Last night Carol and I put up our Christmas tree and decorated it. She is very familiar with my bah humbug attitude toward Christmas. She asked why I hated Christmas. I thought about how to answer that as I was walking Rose and Lily this morning. You can do a lot of thinking when you are on a long walk.
I don't hate Christmas it is more that I am disappointed in what Christmas has become. It seems to be the one holiday where the fullness of our excess is on display. When I was young we spent Thanksgiving as a family. The only people who had to work were folks like police, firemen, prison guards and hospital workers. All the stores were closed so that everyone could spend the day with their family and reflect on how thankful they were for what they had. Now it seems that we spend less time being thankful for what we have and more time trying to figure out what else we want. I'm not talking about things like a more inclusive society or peace with others. It's about how much more crap we can stuff into our homes. Maybe we have so much we need a storage unit for the excess. We rush through our Thanksgiving meal so we can go out shopping or get on line and buy stuff. Can't miss out on those deals. Can't we take a day and be thankful for what and who we have in our lives?
It seems to me that modern Christians want to celebrate the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus while they ignore everything he tried to teach them about how to live. Pastors stand behind the pulpit and preach that if you give more money to them you will be rewarded with more money for yourself. The so called prosperity doctrine. The first part is true. If you give them more money they will have more. Then they claim to need things like expensive jet planes so they can reach more sinners. It seems the logic they use has seeped into our politics. If you don't have money, a nice house and car it must be your fault. You are doing something God doesn't like. It couldn't possibly be anything else. So many in politics believe you are poor because you are a sinner, or of poor character, or just plain lazy. None of those may have any basis in reality. Many Christians wear those wrist bands that say WWJD. What Would Jesus Do. It appears for many the answer is that Jesus wouldn't give a shit about you. They got theirs because of their faith and you didn't get anything because you don't have enough faith. It is like those who claim to heal by faith. They lay hands on you and pray for your healing. At the end of the prayer they say that your faith has made you whole. You die a week later from that cancer that was eating you up just like the doctor said would happen. The faith healer says that you died because you didn't have enough faith to claim the healing God had for you.
So simply put my Christmas problem is twofold. We lack thankfulness for what we have while we shamelessly pursue more stuff. We celebrate the birth of Jesus while we spend our time ignoring all the deeds we should be doing that would make us true followers of Christ. Christmas has his name but it has lost his spirit.
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
Mystery of History
The two little girls pictured above are even more of a mystery to me. Genevieve Lucy McKenzie was born on July 3, 1896 and died on April 25, 1978. Her sister Gail McKenzie was born on November 12, 1897 and died on April 23, 1976. It appears from records in 1900 they lived on North Prairie Street in Galesburg. My great grandparents John and Emma were married in 1900. John would have been living on the family farm near Wataga and to the best of my knowledge Emma would have lived on her family's farm near Henderson. In this case I can find no possible common relative. Was Emma a friend of their mother from the time she attended Knox College in the 1880's? It is now and perhaps forever a mystery how this picture ended up in one of the totes. In checking on Ancestry the same picture is available and ensures I am accurate with the birth and death dates of both individuals.
I have in the past advocated for everyone to take a few moments to identify individuals in the pictures they have. It is clear that more than that is actually required. If possible some context for the picture. How do you know them? Why was the picture taken? Why do you have a copy? As you can see, sometimes these pictures survive and we are left with mystery.
