Has anyone seen the documentary "I.O.U.S.A?"

[palincomparison]

I saw it yesterday. Omigod, it shows how monumental of a clusterf*ck this all is (and this was before any of the bailouts!).

My feeling is that a tax cut on ANYONE, unless at poverty level (let's say about $15,000) is irresponsible. And the tax hikes should be for everyone above $70,000, IMO. $200,000 is too high a level to start at, don't you think?

[fed_up_mother]

1. Seventy thousand is way too low, imo

You're talking about a school teacher married to a police officer. A secretary married to a computer programmer. A fire fighter and his partner, a low level bank executive.

You want to call those folks rich - fine. Just expect to lose the election - for sure. Throw in a mortgage, a car payment, and childcare (or maybe dance lessons and music lessons for older kids), and you think these folks consider themselves rich? Yes, I realize they are much better off than those making the medium income, but I can assure you that they think they're middle class and don't deserve a tan increase.

[palincomparison]

2. I don't think they are rich, but they can absorb the slight increase in $$$$

And I don't mean $70,000 as a household, but as an individual. Maybe for a household it could be $100,000? The point is, we cannot CUT taxes at this time and everyone has to bite the bullet and accept whatever is needed to put us over the hump and towards retiring the debt. It simply isn't responsible to keep cutting taxes and giving these stimulus packages.

And as for your statement about getting elected: that is the crux of the problem--we tend to vote for the guy who gives us the most goodies; not considering the longterm consequences of them. And as we can see, it could be a way worse end result than having to pay a little more than last year.

I don't know when the discussion of tax increases became limited to whoever is rich (whatever that is). The very poor should be exempt, but others need to step up to the plate. For real.

[fed_up_mother]

3. My own family is in that category, and we can't afford one penny more

in taxes.

we have increased:

gas expenses
home heating and cooling expenses
increased food prices
and increased tuition for college. (No loans available for kids like mine.)
and GREATLY increased medical expenses (insurance, co-pays, and medical)
not to mention ongoing expenses for a special needs child.
We had ten thousand dollars in out-of-pocket medical expenses for our special needs child.

I"m having to go to work for the first time in several years. YES, I consider us lucky that we have that option to increase our income. I'm not complaining, but I can only work so many hours a week because my special needs child takes a lot of time.

[palincomparison]

4. Perhaps with a Special-needs kid, you should be exempt

But I think everyone can chip in somehow, don't you? Even if it's not to use your car for short trips, buy food in bulk and don't eat out as often, rent movies instead of going to the theater every weekend, etc. I know one thing: getting a federal tax cut is just a shell game when your local taxes go up! Here in Crook, er, Cook County, IL, we had SALES TAXES go up to 10%! It's the highest in the damn country and that affects poor people as much as the rich. It's just brutal.

[fed_up_mother]

5. Then no tax cut, but we cannot afford a tax increase

Even without a special needs child. The only way we make it now is with family help.

[palincomparison]

6. That makes sense (no tax cut)

See the documentary. It is truly frightening and didn't even include the bail outs! We need to address this issue ASAP and I mean both sides. The movie makes a point at the end that it endorses no candidate because they probably feel that what is needed has not been proposed as of yet.