Quoted from an article by Jasee Hales about tax cuts.
"If you don't understand the Democrats' version of tax cuts (and you are not alone), this will help explain it for you:

50,000 people go to a baseball game, but the game was rained out. A refund was then due.

The team was about to mail refunds when the Congressional Democrats stopped them and suggested that they send out refund amounts based on the Democrat National Committee's interpretation of fairness. After all, if the refunds were made based on the price each person paid for the tickets, most of the money would go to the ticket holders of the most expensive tickets.
That would be unconscionable.

The DNC plan says:
People in the $10 seats will get back $15, because they have less money to spend. Call it an "Earned" Income Ticket Credit". Persons "earn" it by demonstrating little ambition, few skills and poor work habits, thus keeping them at entry-level wages.

Hmmmm...

Sounds perfectly logical to me! I'm still trying to get subsidized by the feds for not playing music--kinda like gettin' paid for not growin' corn. Yep, there's just too many musicians in the world, therfore, if they pay me not to play and sing, I can become a gentleman farmer and get paid not to grow something. Yep, it all makes good sense if you're a dyed in the wool democrat.

Just another fun day in paradise!

Gary

[This message has been edited by travlin'easy (edited 01-26-2003).]

Mario,

Posted by Mario:

"Persons 'earn' it by demostrating little ambiton, few skills, and poor work habits, thus keeping them at entry level wages."

Mario,
I couln't disagree with you more. just because someone has a low paying job doesn't mean they have little ambition, few skills, and poor work habits. Sounds like words taken straight from Ronald Reagans mouth if you ask me. There are many factors that contribute to people in low wage jobs. Good job skills, and even a good education doesn't get a person a job anymore. I know college grads with masters degrees who are having trouble finding work. There are even factors like this to consider (posted on CNN website).. They had an article that showed a study on how people were getting turned down for job interview bases soley on their name. People who had more obvious ethnic names were being looked over. They had applications of equal qualifications and one set had common non ethnic names and the other had common ethnic names. The study showed that women with names like Nakia, Natosha, Tamika, and men with names along the same ethnic line were completely ignored and not even called in for interviews. Of course another obvious form of racial descrimination. Factors like this a person has no control over. Where a person lives also has a great impact on what jobs are available. For example I used to live in Meadville Pennsylvania (The tool Capitol of the country), and unless you were in that line of work, 90% of the jobs were low wage. Another good example.. There's a co-worker of mine who graduated from college last semester with a BA in Criminal Justice, and the best job he can find thus far is one making $7.50 as a adminstrative clerk. Does he have this job from lack of ambition, skills, and poor work habits.?? Heck no! He has this job because currently there's nothing available. Of course there are people who abuse the system for obvious reasons, but there are many families struggling everyday to make a living.

This is taken from the IRS home page.

The Earned Income Credit (EIC) is a special credit for lower income workers. The credit reduces the amount of tax that you owe (if any). The credit is subtracted from the amount of tax you owe, so you end up paying less tax and you may get some money back from the government. Even if you do not have a tax liability, you might still get some money back.

To qualify for the credit for 2002, both your earned income and your adjusted gross income must be less than the following amounts.

$11,060 ($12,060, if filing a joint return) if you do not have a qualifying child.
$29,201 ($30,201, if filing a joint return) if you have one qualifying child.
$33,178 ($34,178, if filing a joint return) if you have two or more qualifying children.

Take a look at the income levels here... a person filing jointly with one child can make over $30,000 a year and qualify for this. Gee lets see here who makes this much money.. hmm cops, state workers, and a lot of people with a great deal of ambition and skills as well.

Squeak

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 01-26-2003).]

If you make over $30,000, you are entitled to less than $100.

Mario, the Bush Administration has proposed a tax cut of up to $70,000 for small businesses to purchase a pickup truck or an SUV (saw it on AOL news). 82% of the dividend taxcut that Bush is proposing would go to the upper 5% of richest people. Mario, why are you such a cheerleader for the millionaires of this world. Why don't you rally around the people who are struggling to feed their children instead of blaming them for being greedy?

In the 1960's, the average CEO made 40 times more than the average worker. At that time, most Americans could afford to have one person at home to take care of the children. Now the average CEO makes over 200 times the average worker. Very few people can stay at home to bring up their kids. The income gap in this country is the worst of any industrial nation in the world, and it is getting worse, because the middle class pays a higher percentage of income in taxes. Sales taxes eat up a higher percentage of our earnings, and we don't get any loop holes.

I believe that it is everyone's right to get rich. The fact that the rich are getting richer, and did so under Clinton as well, is proof that our system does not impede the pursuit of wealth. But why send a lifeline to the rich when they aren't drowning. Why not send a lifeline to the people who are drowning instead of blaming them for lack of success?

Mario, how can you be against the earned income tax credit? I mean even a lot of conservative republicans favor this credit, because it is the difference between shelter and homelessness for many Americans. Then you would rally for a taxcut that would give every millionaire $88,000? This just seems so blatantly unfair to me, it is unbelievable.

Beakybird

Well said Breakybird