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Apologize
Recently four United States soldiers were killed in Niger. President Trump made a big deal out of saying he personally calls family members of those killed in action. Okay, that is probably a good thing to do. Difficult, to be sure, but an empathetic effort by our current President. The call to one family went awry somehow. The widow of the fallen soldier was offended by what the President said and how he expressed his sorrow at her husband's untimely passing. I listened to the President's Chief of Staff, John Kelly explain what the President was trying to say. I think the way it was stated by Mr. Kelly most likely would have been acceptable to this soldier's widow. Is that how it was communicated by the President? I am skeptical. He is not known for being empathetic and in my opinion has trouble communicating emotional messages in an acceptable manner. I have never had to do what the President did. I have not had to talk to a grieving pregnant widow about the ultimate sacrifice made by her husband. My experience I think is similar enough to allow some criticism of what the President did. Part of my job working in a prison was to verify the death of someone in an inmate's immediate family. Once that verification had been accomplished it was my responsibility to notify the inmate. I was going out to the housing unit and calling a man down to the office to tell him that his son, mother, father, daughter, or wife had died. No matter how bad my day had been I was acutely aware that his was going to be worse. He often was locked up hundreds of miles away from someone close to him. Someone he thought would be there when he was released. Someone he may have been depending on to help him transition from prison to the free world. Now, that support is gone. How do you tell someone that the woman who raised them was dead? Or their child had perished. I always tried to be brief. "I'm sorry to have to tell you that your mother passed away earlier today." It isn't just the words. It is the tone of voice. The sincerity of the delivery. Many times it was an inmate I did not know. I had almost no background information that would clue me as to how he might react. It was like putting on a blindfold and running into a mine field. You hoped that nothing went horribly wrong. Sometimes, even with your best effort, the result was not what you had hoped. Something in the way it was said or in what they heard didn't sit well. What do you do?
Apologize. It is what the President should have done. Don't try to claim you were right. Don't say the person on the other side is attacking you and trying to make you look bad. The only thing the President should have said was something along these lines. "I called the widow of .... to express my personal sorrow at the loss of her husband in combat and express the gratitude of the nation at the sacrifice her family has made for our safety and freedom. It was not my intent to in any way add to her pain in this time of loss. I was clearly unable to express my sorrow in an appropriate manner and for that I am truly sorry." In cases like this one it doesn't matter what you said or how you said it in your mind. What matters is how the widow heard it. How it made her feel. Attempting to defend what happened only increases her pain and makes you sound like an inconsiderate asshole. Some arguments you can win. Arguments with widows of fallen soldiers is not a winnable argument. Best just to sincerely apologize and perhaps vow to do better the next time.
Apologize. It is what the President should have done. Don't try to claim you were right. Don't say the person on the other side is attacking you and trying to make you look bad. The only thing the President should have said was something along these lines. "I called the widow of .... to express my personal sorrow at the loss of her husband in combat and express the gratitude of the nation at the sacrifice her family has made for our safety and freedom. It was not my intent to in any way add to her pain in this time of loss. I was clearly unable to express my sorrow in an appropriate manner and for that I am truly sorry." In cases like this one it doesn't matter what you said or how you said it in your mind. What matters is how the widow heard it. How it made her feel. Attempting to defend what happened only increases her pain and makes you sound like an inconsiderate asshole. Some arguments you can win. Arguments with widows of fallen soldiers is not a winnable argument. Best just to sincerely apologize and perhaps vow to do better the next time.
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Who Killed It?
What is "it"? The it I'm referring to is empathy. When did the situation of our fellow human beings stop being a concern for too many of us? How did it become an us versus them world? I suppose part of getting older is looking back on a past that perhaps never existed in reality. As an older man I look back with fondness on how I think the world used to be. Were we kinder back then? Is the stark and shameful truth something different?
My first thought is that the world has gotten more cruel. Why? How? In my youth if you wanted to call someone out about their conduct, their alleged character flaws, or anything else it was done in person. You had to look them in the eye and say what you thought they needed to hear. You would get feedback in their body language. If you went to far maybe that body language included a well placed punch where those words exited your body. You could see the harm your words were doing. The pain they caused. The anger, tears, frustration were apparent. Now it is different. We communicate on line. We go to Facebook and someone states an opinion we don't see as valid or accurate. We, in many cases, don't know who they are or where they are from. So, emboldened by the fact they are most likely in some distant location, we determine there is no risk to being an asshole. We call them names. We question their intelligence. We make reference to the legitimacy of their birth. We suggest things they should do to themselves with their sex organs. That they should learn to read, or think or that they are just too stupid to live. It may be the only time we ever interact with that person. What do we care if it hurts their feelings? They mean nothing to us. They are just a name or a avatar on a computer screen.
