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Tuesday, October 11, 2011 | 7:43am
SOUND OFF: If You Were A Billionaire, Would YOU Fight For Economic Reform?
Would you demand that you pay higher tax rates to even the playing field slightly for middle-class Americans?
@uncleRUSH @KanyeWest
Forgive me if I’m making too much of an assumption but I would believe the vast majority if not all of The Nation resides somewhere in the 99% of people NOT in control of America’s wealth. According to their website, Occupy Wall Street is leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The protesters who have LITERALLY been occupying the streets of Lower Manhattan, have been protesting the greed and corruption of the other 1% that they believe are responsible for the country’s financial ills. The non-violent protest has drawn much attention since its start in early September.
Interestingly enough, the protest has been heralded by some of those that clearly reside within that 1%. President Obama has publicly shared that Billionaire poster child, Warren Buffet is outraged with the fact he pays less in taxes (percentage) than his assistant does.
Over the weekend another such 1 percenter, and probably an example more close to home, Russell Simmons ventured outside of his Lower Manhattan home with less-wealthy Kanye West to check out the protest, offer support and listen to what the people had to say.
SOUND OFF: If you were a Billionaire would YOU support the 99% Percent demanding reform of our Financial system?
FILED IN Need to Know
Yes I would, you have to realize that jus’ because you might have money, not everyone does. There are more poor people in the world than rich people. PEACE!!!
Probably not, I would be trying to sustain and progress my wealth, the wealth of those around me and the wealth of those with like mind. Same thing I’m doing even though I’m not a billionaire.
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Any reform would have little to do with me. I havent qualified for any tax breaks for years, my kids will never get a “free ride” for college unless THEY bust their asses for it, I save heavy now or, unless I hit power ball. Unless they rewrite the tax code for middle income families I’m fucked, and if they did that trust and believe they will conjure up a way to get that money they are without from me somehow.
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The Occupy Wall Street movement is more about accountability in my personal opinion. How can the government allow a process to take place by banks and brokerage firms that damn near ruins the economy and NOONE is held accountable but, the poor and middle class has to suffer for it. Almost 1000 in NYC arrested for demonstrating, but NOT ONE banker, trader, broker, or govermnet official is seriously being held accountable for the reason behind the demonstrations. Bank of America, American Express, Well Fargo, Citibank, Chase and other financial institutions making Billions of dollars and still laying off the bottom to middle people while CEO’s and share holders getting over….. Its fucking disgusting.
@Mr Bad Guy
Reform would help you. If they taxed everyone fairly and killed the debt, which is something we could EASILY do by taxing the rich, you would see cuts in your income bracket if the nation is in a surplus.
Fundamentally, logically, and theorically yes you are correct. But I wouldn’t assume that such would automatically happen as assertively you do. In my 31 years, 10 months, and 4 days on the planet I have NEVER noticed taxes to decrease, whether in times of surplus or deficit. So why should I assume that it will be done in the future. The government is run like a business, and businesses LOVE to be in the BLACK. Just because they become profitable doesnt automatically mean it is going to do what is logical, ethical, or moral. If anything they would want to keep the surplus reserve as cushion to insure the ecomony remains in the black.
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Look at the banks that control the economy. They charge their customers ridiculously to access their own funds, Charge non customers ridiculously for using their ATMs, make billions of dollars worth of profit on the loans they sell and the fees and intrest rates they charge, then still lay tens of thousands off…. That shit doesent make sense.
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Look at the NYC school system. The taxes taken from lottery winnings are susposed to go DIRECTLY to help fund the education system, HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR, but every three months teachers and educators are being threatened with layoffs. The first thing cut along with the city budget is eductaion and safety, Police/Firefighters/Hospital workers, whom are some of the lowest paid the the city. That shit doesnt make sense.
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Excuse me for not being as optimistic as you are that the right thing will be done. I have seen the wrong thing done way too many tmes and for far too long.
People need to wake up and realize that the US government is a Gangster! look at the history. They rob, cheat, steal and murder to make sure the “American Way of Life” carries on. They do it all over the world, including right here!
And what is that “way of life,?” you ask. Thank you for asking … (LMAO, sorry, I amuse myself) The rich and powerful continue to be Rich and Powerful, supported by a “middle class,” which also, bears the brunt of supporting a “lower class” or what do the call them these days? “working poor” and the “derelict” welfare recipients, druggies and any other assortment of undesireables one can think of… when this country sends its military to take over sh*t and murder brown/black people around the world, at the cost of hundreds of billions of taxpayers’ dollars, it does so for the benefit of the rich, to perpetuate their Way of Life. The tax-paying middle class is paying that bill. Corporations and rich people certainly aren’t…they pay little to no tax…but I digress…….
to the question, it doesn’t apply to me. I would never be a billionaire. If I ever get a big chunk of money (millions), I would give most of it away and also start some empowering programs that I have in mind, but have always been rejected by local gov’ts I’ve pitched them to….I have a conscience (DAMN!) and could not live in a multi-million dollar home and so on, while so many people live in terrible conditions and so many die daily from not having the most basic thing: a glass of clean water…or an antibiotic….that’s me, to each his own!
If I was, I would be all for it. I always think about what would I do if I was crazy rich, I would pay off family debts, help them out so they could be set for life, help out my closest friends and provide for my community, affordable housing,scholarship programs and etc. We live in a country in which the middle class is slowly disappearing and since Bush came into power and turned this country into what it is now, they only stable type of job is joining the military and that is funny in a sad way becuase if you come from no money and you cant go to college, the military becomes your only option, its like being drafted, without an actual draft. The rich should be held to the same standards as the working stiffs, get the shit taxed out of them and etc, but, we live in a world in which your value is based on possesions and not character.
Yes, I would support reform. I am a registered Republican because I believe in the core values of the Republican party, UNFORTUNATELY the Republican party has forgotten its roots. The government wouldn’t need to be involved as much and shouldn’t be involved as much if we took care of ourselves and EACH OTHER, which is what is suppose to happen in a true capitalist society, which we don’t have, but we earned the right not to have it because we don’t take care of each other. I’ve watched people go from different classes and sadly to say people adapt, it’s like they forget how other people live. The top 1% of rich people surround themselves with other 1%ers and they don’t feel “abnormal” when everyone else around them has 3 cars, 3 houses, a country club membership, a summer home, a boat, and a private jet. They feel like that’s normal and comfortable and not having those things would feel “poor”. We need to raise taxes, take down Wall Street and give people a reality check that they will never give themselves.
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