Presidential Election Aftermath: What Now / What Next?

It's a number I've seen thrown around I wasn't necessarily taking shots at Bernie. There's just a perception of "rich" that I don't think fits what "rich" is. Younger people and people on government handouts these days see a number like 250K or even 150K and think "that person MUST be well off" and that's just not always true.

 

@therealdeal I think location plays a lot into that. You're looking at a 1 bedroom studio in SF for $750,000. Here in OKC, you're getting a mansion.

IMO, $250K a year isn't rich. Definitely middle class. I don't even consider $400k as being rich, but making that for 10 years changes things.

Location and duration.

 

John said what I was about to say. 250K in LA isn't rich, but you live in another part of the country, and you're ballin'.

 

This is just a f***ing joke

 

I hear you guys and I agree, but to me the point still stands. You can't just blanket statement people with the term "rich" when it doesn't always apply. Unfortunately the narrative is picked up and it's easier to say that then to try to talk about the nuances of earnings in certain parts of the country.

 

It's the same thing with the label poor though. You make 37k a year in LA and you're poor. You make that in Louisiana and you're middle class easily.

 

But nobody is scrambling to tax those guys into oblivion

The point I'm making is raising the taxes on the "rich" to me is something I immediately am guarded against because the concept of "rich" is, like you guys said, heavily dependent on the area you live in. It's been a couple of rough years, but I'd love to be earning that much money this year. Like you guys said though living in Los Angeles, that kind of money doesn't mean all that much. I'm not really excited about the idea of being crushed in taxes for working hard when I'm not really "rich".

The blanket idea of taxing the "rich" to give to the poor (we're kind of flowing away from the topic at this point) stings me. I'd like to BE rich, but being rich is suddenly something to be despised these days. There's a select few rich people that are responsible for the public perception that the rich are hoarding what the poor don't get. I'm not them! I give to charity! I support local businesses! I do my part to give to my community and to the country as a whole! I don't need/want to be targeted by heavy taxes for earning more money. Seems like something is wrong in that line of thinking.

It's not your line of thinking and I don't think it's anyone on this site's, but I'm very sensitive to taxation issues. Small businesses take these higher tax problems on the nose in California.

 

As far as I know, you'd have to be making way more than you make to be targeted for the tax increases I've heard about from every candidate.

I feel like the statement "tax the rich" is not specific enough to feel it's targeting you, unless you're the top 1% rich in this country. I know Bernie's never proposed any huge tax increases towards your tax bracket.

 

Well my tax bracket isn't there yet. Not last year and probably not this year either.

I'm using numbers that are commonly bandied around in articles and the such. Congress threw the number around even though other agencies break it off higher up into the 350K area or more. I'm not even talking about Bernie in particular either like I said this is all more conceptual. We've gotten away from the presidential debate pretty much. I'm always just extraordinarily leery of any politician that runs on the statement "more taxes". That's terrifying to me. I know Bernie has his specific taxes in mind, but I'm worried about collateral damage in those numbers.

I'm not really saying all this to take shots at Bernie. He's not the only politician that's likely to increase taxes. I'd say all of them are likely except maybe Trump... I have no idea what that guy would do. I'm beginning to get a sinking feeling he's going to be put on the ballot.

 

Spoiler: Warning: Language

 

$15 an hour minimum wage. Free college. Free healthcare. Work 40 hours you deserve housing, food, insurance, car and entertainment.

Honestly, I'm afraid to ask, but when does it stop? Or what's the next thing people deserve?

 

When does any of that start?

You don't not do things that would improve society by being afraid to do it. It's not like we'd be ruining a good thing.

We know those systems don't work right now. We might disagree on the how, but it's a fact that if we keep on doing the same thing, nothing will change for the better.

 

No doubt Barns, we agree the system is broken. How we fix it is where we disagree (at some levels, although I bet we agree on more than we disagree on).

I don't want people striving for $15 minimum wage. I want them to own the company that employs people. I want people to have skills that demand a lot more than that. I still believe in the American Dream. That means going out and getting what you deserve, not voting for someone that will give it to you.

 

I agree we agree on a lot more than we disagree.

But I think not everyone is going to be the boss of a corporation or run their own company, and I think that's ok. They still have the same rights and value as a human being as anyone else, and therefore, deserve to live a healthy happy life if they are doing the best they can.