GOP Argument Against Extended Unemployment Benefits is Misguided

[Remodeling Maidiac]

Listen dude, im as white trash as they come but I was able to adapt. With some difficulty and bitching of course but I made it.

Adapt, sell yourself, learn a skill.....or just keep scanning bar codes. Your choice

Your story is anecdotal. Having a positive attitude and hard work goes a long way, but nowadays only a few have been rewarded for theirs. You underestimate how hard many people work. This isn't the 90s. The job market is very different. There are fewer and fewer opportunities regardless of how hard you work.

Anecdotal? What part of making your own future is anecdotal? With technology comes new opportunities. You got plenty of excuses and not enough energy.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

What ever happened to the Ask not what your country can do for you attitude? So many people want a free ride and so few want to make the ride happen. I just dont get it. I was a prime candidate for the gimmie gimmie crowd but I wanted more. Why don't you want more? You don't have to swing a hammer to be an self made individual. I know people who garage sale for a living. Take the junk they buy and sell it on eBay.

Everyone has a damn excuse because they think it's easier that way but fuck are they missing out. I just dont get it. A little hard work WILL carry you a mile.
Don't like Sam Waltons pay? Fuck him, do your own thing. Find something your good at and market it

 

[francoHFW]

Did you hear about the great W recession, and 4 and a half years of total Pub obstruction and refusal of ANY compromise.? I didn't think so. NOT ENOUGH JOBS.

 

[Billy000]

Listen dude, im as white trash as they come but I was able to adapt. With some difficulty and bitching of course but I made it.

Adapt, sell yourself, learn a skill.....or just keep scanning bar codes. Your choice

Your story is anecdotal. Having a positive attitude and hard work goes a long way, but nowadays only a few have been rewarded for theirs. You underestimate how hard many people work. This isn't the 90s. The job market is very different. There are fewer and fewer opportunities regardless of how hard you work.

Anecdotal? What part of making your own future is anecdotal? With technology comes new opportunities. You got plenty of excuses and not enough energy.

Gramps you're not living in reality. Yes, the America you described used to exist. It does not anymore. The middle class is shrinking and 15% of our population is in poverty. These are facts.

 

[Andylusion]

You cons are so thick. Liberals don't have a problem a CEO making 50x more money than a low level worker. That isn't the point. We don't have a problem with the idea of wealth inequality in itself. What we are against is 1% of the top earners controlling 40% of the nation's wealth. That is a the problem. The enormous actual gap is staggering and mind blowing. The lower classes productivity has sky rocketed since the 70s yet wages have remained flat. That. is. wrong.

Wealth and income are two different things.

The reason the wealthy are wealthy is because they invest. The reason the poor, are poor, is because they don't.

If you invest a mere $100 dollars in a growth stock mutual fund, from age 25 to retirement, you'll be a millionaire or close to it.

The problem is, people don't. They consume their income. I call it the difference between the PinBall people, and the Beer Pong people.

This comes from the story of Warren Buffet. You can look it up.

Warren Buffet when he was in high school, saved money from a paper route, and purchased a Pinball machine, that he placed in a local business. There, it earned him more money.

What do most people do in high school? When I was in high school, the popular thing to do was to buy a keg of beer, and go to someone's home whose parents were out of town, and have a beer pong party. There they would drink and piss their money away.

Wealthy people are wealthy because they invest. They use their income to create more income.

Poor people consume their income, and remain poor.

Lottery Winners Who Lost Everything - Business Insider

In 2004, Sharon Tirabassi, a single mother who had been on welfare, cashed a check from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. for $10,569,00.10 (Canadian).

She subsequently spent her winnings on a "big house, fancy cars, designer clothes, lavish parties, exotic trips, handouts to family, loans to friends" and in less than a decade she's back riding the bus, working part-time, and living in a rented house."

Got $10 Million dollar.... spent it all.... now she's broke, no car, rides the bus, working part time.

On the other hand, Steve Jobs, got $5 Million dollars, and invested it into Pixar in 1986. Jobs made hundreds of millions off of Pixar after it was sold to Disney after making Billions off of hit movies it created.

