[REpozer]

I wish I knew a place on earth with no corruption .
When I find it , I will  try not to corrupt it myself.

[mattsz]

I dont understand why its "greedy" for people who want to keep what they earn

It isn't.

...but its perfectly ok for someone who lives off taxpayer programs to want to take more of the rich's money.

It isn't.

[Uncle Billy]

We already have term limits: They are called "elections" and when enough people think it's time for an incumbent to go, he goes.  That is, term limits are flexible and determined on a case-by-case basis by those who are the most affected by the length of time someone is in office - the electorate.

Quoting numbers and statistics from websites of organizations with agendas (clearly visible or not) is falling victim to that intellectually lazy and illogical conclusion that "it's true if it's on the internet".  Did you see the "French model" ad? 

[barenekd]

Arizoni, I'm always amazed at the number of guys I work with who refuse to work overtime because they're convinced that they're "only working for Uncle Sam".  Even if they enter a higher tax bracket because of the extra earnings, they are still bringing home more money.  Anything to avoid paying taxes...

Back when I was unfortunate enough to have to work overtime I would take home about $15.00 an hour. If I worked overtime at time and a half, my overtime take home pay dropped to $10.00 an hour. I avoided overtime like the plague. Did I make more money? Depends on how you count it out. Did I feel like I was making more money? NO. I was working harder for less.
As for the rich"er" having to pay more tax, they not only have to pay sales tax on a car, but if it's over $30,000 they have to pay a "Luxury" tax on it. There is a lot of that stuff added on the the general public don't think about.
Bare
Bare

[GreenMachine]

I got to the point of just wanting comp time vs overtime (Later in my career, I actually made more in R/T vice O/T) ...I was making a good wage and it was nice to pad another few weeks off paid to do the things worth living..So you make a additional 10 k a year on O/T..Tax time you go from 28 to 32 percent on total earnings and possibly more if your spouse is a high achiever...Crunch the numbers and see where it takes you..Don't pay any more taxes than necessary..GM

[mattsz]

Back when I was unfortunate enough to have to work overtime I would take home about $15.00 an hour. If I worked overtime at time and a half, my overtime take home pay dropped to $10.00 an hour. I avoided overtime like the plague. Did I make more money? Depends on how you count it out. Did I feel like I was making more money? NO. I was working harder for less.

Bare - my employer (State of Maine Ferry Service) used to work that way... the guys called it the "slippery stick".  The more OT you worked, the lower your hourly rate was.  It's shocking, really!  They couldn't figure out why they could never get anyone to work any OT.  Now, they pay time-and-a-half for any hours over our regular schedule.  Of course, 1-1/2 times not much is still not much... 

[Arizoni]

I've been there and done that when it comes to overtime and yes, even at time and a half the final take home paycheck didn't increase all that much.

It was an increase though.

When I went on salary for the last 25 years of my employment, like the others on salary, I got zero, zip, nothing for the overtime I worked.
Add to that, the company expected salaried people to work overtime.  If you didn't you could expect to see absolutely no pay increase when review time came.

I'm not bitching about this.  I earned a decent amount of money for my work but there were a lot of others on hourly pay who were earning more than I was per week if they worked the extra hours.

[GreenMachine]

Arizoni: Yup I believe it falls under exempt or non exempt on the pay stub re. that policy

[1 Thump]

I was thinking the same thing.  Sounds like something some crooked politician came up with.  I have a hard time believing that the 1 or 2% of the wealthy pay for 86% of total taxes paid in this country.  Where the hell did that figure even come from?

Whats more worrisome is that almost 50% of the country pays zero federal income tax. Off course it includes the retired, disable, students etc...but 50% pays zilch....nada.....


And there are corporations that pay zero federal income tax, in both Obama and Bush administrations.....

[redcat]

Time for the flat tax! One rate for everyone and if corporations can be individuals during political campaigns they can be individuals on April 15th

[GreenMachine]

How can 1 or 2 percent pay the majority of taxes in this country or anywhere else..What a bunch of nonsense..I read North Carolina just recently went to a flat state tax. Apparently, they still do personal exemptions and some deductions..Kinda like a  quasi-flat tax with some carry-over  tax codes in place (I'm assuming those will be phase out over time) ..I would like to see us head in a genuine flat tax scenario where everyone who works pays something, even if it a few hundred dollars..Then again you don't have to pay and can settle with the "As seen on TV"  settlement companies..Owe 50 k we can reduce it to 13k, etc..In summary, the people who are paying the taxes are the people that the taxes are taken from every two week whether they like or not..GM

[1 Thump]

How can 1 or 2 percent pay the majority of taxes in this country or anywhere else..What a bunch of nonsense..

Sounds like it on the face of it....but its true...The top 1 % also holds much of the wealth too...I am not saying that it justifies the taxation, but thats what it is..

Here in CA, they put a tax raise for a certain income bracket on the ballot last year. Guess what, it went through. Its easy to ask someone else to pay, especially when the someone else is a minority.

[GreenMachine]

Sounds like it on the face of it....but its true.

So assuming that it's true, then the 1 or 2 percent who are paying the majority of taxes should have the bigger say in what directions this country is headed vice the opposite, ie. the opinion of the ones who don't pay anything or contribute nothing.  Note:  In this example, eating, breathing and excreting  is not a quantitative measure..

[redcat]

The top two percent already do have a bigger say

[GreenMachine]

I'm not convinced..What comes to mind is one person one vote concept..If what u r suggesting is true then one would think that the something is askew,  whereas the majority would have the greater say vice the opposite..IMO  the majority of revenue is generated from the working and middle class in taxes in one form or another..Wealth collected from the top tier is substantial but the guaranteed revenue generated by the masses is the larger stabilizing factor..GM