CTyankee
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Fri Sep-09-11 02:10 PM
Original message |
I truly do not understand this...help me out, here! |
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Today, our garage mechanic, a great guy in many ways, was complaining about having to pay all of his state taxes. I was stunned. He has 5 grandchildren ranging in age from 6 months to 13 years old and they are all covered under CT's Husky medical insurance for kids who do not have private insurance. His son and daughter both work for him at his garage and his small business can't afford health insurance coverage. She has 4 boys and he has a little girl.
I don't understand this! How can he talk this way about paying taxes when his own flesh and blood are benefitting from state programs!
I haven't said anything but if I hear this again, I will...nicely...tell him I don't mind paying my state taxes when I "think of the children that those taxes help..."
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Myrina
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Fri Sep-09-11 02:14 PM
Response to Original message |
1. We aren't taught civics anymore ... |
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... people don't understand where their tax money goes or what it does, they just know that 'taxes are evil' and 'the little guy's getting screwed' because Faux says so and nobody corrects them. Educate him.
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elleng
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Fri Sep-09-11 02:23 PM
Response to Reply #1 |
4. Quite right. W/o knowledge of how the world works, |
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we're all subject to the ignorance of fools (as we see.)
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CTyankee
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Fri Sep-09-11 02:50 PM
Response to Reply #4 |
10. He's really a nice guy otherwise. I tell him he has to stop watching Fox |
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but he says he doesn't watch it.
I feel really badly for his family. They just struggle all the time. And they work very, very hard.
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elleng
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Fri Sep-09-11 03:20 PM
Response to Reply #10 |
21. Yank, didn't notice this was your initial post!!! |
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HI, Here and There!!!
:hi:
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CTyankee
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Fri Sep-09-11 03:38 PM
Response to Reply #21 |
25. Are ya coming to the Challenge today? |
elleng
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Fri Sep-09-11 03:51 PM
Response to Reply #25 |
27. Was just gonna look for it! |
jwirr
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Fri Sep-09-11 04:07 PM
Response to Reply #10 |
29. This struggle is why he is feeling this way. This family are fighting |
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for their economic survival and they are one of the ones that should be given a tax cut to keep them going. I like what you said about how to tell him how you feel. Tactful.
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Avalux
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Fri Sep-09-11 02:59 PM
Response to Reply #1 |
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It's so much easier to push the "taxes are evil" meme when people don't know any better.
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Fresh_Start
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Fri Sep-09-11 02:15 PM
Response to Original message |
2. You'd be too subtle for him to understand if you do that |
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you should tell him...why should other people pay for his grandchildren if he doesn't think they are worth it?
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BR_Parkway
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Fri Sep-09-11 02:18 PM
Response to Original message |
3. Ask him how much of a tax cut he'd have to get to buy insurance for |
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all his family? Odds are pretty strong that he's getting one helluva bargain at the moment
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CTyankee
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Fri Sep-09-11 02:42 PM
Response to Reply #3 |
7. Yes, he is. His kids have work and he doesn't have to cover their kids. |
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I don't know what the son and daughter do for health insurance, but the state has some "affordable"health insurance that is thin coverage, but better than nothing.
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Dawson Leery
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Fri Sep-09-11 02:25 PM
Response to Original message |
5. A small percentage of activists on both sides are the only ones |
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who understand the technical mechanics of how things work. The vast majority do not. The 80/20 rule applies here.
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wryter2000
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Fri Sep-09-11 02:25 PM
Response to Original message |
6. I think your proposed reply is perfect. |
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Not a direct attack on him, but he can't help but get the point.
As to your question, my only guess is that "everyone knows" that taxes go to welfare for lazy people. There's no logic involved.
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CTyankee
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Fri Sep-09-11 02:46 PM
Response to Reply #6 |
8. He doesn't know that his daughter let it slip to me about the health insurance. |
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She and her brother are single parents (never married the partners who parented with them).
Or maybe he feels that the state "owes" him the kids health insurance since he pays so much...
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sufrommich
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Fri Sep-09-11 02:47 PM
Response to Original message |
9. I used to work with a teabagger who I still keep in |
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touch with on Facebook. He complains about "socialism" all the time. His wife has been on social security disability for carpal tunnel since she was in her early 30s. Socialism to them is about what other people get.
