When is rich too much?

There has to be a point when even pro capitalist folks and the millions of wannabe millionaires in the US start to think this is absurd.

In my book, NO individual or family on this planet should have wealth valued into the billions of dollars.  I'm not saying governments or mobs with torches and pitchforks should levee laws to prevent this from happening; I'm saying that we a human beings in the global 21st Century should collectively agree on a point when too much wealth is moralistically more criminal than recreational drugs, speeding and gay marriage.

I mean my income has GREATLY increased for the next several months, but it's still what many in the US would consider low, yet I think it's pretty darn good (it's an enlisted person's military paycheck).  It would have to increase again at a rate of ~25 times to equate to a yearly income of $1 million.  Not one person NEEDS an income of that amount (and yes, I'm keeping taxes in mind as I say that--even a 50% rate leaves one with enough to buy a superfluous home in JUST ONE YEAR).  THEN there are thousands that make in a year what even this income would take a decade or three to accumulate.  Even if you're one of the rare few that start a small company from nothing and quickly produces a product that half the US buys at least once, is it that easy to forget where you came from or to have little to no sense of what you could do for your community and fellow human beings?  Is your $20 molded-plastic smartphone cover--that could be profitable at $1--a good enough gift to the people of the world?

Huhhh.  Are people just becoming that greedy or are we losing touch with reality this much???

Historical Income Tax Rates in the U.S. or We Just Like to Believe Rich Politicians

In response to 21 September 2011 episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and the subsequent googling of past income tax rates…finally

I like it when Jon Stewart points out when rich people are just wanting ways to get richer, but when it comes to people talking about how we can't POSSIBLY grow economically as a nation any taxes are raised by those that can afford it, he should mention the historical federal income tax rates the U.S. has had. 

It doesn't take much time to research creditable, factual info.  Just to give you an idea of what you may find, from 1932 to 1986 the top bracket was never below 50% and topped out at 94%.  During the boom after the Great Depression and World War II, it was around 90%.  When adjusted for the ever-lovely inflation, for most of our income tax history, if a "married filling jointly" household made between ~$100,000 and $250,000, they paid 50% or more. 

That being said, our infrastructure over the past few decades has increased – as it should to some degree for any growing nation – while our taxes have gone down.  If you use almost any other rich country on the planet as an example, we should be paying more in taxes for the physical size of our country and the amount of App Store-like variations on public services.  I imagine it is mathematically plausible to lower taxes SLOWLY over time if things are being managed REALLY well for the long-term, but we obviously have seen this isn’t good for the long-term stability of the economy.  To me, it’s as if you prefer investing for your long-term future by frequenting Las Vegas instead of an “old- fashion” savings account or investing in shiny metals and rocks that still seem to grow in allure since caveman days. 

Now my personal opinion probably means I should just move to another country that has collectively figured it out better instead of saying we need to manage our money better, pay more in taxes, spend more on education, research, public transportation and healthcare (universal).  To me, it's not class warfare to raise taxes a little on very wealthy people; it's class warfare when you don't and MOST people are doing pretty poorly by comparison.  I don’t need a lot to live a comfortable, nice life.  I also don’t want my nation’s government to take from the rich and just give it to the poor – even though this sharing idea is how things worked before civilization if you wanted to survive often.  You’re doing pretty good and the family in the hut or tree next door isn’t doing so well, you share the extras you have. And when you’re down on your luck and they’re doing swell, the favor is returned.  We probably wouldn’t have made it beyond tribes if we had the mentality many have today.  So much for coming together to help your neighbors (towns and states) and fellow tribe members (U.S. citizens) in which sharing what you had with everyone for the greater good was what you had to do to survive in hard times.    

Taxes and government hoopla aside, I think we've become a much greedier, selfish nation than we were just a few decades ago.  There was a time when it was OK to "get by" or that making two or three times more than the national average was a wealthy/rich lifestyle.  What happened to us that 10, 20 or 100 times the national average isn't enough?  Even if you don’t want to take into consideration how well those that live around the poverty line have it in places like the U.S. compared to billions of others around the world, there’s a point when we need to calm it down with inventing more insanely expensive things to spend the money we think we need.      

I understand getting angry about government spending and poor management with good agencies, but we don't seem to care enough to elect decent "representatives" to congress or establish a better way of doing so, so it's kind of hard to complain about that in turn.  Elect the rich and they will try to protect the rich, i.e. themselves. 

U.S. Income Tax Rates from 1913 to 2011, Actual and Adjusted for Inflation 

Our Taxes

Our Taxes
9 April 2010
Malmstrom AFB, Montana

In response to Lori Harfenist’s Happy Tax Freedom Day video.
http://www.theresident.net/video/happy-tax-freedom-day/

REALLY. Not one person knows where their taxes go. Wow.