That's the difference right there. $10 Million to someone who consumes it, and they end up poor. $5 Million to someone who invests it, and it grows, provides jobs, creates wealth (in the form of hit movies), and they end up wealthy.

You're missing the point. The lower classes can be afforded higher wages. Regardless of how job creators amass their wealth, they need to pay people fairly. What we have now is not fair. Not even close.

To me, what is "fair" is what two people agree upon. Just because someone "can" afford to pay more, does not automatically mean that because you "can" means that's "fair", or if you do not, when you could, means it's "unfair".

"Fair" is what we agree upon. Now what you could do.

Say I'm a lawn mower person. I mow loans for a living.

If I come to your home and offer to mow your lawn for $30, and you agree.... that's "Fair". Could you pay me more? Sure! Does the fact you COULD pay me more, mean that paying only $30, is "unfair"?

No. You could refuse to go to Walmart, and pay a higher price for milk. That's "fair". What two people agree on, is 'fair'.

See, it's real easy to say that other people should pay more, and that is somehow fair.... but if *YOU* were the one being told *YOU* had to pay more, would that be fair?

If your auto mechanic doing an oil change on your car, said "You could pay me $50 for this oil change, and since you can, you should and that's fair"

What would you do? You'd go someplace else, and get the oil change done more cheaply. Is that "unfair" for you to do that? And why are other people held to a different standard?

So the mere fact that "they could pay more" doesn't mean it's FAIR or UNFAIR.

What is fair, is what the two people involved agree on. That's FAIR.

No, back to 'they could'. That is not entirely true. I've been over this.

If you take the entire executive pay, of the whole board of directors of Walmart, and distribute the entire executive pay to all the employees.... it would equal out to 1¢ per hour.

But doing that would result in the company crashing, and all those employees with their extra 1¢, would end up unemployed.

Not a solution.

 

[RandomVariable]

I'm back to the same question I have asked many times before on this subject how long should they be extended? You can't provide government assistance to people indefinitely there has to be a cutoff date.

Unemployment insurance benefits should be extend not one day longer than corporates receive handouts because those companies have lobbyists and some politicians like living beyond their means.

 

[RandomVariable]

I was in my EARLY 20's. Fresh out of prison. Couldn't get a job. Couldn't keep the ones I found. Hated my pay. Hated my bosses who only hired me for the tax credit for hiring a convict. They made me do horrible shit in horrible conditions.

Instead of riding the bum state for life I got some loans and went to school for computers. One of our assignments was to submit a fictitious business proposal to the banks we got our loans from. They were so impressed with my proposal that I quit school the next semester and started the business I'm in now. Granted it took a few hard knocks and a couple stumbles but here I am 23 years later.

If a damn ex con can make it work with all the strikes I have against me from the start there is no reason anyone else can't do the same.

Period

You sound to like many who say, "I made it from nothing to something with no help from anybody. I have no sympathy for those who don't." But did you make something from nothing with nobody's help?

You say people only hired you because of the tax credit they got. Taxpayer money. You got some loans for school. Any of those government backed? If you didn't get financial aid you were a fool, and you are no fool (at least not in that respect.) You say they were so impressed with your proposal that you quit school and started a business. No one just starts school and writes a great anything without some background education. Whether it was good public school or you had private school somewhere you got a decent education. You understood business well enough to write a proposal and start a business. Somewhere you learned those skills. Most people don't have have them. You like to say, "I built this." because you don't want to be one of those government handout people. You want to believe in your own abilities. No one begrudges you that but please don't do all you can to make sure no one else gets a chance. Those unemployment insurance benefits are someone else's convict employment tax credit, that student loan, that small business grant. Ask more for yourself, just don't ask for less for others.

 

[RandomVariable]

Senate sends unemployment insurance extension to a divided House - CBS News

The Senate officially passed legislation to extend unemployment insurance benefits Monday afternoon, leaving their bill in the hands of a House that is not just divided between Democrats and Republicans, but among members of the GOP on how to proceed.

...

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

I was in my EARLY 20's. Fresh out of prison. Couldn't get a job. Couldn't keep the ones I found. Hated my pay. Hated my bosses who only hired me for the tax credit for hiring a convict. They made me do horrible shit in horrible conditions.

