Brad Wardell's views about technology, politics, religion, world affairs, and all sorts of politically incorrect topics.

 

Today’s USA Today has a bombshell – at least for people who haven’t been paying attention: Nearly half of Americans pay no federal income taxes.

I’ve tried to explain this before to my liberal friends who insist that “rich people” don’t pay their fair share and whenever I’ve brought up that nearly half of Americans pay zilch to the fed in income taxes they scoff that it’s probably some far right propaganda. Nope. It’s real.

As April 15th comes up and I look at the million+ I pay in taxes (on behalf of myself and my S-corporation) I wince at all the economic opportunities that are missed because of the money being siphoned off.

To understand the real impact of taxes, this year’s tax bill will delay the completion of our new studio by about 6 months which in turn delays the hiring of approximately 23 new workers (not count the # of jobs that simply won’t be created period or the opportunity costs).

Taxes don’t hurt “the rich”. They hurt the people who work for a living.


Comments (Page 3)
10 Pages1 2 3 4 5  Last
on Apr 09, 2010

Shouldn't some left-winger come on around now to try to insist that we're all part of the "fringe right wing nuts of JU?"

Liberals, contrary to their beliefs, aren't the majority. They're only apparently 47% of the population.

on Apr 09, 2010

Shouldn't some left-winger come on around now to try to insist that we're all part of the "fringe right wing nuts of JU?"

I believe Dr. Guy banished him back to his protected lair! Maybe you should name a character in Elemental after Doc, Brad. It looks like magic to me!

on Apr 09, 2010

This year I was supposed to hire five people to launch my E-book publishing house. Now that we have Obama care, I was only able to give a $2000 bonus to my employees, and not hire new staff. I guess I just became a graphic artist, editor, proof reader,writer, and publicist. All the ones I had interviewed are poor, two on welfarelooking for a way out. hell, for of them were white. (just so you don't think i discriminate) anyway since I don't know how bad it will be I will have to hold off hiring until the laws stabilize, maybe wait till the next presidential election. For me to hire a person at 50k I have to have 80K in profits, since Mr. Obama does not like it when companies make a profit, I can't hire anyone.

Oh, and I am part of the 47% that don't pay taxes. Thanks for the 154 dollar refund.

on Apr 12, 2010

Frogboy


Liberals, contrary to their beliefs, aren't the majority. They're only apparently 47% of the population.

Hmm.... We can start a debate on that.  I do not think they are 47%.  Of that 47%, many are young just starting out, so of course they do not earn much (and so pay no taxes).  But they are not all gullible and stupid.  They understand they will be paying taxes, and as things are going, will be losing.  So I say 33% of them are more conservative than liberal.  Leaving about 30% liberal (or more accurately just selfish).

I was born at the wrong time.  I remember my first professional job, paying about 10k a year, and 25% of that went to taxes.

on Apr 12, 2010

Paladin77


Oh, and I am part of the 47% that don't pay taxes. Thanks for the 154 dollar refund.

So that is where my $365 payment went to!

on Apr 13, 2010

So that is where my $365 payment went to!

Hey Doc, if I take that 154 and divide it over the 15 years it took to write my book, and then find a publisher and get it published the write off of my computer and some programs, it does not make much money. Wow I can go to the movies once a year.

on Apr 13, 2010

Wow I can go to the movies once a year.

The Movies?  I can only afford Chicken McNuggets!

on Apr 13, 2010

The Movies?  I can only afford Chicken McNuggets!

Luxury!

We could afford ONE nugget, for the four of us. And it had to last a week.

(We were not allowed to eat it either. It was only for looking at.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo

on Apr 13, 2010

Cikomyr, ok, tell me this. Why was it so important for you to know the socioeconomic breakdown in a statistic where that isn't an issue?

Because I wanted to know what qualifies a "poor" people, income-wise, in the USA, and if the breakdown was before or after the 47%. If you happened to HAVE a fixed limit of income defining "poor", and not simply taking the X% poorest and defining them as the "poor" class of a nation, that would have been limited.

In the end, I was curious to see the % of poor of your country, and checking if what was qualified as "poor" would pay taxes (meaning there were more than 47% of poor in your country), or, the other way around, many people who weren't considered as "poor" still did not paid taxes.

But the point is nill, because of the stupid definition of being poor described by Guy.

on Apr 13, 2010

But the point is nill, because of the stupid definition of being poor described by Guy.

No one ever said government was run smartly.

on Apr 13, 2010

No one ever said government was run smartly.

I wasn't ranting against you. I do not shoot the messenger

I was ranting about the stupid definition.

on Apr 13, 2010

Cikomyr

No one ever said government was run smartly.
I wasn't ranting against you. I do not shoot the messenger

I was ranting about the stupid definition.

I know.  I remember a quote from a MASH episode where Col Potter asked a supply sergeant if he ever wondered why he was bringing Mosquito nets to a MASH unit in Korea in Winter.  His reply? "I use to wonder about that, but it was keeping me awake at nights, so I stopped".

Same here with why government does what it does.

on Apr 13, 2010

Same here with why government does what it does.

Government does what it does because it is exactly what we want done only we are not smart enough to know it.

on Apr 14, 2010

Paladin77

Same here with why government does what it does.
Government does what it does because it is exactly what we want done only we are not smart enough to know it.

I think Health care belies your statement.  The government is a bunch of self important blow hards who do what THEY want which is not always what we want or why we elected them.

on Apr 14, 2010

I think Health care belies your statement. The government is a bunch of self important blow hards who do what THEY want which is not always what we want or why we elected them.

Hey, you got the system that you voted for.

(not talkin' about the party, but the system)

 

10 Pages1 2 3 4 5  Last