I don't hear anyone saying that those with money should be taxed so those that are poor should be wealthy without working. That obviously would not work.

I do hear people saying that the tax structure should go back to the way it was 8 years ago ... raising the marginal rate on the wealthiest from 35 to 38.5% won't crush the rich.

[quote author=5B5958424F360 link=1236370963/1#1 date=1236372934

I do hear people saying that the tax structure should go back to the way it was 8 years ago ... raising the marginal rate on the wealthiest from 35 to 38.5% won't crush the rich. [/quote]


And that 3.5% tax will stop the poor from being poor ?

The question should be " why are these people poor in the first place ? what makes them poor ? "

Giving hungry people food will not help them for long, teaching them how to fish and farm will.

The problem is the now so common mentality that " I dont have to learn to fish and farm, I only need to learn how to fill out a social security application form " is so ingrained in many people is what makes them poor.

Quote:


About starting in Fall 2007, with unemployment came a No Worker Left Behind program offering $5000 a year with the possibility of second $5000 the next for retraining through schools.  The idea was to offer schooling instead of extending unemployment payments at the time.  Things got so bad since, additional weeks of unemployment assistance was also needed.

Three months searching back then and I've been employed 15 months, so utilizing the program didn't happen.

Nowhere in that quote does it say that the poor are going to be made wealthy.  What it is saying is that those who work for their money have to "share" their "wealth" by giving it to those who do not work for their money, (by choice, or happenstance)).

I have no problem helping those, through my tax dollars, who are truly down on their luck, no job, need help and care.  However, our government determines by income who is "poor" and who is not.  I've been there.

Several years ago, my husband was unemployed for an extended period of time, trying desperately to find another job, worked when he could at anything and everything while searching.  We were two months behind in mortgage payments and the bank was threatening foreclosure.  I worked full time, but my salary was not enough to pay the bills.  We applied for government assistance and were told because of my income we did not qualify for anything other than having one month of our electric bill paid - gee, thanks a bunch.  

Our friends and neighbors knew of our struggles and one morning, I walked out to the mailbox and found an unmarked envelope in it with enough money to pay two months of our mortgage.  I have an idea of who some of these people were, but not all.  I will never forget that, and will always thank them until the day I die.

Once again my husband and I are facing a dismal financial future.  His business has tanked because it was tied in to new home construction.  My salary has been cut 48% , with no benefits - no medical, no retirement, no paid vacation - nothing.  I'm almost 63 - am I a saleable commodity - not much.

Both of us have worked so hard to maintain a home for ourselves and our children, educate our children, paid our bills.  Too many of the "poor" are there by choice and live on the government dole, without a care as to whether it takes money out of my pocket or not - TOO many. 

We are not "wealthy" but this stimulus package will be using our tax dollars to bail out those who knowingly and happily don't pay their bills.

I'm sorry.  As I was helped in my hour of need, so will I help others.  But, I resent giving my hard earned dollars to those who will not help themselves, and this is what this stimulus package is doing.  I am being penalized because I did the right thing.

Fair?  I think not.

Sandy

Sandy, I know where you're coming from and feel for you. We're in a depression whether we admit it or not.

For years I've watched people I KNOW could work live off the government dole while I was paying for it. I've stood behind people at the check out counter at the grocery store, watched them buy choice cuts of meats with food stamps while I was buying beans, rice and corn meal with money I worked for. And I KNOW they could be working.

I've done without medical care (couldn't afford insurance premiums) while we gave medical care to illegal "guest workers" and their kids and I paid for it with MY tax money.

I worked my butt off to send MY child to college AND paid taxes to educate kids legal and illegal who's parents sat on their butts and watched soap operas all day and lived off mine and others tax dollars and complained that they weren't getting enough.

So last month, I got this wild hair up my rear and decided to go down to the nice government office and apply for food stamps (hell, I've been paying for everyone else all these years and ....). Most everything I've got is tied up in an estate, so what I actually show as income is right at the poverty level (don't ask - it's legal), so I fill out the paperwork and take it in. Oh, I got approved alright... for $34 a month in food stamps. $34 damn dollars a month. Geezzz! I should be able to lose some weight on that!!! Now I've been paying into the system for about 50 years and now that I'm old and need "food" they give me $34 a month to eat on! I did write a Senator on that one.

But helping each other is something that's coming back (at least for some of us "oldtimers"). I have some neighbors who sometimes don't eat well and sometimes I do tend to cook too much and ya know food doesn't keep too well... I've heard of a lot of people "overcooking" lately and needing favors to get rid of the over-stuff.

But something else I'm seeing is some of these "older" people who actually NEED help are ASHAMED to ask for it. They (we) were raised to take care of ourselves and make do and not ask the government for anything, so even if we go hungry that's just how it is. A few I've chewed out and filled out the forms for them and TAKEN them to the food stamp office. There's no reason for them to go hungry while we're giving it away to people who've never paid in a damn cent.

I wish I had an answer, but I don't. 8 years ago I had a booming business and was supporting five families. Today I'm living on the farm, drawing $34 a month in food stamps trying to figure out how I'm going to explain to my kids that they're going to have to live below their "wannabe status" when they lose their jobs and have to move in with me.  My little idiot son might just have to learn what sweat really is and that caluses are not a bad thing on the farm.

But look at the bright side. We survive CH - we can survive anything.

Hugs BD