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CTyankee
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Fri Sep-09-11 02:52 PM
Response to Reply #9 |
11. Do you point out to him that "socialism" is exactly what his wife is getting? |
sufrommich
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Fri Sep-09-11 02:55 PM
Response to Reply #11 |
13. We've had the discussion while we worked together. His |
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answer is "if it's there we're going to take advantage of it, everybody else does".As I said, teabaggers are strictly concerned with what other people get from "their" tax dollaes.
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Atypical Liberal
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Fri Sep-09-11 03:37 PM
Response to Reply #9 |
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Whenever I hear a conservative bang on the "socialism" drum, I point out that we also have socialized schools, socialized libraries, socialized roads, socialized police forces, socialized courts, socialized fire protection, and a socialized military.
All of these things are government services that we all benefit from whether we pay for them or not and whether we use them or not.
We have these things because as a society we have decided that they are essential to stability, and they are things that most of us could not afford individually if they were not provided collectively.
But when conservatives say they don't like social programs, what they really mean is they don't like anyone who isn't paying taxes being able to use social programs. They are totally cool with using them themselves, because "they pay taxes". Everyone else can fend for themselves. Real Christ-like attitude.
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CTyankee
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Fri Sep-09-11 03:40 PM
Response to Reply #24 |
26. "everybody else" pays taxes too...perhaps not income taxes, but |
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they sure as hell pay sales taxes...
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Atypical Liberal
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Fri Sep-09-11 04:03 PM
Response to Reply #26 |
28. Oh, but you see, that doesn't count. |
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Where did they get the money to buy things to pay sales tax with in the first place? Huh? Huh? They are supposed to die like good peasants.
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CTyankee
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Fri Sep-09-11 04:44 PM
Response to Reply #28 |
hamsterjill
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Fri Sep-09-11 02:54 PM
Response to Original message |
12. He shouldn't be complaining. |
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The daughter with 4 children, together, would take a pretty large bite out of state programs.
It astounds me at times that people have children and don't realize that they cost money!
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CTyankee
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Fri Sep-09-11 03:02 PM
Response to Reply #12 |
17. I was astonished to learn that she had never gotten married! |
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Now, I'm not sure if all of her children were fathered by the same guy (and it is none of my business anyway). I guess I shouldn't be judgmental anyway...she's doing the best she can...and I'm sure she loves her kids...
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handmade34
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Fri Sep-09-11 02:58 PM
Response to Original message |
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lack of critical thinking skills distortion of information from news sources, family and friends unwillingness to think for one's self distorted sense of reality a social system that derides and exploits poorer people and on and on
I am aghast at the number of lower and middle income people that complain about taxes, bitch without learning and acting appropriately to help their situation (vote democratic, not support mega corporations, etc), spout freedom to do whatever they want (without concern for consequences and how we seriously affect one another)...
nothing is black and white and I understand some irrational behavior but we do need to speak up and gently speak truth to many people
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Recursion
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Fri Sep-09-11 03:01 PM
Response to Original message |
16. I like getting a laptop from Best Buy. I don't like paying for it. |
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Those are two real emotional reactions; what's so confusing?
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closeupready
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Fri Sep-09-11 03:04 PM
Response to Reply #16 |
19. Try addressing the threadstarter's point instead of raising a red herring. |
Recursion
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Fri Sep-09-11 03:14 PM
Response to Reply #19 |
20. How does that not address it? |
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He likes the things the state does and doesn't like paying for them. I was saying those are both normal emotional reactions.
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closeupready
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Fri Sep-09-11 03:22 PM
Response to Reply #20 |
22. Sorry, I guess that DOES address it. My mistake. |
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Edited on Fri Sep-09-11 03:23 PM by closeupready
:hi:
Separately, I think the threadstarter may not have meant he's confused, I think he meant, he doesn't know how to respond to the mechanic's complaint.
On further thought as to that question, this is what I would suggest as a rejoinder:
"Did you know that illegal immigrants can collect social security benefits?"
When he says, "No, they can't! They haven't paid in!", you say something like, "Ding! Ding! Ding!"
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treestar
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Fri Sep-09-11 03:03 PM
Response to Original message |
18. Amazing how disconnected people can be |
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Probably just thinks it comes out of the blue, along with the roads, public schools, police, fire, etc.
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Blue_Tires
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Fri Sep-09-11 03:22 PM
Response to Original message |
23. I know a whole lot of people who hate taxes that get their living from the government |
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cops, military, teachers, professors, etc...
I guess it's so normal here no one bats an eye...
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GeorgeGist
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Fri Sep-09-11 09:32 PM
Response to Original message |
31. Same guy will never complain about having to pay ... |
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all those corporate profits; for which he never gets a thing.
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