Instead of riding the bum state for life I got some loans and went to school for computers. One of our assignments was to submit a fictitious business proposal to the banks we got our loans from. They were so impressed with my proposal that I quit school the next semester and started the business I'm in now. Granted it took a few hard knocks and a couple stumbles but here I am 23 years later.

If a damn ex con can make it work with all the strikes I have against me from the start there is no reason anyone else can't do the same.

Period

You sound to like many who say, "I made it from nothing to something with no help from anybody. I have no sympathy for those who don't." But did you make something from nothing with nobody's help?

You say people only hired you because of the tax credit they got. Taxpayer money. You got some loans for school. Any of those government backed? If you didn't get financial aid you were a fool, and you are no fool (at least not in that respect.) You say they were so impressed with your proposal that you quit school and started a business. No one just starts school and writes a great anything without some background education. Whether it was good public school or you had private school somewhere you got a decent education. You understood business well enough to write a proposal and start a business. Somewhere you learned those skills. Most people don't have have them. You like to say, "I built this." because you don't want to be one of those government handout people. You want to believe in your own abilities. No one begrudges you that but please don't do all you can to make sure no one else gets a chance. Those unemployment insurance benefits are someone else's convict employment tax credit, that student loan, that small business grant. Ask more for yourself, just don't ask for less for others.

As an ex convict I am not eligible for most government assistance programs. And yes I did have some prior education in vocational schools bust most of my knowledge came from the numerous jobs I had. Funny thing is that while hiring others to do parts of my jobs that I wasn't qualified to do was also a part of my education. I would watch everything they did with keen interest. After a few years I would hire them less and less as I took on more responsibility.
Point is I had a can do attitude and used every single opportunity at my disposal to further my abilities. So many today don't have that attitude.

 

[Billy000]

Wealth and income are two different things.

The reason the wealthy are wealthy is because they invest. The reason the poor, are poor, is because they don't.

If you invest a mere $100 dollars in a growth stock mutual fund, from age 25 to retirement, you'll be a millionaire or close to it.

The problem is, people don't. They consume their income. I call it the difference between the PinBall people, and the Beer Pong people.

This comes from the story of Warren Buffet. You can look it up.

Warren Buffet when he was in high school, saved money from a paper route, and purchased a Pinball machine, that he placed in a local business. There, it earned him more money.

What do most people do in high school? When I was in high school, the popular thing to do was to buy a keg of beer, and go to someone's home whose parents were out of town, and have a beer pong party. There they would drink and piss their money away.

Wealthy people are wealthy because they invest. They use their income to create more income.

Poor people consume their income, and remain poor.

Lottery Winners Who Lost Everything - Business Insider



Got $10 Million dollar.... spent it all.... now she's broke, no car, rides the bus, working part time.

On the other hand, Steve Jobs, got $5 Million dollars, and invested it into Pixar in 1986. Jobs made hundreds of millions off of Pixar after it was sold to Disney after making Billions off of hit movies it created.

That's the difference right there. $10 Million to someone who consumes it, and they end up poor. $5 Million to someone who invests it, and it grows, provides jobs, creates wealth (in the form of hit movies), and they end up wealthy.

You're missing the point. The lower classes can be afforded higher wages. Regardless of how job creators amass their wealth, they need to pay people fairly. What we have now is not fair. Not even close.

To me, what is "fair" is what two people agree upon. Just because someone "can" afford to pay more, does not automatically mean that because you "can" means that's "fair", or if you do not, when you could, means it's "unfair".

"Fair" is what we agree upon. Now what you could do.

Say I'm a lawn mower person. I mow loans for a living.

If I come to your home and offer to mow your lawn for $30, and you agree.... that's "Fair". Could you pay me more? Sure! Does the fact you COULD pay me more, mean that paying only $30, is "unfair"?

No. You could refuse to go to Walmart, and pay a higher price for milk. That's "fair". What two people agree on, is 'fair'.

See, it's real easy to say that other people should pay more, and that is somehow fair.... but if *YOU* were the one being told *YOU* had to pay more, would that be fair?

If your auto mechanic doing an oil change on your car, said "You could pay me $50 for this oil change, and since you can, you should and that's fair"

What would you do? You'd go someplace else, and get the oil change done more cheaply. Is that "unfair" for you to do that? And why are other people held to a different standard?

