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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: michael97123 who wrote (216971)	2/8/2007 3:10:06 PM
From: geode00	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Baloney. Ultra rich isn't $200K. That's the upper middle class getting hit by the AMT. The ultra rich is more like $10m/year on up. That is the BASE for Republicans and the only ones they care about. Something like 7000 families in the US. That's the entire population that Republicans cater to. That's it. Republicans represent them and no one else which is why they blithely support $8 billion for the oil industry when ExxonMobil just announced $39 billion IN PROFITS. Everything Republican stems from this BASE and the desire to codify that wealth in perpetuity through tax cuts, noncompete, costplus contracts and support of practices like tax breaks for locating offshore or repatriating profits.

To: michael97123 who wrote (216971)	2/8/2007 4:03:34 PM
From: Katelew	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

I don't think I ever said 200K was ultra-rich???? I certainly don't consider that the case. I would agree with Geode's definition. Rich is a relative term, and as you point out, a regional one. To pay for this war and to prepare for the coming boomer retirement costs, it's only rational to see that taxes have to be increased, and maybe a little painfully. There's not enough room anymore to cut discretionary spending enough to pay for these things. Before taxes are raised willy-nilly, it would be nice if the public could be told exactly how much is needed and have some imput back from the public as to what they would like the increased revenues to go for. As for me personally, I'll be blunt. I would rather increase taxes on the rich, send them all a thank you note, and see this country back on a better economic footing. But I am voting for my own self-interests. I'm not rich, so my tax contribution would be modest. I see myself as better off with a shored up medicare system and better roads and schools. A progressive tax system is certainly a confiscation of wealth. But I consider it a necessary evil right now in our capitalist society. I can't envision an alternative. I don't see it as class warfare per se. In a sense, dollars are taxed, not people. If only a few people have most of the dollars, then those people, unfortunately, will bear the highest burden of taxation.