The other day I posted a link to Carla and TorridJoe’s analysis of comparative “discrepancy” rates. They have posted a correction regarding Spokane County. (It doesn’t really change the conclusion.)
As a blogger, I have no obligation to be fair. But I choose to be so anyway.
Don’t let Steve Hammond loose in Portland.
Goldy–
You may have no obligation to present the facts—but it definitely behooves you to do so. Besides, I don’t think you are the type of guy who intentionally misrepresents facts. Now I disagree with many of your opinions…that’s a different story.
Keep doing the right thing with the facts!
The truth shall set you free—-
The truth shall set you free—- OJ simpson
Chuckie boy, what the hell does OJ have to do with anything going on in the blog here? You really live in never never land, ie, never say anything of consequence and never have facts to back up your ‘rantings’
Chuck–
Good Burn!
jpgee is like most Lefty’s…oh so serious and oh so self-righteous. Crawls out from underneath his rock to criticize and characterize others as uncivil, homophobic, racists, neo-cons blah, blah blah.
Probably was always the last guy picked for anything in PE except square-dancing!
In fact when he was the last guy to be picked, it was a good day for him when the team with the last pick said “We’ll take jpgee”.
Most of the time, there was probably silence.
As a blogger, I have no obligation to be fair. But I choose to be so anyway.”
That gets a 9 out of a possible 10 on the old Laugh-O-Meter.
Laughter is good medicine. Thanks for the medicine.
hey cynicalidiot, who lit your fire? you have no idea who or what I am. you are like the pot calling the kettle black. get a life , loser, ot maybe you should crawl back into your hole….at least there, you might be appreciated…but I doubt it, go back and teach those ‘kids’ how to play sports, you might have a little chance communicating with little people
on second thought, there probably is no room left in your hole…with all the neocons crowding around to be there
LMAO@IDIOT< ALWAYS
Cynical must be retired like me, as he definitely has a lot of time on his hands.
lol with Don….I think you are right
Jpgee@4
Damn your skin is thin, perhaps you should put on a jacket before you get cold! Then you can join us adults tonite for another round of jokes around the campfire…
Rossi, Bush, BPA
Beginning in the 1930s, the federal government built the Columbia River dams for two main purposes: To create sorely needed construction jobs during the Depression, and to provide farmers with irrigation water. (Eastern Washington has great soil but is too arid for farming otherwise; agriculture has become a $5 billion-a-year industry in this state.) Electricity was at most secondary, and the BPA generated huge power surpluses in its early years. However, these vast supplies of federally-controlled power became of vital strategic importance in World War 2, because BPA’s dams powered the aluminum smelters and aircraft factories whose output was crucial to winning the war (also the Hanford reactors that produced the A-bombs). Much has changed since then, but BPA’s relatively cheap power remains vital to the Northwest’s economy; still powers the irrigation pumps and much of our state’s industry.
Now the Bush administration wants to raise BPA rates by 20% a year for the next three years to bring them in line with private market rates. The rationale is deficit reduction (although any sensible person knows the money thus raised is really paying for Bush’s tax cuts for the nation’s wealthiest 1% of citizens), but this latest attack against the BPA and our regional economy really has overtones of the GOP’s historic hatred for public power — i.e., this is just the latest permutation of private power versus public power. (What’s next? Privatization of BPA, or selling off its assets — probably to Bush corporate cronies for pennies on the dollar? You probably can bet on it.)
Dino Rossi was recruited by the White House to run for governor after other candidates (Nethercutt, Dunn, et al.) had turned the race down. Rossi also has received substantial impetus and backing from the White House to challenge the election results; among other things, Karl Rove sent lawyers and political strategists to our state to help Rossi fight the recounts, and fight the outcome of the recounts. What do you think the chances are that a Governor Rossi would double-cross the White House by opposing Bush’s BPA proposals? Zip to none.
