Taxes and Class Warfare

During the 1950s and early 1960s, the top bracket income tax rate was over 90%--and the economy, middle-class, and stock market boomed[1]. Tax rates for the super-rich are lower than they have been in 50 years.

Those that scream ‘class warfare’ whenever someone remotely suggests a higher tax rate for the media (owned by the super-rich) are duping the super-rich. Although class warfare exists, it is the rich that declared war. Hundreds and in some case, thousands of workers make a company successful, yet the bulk of the profit never reaches the people doing the real work.

Is it a redistribution of wealth to tax the super-rich so that the real producers of wealth gain some benefit? Perhaps it is nothing more than a fairer form of capitalism.

Think about this when people argue that higher taxes will take away the incentive for company owners to expand.

A person with 20 million dollars of profit nets 13 million dollars after paying 35% in taxes. If this person invests in the business and show 25-million in profit, but pays 40% in taxes, he or she nets 15 million. Why would I not want to grow my business and pick up an additional 2 million dollars? Imagine, squeaking b on 15 million dollars a year! When taxes for the super-rich were at 90% new companies and investments thrived.

Think about another truth. The average working class American wanted a Federal Income Tax. The media sold us the idea of an income tax because the wealthy would be taxed while the worker would pay a relative small amount.

Think about another truth. How many wars were fought (at huge cost of life and treasure) to protect the wealthy companies whose foreign investments were in jeopardy? The same companies that outsource jobs rely on our military to protect their foreign operations. However, do not tax them.

Look at McDonalds. The average worker earns $14,600 per year and qualifies for government assistance (at taxpayer’s expense). The top five executives collectively receive over 24 million dollars per year!

Look at Wal-Mart and other businesses that encourage employees to apply for government assistance. Our tax dollars supplement Wal-Mart!

Close every loophole and increase the tax rate on the top 2 percent. Period.

 

 

 

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[1] http://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-tax-rates-2012-5

Painted Gun and Police Hero . . . more misreporting

Police arrested a man in Cincinnati who had a gun that he painted red to fool the police into thinking it is a toy. This got me to thinking. Such a gun would not be useful during a robbery, because the intended victim would think it was a toy. The only use for such a gun is to cause a police officer to hesitate during a confrontation so that the suspect could kill a police officer.

Meanwhile, a shooting near a school was misreported by the AP. Although the shooting victims were teens that either attended an alternative school (for trouble-makers) or were part of a work program sponsored by the school, and although the shooting took place outside of the school, the AP reported the incident as a school shooting. The school was described as a school for ‘at risk’ children. It should have been described as a school for children that placed teachers ‘at risk’. As usual, the media would not include the race of the shooter (a 19-22 year old black man). However, we must admit that if a white officer shot this thug the media would have made certain that race is an issue.

Protestors against police officers that were exonerated by Grand Juries continues. The media and protestors continue to push the idea that white police officers make black communities unsafe. They ignore the facts. Black males make black communities unsafe. Although black thugs also commit crimes in white neighborhoods, they primarily prey upon other blacks. The huge number of black women that are raped by black men is not important to the protestors or the media.

Protestors are not demanding that parents should raise their children to respect the law, respect teachers and they are not demanding that parents take responsibility for the education of their children. Protestors are not demanding that every looter and arsonist be prosecuted. Instead, the media and protestors embrace the idea that black rioters only want justice and fairness . . .  and that is why rioters are burning and looting businesses that did not have a damn thing to do with the police shootings. In fact, some of the businesses that were looted and burned were owned by Black citizens.

When the next police officer is killed in the line of duty we will suspect that the officer may have hesitated because of the media reports.

Protestors in New York should be asked by the media about their thoughts concerning Police Officer Dennis Guerra.

He died when he entered a high-rise building that is home to hundreds of Black-Americans in response to a fire.

 Below is a photo of the proud suspect.

 

The suspect responsible for the death of a police officer smiles as he is escorted by two NYPD detectives. The media did not include his race as part of their stories. They only described him as a youth who did not understand the danger of starting fires.

Of course we could ask protestors about the 58-New York police officers that died as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks or about the 322 New York Officers killed by gunfire. How about a racial analysis of those suspects?

Liberals complain that any examination of crimes by race is unwarranted and racist. However, if your neighborhood was targeted by a rapist, would you not want to know about the description of the suspect? Police officers should be apprised of the typical shooter, armed robber and the typical person that assaults police officers. A break-down by race is important.

Citizens should know the race of every suspect reported in the news. We have a right to know. This is a legitimate concern that should be included in our debate about race relations in this country.

My prayer is that all police officers will continue to suppress crime and that they never hesitate to kill a perceived threat against their life or the life of others. My other prayer is that the media and general public respect and thank police officers that are doing an extremely difficult job at the risk of their lives.

 

Hate Those Cops

Police Officers were running towards the Twin Towers as the planes burned and the towers were about to collapse.

Today, those same officers are called pigs, murderers and racists.

FULL DISCLOSURE: 35-years of law enforcement experience certainly influences my thoughts about police.

Intelligent Thought #1: Take this challenge. Hold your breath. Do not breathe. Now, without breathing shout, "I can't breathe" three times. Hmmmm. Can't be done? Officers (and anyone with common sense) knows that if you can shout, you can breathe.

Intelligent Fact #1: The business owners constantly complained about the actions of this giant black man. He was harassing and scaring customers as he tried to sell cigarettes or whatever else he had to sell. He seemed to be mentally incompetent. He had previous encounters with the police. He towered over all of the officers and resisted arrest. Hint: If you are fighting the police and you find yourself in a choke hold, immediately submit to the arrest and stop all resistance.