What does that have to do with anything? It seems to me that since it has become so easy to do in the virtual world of our computers it has bled over into our everyday lives. It is and always has been my belief that the world around me is not real to anyone but me. No one else has my experiences. Has my eyes. Has my brain. Hears sounds with my ears. Perception is reality. So your perception is going to be different from mine and therefore your reality is different than the one I experience. When we determine cruelty is acceptable in the virtual world of Facebook or Snapchat or any of a hundred other social media programs it will bleed over into our lives outside those programs. Thoughts become actions, actions become a pattern or conduct, then a habit. We don't realize that slowly over a period of months or years we have killed empathy. I can only see your point of view if you agree with me. Anything that clashes with my reality must be wrong. Since I have lost empathy in the virtual world I cannot summon it in the real world.
What can we do? Maybe it is time to leave social media on the scrapheap of history. Since we are unlikely to do so perhaps this is a better answer. Before you post something snarky or cruel ask yourself a question or two. First question. Would I say this if this person were standing in front of me right now? Second question. How would I feel if they said to me what I am about to say to them? The answer is to bring empathy back to life. Perhaps I'm a dreamer. I want to perceive the world has a kinder and more gentle place. Manners and courtesy. Are they too much to ask for?
My first thought is that the world has gotten more cruel. Why? How? In my youth if you wanted to call someone out about their conduct, their alleged character flaws, or anything else it was done in person. You had to look them in the eye and say what you thought they needed to hear. You would get feedback in their body language. If you went to far maybe that body language included a well placed punch where those words exited your body. You could see the harm your words were doing. The pain they caused. The anger, tears, frustration were apparent. Now it is different. We communicate on line. We go to Facebook and someone states an opinion we don't see as valid or accurate. We, in many cases, don't know who they are or where they are from. So, emboldened by the fact they are most likely in some distant location, we determine there is no risk to being an asshole. We call them names. We question their intelligence. We make reference to the legitimacy of their birth. We suggest things they should do to themselves with their sex organs. That they should learn to read, or think or that they are just too stupid to live. It may be the only time we ever interact with that person. What do we care if it hurts their feelings? They mean nothing to us. They are just a name or a avatar on a computer screen.
What does that have to do with anything? It seems to me that since it has become so easy to do in the virtual world of our computers it has bled over into our everyday lives. It is and always has been my belief that the world around me is not real to anyone but me. No one else has my experiences. Has my eyes. Has my brain. Hears sounds with my ears. Perception is reality. So your perception is going to be different from mine and therefore your reality is different than the one I experience. When we determine cruelty is acceptable in the virtual world of Facebook or Snapchat or any of a hundred other social media programs it will bleed over into our lives outside those programs. Thoughts become actions, actions become a pattern or conduct, then a habit. We don't realize that slowly over a period of months or years we have killed empathy. I can only see your point of view if you agree with me. Anything that clashes with my reality must be wrong. Since I have lost empathy in the virtual world I cannot summon it in the real world.
What can we do? Maybe it is time to leave social media on the scrapheap of history. Since we are unlikely to do so perhaps this is a better answer. Before you post something snarky or cruel ask yourself a question or two. First question. Would I say this if this person were standing in front of me right now? Second question. How would I feel if they said to me what I am about to say to them? The answer is to bring empathy back to life. Perhaps I'm a dreamer. I want to perceive the world has a kinder and more gentle place. Manners and courtesy. Are they too much to ask for?
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Hookers
It may come as a shock to many, especially my Mom who reads this blog, that I am a pimp. I have several hookers and they are proud to work with me. The whole experience started about 2011 on a website called RantsfromMommyland.com. The two ladies who still run the site looked around and saw other mothers who could not afford Christmas gifts for themselves and their children. You know moms always think about their kids first. These two ladies decided to be the go betweens for the mothers who needed help providing Christmas for their children and mothers who had some extra and wanted to help. A mom in need would send in her information and it would be provided to a mother who wanted to help. It was referred to as the hooker project. They were hooking these two groups of mothers up to fill a need. It was a big success and the next year even more moms wanted to participate as givers. As with any project things can get out of hand. The ladies trying to run the project were just overwhelmed with the numbers of moms who wanted to be involved.