So the mere fact that "they could pay more" doesn't mean it's FAIR or UNFAIR.

What is fair, is what the two people involved agree on. That's FAIR.

No, back to 'they could'. That is not entirely true. I've been over this.

If you take the entire executive pay, of the whole board of directors of Walmart, and distribute the entire executive pay to all the employees.... it would equal out to 1¢ per hour.

But doing that would result in the company crashing, and all those employees with their extra 1¢, would end up unemployed.

Not a solution.

So you're okay with the top 1% owning 40% of the nation's wealth? You're okay productivity being through the roof for the lower classes with wages that have remained flat? You're okay with a 15% of the population living in poverty while the middle class is shrinking?

I am not suggesting we take away the bigwigs' pay. You people always put this logic in such absolutes. Those executives deserve to be well paid. No one is disputing that. They can however afford to pay their workers more. The average Wal Mart employee makes $8 an hour all while Alice Walton is planning on building an art museum worth 1 billion.

 

[rdean]

Ahh, the you need money so its a good deal argument. That's not bipartisan it's a conflict of interest.

Me personally I could probably survive on saving for a few years if I needed. However, most people aren't like that. Don't like welfare, because it rewards laziness in my opinion. But unemployment provides for a person at their lowest point and gives incentive to find a new job (even one that pays less). If you are long-time unemployed, then you are even worse off.

You could survive through savings. Responsible behavior. But others can't so we should reward their irresponsible behavior....

You were rewarded for irresponsible behavior. So what gives you the right to judge?

Grampa Murked U - Where, if anywhere, does personal responsibility fit into that? I made shit wages when I started out in life. In fact my first two bosses only hired me because of the tax incentives they got for hiring an ex con.

Are you saying you would have been better off if you hadn't been "helped"?

 

[RandomVariable]

I was in my EARLY 20's. Fresh out of prison. Couldn't get a job. Couldn't keep the ones I found. Hated my pay. Hated my bosses who only hired me for the tax credit for hiring a convict. They made me do horrible shit in horrible conditions.

Instead of riding the bum state for life I got some loans and went to school for computers. One of our assignments was to submit a fictitious business proposal to the banks we got our loans from. They were so impressed with my proposal that I quit school the next semester and started the business I'm in now. Granted it took a few hard knocks and a couple stumbles but here I am 23 years later.

If a damn ex con can make it work with all the strikes I have against me from the start there is no reason anyone else can't do the same.

Period

You sound to like many who say, "I made it from nothing to something with no help from anybody. I have no sympathy for those who don't." But did you make something from nothing with nobody's help?

You say people only hired you because of the tax credit they got. Taxpayer money. You got some loans for school. Any of those government backed? If you didn't get financial aid you were a fool, and you are no fool (at least not in that respect.) You say they were so impressed with your proposal that you quit school and started a business. No one just starts school and writes a great anything without some background education. Whether it was good public school or you had private school somewhere you got a decent education. You understood business well enough to write a proposal and start a business. Somewhere you learned those skills. Most people don't have have them. You like to say, "I built this." because you don't want to be one of those government handout people. You want to believe in your own abilities. No one begrudges you that but please don't do all you can to make sure no one else gets a chance. Those unemployment insurance benefits are someone else's convict employment tax credit, that student loan, that small business grant. Ask more for yourself, just don't ask for less for others.

As an ex convict I am not eligible for most government assistance programs. And yes I did have some prior education in vocational schools bust most of my knowledge came from the numerous jobs I had. Funny thing is that while hiring others to do parts of my jobs that I wasn't qualified to do was also a part of my education. I would watch everything they did with keen interest. After a few years I would hire them less and less as I took on more responsibility.
Point is I had a can do attitude and used every single opportunity at my disposal to further my abilities. So many today don't have that attitude.

Giving this some more thought since posting the previous I think some of the root of problem is that you either don't give yourself enough credit or you give other people too much credit. You say, "If I can do it anyone can do it." You know dang well that's not true. There are people you have hired who could be given every break in the world and still not do more than they are doing now, professionally speaking anyway. One factor which I think is greatly understated and under appreciated is expectancy theory. That is a person's belief in what can be. There are thousands of people who just don't believe that life will ever hold more than it is now even if it is a trailer park. I believe that pure capitalism will never the majority of those people out of the park. I actually believe it is only add to the park. I believe that effect government policy can get people out of the park. It has to not only provide "handouts", because at the lowest level that it is they are, but a hand up. That is in their best interest and it is in your best interest.

