From: paul@hsh.com
Newsgroups: alt.politics.clinton
Subject: Re: wealth apologists
Date: 9 Nov 92 23:36:33 GMT
Organization: HSH Associates

In article <BxF0vA.I4J@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>, abancrof@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (audrey frances bancroft) writes:
> 
> It sure has been interesting reading the epistles of apologists for the
> wealthy.  You're right, they have terrible lives, we should pity them.
> 
> Part of the government's responsibility, in some of our's view, is to
> redistribute wealth to the extent that all people have at least the
> requirements to survive and have a quality of life which allows them to
> succeed based on their own dedication and ability.  An argument can be
> made that by taking a little bit from a lot of people (the middle class)
> we can generate more than by taking an even higher percentage from the
> wealthiest.  Okay, I believe that's true.  But it's been used to justify
> A LOT of nitpicking taxes on the MC that have collectively placed an
> unfair burden on the class, and simultaneously used to justify hefty and
> frequent tax breaks for the top 3%.  This programme is unfair even when
> it works, as it has in times of great philanthropic effort.  Look what
> happens when everybody gets greedy.  And why should most of us have to
> depend on what happens to trickle down?  

I'm not wealthy -- except by the New Democrat's definition, as forwarded by
Clinton's communications director on national TV.  (Remember "$20,000 to
$50,000"?  It will come back to haunt us all.)  But I could never
understand why you people think it's some kind of sin to get rich. 

If I work hard, save my money, invest wisely, and EARN my wealth -- and/or 
inherit it from parents who worked hard, etc -- why are you so ready to 
call me "greedy" and to punish me for that behavior?  Don't you see what
kind of message that sends to me?  "Go ahead, fool, get ahead -- we're
ready to take it from you." Gosh, now I'm motivated!   Yessir, I'll work my 
ass off, so that the more I make, the more you take.

Please, explain it to me.  Why is it wrong to want to better myself?  Maybe
you can even justify it.  

And then you wonder why, after spending $2.6 TRILLION on the "war on
poverty," you still need MORE money?  God, you even punish welfare
recipients for daring to strive -- you deduct a dollar in welfare earnings
for every dollar they EARN at a job.  And you wonder why they don't try to
get jobs?  What message do you suppose they get?

You also need to learn some facts about which class has the money.  The 
middle class bears the brunt because, as Willie Sutton put it (when asked
why he robbed banks), "That's where the money is."  Take ANY government
statistics you want.  Add up the total income of the richest 5% of
Americans.  Now divide that into the daily operating cost of the US
government.  You will find that 100% of their income (*gross* income, mind
you, pre-tax) would not run Uncle Sugar's money machine for 6 weeks.  The 
top 10?  A couple of months.  Yes, it hurts to admit it, but it's a bitter
truth. 

The United States Treasury is now raking in 26 cents out of EVERY dollar 
produced in this country.  That's 26% of GDP, in technical terms.  It's 
more than the gummint has ever raked in before; it's a record.  Is that not 
enough?!

------

 Paul Havemann, VP          HSH Associates            (201) 838-3330 
 Internet: paul@hsh.com     Compuserve: 70410,3507    AOL: HSH Assoc
 "Any opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the company."
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