One of the ladies I worked with and I participated in the project during these early years. I don't normally talk about charity work because it is best done quietly. When these ladies stopped doing the project the lady I worked with and I decided to continue and do our own thing. Over the ensuing years other women have wanted to get involved and the number of hookers has grown. We do a project or two a year depending on our finances and the need of the person we are helping. While the group isn't large I have not met all the hookers. I remain the sole pimp involved. The only reason I am writing about this today is to encourage anyone who reads to get involved in some way. Everyone knows someone who has a need. Who is desperate for something as small as a kind word or encouragement. Who could use a few groceries to get them through a tough spot. A gas card so they can get to work or a doctor appointment. If the need is big try to get a group together. Sometimes we give to someone that no one in the group knows on a personal level. The recipient almost never knows who provided the gifts other than a pimp and some hookers. We don't do it for acknowledgement from them we do it because it needs to be done. The world is harsh, sometimes even cruel. Somewhere along the line we seem to have forgotten that each of us has a responsibility to reach out to our fellow human beings. To pick them up, brush the dust off and let them know that there is kindness and good in this world. I hope each of you will look out in your corner of the world and find someone you can help.
One of the ladies I worked with and I participated in the project during these early years. I don't normally talk about charity work because it is best done quietly. When these ladies stopped doing the project the lady I worked with and I decided to continue and do our own thing. Over the ensuing years other women have wanted to get involved and the number of hookers has grown. We do a project or two a year depending on our finances and the need of the person we are helping. While the group isn't large I have not met all the hookers. I remain the sole pimp involved. The only reason I am writing about this today is to encourage anyone who reads to get involved in some way. Everyone knows someone who has a need. Who is desperate for something as small as a kind word or encouragement. Who could use a few groceries to get them through a tough spot. A gas card so they can get to work or a doctor appointment. If the need is big try to get a group together. Sometimes we give to someone that no one in the group knows on a personal level. The recipient almost never knows who provided the gifts other than a pimp and some hookers. We don't do it for acknowledgement from them we do it because it needs to be done. The world is harsh, sometimes even cruel. Somewhere along the line we seem to have forgotten that each of us has a responsibility to reach out to our fellow human beings. To pick them up, brush the dust off and let them know that there is kindness and good in this world. I hope each of you will look out in your corner of the world and find someone you can help.
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
FIRM
What a difference a year makes. Last year it was hurricane Matthew. The majority of damage done by Matthew was vegetative. This year it was hurricane Irma and most of the damage was residential due to rain and storm surge.
This picture is the north beach parking lot which was filled with debris from Matthew. The light brown pile just past the buildings is trees that have been mulched. The two piles to the right are tree debris that still needed to be mulched.
The picture above is from next door to the fire station. It is household debris from Irma. This picture does not do the pile any justice. We went by there today and the pile is at least twice as large as this picture. Higher and extends out into the gravel driveway.
You might be wondering what the title FIRM has to do with this post. FIRM means Flood Insurance Risk Map. Houses in a flood zone are either pre-FIRM or post-FIRM. Pre-FIRM houses were built or substantially remodeled prior to December 31, 1974. Post-FIRM houses were built or substantially remodeled after that date. So what the hell does that mean? We will use our house as an example. It sits three feet above sea level. Mean flood level for us is 11 feet. My understanding is that represents our house has a 1% risk of flooding in any year. More simply stated it would take a 100 year flood event to cause flood damage to our house. So at three free above sea level our first occupied floor must be a minimum of 8 feet above that. Many of the older homes on the island are on ground level. They are the beach cottages that give this place much of its charm. Last year many of them flooded due to the storm surge from Matthew. The storm surge from Irma was lower but the rain total was higher. The rain that fell couldn't move out into the ocean so it backed up into the marshes that surround the island. So more homes flooded this year. Strangely enough we got some minor flooding under the house last year. It was about 8 inches of water. This year we had no flooding. Don't ask me why. I don't understand what happened. Many of those who flooded when Matthew came through were just getting finished with repairs and getting back into their homes. Irma destroyed all that progress and set them back where they were a year ago. What does that mean?