We are indeed fortunate that Christine Gregoire won the governor’s race and is our governor for the coming crucial battle to save our state’s economy from Bush’s designs against the BPA. Gregoire, unlike Rossi, will not kow-tow to Bush and his budget writers and will fight for our state’s farmers, businesses, and consumers. Because our governor, both our U.S. Senators, and most of our congressmen are Democrats, they can work together in opposing this proposal. Can you imagine what chance our state would have of defeating this reckless proposal in Congress if we had a governor working at cross purposes with our congressional delegation on this issue? Little or none. At the time of last fall’s election, no one could have foreseen that within a few short months our state would be fighting the Bush White House for its economic life, but that’s our situation today, and we should all be grateful that the election worked out the way that it did.
Nice post Don. You should guest blog somewhere. Why not here?
Yes, the Bush Republicans reign is a thinly disguised kleptocracy.
Lol Don,
You had me interested up until the point where you said:
“…Bush’s tax cuts for the nation’s wealthiest 1% of citizens…”
My personal financial worth puts me no where near the top 1%, yet I got a check for $600 a couple years ago, and I still see the results of the tax cuts in the years that have followed. Did you not get your check? And if you did, are you in the top 1%?
Its this repeated mantra of tax cuts for the rich that allows real everyday normal thinking people to see right through the ruse of Liberal lies. I’m quite sure that the top 1% did get tax cuts, just like the rest of us did. I don’t begrudge them their wealth, nor do I think that their wealth means that the rest of us to treat them any less fairly than we expect to be treated. If Ben and Jerry were on the street passing out free ice cream, I wouldn’t be pissed if Donald Trump got in line with me, but it sure sounds like you would.
I also got a chuckle out of your notion that Karl Rove sent in a team of lawyers to help “…fight the outcome of the recounts…”. You do remember don’t you that Rossi WON the first recount. So why would he need any help fighting that? I swear for Liberals like yourself you think you can just mention the name Karl Rove and suddenly inspire fear and mistrust in people. The man is just a political strategist, not an all-seeing, all-powerful wizard who pulls stings and makes people dance to his tune. It’s really kind of crazy how much power and influence you folks attribute to him. Reminds me of how when deeply religious folk can’t think of a good explanation for something it somehow becomes “God’s will”. As if all the failures of the Democratic party are somehow “Karl’s will”. Please, accept some responsibility for your own failures and accept the fact that Republicans can win on ideas too.
Wow, you all have been invaded by the right-wing nuts from
sound politics.
Jas, got you beat man. I got eight hundred. Did it help me much. No. On the whole I haven’t noticed Bush’s tax cuts making much of a difference in my life.
However, the rich got a lot, lot more. Tens of thousands per capita if not hundreds, if not millions in quite a few cases. The rich have gotten even more breaks on capital gains, dividends and estates.
Now the country as a whole is in a lot more debt. Now your buddy Bush wants to borrow trillions more to “save” social security cuz’ as he stated in the SOTU it will be completely bankrupt by 2042 (a lie).
Whatever you’ve gotten from Bush has put you to sleep. Bush’s mismanagement of the country is loading you and your kids down with debt. Will his rich buddies want to help pay it off? Not a chance. Remember, he wants to make the tax cuts permanent.
The lawyers working for the R’s on the contest are well-connected, were involved in the 2000 voting fiasco and have strong ties to Rove.
Oh and I hope you enjoy your higher electricity bills assuming you live in the Northwest.
John–
You seem kinda paranoid tonite about Republican lawyers and Rove.
He is the boogie-man for the Lefty’s…you only function when you have a boogie-man I guess,,,,although I’m hard pressed to call it functioning.
Anyway, this post is about the error made by your Lefty number-crunchers carla & torridjoe. Kind of interesting they made exactly the same error, isn’t it. My guess is torridjoe does all the actual data analysis work. He seems pretty darn sharp. I’m still wondering what you do to pay the bills torridjoe?
You are either independently wealthy or a terrific gambler.
No matter what, you are a decent ##-cruncher. Keep at it!
So just why did those out-of-state D.C. lawyers come here if Rove didn’t send them? Oh, and BTW, you evaded the BPA rate increase issue. Let’s see Rossi defend THAT Bush policy. Or does he have the guts to oppose Bush? We’re going to find out.
