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The luxury of taxing the poor

  2. echoz
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Are taxes being levied fairly when it comes to the rich and the poor?

PBS NOW correspondent David Brancaccio investigates and finds that, for the rich and those doing their bidding in government, their obstinance is their bliss. Many states are providing corporate welfare on massive scales to big business interests in the context of "providing jobs" that do very little to alleviate crippling poverty in the communities they exploit with staggeringly inadequate wages and benefits--and this even after decades within those very communities their presence was expected to improve.

While most of the rich carefully concern themselves about which set of new clubs may best improve their golf game, working class families are irresponsibly left to teeter on the edge of complete destruction for the privilege of footing the bills for so many of those very luxuries the rich enjoin for themselves.

It is a fact that growing numbers ***within the United States*** are barely subsisting, often in poor conditions, and often going hungry without food, and without so many of just the basic "necessities" most of us take for granted every day. (Perhaps you should read that again.)

Watch and learn about reality in the land in of the "free", because if it's true you may not be rich, you certainly are paying for it.
echoz

14 responses // The luxury of taxing the poor

  • ugh!
    echoz
  • Thanks for posting this. It's what I've been stating all along. Corporate welfare is loosely justified under the premise that the private sector will innovate and provide jobs. They do exactly that. Unfortunately most of the jobs provided go to China and India. Therefore the government is taking our money, giving it to large corporations who in turn provide jobs in third world countries. Given that under US tax laws their overseas profits aren't taxable they literally provide NOTHING in return for the money we give them. They do however provide a lot of lucrative donors for the Republican party.

    If anyone is interested in the details of this I highly recommend reading "Perfectly Legal" and "Free Lunch" by David Cay Johnson (a card carrying republican no less). You will be appalled.
    recommended by  jubal, huntre
    Mark701
  • This is something to think the next time your city wants to give tax breaks to Wal-Mart or Target. You can bet they would laugh their collective butts off if a Mom and Pop retailer came in and asked for tax relief. The same who are against any kind of assistance for those living below the poverty level seem to have no problem with corporate welfare. Same for people who make millions and their accountants get them refunds. Wake up. Focus and vote.
    recommended by  huntre, jubal
    bluestranger
    1 response to this
  • the rich get richer and the poor get poorer
    Bren589
  • This is probably the biggest reason the IRS should be abolished its policies are more favorable to the big corporations and less to people who make less than thirty thousand a year. If the monetary policy was not so screwed up and the dollar was backed by something viable the working class dollars would go father.The everyday working man does not tax attorney to find loopholes in the system where they pay little or no tax
    TexasPatriot67
    1 response to this
  • thanks for the heads up looks great!
    CarolynGillis
  • Notice that ethnicity is clearly obviously seperate in economical standing? Oh Alabama, how you still suck so much...
    onechance
  • This is precisely why my Fridays nights are spent tuned to PBS. It's these kinds of investigations that get little to no airtime from other sources.
    Great post.
    huntre
  • this country wants to bring democracy to the middle east. what about Alabama. how they try to justify it was the most frustrating to me. a politician saying "money doesn't make you happy" when he caters to the wealthy. maybe you need to be rich to understand his point of view.
    deane
    1 response to this
  • Thank you, echoz and pissedoffinarkansas. What a sad and sickening story. Low taxes are very important, but they are important across the board. This story didn't even raise the topic of the "inflation" tax that wreaks havoc on the poor and middle class.

    I'd also like to point out that their public school system failing to prepare them to change the system and/or challenge their leaders is no coincidence.
    Hawkmang
  • I saw this one about a month ago! It's not surprising. Alabama is one of those "Good 'ol boy" states! It's a horrible trend while the legislators pick on the poor.

    California is no exception. Central California cities have raised it's local taxes. To boot, there was an article that rank it's lowest earnings within 4 congression districts, of which one ended up dead last within the United States! Even lower than the poorest of Appalachia!

    Fortunately, these cities in California, that have raised their sales taxes, have done so by choice in an election process. It is all above board. These poor folks in Alabama didn't have a choice.
    rasting

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