If you noticed above post-FIRM homes were built or substantially remodeled after December 31, 1974. If your house was pre-FIRM you have rules. What does substantially remodeled mean? If the structure of your house is valued at $200,000 then during a 12 month period you are allowed to make repairs or improvements with a value of no more than 50% of the house value. In this example $100,000. If you exceed that value your home must comply with the post-FIRM requirements. That means your house that was on ground level must be raised above the 100 year flood level. So, many of those folks who houses were damaged last year and required extensive repairs are going to have to repair them again. They are going to run into this 50% rule. They will have two choices. Delay repairs past the 12 month period or raise their house to comply with post-FIRM requirements.
So when you sit back and look at this think about the human suffering. There had not been this kind of damage here since sometime in the 1990's. No one here remembers it happening two years in a row. When you look at the debris pile from this year it is beds, sofas, chairs, dishwashers, mattresses, drywall, hardwood flooring, rugs, and a variety of other household goods. The toll in human suffering is so much greater. I see what happened here and cannot imagine the level of suffering in Puerto Rico. They need more than our thoughts and prayers. So, if you can, donate.
You might be wondering what the title FIRM has to do with this post. FIRM means Flood Insurance Risk Map. Houses in a flood zone are either pre-FIRM or post-FIRM. Pre-FIRM houses were built or substantially remodeled prior to December 31, 1974. Post-FIRM houses were built or substantially remodeled after that date. So what the hell does that mean? We will use our house as an example. It sits three feet above sea level. Mean flood level for us is 11 feet. My understanding is that represents our house has a 1% risk of flooding in any year. More simply stated it would take a 100 year flood event to cause flood damage to our house. So at three free above sea level our first occupied floor must be a minimum of 8 feet above that. Many of the older homes on the island are on ground level. They are the beach cottages that give this place much of its charm. Last year many of them flooded due to the storm surge from Matthew. The storm surge from Irma was lower but the rain total was higher. The rain that fell couldn't move out into the ocean so it backed up into the marshes that surround the island. So more homes flooded this year. Strangely enough we got some minor flooding under the house last year. It was about 8 inches of water. This year we had no flooding. Don't ask me why. I don't understand what happened. Many of those who flooded when Matthew came through were just getting finished with repairs and getting back into their homes. Irma destroyed all that progress and set them back where they were a year ago. What does that mean?
If you noticed above post-FIRM homes were built or substantially remodeled after December 31, 1974. If your house was pre-FIRM you have rules. What does substantially remodeled mean? If the structure of your house is valued at $200,000 then during a 12 month period you are allowed to make repairs or improvements with a value of no more than 50% of the house value. In this example $100,000. If you exceed that value your home must comply with the post-FIRM requirements. That means your house that was on ground level must be raised above the 100 year flood level. So, many of those folks who houses were damaged last year and required extensive repairs are going to have to repair them again. They are going to run into this 50% rule. They will have two choices. Delay repairs past the 12 month period or raise their house to comply with post-FIRM requirements.
So when you sit back and look at this think about the human suffering. There had not been this kind of damage here since sometime in the 1990's. No one here remembers it happening two years in a row. When you look at the debris pile from this year it is beds, sofas, chairs, dishwashers, mattresses, drywall, hardwood flooring, rugs, and a variety of other household goods. The toll in human suffering is so much greater. I see what happened here and cannot imagine the level of suffering in Puerto Rico. They need more than our thoughts and prayers. So, if you can, donate.