First of all the more you make the more taxes you pay as well as a higher rate, of course you would get a bigger tax credit. Sorry you aren’t there, not that you couldn’t be. Thats the beautiful thing about America, opportunity. But that takes hard work and sacrifices, something people on public assistance refuse to understand.
SS, how do you explain themass babyboomers entering the system as well as the medicare costs they will incur? Besides just that, why is it Patty Murray and Cantwell can have Thrift Savings Plans but we can’t?
When Bush took over after slick willy’s 8 years of neglect to inherit a failing econ and his failure to deal w/terrorist threats, 9-11 happened. Bush had the guts to take it all on and has successfully pulled us out of it all. the economy is good and unemployment is low.
do you libs ever have a positive outlook on anything? the world according to you, global warming, no wait, global cooling, the sky is falling and evil greedy corporations are out to abuse the little guy. Please, you sound like you’re still at woodstock.
Jason @ 15:
News flash. Your $600 you received a few years ago wasn’t a tax cut. It was an advance on your rebate. And if you didn’t have a rebate coming, you had to pay it back when you paid your taxes.
Now on the lawyer issue…I don’t know if Rove personally sent Mark Braden or not. But Braden is a serial GOP journeyman lawyer on election stuff. He’s had his little fingers in all sorts of GOP election pies:
http://www.preemptivekarma.com.....sis_l.html
If Rove didn’t send him…the national Republican Party operation surely had a hand in it. This guy doesn’t come cheap.
Mr. Cynical @ 18:
You find it weird that Torrid Joe and I messed up the same exact numbers? Why is that weird? We did the research TOGETHER and wrote the pieces TOGETHER. We posted these exact same pieces on our respective blogs. What’s so tough to understand?
carla–
And which Democratic Party attorneys are here???
You don’t think National Democratic Party Attorney’s haven’t been involved in this. Howard Dean’s Leftist squadron!
Give it a rest!!!
You folks are ridiculous….boogie-man politics.
And carla..You and torridjoe did the research together and wrote the pieces together–does that mean you also work together??
If you are both data analysts….perhaps you do.
If so, you folks must be self-employed because you post at all times of the day….no employer would allow that obviously.
Anyway, I appreciate your efforts. Glad you have the time to do this. Sharkansky is self-employed. He needs someone with the time and expertise to try and challenge him….although he is damn good. I’ve worked with many actuaries over the years. The Shark can stand up to many of them…
By the way..I’m self-employed too.
Don’t you and torridjoe get a little pissed when you do your Tax Return and pay all the Self-employment tax plus income tax??
Do you both contribute the maximum to your self-employed IRA’s?? aka SEP-IRA)??
Cyn (rhymes with “sin”) @ 22
“And which Democratic Party attorneys are here???
You don’t think National Democratic Party Attorney’s haven’t been involved in this. Howard Dean’s Leftist squadron!
Give it a rest!!!”
Cynical, you should have done some fact-checking before publicly embarrassing yourself like this! Did you really think I, a lawyer, wouldn’t know who is representing the Democrats in Rossi’s election contest lawsuit? LOCAL attorneys from LOCAL law firms, that’s who! Not a DNC or out-of-state attorney in the bunch. Specifically:
Jenny Durkan, of Seattle, I believe she’s with Foster Pepper Shefelman, and is the daughter of former Democratic state senator and gubernatorial candidate Martin Durkan;
Kevin Hamilton and William Rava, both of Seattle law firm Perkins Coie, which represents the Democratic Party in Washington State in many matters; and
Russ Speidel, of the Speidel Law Firm of Wenatchee, whom the Democrats hired to assist them in this lawsuit because he practices in Chelan County and is familiar with the courts and judges there.
Like I said, the Democrats — unlike the Republicans — did not import any D.C. or out-of-state attorneys for this lawsuit.
Cyn @ 22
“Don’t you and torridjoe get a little pissed when you do your Tax Return and pay all the Self-employment tax plus income tax??”
