As a registered Libertarian I don’t have a viable dog in the fight for the presidency. But as a taxpayer and citizen, I am more than a little concerned who ultimately wins out. The key issue for me is not just gas prices, the war, or whether to hug or throttle Nancy Pelosi. The key issue for me is whose definition of rich wins out.
McCain commented recently that someone with a net worth of 5 million dollars falls into that category--I ain’t there yet. Obama, on the other hand, lowers the bar significantly. Under the Obama Nation, $250,000 a year slaps you with the rich label and slates you to be taxed aggressively.
Hold on, I make more that $250,000, but I don’t feel rich. My house is modest, my ride is a Hyundai and the last shopping spree I went on was at Costco… the churro at the food court was delicious by the way.
With two ex-wives and two college-age daughters there is plenty of income redistribution going on in my life without the help of the government. Granted, I make more than many of my peers, but I wish Mr. Obama would consider the three things with my disposable income:
1. I indulge in the occasional facial and massage… I’m metro sexual that way.
2. I participate in more than my fair share of fantasy football leagues… I’m a pathetic loser that way.
3. I put my money into launching new businesses… I’m a believer in the American Dream that way.
On the side from my day job, I am currently employing a programmer, a business/QA analyst, a marketing consultant and an office assistant to help me launch www.brainstorm101.org – a Web 2.0 site designed to help public sector professionals share ideas and create shared solutions to problems that vex local, state and Federal government. Getting government to run more efficiently… hmmm… correct me if am wrong, but isn’t “Change” a hot topic right now.
Obama, please hear this… If my taxes go up, the people working with me are out of a job. The site is in the early adoption phase, and without cash infusions from my personal savings there is no way we can continue to operate. It’s a simple formula: keep my taxes reasonable, I continue to invest and jobs are created. It really is that simple!
This isn’t a theory. It’s reality. Why don’t tax happy politicians see that? I’m sorry Mr. Obama, but if you really want what’s best for the American people, maybe it’s your thinking on the definition of rich and the real impact of increased taxes that needs to change.
I'm not on the McCain bandwagon, but Barack scars me. Increased taxes have never revitalized an economy. Look what happened when Carter raised the capital gains tax. Then look what happened when Reagan cut taxes.
Posted by: Ben | August 25, 2008 at 11:22 AM
Would you like an updated version of my classic, "Cooking on a Budget," aka, "The Provident Homemaker in the Kitchen"? Perhaps you need to review exactly how much you could save per year by cutting up your own chickens. (I wonder how many people who are googling "cutting up chickens" will land on your site. Readership may go way up. I'll bet they are they types that your blog would resonate with.)
Posted by: Wendy | August 23, 2008 at 06:46 PM
Makes sense to me. I was having dinner the other night with a couple of real estate investors who explained that everyone in that business knows that when the govenment meddles by raising taxes on the sale of investment properties, the sale of said properties goes way down, and the gov nets much less than they did when they left things alone. Where is Reagan????
Posted by: anita | August 22, 2008 at 01:16 PM