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badgolferman wrote:[color=blue]
> Learning Richard, 12/21/2005, 12:52:19 PM,
> <1135187539.223877.293210@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
> >
> > badgolferman wrote:[color=darkred]
> > > Learning Richard, 12/21/2005, 12:11:42 PM,
> > > <1135185102.869335.20020@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > The other fact, is that you should receive FROM society a more
> > > > equitable payment for the SWEAT you give TO society. As far as I
> > > > know, society has NEVER worked that way...
> > >
> > > Why is this a fact?
> > >
> > > This is the model of Socialism that you prescribe to. Get more from
> > > society than you put into it?[/color]
> >
> > More?? No, that's how it works NOW. The 5% at the top gets MUCH MORE
> > from society than they put into it. Those at the bottom get MUCH LESS
> > from society than they put into it. And, those at the TOP expect
> > those of us in the MIDDLE to foot the bill for those at the BOTTOM
> > and for those at the TOP. Hence my big ass tax bill in spite of the
> > Senate cutting taxes for the RICH.
> >
> > You get it now? I know its a bit confusing. Try to not think about
> > the Rove/Limbaugh sound bytes for a second and wrap your head around
> > the above.[/color]
>
> There is something definitely wrong with your thinking. The rich pay
> way more taxes to the government than the poor or middle class do.[/color]

As a percentage of their income? You mean to tell me that folks who
get 7 and 8 figure salaries actually deserve to pay such a paltry
pennance of their wealth?
[color=blue]
>
> The top 1% of income earners pay 34% of total taxes. The top 5% pay
> 54% of taxes. The top 10% pay 64% of taxes.
> [url]http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/03in05tr.xls[/url][/color]

Point? You're still dealing in absolutes. Even though your numbers
appear to be relative, they are deceiving... they were calculated from
absolute inputs and therefore are misleading and flawed.

In fact (and I digress slightly), the middle class gives a much larger
percentage of their income to charity (I've hear 2.4%, whereas those
who make over 150k give about 0.8%).

The rich Neocons are lying to the middle class.
[color=blue]
>
> Your class envy is just as bad as Art's. With your cushy job in[/color]

Class envy? What is it that you think I "envy"?
[color=blue]
> Washington you probably make near 100K which is considered rich by the
> government; you are not middle-class. This is probably why you think[/color]

That's only so Bush can fuck me with that AMT bullshit. It takes a
busload of creative accounting for folks like me to get by (and save
for the future). And hell, I have a degree in math. What does the
average sod do?
[color=blue]
> you are paying too much taxes, you're in a higher tax bracket![/color]

Yeah and I benefit from capital gains tax reductions as well, but I
don't deserve those benefits if it means that the parent of a poor
child has to skip her dinner so her kid can eat, after she spent a day
serving up combo meals at McDonalds, because suddenly she earns too
much for food stamps.