 

[rdean]

You sound to like many who say, "I made it from nothing to something with no help from anybody. I have no sympathy for those who don't." But did you make something from nothing with nobody's help?

You say people only hired you because of the tax credit they got. Taxpayer money. You got some loans for school. Any of those government backed? If you didn't get financial aid you were a fool, and you are no fool (at least not in that respect.) You say they were so impressed with your proposal that you quit school and started a business. No one just starts school and writes a great anything without some background education. Whether it was good public school or you had private school somewhere you got a decent education. You understood business well enough to write a proposal and start a business. Somewhere you learned those skills. Most people don't have have them. You like to say, "I built this." because you don't want to be one of those government handout people. You want to believe in your own abilities. No one begrudges you that but please don't do all you can to make sure no one else gets a chance. Those unemployment insurance benefits are someone else's convict employment tax credit, that student loan, that small business grant. Ask more for yourself, just don't ask for less for others.

As an ex convict I am not eligible for most government assistance programs. And yes I did have some prior education in vocational schools bust most of my knowledge came from the numerous jobs I had. Funny thing is that while hiring others to do parts of my jobs that I wasn't qualified to do was also a part of my education. I would watch everything they did with keen interest. After a few years I would hire them less and less as I took on more responsibility.
Point is I had a can do attitude and used every single opportunity at my disposal to further my abilities. So many today don't have that attitude.

Giving this some more thought since posting the previous I think some of the root of problem is that you either don't give yourself enough credit or you give other people too much credit. You say, "If I can do it anyone can do it." You know dang well that's not true. There are people you have hired who could be given every break in the world and still not do more than they are doing now, professionally speaking anyway. One factor which I think is greatly understated and under appreciated is expectancy theory. That is a person's belief in what can be. There are thousands of people who just don't believe that life will ever hold more than it is now even if it is a trailer park. I believe that pure capitalism will never the majority of those people out of the park. I actually believe it is only add to the park. I believe that effect government policy can get people out of the park. It has to not only provide "handouts", because at the lowest level that it is they are, but a hand up. That is in their best interest and it is in your best interest.

The problem with most on the right is that when they are helped, it's because they needed and deserved the help, but when others are given the same help, it's because they are lazy, greedy and only want to live on the government dole. We've seen it again and again.

 

[RandomVariable]

As an ex convict I am not eligible for most government assistance programs. And yes I did have some prior education in vocational schools bust most of my knowledge came from the numerous jobs I had. Funny thing is that while hiring others to do parts of my jobs that I wasn't qualified to do was also a part of my education. I would watch everything they did with keen interest. After a few years I would hire them less and less as I took on more responsibility.
Point is I had a can do attitude and used every single opportunity at my disposal to further my abilities. So many today don't have that attitude.

Giving this some more thought since posting the previous I think some of the root of problem is that you either don't give yourself enough credit or you give other people too much credit. You say, "If I can do it anyone can do it." You know dang well that's not true. There are people you have hired who could be given every break in the world and still not do more than they are doing now, professionally speaking anyway. One factor which I think is greatly understated and under appreciated is expectancy theory. That is a person's belief in what can be. There are thousands of people who just don't believe that life will ever hold more than it is now even if it is a trailer park. I believe that pure capitalism will never the majority of those people out of the park. I actually believe it is only add to the park. I believe that effect government policy can get people out of the park. It has to not only provide "handouts", because at the lowest level that it is they are, but a hand up. That is in their best interest and it is in your best interest.

The problem with most on the right is that when they are helped, it's because they needed and deserved the help, but when others are given the same help, it's because they are lazy, greedy and only want to live on the government dole. We've seen it again and again.

That was friggin' priceless.

What I think is the most tragic is people who think "across the board" somehow means reform.

 

[ClosedCaption]

A conservative of convenience.

