🚀 go-pugleaf

Spirit Explorer <purple-ram@zianet.com> wrote in message
news:376ecd59.35577263@news.zianet.com...
> On Tue, 15 Jun 1999 02:13:03 GMT, "Gerry Carter"
> <gerrycarter@home.com> wrote:
>
>
> >
> >First of all, the individual you are talking about is a taxpayer as well,
> >and will pay more in a year than some will in a lifetime.  They are as
> >entitled to benefit from what is often touted as a universal program as
> >anyone, particulalry since they are footing so much of the bill.  It is
not
> >a gift to them; it is a return to them of a portion of their gift to the
> >rest of us.
> >
> Just to let you know, I think that if one pays into a system, one
> should be allowed to receive their payments from the government.

We agree here.

>
> >Nonetheless, the amount paid to such people is small, as they are few in
> >number and this is not my point anyway;  my point is that the number I
have
> >most often seen tossed around in these newsgroups as defining rich and a
> >loss of entitlement to a say in anything to do with taxation is $60k.
> >Quibble about the number, and the definition might get raised as high as
> >$80k.  This is still far from rich, and only qualifies as comfortable in
> >today's economy.
>
> I said in the above what I said so that you would realize that I do
> not believe in discrimination, whether they are rich or not.

We agree here.

>
> You say that if a household has $80k coming in that it is really only
> comfortable. I have to tell you that you are not living in the real
> world at all or you live in California. In most of this country, the
> US, if a household is bringing in anything over $30k, they have no
> bitch. I do consider a household that is making $80k as rich comparing
> them to most who are struggling to bring in $30k or less. Get off of
> your high horse and learn how people are truly living in this country
> and you will learn that what you said above is truly way out of whack.
>
> Spirit Explorer
>

Ah, here is the major problem - you are talking US, and I am talking Canada.
Your $30k is about $45k here; your taxes are lower; you can deduct mortgage
interest; you are taxed on family income, not individual income; etc.  The
list goes on.

And I am well aware of the real world.  I do not suggest that $80k would
fall at the low end of the scale, but I do believe that $80k (CDN, in Canada
VBG) may be near the high end of comfortable, but is still far from rich
(especially at a 50% marginal tax rate!!!), and still does not deserve the
abuse heaped by some in these newsgroups.

It appears that our disagreement is not on the principle involved, but
merely on where lies the line.

Once again, though, that line is not really what I am primarily concerned
with here; it is the attitude expressed by some that they are entitled to my
paycheck, and I that am being unreasonable if I ever request some of it
back.  I view this as a disfunctional attitude whether I am making $10k or
$100k or $1,000k.