Sorry, Pal, You're Rich

I know that my wife and I are "average". We make a little under $100k per year and are doing okay. Things have tightened in the recent past, mostly due to inflation and decline in the values of investments. However, if our income went up by 150%, I would feel "rich". The author of this article hit is spot on.

Taxes are not meant to be "punishment" - its a method of funding programs for the greater good of society. We all have to pay them, we all benefit from them. We should all pay more in taxes, especially to pay off this astronomical deficit we now have. If you look, about 30% of the total US annual budget is dedicated to just paying ot the interest, yes interest (not principal) on our national debt. - an absolute joke.

I don't think Obama was worred about whether someone making $250K would be able to take the 10 day Carribean or European vacation or put their kids into the best private school or buy their new hot luxury car. He's talking about those folks who actually worry about the utilities, food and gas. Also, Obama was asked to quote a minimum figure for the classification of "rich". And yes, I think the tax rate should be higher on the "rich" than on those of us who are worrying about the utilities and food. The discussion isn't about what rich is, it's about what is enough that you're not worrying about providing the basics for you and your family. I don't think anybody can make an argument that the middle class and poor are better off than they were 8 years ago.

This article is great. I've also been able to experience the other side of the coin. We live outside of Chicago and our household income was ~$250,000 before my husband lost his job. We lived comfortable and we were able to afford nice things. But I constantly felt like we did not have enough money. Now living on 1/2 of that income, I really know what it's like to feel the pains of the current economy. We now just have to appreciate what we have and the time we have together and have lower expectations of what "nice to have" means. We drink cheaper wine, never go out to eat, buy kids clothes at Target, etc. While we consider these sacrifices, this is probably closer to the way me and my husband were raised. Due to a robust economy, a lot of us have been very fortunate to lead a nicer lifestyle. Simpler might not be all that bad!

My wife and I have two children; own two homes, three cars and pay a lot of taxes ???on what WE EARNED???. What sucks is we work hard and made our money the hard way "we worked" and never ask for hand outs. The sad part is we make only 200K combined and the Dem???s think we are rich? I had to take a personal loan to pay my taxes; even after I maxed out my holdings and invested in my 401k. I personally would like the DEM???s to look at my checking account and call me rich...we are not rich, but we pay a lot of people money to teach our children, work on our cars, work on our houses, dinners, clothing, etc, etc, etc. We are not rich, but I aspire to be rich ???it???s my God given right???!!!

Fact is, we are the middle class people that are paying for the lazy "hand-out taking, non-working, excuse making" losers that look for the loop holes in the system and take my/our hard working money. The non-working lazy people are the real criminals, not the people who make money!!! Tell me? Why should my family get punished for making honest money? There is nothing more depressing than to see a bonus and/or commission check that you worked hard for; get cut in half because you did your job and earned money for your family!!!

What is truly sad is we live in a country that if you work hard and make honest money; you get losers that look down on you because you worked hard and they didn???t!!! Think about it we live in a world that we give children trophies for just showing up at a soccer games and the truth is they are not good enough to earn that trophy. We punish coaches for being hard on our children by pushing them to do better and/or telling the kid the truth ???they are not good enough to play or the didn???t make the team??????Does that mean we give everyone ???A???s??? for just showing up to school or better yet give everyone in the class ???C???s??? on tests after half the class failed and the other half studied hard and got ???A???s/B???s???, it doesn???t sound right??? I???m sorry, but our world is being run by the Soccer Mom???s and Dad???s that want everyone to win, so Jonny???s feelings don???t get hurt. The same goes for the working ???grown up world???. We are raising and training hand-out taking kids that graduate collage and instantly expects to make the same or more money than the senior hardworking guy/gal earned, by climbing the latter of success over years of hard work.

If you earn it and work hard for it, than you should be rewarded. Not everyone is a MVP! We should stop rewarding everyone trophies and make them earn it the hard way and ???yes??? get their feelings hurt!!! And for you people that say they got dealt a bad hand???I was one of 5 with one parent and dropped out of collage to raise our first child. If anyone has an excuse, I did and I still never asked for hand outs and that is more rewarding than a fat bank account. Well maybe not, but it sounds good!!!

250k is alot of money... until you have to give 100k of that to taxes, some of which support people who chose not to work as hard as you do. To those who work three jobs, I'm excited that you're not on the welfare rolls. Now make sure your children do well in middle school, highschool, & college so they have an easier time finding one job that can pay the bills.

If $250K is middle class, where do I sign up for food stamps?

Pastor123-

I think you responded to the wrong article...

Writers using anecdotal interpretations of cherry-picked numbers to make their case...now that's "rich"!

In New Canaan, Conn, based on the numbers provided, there are as many people making $460K/year as there are people making $115K/year. Yet somehow, inexplicably, even in New Canaan, Mr. Gross believes that $250K/year makes you "rich"!! I hope you and your family enjoy that 2 bd/1 ba condo...with no parking, a communal washer/dryer and paper-thin walls (all the better for listening in on the other "rich" people who live right next door)!

Fortunate, yes...better off then many...sure...but, rich...NOT EVEN CLOSE!! If someday you're fortunate enough to make anywhere near $250K you'll understand. Until then you're just hatin'.

Granted,$250K is a good amount of money to most people and I don't fit into that category, but my wife an I do fit into the upper 20%.

I grew up in the projects in South East PA and moved to Florida before I ended up dead or in jail. I worked hard in school and joined the AF. I comleted 60 credit hours of college in 14 months working full time and being a singe parent. My son never miss an event relating to Little League, Karate, or soccer.

I worked my butt off to have the lifestyle I have right now and it is unfair for me to pay a higher rate of tax then someone who can't get to work without a hangover every morning. There are a lot of people out there saying they don't have the opportunity and you know that is bull. This is America and everyone has the same chance that I had. And it is not fair that my income goes to some social program for some lazy bum who doesn't have the time nor the energy to better himself.

I'm 52 years old and getting ready to go back to college to complete my MBA. I do this because I may be able to increse my standard of living--not someone else's

Don't be bitter at the wealth of this country because they made the sacrifices to put them where they are at.

If you want a fair tax, endorse the Fair Tax Bill in congress. It has major consideration for the poor.