Cynical, wage earners pay the same SS tax you do! Just because their employers remit a portion of it doesn’t mean it isn’t part of the employee’s compensation. Employers look at the total cost of hiring someone, and the employer-portion of SS taxes is part of the worker’s compensation just as vacation days, medical insurance, and other non-cash compensation is. So we’re all in the same boat when it comes to paying into SS.
Now let’s look at what you get for your self-employment tax. A lifetime pension of probably around $2,000 or so beginning at age 65, with annual inflation adjustments. Survivor benefits that provide a guaranteed income for your dependents if you die — your kids get this until they turn 18 and if your wife doesn’t remarry she gets it for life. Disability insurance if you become unable to work because of injury or illness that pays you income replacement benefits potentially for life. What would it cost you to buy all this from a private insurance company? If you can get a better deal in the private market please let me know, because I want to buy it!
What we mostly hear from right-wingers is that SS is “socialism” or a “Ponzi scheme” blah-blah-blah. Their biggest criticism seems to be that some people — actually a lot of people — get more from it than they paid in! Well, isn’t that their main criterion when they shop for investments in the private financial market? When in hell has a Republican ever bitched about getting more back than he paid in? Maybe the fact that SS money goes through government’s fingers first somehow taints it in Cynical’s eyes … LOL! Well hey, guy, if you can’t accept SS in good conscience then don’t ever apply for SS — after all, Uncle Sam won’t FORCE you to take it — and this way you can remain ideologically pure and sleep well at night knowing you didn’t take money from some poor farmworker using a fake I.D. and somebody else’s SS#.
Cyn @ 22
There just seems to be no end to the bullshit that Cynical is spewing tonight. What’s the problem, are you having a bad constipation day? Clinton presided over the best economy of my lifetime; Gee-Dub’s economy sucks. No comparison. So if you want to bash Clinton you’d better find some other topic to do it with. Hey if nothing else works you can always drag Monica and the blue dress out of the closet again.
Blaming 9-11 on Clinton, if that’s what you’re trying to do, is equally a load of crap. 9-11 happened on Bush’s watch, dude. This issue has been beat to a froth many times but in case you forgot all about Bush’s criminal neglience here is a reminder of what was going on between Jan. 20, 2001 and Sept. 11, 2001:
“Bush’s approach in most situations seemed a reactive combination of calculations to avoid his father’s mistakes and to reject Clinton’s policies. This was especially clear in international affairs: in his first nine months he reversed Clinton’s policy toward China, proclaiming it no longer a ‘strategic partner’ but a ‘strategic competitor’; in the Middle East, by withdrawing U.S. involvement in the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians; toward Korea, by abandoning the negotiated accord that had frozen the North’s nuclear program and by humiliating President Kim of South Korea, who was promoting North-South reconciliation, during his March 2001 visit to the White House, contributing to a wave of anti-Americanism in a country that was among the staunchest American allies; by withdrawing U.S. support from the Kyoto treaty on global warming; and by forsaking Clinton’s efforts to address the dangers of international terrorism.
“During the transition between administrations, National Security Adviser Sandy Berger arranged several extensive briefings on this last subject for Bush’s incoming national security adviser, Condoleeza Rice, and others on the Bush team, including Vice President Cheney. One briefing lasted half a day. Berger told them that Osama bin Laden was an ‘existential threat’ and told them that he wanted ‘to underscore how important this issue is.’ In another briefing, Richard Clarke, head of counterrorism in the NSC, the single most knowledgeable expert in the government, gave them a complete tutorial on the subject. In yet another briefing, CIA officials were brought in to go over all the intelligence available on terrorism.