Have you driven on a paved road today?

Did you go to or take your child(ren) to a public school today?

Do you get your water from a non-well source?

Did you flush some bullshit down the toilet today that didn't go into a septic tank?

Did you see a fire truck today? A police car?

Know anyone who has served in the military?

Did you use GPS today (developed and maintained by the U.S. Air Force).

Did you manage not to get sick from eating from one of thousands of providers, whether restaurant or store bought? (food handling and preparation standards)

Go to a park recently?

Blah blah blah blah.

It really does seem the vast majority of people in the U.S. don’t know where their taxes go. Yes, you can’t really know where every penny goes, but it’s not hard to know where it is generally spent.

There are endless examples of where our taxes go. I don't mind paying taxes because I know where they go and what they provide to me. Now I do not like my, and others, money being wasted. I do not mean from a program I don't use or one I think is silly because I understand others may really need it or really benefit from it and that I try not to be a greedy bastard. 

We need to think of taxes as our collective pool of resources to better our national community—particularly since we don’t MAKE SHIT IN THIS COUNTRY ANYMORE!!! They aren't a bad thing. I'm a simple person—for the most part—that grew up in the South in a very conservative, religious, working-class family. I've served close to a decade in the military—well if that doesn't make one feel old now. From living in many different places all over the world, I understand how and why some people feel differently about taxes, government and things they don't have firsthand experience with. I understand why it's hard for a person from a small town in a large state with a small population to get this big picture. Hell, I'm not that social of a person in many regards, but dang it, I believe we all need to look out for each other—and I'm not even a religious person anymore! It kills me when I see all these white, conservative (politically speaking that is), religious people going all teabag crazy. Sounds like someone needs to try not to selectively listen and read at church. If you're going to call yourself a Christian, you best FULLY live it. And from what I remember from the bible, Jesus was quite the socialist (and not the kind some like to group under the Nazi flag, but the more basic tribal type and that are used widely around the developed world). Yeah, think about it before you get all defensive or dismiss me Christians.

As for what to tax, on a federal level I feel to be fair we need to tax everything equally or nothing at all. I really think just an income tax should be all there is on a federal level. Fairest is a flat rate—in thought—but if you make $10,000 in a year, that $1,000 makes a big difference. If you make $1,000,000, that $100,000 is a lot of money, but the remaining $900,000 goes a LOOONG way. With great power—in our society that means money—comes great responsibility (actually, maybe I’m wrong, but I recall the bible saying something along the lines as “to whom much is given, much will be expected”). As for taxing things like goods and services, that can be set by the needs of states and municipalities. With a country of our size and diversity, we need to be flexible to local needs. Plus, this allows people to live in areas that are run in ways they feel meet their ideals. We need to streamline our government and make sure it runs efficiently and with integrity, on ALL levels. I think before people start bitching at the federal government, they best make sure their local and state governments are run well first—then go after D.C. 

I know these thoughts are noble and may be pie in the sky—mmmm, pie—but that doesn’t mean we should give up on them or just ignore the topics that need our attention as citizens of this country. Education first and don’t be an armchair politician.

*A later thought*

Oh, and another way to look at it is like dues for an organization, just with a sliding like many military organizations and events do based on rank (which means pay scale). So you military people should understand it more. Funny how everyone I've ever seen in these circumstances always thought it was a great idea and gladly paid what the could more easily afford.

Thinking...

Thinking

13 November 2009

Missoula, Montana

 

Take a good listen to this.  For those of you that call yourself a Christian (good or not) or religious in any way, and appose socialized medicine, for instance, or anything that isn't for the social good, I have to question your religion, adherence to it and your moral self.   

I have no problem giving 50% of what I make if it's for the greater good of our society.  My only request is that my money is spent well.  I’m sure that’s what most people want for what they have to pay in taxes.  That's where voting often and paying attention to what those that we vote into representation are doing.  Many of those more heavily socialized countries that pay more in taxes than use--which is everyone but South Korea--get a lot more for what they pay than us.  

Those that are Christian know about tithing.  That’s 10% of what you had since most people didn’t have much money back then—barter and trade.  That’s socialism folks.  Doing your part to take care of the greater good, whether it’s the church and it’s community or a nation.  

Remember when the bible was written.  Now think of the type of civilization that existed in Iraq then—in Rome—in Greece—in Egypt.  You depended on others for survival.  That was the entire point of creating a civilization!  It’s a social obligation.  SOCIAL.  It’s not a bad word.  We’d still be hunters and gathers if we didn’t socialize.  Yes, some can do it on their own, but if you aren’t, well, you best think about how you get all the things that make you happy and give you such a good life.             