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Trickle Down or Trickle On
I'm not done with gun control quite yet but I need more time to get my thoughts in order. This time I want to move on to taxes. We all in some form or another pay taxes. Income taxes on the money we make at our job or in our business. Sales taxes when we buy goods. Excise taxes, road use taxes, property taxes, it really is amazing how many different ways the government has managed to reach into our pockets and grab some money. It is surprising at times that there is anything left in our pockets aside from the lint that seems to gather in the corner. I'm sure if the government determined it had value they would find some way to tax it as well.
Congress is currently looking at ways to overhaul the tax code. I will agree the current federal income tax system has gotten far to complicated. I have gone to the mailbox a few times to find a letter from the Internal Revenue Service telling me I have made a mistake on my tax forms. The good news for me is that those letters have never resulted in me having to send more money. I had reported the correct amount of income and paid the proper amount of tax. My error was reporting said income on the wrong form. So, from where I sit, a less complicated tax code would be a welcome change. I don't mind paying my fair share. Life has been pretty kind to me and it is my duty as a citizen to pay taxes. There are children to educate, roads to build and maintain, food and shelter for the less fortunate, medical care for the aged and infirm. My concern is the ongoing bullshit story called trickle down economics. Basically the argument is that if we give rich folks and corporations more money they will invest and hire more of us less fortunate to work. While it is an interesting idea, it doesn't work that way. Here is why.
Jeff Bezos is the big cheese with Amazon. In August 2016 Forbes reported his net worth was 66.2 billion dollars. In August 2017 they reported he was worth 81.7 billion dollars. So in a year his net worth had increased 15.5 billion dollars. In more manageable terms each day for that year his net worth increased by $42,465,753. If you would prefer monthly, every month his wealth increased by almost 1.3 billion dollars. For the purposes of my argument I will treat his income as though it were wages from a job. It isn't and realistically will not be taxed the way I am going to show. He will pay less tax. Most likely much less. If that 1.3 billion dollars a month was taxed at the current maximum rate of 39.6% he would have a monthly tax bill of 511 million dollars. This would leave him a net income of about 780 million dollars. If the tax rate is dropped to the proposed 35% his tax bill would drop to 452 million dollars a month and his net income would rise to 839 million dollars. Our economy is built on consumption. People buy goods and services and industry buys more raw materials and machines to provide those consumer goods. So, is Jeff Bezos going to spend 839 million dollars every month on goods and services or raw materials and equipment for his businesses? I think not. He will invest the money or perhaps hide a substantial portion off shore to avoid taxes.
How would the system work better for everyone even Mr. Bezos? Would I raise his taxes? Maybe. Would I lower taxes on middle and lower income folks? Yes. This is why. Look at rent, utilities, groceries, fuel, clothing and all the other expenses it takes to raise a family. If you provide a raise in the minimum wage to $15 per hour you allow those folks some more money. It is not money like Mr. Bezos has. It is money that will go back into the economy. They will buy cars, furniture, clothes, household goods. Those dollars spent will result in more jobs. More folks working and paying taxes. Less folks working and still qualifying for food stamps and medical cards from the government. I can hear folks complaining now. Those kids flipping burgers at McDonalds don't deserve more money than that EMT working in an ambulance, or that soldier fighting in some far off land. They should see a raise as well. The economy is not built from the top down. It is built from the bottom up. The poor spend what they get and it moves the economy forward. Let's jump back to Mr. Bezos again for just a minute. If he took his monthly net income and bought houses valued at $250,000 , every month he could buy 3,120 houses. He isn't going to do that. If folks at the lower end of the income scale were given the opportunity they would buy homes. They would build homes. So, the rich like Jeff can afford to pay the taxes they are paying now. The minimum wage should be raised and taxes at the lower end should be reduced to flow more money into the economy. It will work and the economy will grow.
Here is the problem. It won't happen. The guys with the money get to talk to the guys who set the tax rates and determine the minimum wage. They don't want to share the pie. It reminds me of this story. There were 10 cookies on a table. Seated at the table was a businessman, a laborer and an immigrant. The businessman grabbed 9 of the cookies and turned to the laborer and said, "You better watch out that guy is going to take your cookie." That my friend is trickle down economics. We sit on the floor and fight over the crumbs that fall from their table. Like George Carlin said, "It's a big club and you're not in it."
