Wealth distribution in the US

[xoxoxoBruce]

I got a kick out of Ben Stein whining about the expiring tax cuts, on Sunday Morning. Whining about how after he pays his agent and taxes, he ends up with only 31% of his earnings.

1- the agent is a tax deduction.
2- much of the taxes he is paying, are property taxes on numerous multi-million dollar properties he owns.

No wonder he was a Nixon speech writer.

[spudcon]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

I got a kick out of Ben Stein whining about the expiring tax cuts, on Sunday Morning. Whining about how after he pays his agent and taxes, he ends up with only 31% of his earnings.

1- the agent is a tax deduction.
2- much of the taxes he is paying, are property taxes on numerous multi-million dollar properties he owns.

No wonder he was a Nixon speech writer.

Who should get the other 69% that he earned, and what did they do to earn it?

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by spudcon

Who should get the other 69% that he earned, and what did they do to earn it?

I should, but that ain't happening.
The various government entities he pays it to should, and do, get it.
I would guess 36%(after deductions, loopholes, and all the other taxes are deducted), plus SS, to the feds
Whatever the CA income tax is to the state.
10/15/20%? to his agent, which is deductible.
The rest to the communities where his real estate holdings are, just like you and myself.

[Nirvana]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

I got a kick out of Ben Stein whining about the expiring tax cuts, on Sunday Morning. Whining about how after he pays his agent and taxes, he ends up with only 31% of his earnings.

1- the agent is a tax deduction.
2- much of the taxes he is paying, are property taxes on numerous multi-million dollar properties he owns.

No wonder he was a Nixon speech writer.

I saw that too and all I could think was welcome to the country that made it possible for you to earn that much money.

[daviddwilson]

Originally Posted by Nirvana

I saw that too and all I could think was welcome to the country that made it possible for you to earn that much money.

Yup. And wealthy fucks will always support their right to pay an insignificant drop from their ocean of wealth as taxes. As long as the rest of us are prepared to pay substantial chunks of our meagre earnings to keep the country running why would they care?

The slate article 'reinforces' wealth envy, but that envy is alreayd there to begin with, and frankly, I think that envy is justified. The obscene extremes of wealth and privelege that provoke that envy in the first place: that's unjustifiable.


___________________