In New York (state laws differ) a Grand Jury consists of 23-people and only 12 must agree that there is sufficient evidence for an indictment. Like all criminal laws, the burden of proof is on the State to prove that the presumably innocent person is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Criminal intent is required in this type of a case. (Sorry, that is the law). So how does one prove criminal intent when the officers testify that their intent was to arrest, not kill or even harm the suspect? Where is the proof?

Regardless of opinions, the Grand Jury heard the evidence and decided not to indict the officer. This has nothing to do with race and everything to do with the law.

As for Ferguson, the police are wrong when they defend themselves against a black thug. They pick on the black citizens, except when they are burning and looting. Then the media said that the police did not enforce the law.

Thousands of police officers across the country are learning a lesson. Few officers ever get into trouble by doing nothing. Drive and smile. Respond to calls and write reports. Tell the citizens to obtain an arrest warrant and only arrest those that submit to arrest. Never question a black person that appears to be following a black woman or who is a known robber and is hanging around outside of a jewelry store. Let the black officers handle all calls and investigations where there is either a black suspect or a black victim. (Of course, if a black officer kills a black suspect he will be an Uncle Tom and still get crucified).

Meanwhile the case where the black officer shot an unarmed white man continues to be ignored by the media and that is the fault of the white community. We just can't get a good riot off the ground.

If there is ever another 9/11 the media will run into the buildings with the protesters to save the people, regardless of race. Actually, that will never happen. The police will run back in. Some may die. Others will be told that they are overpaid and that their pensions need to be cut.

Why Only Sport's Figures???

Since the NFL is disciplining players that abuse women, it only makes sense that all industries should follow suit. Any industry that allows employees to abuse women or encourage abuse of women should be fired.

Let’s start with music. Opps, no more RAP or Hip-Hop! Of course Hollywood should take notice and stop all actors that abused women. Hollywood will be searching for a few good men. Law Enforcement, Fire Fighters, the military and politicians certainly don’t get a free pass.

Why only punish the NFL players?

 

Child Shooters

Why are school children in Mexico, Canada, England not shooting teachers and students?

It takes 3 things for these shootings to occur:

1. A person to pull the trigger,
2. Victims,
3. A gun.

Many argue that better mental health treatment would solve the problem. Many argue that armed victims can prevent these shootings. Is there better mental health care in Mexico? Are potential victims and teachers armed in Mexico? What could be the reason that they have virtually no students shooting students and teachers in Mexico? What could be the reason? Better parenting? Better metal detectors?

Gun owners will respond that they have cartels in Mexico because of the average citizen does not own a gun. I guess organized crime, the mafia, the Crips, the Bloods, and a dozen other gangs that infest every city in America are all in our imaginations because the average citizen can own a gun. Doesn't it seem like we read about a good citizen fighting it out with the Crips?

As for politicians and the government, they certainly have no fear because we own guns. They own tanks, fighter jets, and have a military that is more powerful than the next 20-countries combined military power. The only fear politicians have concerning gun ownership is the powerful gun lobby.

I wonder why there are almost no school shootings in so many other countries? I guess they all have better mental health care, no violent society, better security at the schools. Just like Mexico.

Bloodsucking Ticks

With the help of taxpayers’ dollars in the forms of grants, many medical products, procedures and drugs are developed.  Many of the products and procedures can save and dramatically improve the lives of men, women and children with severe and heartbreaking conditions. Now comes the pricing.

Although tax dollars made these breakthroughs and devices possible, no part of the profits will be paid to the American taxpayers. We are forced investors and are promised that should the company make a profit we will receive no return on our investment. Instead, the companies will keep all of the profits. Pricing? These items will be priced at the highest level paid by Medicare, Medicaid and insurance companies.

You’ve seen the ads on TV. “No cost to you and we will work directly with Medicare.” These leeches get paid by the taxpayer coming and going! No cost to you? It is a cost to every taxpayer.

The most tragic result is that children with sever disabilities around the world cannot afford the cost of life-changing equipment.

Some of these companies refuse to post their prices or to even provide their prices unless you visit them. The prices are so unfair that they are ashamed to post them.

Let’s talk medicine. Have you noticed that many times a pharmacy will not tell you the cost of a prescription drug? You must tell them if you have insurance, Medicaid, etc.  Try asking, “Can you just tell me the cost without insurance?” and then present them with a Medicaid card. They will hit the roof! They price to the max and suck out as many tax dollars as possible. The cost of medicine should not change. The cost of my co-pay is not the issue. They raise the actual price to whatever the insurance or Medicaid will pay. Then we wonder why taxes and insurance premiums are so high.

The people in other industrialized countries pay 50% less for health care than Americans and they are outliving us.

Supply and demand in the world of medicine is sinful. For example, there is less demand for drugs that suppress HIV in most industrialized countries than in Africa. So the Swiss can purchase these life saving drugs at a small percentage of the cost for the exact same drugs in any African nation, where AIDS is wiping out nations.

Hospitals cannot (will not) explain how they determine prices. There are huge differences in cost for identical procedures in Texas and Baltimore and Miami. Why? Why should the cost of a CAT scan differ by such huge amounts?

The bloodsucking ticks involved in health-care are the problem. Costs of health-care are the problem. Why should we pay 50% more for health-care than people in other nations? Obama got it wrong. We should be attacking the cost of health care instead of arguing about who pays. I am tired of paying, especially at both ends. I pay to create the miracle drug and then pay a fortune for the drug.  If congress wants to reduce the cost of health care (not simply subsidize it) I am first in line to vote.

Invest

As everyone else panics because of the debt ceiling/continuing resolution/government shutdown - use common sense. Watch the good stocks and as they temporarily go down - buy, buy buy. In a few weeks you can sell as those perfectly good stocks return to their value.