Congress is currently looking at ways to overhaul the tax code. I will agree the current federal income tax system has gotten far to complicated. I have gone to the mailbox a few times to find a letter from the Internal Revenue Service telling me I have made a mistake on my tax forms. The good news for me is that those letters have never resulted in me having to send more money. I had reported the correct amount of income and paid the proper amount of tax. My error was reporting said income on the wrong form. So, from where I sit, a less complicated tax code would be a welcome change. I don't mind paying my fair share. Life has been pretty kind to me and it is my duty as a citizen to pay taxes. There are children to educate, roads to build and maintain, food and shelter for the less fortunate, medical care for the aged and infirm. My concern is the ongoing bullshit story called trickle down economics. Basically the argument is that if we give rich folks and corporations more money they will invest and hire more of us less fortunate to work. While it is an interesting idea, it doesn't work that way. Here is why.
Jeff Bezos is the big cheese with Amazon. In August 2016 Forbes reported his net worth was 66.2 billion dollars. In August 2017 they reported he was worth 81.7 billion dollars. So in a year his net worth had increased 15.5 billion dollars. In more manageable terms each day for that year his net worth increased by $42,465,753. If you would prefer monthly, every month his wealth increased by almost 1.3 billion dollars. For the purposes of my argument I will treat his income as though it were wages from a job. It isn't and realistically will not be taxed the way I am going to show. He will pay less tax. Most likely much less. If that 1.3 billion dollars a month was taxed at the current maximum rate of 39.6% he would have a monthly tax bill of 511 million dollars. This would leave him a net income of about 780 million dollars. If the tax rate is dropped to the proposed 35% his tax bill would drop to 452 million dollars a month and his net income would rise to 839 million dollars. Our economy is built on consumption. People buy goods and services and industry buys more raw materials and machines to provide those consumer goods. So, is Jeff Bezos going to spend 839 million dollars every month on goods and services or raw materials and equipment for his businesses? I think not. He will invest the money or perhaps hide a substantial portion off shore to avoid taxes.
How would the system work better for everyone even Mr. Bezos? Would I raise his taxes? Maybe. Would I lower taxes on middle and lower income folks? Yes. This is why. Look at rent, utilities, groceries, fuel, clothing and all the other expenses it takes to raise a family. If you provide a raise in the minimum wage to $15 per hour you allow those folks some more money. It is not money like Mr. Bezos has. It is money that will go back into the economy. They will buy cars, furniture, clothes, household goods. Those dollars spent will result in more jobs. More folks working and paying taxes. Less folks working and still qualifying for food stamps and medical cards from the government. I can hear folks complaining now. Those kids flipping burgers at McDonalds don't deserve more money than that EMT working in an ambulance, or that soldier fighting in some far off land. They should see a raise as well. The economy is not built from the top down. It is built from the bottom up. The poor spend what they get and it moves the economy forward. Let's jump back to Mr. Bezos again for just a minute. If he took his monthly net income and bought houses valued at $250,000 , every month he could buy 3,120 houses. He isn't going to do that. If folks at the lower end of the income scale were given the opportunity they would buy homes. They would build homes. So, the rich like Jeff can afford to pay the taxes they are paying now. The minimum wage should be raised and taxes at the lower end should be reduced to flow more money into the economy. It will work and the economy will grow.
Here is the problem. It won't happen. The guys with the money get to talk to the guys who set the tax rates and determine the minimum wage. They don't want to share the pie. It reminds me of this story. There were 10 cookies on a table. Seated at the table was a businessman, a laborer and an immigrant. The businessman grabbed 9 of the cookies and turned to the laborer and said, "You better watch out that guy is going to take your cookie." That my friend is trickle down economics. We sit on the floor and fight over the crumbs that fall from their table. Like George Carlin said, "It's a big club and you're not in it."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)