Did it hurt, I mean really hurt to look at that big number the government took from you so that Nancy Pelosi can fly her family about in taxpayer jets and we can bail out failing car companies and greedy banks? Are you happy that you contributed so much to Social Security when you know you will never see a penny of Social Security in your old age? Does it feel good to know that your hard earned money is for teacher's unions who no longer teach but exploit children and that the State dances to THEIR tune not the students'? Isn't it nice to have pretty green bike boxes even though violent criminals are set free because there isn't money to keep them in jail?Does it make you angry to know that you work so hard and get to keep so little of it? Does it alarm you that you could actually pay someone a living wage with what you DIDN'T get to keep from your business proceeds?
If so get yourself to a Tea Party tomorrow. Let the politicians know that you will remember this day in November. If you are in Oregon visit November Recall to get involved.
Even though last April 15th was one of the most inspiring days of my life, this year I will be laying low as Camrock will be turning 10 on that day. He gave up his birthday for the Tea Party last year so this time it is his turn.
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4 comments:
We don't make enough to owe in April--even if we didn't have paycheck deductions all year, I'm fairly certain that we'd still get a check from Uncle Sam rather than the other way around. My husband is one of those teachers--someone who believes strongly that (regardless of how we educate our own children) the vast majority of kids in this country still go to public school, and he'd rather help from the inside rather than complain (or even campaign) from the outside. He chose a job where he serves people, teaches people, helps people every day. And he gets paid squat for it. So if the government is going to write the codes in such a way that we get a little bonus in April, I'll take it. Since we're on govt payroll anyway, I figure it's appropriate for them to be the ones paying that bonus.
Now I'm with you that a LOT of money is terribly mishandled in this country at the govt level. We spend more on defense than the next three nations on the list COMBINED. That's ridiculous. I'm fine with a strong military, but stop building machines, start paying the soldiers. Get out of wars not into them. Even still, they could cut the budget in half, still be top spenders in the world, and pour that money into the dozens of other things that need help--jails, schools, healthcare...they don't need to increase any taxes in order to fund all these things, they just need a smarter budget.
Social security was a bad idea from the get-go in my opinion. No, I don't like it, but we're in the mess now so we need to do something. My husband's suggestion is to phase it out at 2% per year over the next 50 years...so those retiring next year will get 98% of what they had expected...enough to get by. Those retiring in 10 years will get 80% of what they'd anticipated--quite a cut, but they have a decade to invest or whatever to offset the difference. Those who will be getting 50% or less will also have 25+years to make other arrangements, so they can handle it. Given longer life-expectancy, I'm ok with raising the retirement age a little too--people used to collect ss checks for just a couple of years, now they are collecting them for 20; that definitely affects the input-output ratio!!!
Incidentally, how do you figure that you're paying for teacher's unions? Teachers pay union dues...yes tax money pays teachers, but unions?? And if the citizens of this country really cared about education they'd pay teachers enough to make more of the best and brightest willing to enter the profession. It's a service career at best right now--one that winds up filled with the very giving, or the very-unable-to-get-in-at-anything-better-paying.
Jenni,
In Oregon the government takes its marching orders form the teachers unions. If the teachers union wants more money, it gets it. In Oregon we pay up to $17,000 in some districts per year per student and kids are still failing. If the teachers union opposes Homeschooling freedom legislation the governor vetoes it 3 TIMES! If the teacher's union opposes online charter schools in even though they are the BEST public education in the state the legislature shuts them down.
In Oregon the teacher's union calls the shots on 40% of our state bugdet, failing kids and lining their pockets along the way. In Oregon the teacher's union is NOT about kids. I don't care how many "good" teachers I know or YOU know it is a broken system that should be scrapped. It is fraud and theft. In Oregon the teacher's union is the problem.
You go girl! More people need to be brave and say "enough".
Dang, that is ugly. Teachers (and unions, and education funding) vary greatly from state to state, so I've never encountered it like that in the three states where I've known anything of the system. So please forgive my defensiveness on that topic.
I thought you might find some small comfort (or even satisfied glee?) in this article http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2010/04/obama-releases-tax-returns/1 the Obamas paid 1.8 million in federal taxes. Maybe that makes yours hurt a teeny bit less? ;)
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