Originally Posted by
Darthtang AW
http:///forum/post/3187231
Poor keep getting poorer? You are a moron.
Compare the poor from 25 years ago to the "poor" of today.
25 years ago, 50% owned a car compared to 75% today. Cars have only gotten more expensive as time has gone on....if they are getting poorer how can the afford that more expensive car since their wages and pay keeps decreasing.
25 years ago, 35% owned a dishwasher, now it is 70%.Another item that has become more expensive
25 years ago, No cell phone ownership...since they weren't made really. But now, 50% of the poor own an active cell phone.
25 years ago, only 40% of the poor had air conditioning...another item in which the cost has risen steeply. Today 80% of the poor have airconditioning
So if the system isn't working, it has to be doing something right since these people tht are getting poorer are able to own more items and improve their lifestyle far more than their counterparts from 25 years ago.......
I sometimes wonder if you guys even know what the hell you are saying................
Come on, THAT is what you are going to use to defend your points? Usually you do better than that!
All those things you mentioned are standard living conditions by 21st century standards. My guess is 25 years ago the rich people didn't have a lot of those things either. It's a moot point.
All I know, is that if you are somehow smart enough or fortunate enough to be making five million dollars a year, then you sure as heck ought to be able to hire an attorney and tax specialist who can hide and protect your money.
I'm not saying I think what the ultra wealthy are doing is bad per se, I'm just saying it's sad that the American Tax system is setup to allow it.
Heck, if I had a net worth of ten billion dollars and I could shield most of it in trusts and foundations and other tax exempt places, you can bet your butt I'd be doing the EXACT same thing.
But look at it this way:
The guy working at Burger King makes his $8 an hour, and of that, he gets hit up for social security, medicare/caid, local, state, federal taxes, school districts, etc usually to the tune of around 18-20% of his take home pay.
So let's assume he works 40 hours a week full time, which means before taxes he'll earn about $16,640 a year. After taxes, he's going to take home $13,312 a year. Easy and straight forward. He has no choice, the taxes come out of his check before he ever sees it.
Now let's look at the guy who owns a multi million dollar company. His reported yearly earnings are let's say $500,000. He gets taxed at an even higher rate than Burger King guy because he makes a lot more. Fair enough.
What people ALWAYS fail to mention, is that through the tax loopholes, this guy also takes $200,000 and puts it in a GST trust fund. Another $100,000 in a charitable trust. $350,000 goes towards a salary of a non-profit that he runs. Another couple hundred thousand change hands enough times to where it can't even be traced back to his company. And let's not forget business expenses and charity tax write offs, which could be the biggest scam in the history of the wealthy in America.
So even though he is being taxed at a much higher rate for his reported $500,000 than Burger King guy, think how much of his actual earnings have been sheltered and therefore NOT taxed. In reality, he made 3 million that year, of which only $500,000 was actually taxed.
I'd like to see Burger King guy try and do the same...
Didn't think so
p.s. - The reason I know all of this, is because my recently deceased grandparent ran a company just like the one above, and one thing I learned from he and all his country club buddies is that the government will only tax what you let them see. He did it, they did it, everyone did it who was making that kind of money. Yet Uncle Sam looks the other way
