middle class and taxes

[el guapo]

I have noticed a lot of talk about the middle class and taxes lately . How badly they are affected by the economy . How if you make less than 250k you will not see a tax increase , Seniors with an income of less than 50k will not be affected . What about the lower income brackets ? Honestly I know of a lot of seniors that are well below that 50k annual marker and they are struggling to make it . Let alone the familys that make no where near that 250k mark that are getting shafted by taxes. How come nobody is addressing their situations ?

 

[hlcroghan]

Originally Posted by EL GUAPO
http:///forum/post/2780010
I have noticed a lot of talk about the middle class and taxes lately . How badly they are affected by the economy . How if you make less than 250k you will not see a tax increase , Seniors with an income of less than 50k will not be affected . What about the lower income brackets ? Honestly I know of a lot of seniors that are well below that 50k annual marker and they are struggling to make it . Let alone the familys that make no where near that 250k mark that are getting shafted by taxes. How come nobody is addressing their situations ?
I don't know. It's really a problem. I work for the Department of Economic Security In Phoenix. Most seniors who are on their social security don't qualify for any assistance (medical or foodstamps) but they are expected to live on 1100 a month. It's completely ridiculous. When I was an interviewer my least favorite case was where I had to tell a 70 year old person they were only going to get 10 dollars a month in food stamps and no sorry they don't qualify with medical even though they have 600 a month in medications. I wish there was more in place to help these people.

 

[reefraff]

There aint gonna be any tax cuts, period.

 

[el guapo]

I grew up in a smaller town in southern California that was majority seniors . There was one lady that would buy cat food because it was cheap . She would eat the cat food . When ever we would see in her the store my grandma would buy her a few extra food items .
There is a whole area of the population that is skipped over . They make "too much" to recive help from the goverment but not enough to live on. these people still pay taxes both local and federal . Something needs to be done to show them they are not forgotten .
They all talk about cleaning up the enviorment and enviormentaly friendly alternatives . What about the family with the old smoker heap of a car ? What happens when they are no longer allowed to drive it because its just not ok for the enviorment anymore ? They drive the old heap because they can't afford a new car let alone a cutting edge GREEN vehicle . What about these people . Did the political powers forget they can vote too ?

 

[reefraff]

Originally Posted by hlcroghan
http:///forum/post/2780130
I don't know. It's really a problem. I work for the Department of Economic Security In Phoenix. Most seniors who are on their social security don't qualify for any assistance (medical or foodstamps) but they are expected to live on 1100 a month. It's completely ridiculous. When I was an interviewer my least favorite case was where I had to tell a 70 year old person they were only going to get 10 dollars a month in food stamps and no sorry they don't qualify with medical even though they have 600 a month in medications. I wish there was more in place to help these people.
Not to sound heartless or anything but we got to get over this idea that social security doesn't provide enough for retirement. IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO. It was seen as a supplement to savings or pensions.
In Colorado you can get a medicare advantage plan for zero out of pocket over the standard medicare part B payment and it even covers prescriptions. I'd say thats pretty good coverage. I wouldn't thing the Az. Plans would be a whole lot different than the ones here.

 

[hlcroghan]

Originally Posted by reefraff
http:///forum/post/2780162
Not to sound heartless or anything but we got to get over this idea that social security doesn't provide enough for retirement. IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO. It was seen as a supplement to savings or pensions.
In Colorado you can get a medicare advantage plan for zero out of pocket over the standard medicare part B payment and it even covers prescriptions. I'd say thats pretty good coverage. I wouldn't thing the Az. Plans would be a whole lot different than the ones here.
It is the same for disabled people too. They are expected to live on less than minimum wage and don't qualify for anything else. I don't know of any plan like that here but I don't deal with social security at all. We are one of the lowest paid states. Unemployment at it's highest is 240 a week. The governor here just sent a 200 billion dollar bill to the federal government for the cost of housing so many illegal citizens. We have the highest problem with identity theft. Got some definite problems going on.

 

[salty blues]

I hear and understand all these problems. The fact is though that life ain't always fair to everybody all the time. If that were the case we would all be in the Garden of Eden. You can't depend on the government to save you. You just do the best you can and help someone less fortunate if you are able.

 

[reefraff]

Originally Posted by hlcroghan
http:///forum/post/2780363
It is the same for disabled people too. They are expected to live on less than minimum wage and don't qualify for anything else. I don't know of any plan like that here but I don't deal with social security at all. We are one of the lowest paid states. Unemployment at it's highest is 240 a week. The governor here just sent a 200 billion dollar bill to the federal government for the cost of housing so many illegal citizens. We have the highest problem with identity theft. Got some definite problems going on.
I'm disabled. My payment is 1400.00 a month. You consider for someone not in my tax situation due to other income that is tax free 1400.00 a month. Thats take home pay on better than 10 bux an hour after taxes. When I got creamed I was making more than that but not that much more, I was in Montana, lower paying than AZ last I looked. I know I took a pay cut when I moved from Phoenix up there.
I checked and Maricopa county has the same plan I have, AARP Medicare complete 3. The prescription plan is 5 bux for generics and 30 for non and even better deals if you go for 90 day fills. I've seen better but it still isn't bad.
I think December is enrollment time. It's on the www.medicare.gov website. If you have clients that are getting hammered with drug costs that might help.

 

[sickboy]

Last I checked, the average income in the US was around 45,000 with only about 6% making over 250,000 (My numbers may be a little off, but they couldn't have strayed that much). People make it sound like everyone in the US is rich, or even have a chance to be rich....they aren't and they don't. So that is why I believe that we should pay more attention to cutting taxes for a vast majority, and not a rich minority. And the middle class will most certainly spend the money, immediately. That will create an economic boom. If it wouldn't, then why did we have a economic stimulus plan aimed at the middle class?

 

[reefraff]

Stumble across these numbers and checked several other sources and all the numbers seem to be in the same ball park. These are IRS numbers according to Kipplinger
The top 1% of wage earners earn 22% of the income and pay 40% of the taxes. And that meathead Biden says they should consider it their patriotic duty to pay more

http://www.kiplinger.com/features/ar...1/taxrank.html
BREAKDOWN OF INCOME AND TAXES PAID BY CATEGORY
Income Category-- 2006 AGI---- Percent of All Income---- Percent of Income Taxes Paid
Top 1% Over

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$388,806

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22%

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40%
Top 5% Over

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$153,542

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37%

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60%
Top 10% Over

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$108,904

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47%

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71%
Top 25% Over

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$64,702

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66%

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86%
Top 50% Over

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$31,987

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87%

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97%
Bottom 50% Under -$31,988

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13%

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3%