Everyone is...Theres a saying that says something about men will abandon principals to stop their stomachs from growling

 

[ClosedCaption]

Ahh, the you need money so its a good deal argument. That's not bipartisan it's a conflict of interest.

Me personally I could probably survive on saving for a few years if I needed. However, most people aren't like that. Don't like welfare, because it rewards laziness in my opinion. But unemployment provides for a person at their lowest point and gives incentive to find a new job (even one that pays less). If you are long-time unemployed, then you are even worse off.

Despite seeing first hand the small amounts given? You said yourself that you wouldnt be able to survive on Unemployment why do you think the opposite about welfare?

Seems to me you will have that opinion until you have to be on welfare. Then you'll have another personal anecdote thread like this one.

Its always different when the shoe is on the other foot

 

[Andylusion]

You're missing the point. The lower classes can be afforded higher wages. Regardless of how job creators amass their wealth, they need to pay people fairly. What we have now is not fair. Not even close.

To me, what is "fair" is what two people agree upon. Just because someone "can" afford to pay more, does not automatically mean that because you "can" means that's "fair", or if you do not, when you could, means it's "unfair".

"Fair" is what we agree upon. Now what you could do.

Say I'm a lawn mower person. I mow loans for a living.

If I come to your home and offer to mow your lawn for $30, and you agree.... that's "Fair". Could you pay me more? Sure! Does the fact you COULD pay me more, mean that paying only $30, is "unfair"?

No. You could refuse to go to Walmart, and pay a higher price for milk. That's "fair". What two people agree on, is 'fair'.

See, it's real easy to say that other people should pay more, and that is somehow fair.... but if *YOU* were the one being told *YOU* had to pay more, would that be fair?

If your auto mechanic doing an oil change on your car, said "You could pay me $50 for this oil change, and since you can, you should and that's fair"

What would you do? You'd go someplace else, and get the oil change done more cheaply. Is that "unfair" for you to do that? And why are other people held to a different standard?

So the mere fact that "they could pay more" doesn't mean it's FAIR or UNFAIR.

What is fair, is what the two people involved agree on. That's FAIR.

No, back to 'they could'. That is not entirely true. I've been over this.

If you take the entire executive pay, of the whole board of directors of Walmart, and distribute the entire executive pay to all the employees.... it would equal out to 1¢ per hour.

But doing that would result in the company crashing, and all those employees with their extra 1¢, would end up unemployed.

Not a solution.

So you're okay with the top 1% owning 40% of the nation's wealth? You're okay productivity being through the roof for the lower classes with wages that have remained flat? You're okay with a 15% of the population living in poverty while the middle class is shrinking?

I am not suggesting we take away the bigwigs' pay. You people always put this logic in such absolutes. Those executives deserve to be well paid. No one is disputing that. They can however afford to pay their workers more. The average Wal Mart employee makes $8 an hour all while Alice Walton is planning on building an art museum worth 1 billion.

In an economy of growth, automatically, the top income level is going to rise. The only way to prevent the top income levels from rising, is to stop growing the economy. Back in 2001, and 2008, when the economy crash, the top income earnings fell.

If you want to prevent rich people getting richer, destroy the economy.

However, during a growing economy, the lowest income earners never grow. Why? Because ultimately the lowest income is ALWAYS ZERO.

So the scale of poor to rich, will always get wider as long as you have a growing economy. The Gap will always get larger.

Again, the only way to stop this is to ruin the economy. Of course you'll harm more poor than rich doing that, but it will reduce the gap and inequality.

The middle class isn't shrinking. That's a mathematical impossibility.

Lastly, there is a huge difference between 'wealth' and 'income'.

My parents were both school teachers. But they saved and invested, and saved and invested, and saved and invested all their lives.

Today, they likely have over a million dollars in "wealth". Their "income" was never spectacular. We didn't have super new shiny luxury cars. We had this old chevy van we used to go see relatives.

But, they bought a lake house, and funded their 401K, and added several additions to the house. Today, between the 401K, and the two properties, they likely have $1.2 Million I would estimate.

The key to having wealth, is to invest, instead of consume their income. It's the Pinball people, verses the Beer Pong people.

When Warren Buffet was in high school, he saved up money from a paper route, to buy a Pinball machine, which he placed in a local business where it earned him more money.

