and whatever else they take out of a check since AGE 14 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and still do to this day, BTW, I'm now 53..........

I had a part time job at T,G&Y (remember those stores) worked every afternoon after school and all day saturdays and volunteered every third sunday to do the floors. By the time I graduted high school, I had bought and payed for a meduim size trailer house and had it set-up on some proerty my dad had, and had about 5 grand in a savings account and money in a checking account. Rode my bicycle to work even as a senior in high school cause that's the only wheels I had.
From 1977 to 1994 I ALWAYS had 2 jobs and my wife worked full time also, even then, I also did small engine and outboard motor repair in my garage at home in the evenings.... In 1994, I went into business for myself and still have the business today, I'm a one-man show, from boss to janitor and everything in-bewteen....
Don't regret a minute of it. I average from 60 to 70 hours a week and I'm not complaining, I love my job and work, but, PLEASE TELL ME WHY I HAVE TO GIVE IT TO THE LESS FORTUNATE, you know, the ones THAT WILL NOT WORK FOR A LIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Both my parents worked hard to send their 5 kids to college, 3 finished with honors, one did 2 years and one did one year, not everyone is cut out for it, but they worked their butts off for us, no handouts or anything like that.......

My older sister got married her sophmore year in college, and a year later had a child, her husband spent his summer vacation working offshore in the Gulf Of Mexico in the oil fields so they could go back to college the next fall, my sister and her child lived with us during those summer months and she had a part-time job.
Their senior year in school (LSU) things were hard for them, so, she applied for and got food stamps, did so for a year, then they both graduted with honors (she was a double major), both got very good paying jobs and became model, tax paying citizens and still are doing the same to this day... that's what those programs were designed for, to help needy people, not create a lifestyle!!!!!!!!!

Every Sunday morning you can find me in church at the 8:00am mass (Roman Catholic), after mass I go to the grocery store and get groceries for my family for the week..... It never fails, there will be at least one welfare mother with a herd of kids in tow and 2 or 3 buggies full of food, the kind of food I rarely buy, cuase I can't afford it, then she pulls out the welfare card, swipes it, and goes load her groceries in her Escalade, while I'm loading my measly half a buggy of groceries in my 10 year old Toyota!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AND YOU WANT ME TO HELP RE-DISTRIBUTE THE WEALTH???????? My wealth?????????? Sorry, NO CAN DO...............

How much was your check for the "stimulus package"???????? Mine was half the quoted amount, they sent a letter with it saying it was based on my income and that's all I was allowed, but people that never worked a day in their life got the full amount!!!!!!!!!!

You tax the middle and upper middle class and the top class enough and one day there will be another civil war here....people are quickly getting fed up with the give-a-aways and hand outs and one day there are going to quit paying taxes........enough is enough........

Phew, I know this is long, but, I do feel better now............

David

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Originally Posted by BeanCounter

Bill,

Your logic is tragically flawed. You talk about the military and I doubt that you really know much about it. My son was in Desert Storm, I was in Viet Nam, his grandfather was in the 3rd wave at Normandy and across the road from the 506th at Bastogne, my grandfather was wounded at Chateau Thierry, and my grt grandfather at Vicksburg, and my gt gt grandfather at Murphysboro (at age 53 I might add), and his father was with Jackson and the Tennesee Vols at New Orleans, and his father at 14 picked up a rifle to fight in the revolution. So don't tell me about the military. I grew up with my brother and sister in a two room apartment above a bar. And I worked my ass off to get where I'm at and they can kiss my ass before they start handing my money out to everyone who doesn't deserve it. I'll fold everything up and put everyone on the street and sit back and enjoy what I've got and not worry about them and their socialist messiah. And I might add that I'm bringing the three grandsons up to understand that people with those ideas don't deserve defending by us any more. From here on out the robbers can defend themselves, we'll look after our own selves. I just hope you don't need any help when the time comes because the likes of me that you so look down on aren't going to come to your aid ever again if you get what you want. We'll be fighting you.

Dang Bernie ,I bet you feel better also!!!!!!!!!

David

[BeanCounter]

I'll tell you what's going to make me feel better. I've got one of the young guys who works for me who's a big Obama supporter. He an his wife are little worker bees for "the anointed one". He's been hacking his spiel around the office and I'm fed up with it. I just called him and asked him to come in tomorrow morning where I'm going to give him a first hand lesson in Obamanomics. I know another young guy who makes probably 70% of what this guy makes and I figure it's about time that he gets to enjoy to fruits of the upper class. So tomorrow he's going to get his chance and and the socialist is going to get to go home and explain to his wife all about how they're going to have plenty of time to expound on and give first hand examples of how we should be taking from the well off and giving to the less well to do. I'll bet I'll be like Chris Matthews and it'll make my leg shiver.

[jhv48]

Don't you realize that it only works if it happens to someone OTHER THAN YOU!