“Don Kerrick, a three-star general and outgoing deputy national security adviser, overlapped for four months with the new Bush people. He submitted a memo for the new National Security Council warning of the danger of terrorism. ‘We are going to be struck again,’ he wrote. But as Kerrick explained to me, he received no answer to his memo. ‘They didn’t respond,’ he said. ‘They never responded. It was not high on their priority list. I was never invited to one meeting. They never asked me to do anything. They were not focusing. They didn’t see terrorism as the big megaissue that the Clinton administration saw it as. They were concentrated on what they thought were higher priorities than terrorism.’ The Principals meeting of national security officials took up terrorism only once, after constant pressure from Clarke, on September 4, 2001, and at that meeting they discussed using unmanned Predator drone spy aircraft, but no decision was made. ‘Unfortunately,’ said Kerrick, ‘September 11 gave them something to focus on.’”
Source: Sidney Blumenthal, The Clinton Wars (New York: Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux, 2003), pp. 797-798.
What else? Oh yeah, your mocking of Democrats (and others) who are concerned about global warming. Most of us know the planet goes through warming and cooling cycles of its own accord; after all, the future site of Seattle was buried under a mile of ice around 16,000 years ago. There’s no question that the Earth has gotten warmer over the last several decades; there’s oceans of scientific proof out there, but all you have to do is look at how much glaciers have retreated in recent years all over the Northern Hemisphere. Is that due to the “greenhouse gasses” humanity spews into the atmosphere, or Earth’s natural cycle? Hell, I don’t know, but a lot of scientists say human-caused pollution is, at a minimum, not helping and they know more about it than I do. They know more about it than you do, too. But not to worry; in right-wing la-la-land none of this is a problem. So, ye who voted for the author of the Filthy Skies Act, have another mercury cocktail. It ain’t gonna hurt ya, right? Oh, and don’t forget to bash all those environmentalists who think that if we catch all the fish and cut all the trees, it will put fishermen and loggers out of work because there won’t be any fish left to catch or any trees left to log. Silly enviro-wackos, WHAT are they thinking eh?
Don–
Over the past 30+ years, my wife and I have paid in over $300,000 to Social Security (that doesn’t include the Medicare part). Had those dollars been invested in a private account consisting of stocks & bonds, it would be worth well over $1 million today. I won’t start drawing SS for 16 more years!!!
And you expect me to be pleased that I will receive $2,000/month starting 16 years from now???
Don–you previously confessed that you spent 10 years self-employed running a business that made $1,000/yr. and ZERO return on your investment. Remember Don?? That, combined with your belief that I should be pleased with my SS benefits proves what an idiot you are….and why you had to become a government lawyer. I know you are bitter about those of us who have been successful in the real world paying taxes for bureaucratic goo(that’s you Don). I know you are struggling with validating your life work. I’m sure there are some “support groups” that will help you become more centered and less bitter!
Tell me Don, how do you feel about Bloggers who blog all day while being paid Government workers? That would be outrageous, wouldn’t it? Can we agree on that at least?
Oh and Don–
You are referring to the “Lead” Democrat attorneys.
You are telling us the have no National support?????
Where did the $$$ come from that helps pay the bills Don?
Gimmee a break.
And your “local” attorneys have received no outside counsel?
Gimmee a break.
You Lefty’s love to create fiction & fantasy…damn the facts!!
I applaud Goldy. carla and torrid for admitting publically that errors were made and correcting them. If others would take this avenue, perhaps the conversation could ensue rather than the shouting match.
But, as evidenced by the hijacking of this into another ME ME ME shouting match, it’s not likely the extreme opposition will ever truly engage in serious conversation…sad…
To that…Mr. C, you’ve made it abundantly clear here that you are a financial whiz kid who’s set for life and everyone else who isn’t is not worthy of an opinion.
Fine…that’s your peragotive.
But tell me this…if there are families out there that didn’t inherit a windfall which sets them up for life, is there any public responsibility to insure their future(s) retirement floor at all?
And to those that think Rove is NOT a political boogy man, ever heard of James Baker?
Cyn @ 26
I’m not bitter about anything; but you, on the other hand, seem to have never gotten over your mother making you sit in a corner (or something). But hey since you know how to turn 300K into a million in the stock market — surefire — could you pass along some hot stock tips for the rest of us?
