First, it's Reagan, not Regan. If you're going to bring up a former president, have enough respect for the office to spell his last name correctly. And second, he brought them down and wanted them to go down further. Tax rates have to go up and down in a slow curve, not all at once. He also lowered capital gains taxes.
You are so out of touch it is sad. I'm done with you, we each get a vote so I guess we can veto one another.
Who decided that I was responsible for paying for my neighbor's health care? Jesus, can't people be responsible for themselves?
How am I out of touch? My mother spent her life as a hospital administrator. My sister is a doctor. I'm an economist who understands when moral hazard is being used as a dictatorial device. I've also lived in four countries with socialized healthcare. Do you know what the wealthy in those countries have? They have supplemental insurance that treats them in the US for serious conditions. I'm glad you're done with me. Remedial education was never my strong suit. I am better at teaching the intelligent.
I am glad you guys that are so well educated can totally ignore the bankruptcy issue around healthcare. It shows a serious dedication to having your head up your ass.
I guess you never read the book. Robin Hood was the good guy, and the rich were evil criminals. Just like nowadays. Since nearly every wealthy person in the world either received their obscene pile of dough in part from the poor through theft, duress or deception, through dumb luck of factors out of their control (fluctuating markets, inheritence...), or through unfair political influence, RH is merely levelling the playing field. As a sports fan you should really get on board with that philosophy.
If America had a flat yearly wage for all employment, including Billionaire business owners, then I would consider a flat tax a fair system also.
I agree that health care costs need to be addressed, as they are skyrocketing much faster than our economic growth or inflation. That said, this government thinks the way to address the issue is to throw TRILLIONS of dollars at it. Some studies have shown that with the ideas being thrown around, it would cost $1.6 Trillion to insure 10 million of the uninsured, over a decade. That would be an average of $160,000 per person over 10 years. We would be better off as tax payers to just continue paying the medical bills of their uninsured asses, as there is no way the average person runs up a medical bill of $160,000 every 10 years.
You're confusing "wealth" and "income". People who generate lots of income tend to DESERVE it. They have education or skills that are in demand, and they're able to earn more. If the people who make good income are forced or encouraged to stop earning that money, guess what happens to the economy? It goes in the shitter. Surgeons and attorneys and other professional services can't just be replaced by people who are currently earning lower money. If you're talking about WEALTH, rather than income, then you're causing other problems. So a wealthy person sells her second home and then does... what? Lives "modestly". Doing ... what? Putting money under their mattress? And to whom does she sell her second home, if other people of means are all trying to sell theirs? You post doesn't make any sense to me. As for the original post: it makes sense, but I disagree with it. I'm relatively young and I'm pretty healthy. Why am I pretty healthy? Because I work out and because I eat reasonably well. I am currently uninsured and I have been entirely fine without health insurance. If I had the choice between additional income or health insurance, I would choose additional income every time. Health care for other people just isn't that important to me. I do not want the federal government forcing me into paying a substantial tax on the way I choose to live. Ed O.
The unfortunate problem is that many people are born into a scenario. Rich people tend to hold onto their wealth providing substantial advantages for the generation after them. Poor people constantly spend to do silly things like, I don't know, stay alive, and so have little to pass on to their next generation. I have no problem with individual X earning a bazillion dollars, though I would hope that at some point way up there they'd realize that they don't need more. The problem I have is that once individual X is way up there they can pass along huge, huge advantages to their next generation who haven't contributed one iota to society.
What would you rather have, your health or your house? I believe people are responsible for their own lives. If they don't purchase enough health insurance to cover themselves, then they pay the cost. Life isn't always milk and cookies.
I had a business once that went bankrupt. I sure would love it if we had taxed everyone and gave the money to me so it wouldn't have gone bankrupt.
I have no problem with healthcare for all and even have my own thoughts on the matter, but this plan is both punitive as well as poorly designed. Obama just got done raising taxes on the "rich" and now another seperate tax and Oregon just raised taxes on people making over $125,000/yr by 25%. Is this really fair?
maxiep, he made it clear he was unable to answer you as you had fully defeated him. And it was masterful.
I understand why you would think this way, but isn't part of the joy of earning money being able to pass it along to your progeny? I don't think that there's anything wrong with the state providing a level playing field, but I think it would overstep its bounds to level things every generation. Ed O.
Because the people he loves and cares about are all tied to the busted system, yes he took me to school. Unfortunatley the lesson was that his self-interest is more important than the health of his country. This is the Neocon way, self-interest ahead of nation. Then you wrap that in a bunch of meritocracy, pull yourself up by your own bootstrap bullshit. The founders believed in equality, and in the belief of a nation that stood together against exploitation and unfair treatment. The fact that Maxie believes poverty to be a choice in itself shows that he is out of touch. When I said he was out of touch his response was that his mother has a high paying job at a hospital and his sister is a doctor...a great perspective on poverty.