What do most people do in high school? When I was in high school, you bought a keg of beer, and played beer pong, at someone's house whose parents were not home.

The reason Warren Buffet has money, and other people are broke, is because he invested his money into making more money. Other people consume all their money.

There was a lady in Canada that won $10 Million in 2004. Today she is broke, and riding the bus to work. Doesn't even own a car.

Steve Jobs got $5 Million, and bought Pixar, which he invested into, and made it into a block buster moving making company, which he sold for a mere $5 Billion.

The lady consumed. Jobs invested.

This is why if you were to confiscate all the wealth from the top 1%, all that wealth, and distributed it to all the people... in roughly 10 years tops, all the poor people, would end up impoverished and poor all over again, and the richest 1% would end up with 40% of the wealth again.

It's not about the rich getting super secret tax deductions. It's not about them having a monopoly on wealth. It's not about them doing super secret deals to screw over others.

It's simply that the rich invest, and the poor consume.

 

[Andylusion]

As an ex convict I am not eligible for most government assistance programs. And yes I did have some prior education in vocational schools bust most of my knowledge came from the numerous jobs I had. Funny thing is that while hiring others to do parts of my jobs that I wasn't qualified to do was also a part of my education. I would watch everything they did with keen interest. After a few years I would hire them less and less as I took on more responsibility.
Point is I had a can do attitude and used every single opportunity at my disposal to further my abilities. So many today don't have that attitude.

Giving this some more thought since posting the previous I think some of the root of problem is that you either don't give yourself enough credit or you give other people too much credit. You say, "If I can do it anyone can do it." You know dang well that's not true. There are people you have hired who could be given every break in the world and still not do more than they are doing now, professionally speaking anyway. One factor which I think is greatly understated and under appreciated is expectancy theory. That is a person's belief in what can be. There are thousands of people who just don't believe that life will ever hold more than it is now even if it is a trailer park. I believe that pure capitalism will never the majority of those people out of the park. I actually believe it is only add to the park. I believe that effect government policy can get people out of the park. It has to not only provide "handouts", because at the lowest level that it is they are, but a hand up. That is in their best interest and it is in your best interest.

The problem with most on the right is that when they are helped, it's because they needed and deserved the help, but when others are given the same help, it's because they are lazy, greedy and only want to live on the government dole. We've seen it again and again.

I have never been helped by government. Let me say that again... I HAVE NEVER BEEN HELPED by government.

People have helped me. and I have helped people.

Government has never helped me. They only thing they have done, is harm me. I just paid $3,000 in taxes, on my $18K income for last year.

The best thing government could have done to help me, is let me keep that $3,000 I earned.

 

[edthecynic]

I have never been helped by government. Let me say that again... I HAVE NEVER BEEN HELPED by government.

People have helped me. and I have helped people.

Government has never helped me. They only thing they have done, is harm me. I just paid $3,000 in taxes, on my $18K income for last year.

The best thing government could have done to help me, is let me keep that $3,000 I earned.

You are full of shit!

Using the rate for single with no dependents, your income tax on $18,000 income is $803.

 

[Andylusion]

I have never been helped by government. Let me say that again... I HAVE NEVER BEEN HELPED by government.

People have helped me. and I have helped people.

Government has never helped me. They only thing they have done, is harm me. I just paid $3,000 in taxes, on my $18K income for last year.

The best thing government could have done to help me, is let me keep that $3,000 I earned.

You are full of shit!

Using the rate for single with no dependents, your income tax on $18,000 income is $803.

Federal income tax $878
Federal Social Security TAX $1164
Federal Medicare TAX $272
Ohio State TAX $284
City Tax $469

Total Tax $3067.

Now out of all of those, most of the City Tax money actually goes to things that benefit me. Road building, police, fire department, sewers and so on, benefit me.

That's only $469 out of that $3067 in tax. Most of the state tax goes to crap libtard projects, as does nearly everything at the Federal level.

Bottom line, You people on the left, screw the hell out of the poor, for the sake of your government program crap.

Isn't it interesting how when a leftist is confronted with the facts, they instantly accuse the people they claim to help of being lairs, even while I have my W-2 sitting 5 inches in front of me.