Cyn @ 27
Who the Democrats’ lawyers are, and where the money comes from, are too different things. It’s no secret that money for the hand recount and legal expenses came in from all over the country, thanks in part to Air America (to you, lefty talk radio) publicity. As for whether the Democrats are utilizing “outside counsel” as you call it, may I suggest that as long as you’re on a “facts” bender, you provide some? Who are these “outside counsel” you’re referring to? Names, please.
GDavis @ 28
Let’s start small and work our way up to larger things, my friend. Or, putting it another way, the way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. Let’s start with helping folks whose pensions were STOLEN by crooked CEOs, CFOs, and CPAs (I’m not referring to you, Cynical).
Cynical @ 26 (continued)
Unless you’re both planning to die early, you and your wife probably will get your $300,000 back, with interest, and then some; but if you don’t — God forbid that some poor widow should benefit from taxes you paid! It seems to me the main difference between Democrats and Republicans is that Democrats aren’t selfish bastards.
Don @ 30–
You are actually so dumb you don’t understand how COMPOUND INTEREST works?????
No wonder you only made $1,000/yr. for 10 years while you were self-employed!!!!!!
If you don’t understand what $1000 invested 34 years ago at say 5%/yr. would amount to today, I guess we understand why you were a career Government Lawyer Don. Do the Math!
There were plenty of Annuity investment accounts that could have accomplished this with little or no risk to principal.
If you cannot understand this Don, I can truly understand why you need the government to take care of your needs.
Question Don–where would the money come from to pay you if we were all like you??????? Tough question—ponder it.
Hint–You did not create any wealth in this Country Don!!!!!!
You have sucked off the wealth others created.
Keep telling yourself your Government job was important though.
Oh and answer me this Don–
How should taxpayers feel about Government workers blogging all day on government computers? Isn’t that like stealing from taxpayers?? You would probably find a way to justify it.
Cynical @26,
And I’ve spent nearly $2000 on life insurance premiums over the past decade, and haven’t gotten a cent of that money back. What a fucking ripoff!
Goldy–
There are probably a few folks who wished you had scored big on that investment!!!!!!!!
Oh and Goldy–
Did anyone “FORCE” YOU TO BUY THAT LIFE INSURANCE????
NO!
Go ahead and argue all you want about Social Security but please don’t try to make folks like me feel like it is a good investment…We could have done much, much better on our own.
I’ve already written off my Social Security…anything I get is a bonus. I’m more concerned about paying for big government at all levels. AND THAT MEANS BUSH TOO!!!!!!! When you see parasites like Don who couldn’t make it in the real world insulting folks that have or at least are TRYING it makes my even more determined to cut the Don-Fat out of government. If I see things like government workers on their government computers playing games, bidding on E-Bay, looking at porn, playing Fantasy Football or worse yet managing Fantasy Football, I want to puke!!! The worst offenses are government workers who while on government time using government computers BLOG and do data analysis….especially when it shows a clear political bent.
Even worse are government workers who conduct extra-marital affairs on government phones & computers.
Are you with me Goldy on addressing the nonsense in government?
It might mean you have to take a break from your obsession with redistributing wealth for awhile.
Cynical @ 36
You are one sick puppy. Please get help. Therapy works.
Cynical @ 37
“When you see parasites like Don who couldn’t make it in the real world”
Fuck you.
Cynical @ 37 (postscript)
There. You finally got to me. Happy now?
Cynical @ 37 (addendum to postscript)
Speaking of “parasites” who is paying for this web site? Not you. How much have you donated to Goldy and HA to help defray your use of his blog-space to vent your venom? Let me guess. Zip, zero, nada, goose egg, none? Am I right?
I don’t understand this rancor between us, Cynical. You and I should get along fine. You know, two parasites enjoying each other’s company, like garden slugs.
Cynical @37
You know exactly what I meant. Social Security is INSURANCE, not an investment program. And like all insurance, it works because we pool risk… in this case, across the entire working population.
Goldy @ 42–
I know what you meant Goldy….I just disagree with you.
Isn’t that OK??
