[Rhodes22-list] taxes, deficits, politics, DELETE BUTTON

[Bob Weber]

Thanks Brad well said.  One of your statements has been my refrain for years 
so I will repost it - It should be the premis everyone takes before forming 
their opinion on taxes.

"governments tend to spend all
the money made available to them and are constantly
looking for more.  There is never a shortage of
people, rich and poor, looking for more "gifts" or
programs paid for with other peoples money."

Put me down for Noon Friday.

Bob Weber




>From: brad haslett <flybrad@yahoo.com>
>Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
>To: rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org
>Subject: [Rhodes22-list] taxes, deficits, politics, DELETE BUTTON
>Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 08:47:21 -0800 (PST)
>
>DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVE NO INTEREST IN THE
>DISCUSSION, GET OFFENDED EASILY, OR ARE TOO BUSY.  HIT
>DELETE NOW!
>
>For an interesting discussion of taxes, deficits, and
>politics read yesterday's Wall Street Journal (Jan 15)
>letter from economist Milton Friedman.  Prof. Friedman
>basically proposes that governments tend to spend all
>the money made available to them and are constantly
>looking for more.  There is never a shortage of
>people, rich and poor, looking for more "gifts" or
>programs paid for with other peoples money.  The
>primary means of keeping government spending under
>control is to either starve it for funding or restrict
>its borrowing power by running up the deficit, or
>both.
>
>On New Years Day this year as on most New Years I sat
>down with the previous years w-2's and did a "quick
>and dirty" review of my income tax obligations.  When
>politicians talk about taxing the "rich" they
>certainly include well paid professionals like myself.
>  I personally don't feel "rich" but the statistics say
>otherwise.  According to the IRS I'm so rich I don't
>need the full deduction for home interest, real estate
>taxes, my kids, my kids education, charitable
>deductions, and forget credits.  In the governments
>infinite wisdom I'm limited to how much I'm allowed to
>save, i.e. defer and instead, I suppose, depend on
>social security.  My income tax bill this year is more
>than I made in the first five years of my career and
>greater than I earned each year until the fifteenth
>year of my career.  I paid for my own education and
>training, and did not recieve any government
>assistance aside from a $5000 student loan that I
>repaid on time.  After thirty years in my profession I
>am very handsomely compensated, thank-you, and do not
>apologize or feel it necessary to support others who
>chose a different course. My wife immigrated to this
>country with $50 and two suitcases fourteen years ago.
>  She has earned two masters degrees and has
>accumulated a substantial "nest egg" in the first
>decade and a half here.  I try to keep her out of
>these discussions because having lived in a communist
>country for thirty years she has little sympathy for
>those who can't make it in the USA.
>
>All of that being said, I do not consider myself
>either left or right, heartless or cynical.  I believe
>the American Dream is alive and well and it isn't
>found at the tail end of a government cheese truck!
>Business runs in cycles and they are always cruel.
>Our country has serious enimies and wars are always
>destructive, expensive, and sometimes necessary.  The
>government certainly needs funding for defense and a
>social safety net but it needs limits as well.  Those
>limits are exactly what Prof. Friedman addresses.
>
>As always I enjoy these debates.  My skin is thick so
>fire away!
>
>Brad Haslett
>
>PS:  Forgive me if I'm slow to respond, I'm in the
>middle of seven thirteen-hour workdays.
>
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