Our problem is the Capitalist side of our socialized nation.  When factoring in inflation, people of the U.S. generally made more in the 70s than today.  That's because healthcare is such a large portion of our expenditure by employers, and ultimately eating up more of what we spend after we get paid.  In the not too distant future (about NINE years!), we're looking at spending about 50% of our income on healthcare if something doesn't change  (this was reported on NPR by "This American Life" - http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=391).  We spend more than 50% more on healthcare than ANY country in the world and it sure isn't buying us any better health.  We rank 45th in infant mortality in the world--behind Cuba--and 50th in the world at life expectancy--behind Bosnia (these stats are pretty much from This American Life--which is well trusted with their research).  What happened to people in the health field wanting to take care of people as why they wanted to become doctors, surgeons, ect?  Looks like some are taking care of their second and third homes and their social status more than their patients.  

Take for instance something I read in the University of Montana’s student paper today.  Montana State University just hired a new President.  That person’s salary will be quite a bit higher than the previous President and more than UM’s President.  The board of regents is talking about raising our current President’s salary from $205,000 a year to $285,000 a year to make up for it, even though there was a freeze last year on professor salaries.  Justification is that even with the increase, it’s still below average for the position at most comparable universities.  To me, a good leader of anything would say, until the enterprise/group as a whole is taken care of, I am last on the list.  I’ve lived a pretty decent life on $15,000 a year.  I can’t see any skill worth that much over something livable for one person.  That doesn’t mean it’s not earned, but more of it is that needed.        

Too many people want to be millionaires rather than being able to provide for their family and live a decent life.  Comfortable has really lost a rational meaning.  We're not just a throw away nation, but a nation of stuff.  You don't need a two story, 3,000 square feet house for two people or four people.  I've never seen some many people that have a decent-sized house with a one or two car garage and can't keep their car(s) in there for the JUNK!  There are people that still live in mud huts on this planet!  I'm not saying we should give money to improve their lives, because you know what I think--we'd just make their lives worse.  The people I met in Africa seem a WHOLE lot more happy than your average American…

It’s not about redistributing wealth, even though that’s what some think is the way to go.  It’s about giving people basic services over anything—like healthcare and education.  Don’t give people money—give them something real.  Welfare should be food, then shelter, then healthcare and finally education.  Nothing more, noting less.  Giving people money sometimes is along the lines of giving a street beggar money—which will spend it on alcohol or drugs or something long those lines most likely.  

People are right not to trust politicians.  We’ve sent lawyers and rich business people on the average to Washington to represent us.   We need to take a stand and not just go with the flow.  We need to send people like us that know what it’s like to make minimum wage and work a job that doesn’t bring in six or more figures a year.  Now that doesn’t mean we send unintelligent, uneducated McDonalds employees (not to imply all are—Jay Leno worked at McDonalds when he was young).  We just need to send more people that are in touch with the entire country; the entire world.   

The big hurtle is our differences.  We all believe different things.  Some believe in a god in the sky has is all planned out.  Some believe in equal rights for all.  Some believe in the right to do what they wish.  Some live in a fantasy world.  We have to find common ground!  And I know for a fact there is some no matter where you go on this planet.  I’ve been to four continents and have talked with people of all six with indigenous peoples.  WE just have to think more.  We can’t ignore certain topics because they are uncomfortable for us and because they are hard.  We can’t allow a TV show or a sport or anything so trivial to dominate out time, our thoughts and our lives.

Whether you believe in evolution or not, we have changed in the last 10,000 years of recorded time.  It all comes down to choices.  I’m not say we all have to make the right ones all the time—I know I sure haven’t—we just need to be aware of what motivates us to make these choices.  I have to make the choice every day walking across campus to my next class to not jump and rape one of the many beautiful woman I pass—I really like beautiful women!  It’s not always the easiest of choices, but I choice to restrain myself for the good of everyone.  Not all that long ago that kind of situation didn’t have only one acceptable outcome.  

All this rambling I’ve done really comes down to one thing—thinking.  Do it for yourself.  Do it OFTEN.  And do it critically!  We can’t have a large portion of a population doing a vast amount of their thinking about the offense or defense of a sports team or about whether they should consider stainless steel appliances or not.  
 
Just think about it...on your own...without resorting to what you've heard on TV...or what you were told growing up...without thinking about that new 56 inch flat panel TV you want or a new car that costs what a decent house cost 20 years ago...just think about it without greed for yourself…