If both Political Parties had kept their stinking, money-grubbing hands of these SS trust funds and the original intent of SS was followed…..WE WOULDN’T HAVE A PROBLEM!!!
or
If they had simply allowed the American people a choice in how they want there SS dollars invested……
Hey I’m a Libertarian….I love choices and consequences.
The disaster we face is because of both political parties!!!
The solution is to take the money away from the idiots that caused and exaserbated the problem and give it back to it’s rightful owners…..TAXPAYERS!!!!
Don–
Before you fire off the F— word again…take a long look at yourself in the mirror. Just because you are a parasite doesn’t mean you are a bad guy. You are just the wrong messenger.
It seems to go something like this:
1) Lefty’s don’t like Righty’s who have sinned or who have family members who have sinned to lecture on morality.
2) Righty’s don’t like Lefty’s who are career Government employees lecturing them about why they don’t pay enough taxes or face enough regulations.
It all depends upon where you come from and where you are in life…that impacts you point of view. Make sense?
Cyn @ 44
I owe you no explanation, but so other readers of this board know where I’m coming from I’ve been working since I was 13 put myself through college and law school with no family help, served with a full tour of duty in Vietnam with a front-line combat unit, and in my government career I worked 50 to 70 hours a week but never got paid for more than 40; in addition, I started a business that employed three dozen people full-time and always met payroll but didn’t make a profit so I didn’t get paid for that either. I’ve also donated plenty of time and effort to community service for which I didn’t get paid. All of this is fine, but when some ignorant prick comes along and calls me a “parasite” that isn’t fine at all and I’m not going to take it very well. So go fuck yourself, asshole.
Cyn @ 45
P.S., I pay the same taxes you do, jerk. The difference is (a) I know where the money goes, and (b) I don’t spend my whole life bitching about it. I do get tired of listening to right-wing freeloaders complaining about taxes but they’re always the first ones in line at the public trough.
Don @ 45
“I do get tired of listening to right-wing freeloaders complaining about taxes but they’re always the first ones in line at the public trough.”
Probably jumping the gun, but what in the hell are you babbling about? I haven’t “freeloaded” since I left the Service, where, as you sorta point out yourself, I and my shipmates worked half days or more, unless on leave…You know, 12 + hours/day…
Since leaving the Service (I did not retire, and do not draw a government check), not one government program has helped me out, Sir Don. I don’t care how you earned your retirement, I just hope you enjoy it. The folks of my generation, who are likely to be in a different circumstance than yours, deserve a chance to enjoy theirs at a comparable level…
Anyway, Goldy, I am satisfied (as if it matters coming from me) with your post regarding the correction. Will it become a commonplace event? :)
marks @ 47
Unless your name is “Cynical,” I wasn’t talking to you.
So, I realize this is a dead thread, since I’m the first new post in 5 days, but I thought in the interest of setting the record straight, I ought to at least follow up.
In my #15 post above, in response to Don I said:
“My personal financial worth puts me no where near the top 1%, yet I got a check for $600 a couple years ago, and I still see the results of the tax cuts in the years that have followed. Did you not get your check? And if you did, are you in the top 1%?”
Well, as it turns out, I’m a lot closer than I thought. I just found this Excell Spreadsheet on the IRS website that shows Income Tax Return statistics for 1986 through 2001. According to the spreadsheet, I’m NOT in the top 1%, but I am in the top 5%.
http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/pub.....in01ts.xls
Apologies to Don for that hyperbole.
However I’d like to point out, that according to the spreadsheet, I and my fellow top 5% income earners were responsible for paying 53.25% of the total income tax revenue for 2001. So if 5% of the population is paying over 50% of the taxes, and there is a tax cut, wouldn’t you expect that the people who actually PAY taxes would be the ones getting a tax cut? Looking further at the numbers you can see that the top 50% of income earners were responsible for 96.03% of the total income tax revenue. That means that the bottom 50% of tax payers are only pitching in a mere 3.97% of the total tax revenue. So let me ask you this, how can you cut the taxes of people who don’t pay any? You’d have to give them money above and beyond what they earned. That’s not a tax cut, that’s wealth redistribution.