I saw this quote on the FDR memorial in Washington D.C. last month, and those words really resonated with me. I took a picture of it, which you can see on my blog from last month.
It seems like never have those words meant so much as they do now, as we have a man running for president who wants to raise taxes on about 95% of Americans to fund a tax cut for the remaining 5%. For me personally, using the Romney "tax calculator" found online, I'll be paying approximately $641 more under Romney. Now, using the same calculator, once my annual income hits $200,000, suddenly I'm saving $4,016. Under Romney, it literally pays to be rich.
I don't particularly mind paying more in taxes, if those taxes were going to something like...say...universal health care for all, or building high speed trains, or making college more affordable for everyone. But...it seems my tax increase is going to fund their tax decrease. It's like Robin Hood in reverse. It's not fair.
The right will respond: But 47% of Americans pay no taxes at all! They pay nothing, and they even get a big refund!
Well...yeah, but those 47% are POOR. Is it so wrong for the poor to not have a tax burden? I guess I must be poor too, because I don't pay any taxes either (mainly because I have two kids, and their tax credit eats away most of the taxes we owe), but I don't get any big refund. I haven't received a big refund since we got the "New Homebuyers Credit" a few years ago. I don't get the "Earned Income Credit" like the very poor get, but I do get the "Child Tax Deduction" and the "Mortgage Interest Deduction", which would both be on the chopping block under Romney.
So...whether I think Obama is doing a good job or not, I have to vote for what's in my best interest, and the candidate that is most likely to hurt me in the pocketbook will be Romney, hands down.
Okay...so you're probably saying "Well, you were going to vote for Obama anyway!" Well..true...but here's a little story. About ten years ago in California, Gray Davis (a democrat) was running against Arnold Schwarzenegger (republican) for Governor. The economy was in terrible shape at the time (and still is). Gray Davis was planning to raise the "Vehicle Registration Fee" at the DMV to an outrageous fee, something like $600 for my car alone. Arnold promised he wouldn't do that, and he would revert the fee back to it's original rate (which was less than $100). On that one issue alone, I voted for Arnold. I didn't want to pay freakin' six hundred dollars! Maybe he screwed the state up in the long run, I don't know. I left California shortly after that and never went back. So..the point is, I'll occasionally vote against my own party if I feel it's in my best interest.
My initial feelings about Romney weren't as bad as they are now. As I've gotten to know more and more about him, the more I dislike and distrust him. He's the epitome of the snake oil salesman. The issue with his taxes isn't helping that image either. The right hounded Obama like crazy for his birth certificate, which he eventually released. Now Romney is getting hounded for his tax returns for the past ten years, which the guy refuses to release. Not that he he's required to, but he should do it just to shut up the democrats. But, I doubt he will. John McCain saw 23 years of Romney's tax returns when he was vetting him for the VP position in 2008. He didn't like what he saw, and went with Sarah Palin instead. That should tell you something. Either it's true that he paid no taxes during those ten years, or there's something else that is equally bad.
I've predicted (more than once), that Obama will likely win in November. Even the media is saying it will be a landslide victory for Obama. I hope it turns out to be true. My bank account just can't afford a Romney victory.
I agree. The new republicans are scary. the moderate ones in Kansas kept this state running quite nicely for many years. But now we have brownback. I hope he's never president.
ReplyDeleteI am concerned about ryan for VP as well. the vp is only a breath away from being prez. scary.
the country seems to be losing any sense of compassion.. compassion has been overwhelmed by capitalism.
You're right. The country that FDR envisioned many years ago is long gone. We don't look out for each other anymore. Now it's every many for himself, and if you're too poor to buy food, then too bad, you should just die.
ReplyDeleteI just woke up this morning to see the news of Paul Ryan as Romney's VP choice. My first thought was "Wow, this is great news. This will be political suicide for Romney."
The democrats just need to remind people that Ryan is the guy who suggested ending Medicare and replacing it with vouchers. That line of thinking isn't very popular.
But the economy is in the toilet. Incumbents rarely win when the economy is in the toilet.
ReplyDeleteThis is also the most divisive period in American politics since 1876. The difference between then and now is that then people got their information from newspapers. Now they get their disinformation from corporate whores who scream as loudly as possible to get the most ratings.
It is much easier today to convince people whatever you want them to believe about their president.
If the Republicans had a stronger candidate, they'd probably win this one. But Romney is pathetic, and by adding Paul Ryan, he just lost the senior citizen vote. There's no way Florida will go to Romney now. Too many AARP members down there.
ReplyDeleteFlorida does not always go whatever way the voters of Florida prefer.
ReplyDeletePaul Ryan has been getting Government Checks since he was a kid! Social Security Survivors Benefits after his father died paid for college; Government Checks as a Congressional aid; 14 years of Government Checks as a Congressman who only passed two pieces of his own legislation, one re-naming a Post Office and the other about bow-hunting arrowheads. The Ryan family's road building business grew rich from millions in Government contracts.
ReplyDelete...and this rich-boy whipper-snapper tells us seniors that we're 'mooches' for expecting the Medicare and Social Security benefits that we PAID INTO all of our working lives??
I don't think so!
Lawrence