David Stockman, who engineered Reagan tax cuts, thinks taxes are not high enough
- Thread starter Gabfly1
- Start date
Lets see, how about people earn their own money? Maybe they could actually get some education and start working instead of expecting me to pay their way in life. They aren't entitled to trickle-down or trickle-up. People have to assume some responsibility and self-reliance. I'm not paying for people to sit around smoking pot and watching soaps while I bust my ass.
Wealth belongs to those who earn it. Period.
You're not getting it. It's not about entitlement, it's how an economy stay's strong and grows. When those at the very top don't re-invest AND share some of the profits, the economy will fall apart as we've been seeing. It's not sustainable for the United States to keep our economy strong under these conditions and I believe that's just how they want it. They want a global workforce all working for slave wages.
There was a time when I would have agreed with you. Here in California taxes have been steadily increasing for over 20 years. We now pay 9+% sales tax, 10% income taxes, the highest gas taxes in the country, and high per-capita property taxes because of the high real estate values. Business taxes are sixth highest in the country. Government spending in California has been increasing at twice the rate of economic growth. Yet what have we gotten for it? If we had great schools, great roads, great anything, then I'd say it was worth the cost. But the opposite is true. We have terrible schools, lousy roads and the water system is in disrepair. Despite my high taxes, I have to pay $40K/year to send my two daughters to private school so they get a quality education. So what is it exactly that I'm getting for my high taxes? How is anybody in California benefiting from high taxes?
I don't disagree with you, but I think we're talking about two different things, albeit they are related by taxes.
I'm talking about the theory of trickle down. There is no trickle down. All wealth is being hoarded by those at the very top, which is evidenced by their astronomical growth in net worth while the rest of the nation slides downward. These very wealthy people have enjoyed tax breaks for many years now, so I could ask a similar question to what you ask...what is it exactly that the working class is getting from these tax breaks for the wealthy? The deal was supposed to be trickle down. They get tax breaks, and in return the working class get's jobs. Where's the trickle? Where are the jobs? I find it utterly appalling that a company can be laying people off, while the exec's at the top are making millions, tens of millions, even hundreds of millions.
I think you're point is more about government incompetence, lack of accountability and mis-appropriation of funds, all of which I'm in full agreement with you.
BTW, I'm not talking about people making a decent living, six figure types, even a few million. I talking about the uber wealthy.
