GWiz

Ahhh yes, the vagaries and fallacies of "statistics"... Summary of Collections Before Refunds by Type of Return, FY 2009 [1] Gross Collections (Millions of $) 1,175,422 225,482 858,164 46,632 3,094 21,583 ______________ 2,330,377 Which is well over 2.3 TRILLION dollars collected by the Fed. Gov. in the United States (2009)... (excludes SS taxes) Do the top 2% of "rich" Americans pay well over 1 TRILLION dollars in "income tax"? NO! It's a little more "complicated" than that... http://www.irs.gov/taxstats/article/0 However, even if "statistically" true, as a percentage of wealth, would YOU rather be one of the TOP 2% of Americans having their money or part of the 13.2% of American households earning less than $50,000.00 annually? Who feels "taxes" (even if near 0) more?

NO, absolute TRUTH is not "nonsense" it's "sense" and FACT... Look it up...

What do you consider "rich", people earning less than $1 MILLION NET ANNUALLY or those earning above? Perhaps you're considering everybody earning over the median income "rich"? Median household income, 2008 $52,029 Persons below poverty level, percent, 2008 13.2% http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html

Now you're arguing with yourself... Believe me there is no part of WESTERN Europe (or Eastern Europe for that matter) that would consider the U.S.'s "garbage dumps" gold mines... If you disagree NAME the countries you refer to... I've been to and through a goodly part of Europe AND Asia thanks... That's my point my friend, mostly they ARE developed, very nicely at that, but in parts of Asia not on a par with the U.S. and Canada, more like Mexico I'd say... Perhaps it's YOU that needs to get out more because you seem "stuck" in a world that existed over 20 years ago...

Prove it... And tell me which of those "wage earners" you consider "rich" in the sense BC_2004 stated it?

That's PURE BS BC, and you know it... Not even if they paid 100% of their annual earnings would that be true...

BC, do you know how sad and desperate downward comparisons like that look and sound? If you have to resort to a "better than" (especially to 3rd world undeveloped and underdeveloped countries) arqument my friend things are even worse than I thought in America today, and that "you guys" know it...

I dunno about that, that may be a change that's closer than you think, as I've mentioned to you before I believe... At 110 Million (1/3 of Americans) that's going up into the "so called" middle class isn't it?

Nope, no Hutch's, just Skinners and Half Moon, look 'em up... Here's the Schedule - http://cl.exct.net/?qs=badf5886609b3751ac895cdce5778ff36cb03075b3b92089d60f0bbf974675e9 Mosquito infested Ivor Wynne stadium, veeerry inteeresting, but stupid (Laugh In)... Shouldn't you be more worried about which QB will show up for the Smog City pussy cats on game day, hot shot Kevin or also ran Kevin, instead of Buck??? It's those Mc.D brainfries getting to you I'll bet... You need some "fresh air"! Let me know when next you're heading for the Peg and I'll take you out fishin' (FISH not girls) in my boat if you're interested...

Wrong expression... PROBABLE!!!

Naaaa, but you're right, it is pretty simple, there's the haves and then there's the haves, the rest just aren't... Ooops, I mean - 1. (Interesting stat I heard last night - richest 400 people in the U.S. = 110 MILLION poorest Americans, sustainable? Maybe not...)

Don't leave Moroney here in Canada out of that equation, eh... Would it be pushing the envelope to say it's ONLY worked for the richest 2-3% (that were rich to begin with for the most part) and not just "ordinary folks" (whatever that means)... Although people like Bill Gates et al that came out of the "computer age" I'd have to also classify as "ordinary folk"... It's complicated...

pssst, did you notice that littls GRAPH in the corner showing what's happening since about 2000? (MOONSHOT rise)...

Got you beat... Longest and largest fresh water white sand beaches in the world along both sides of Lake Winnipeg about 45 min. from my back door... The fishin's not bad either in Manitoba's 100,000 ++ lakes and rivers, hell I don't even need to leave the city to catch record sized CAT FISH on the Red... Hmmm, that reminds me, did you see my post about the CFL schedule and your "pussy cats"?

Nice place to visit but you wouldn't want to live there? - 26c WC - 35c, a "balmy" day in Winnipeg... I LOVE IT! Truism... No matter how COLD it gets, one can add and layer clothing to stay warm and be reasonably comfortable... But when it gets HOT, there are only so many clothes that one can take off... - GWiz

Thing about back yards is they need maintenance, lots of expensive maintenence, and the simple FACT that without that back yard, which you seem to dismiss so out of hand, the HOUSE becomes unsustainable... So when are you leaving?

Mouthy!

Ummm, you do know that Wisconsin had a SURPLUS budget prior to Walker coming in, right? http://www.doa.state.wi.us/debf/execbudget.asp

Hey I'm there with you guys but they're avoiding my post like the plague...

Really sad that the NUTJOBS are at it again on this thread...

Now while I freely admit I'm kinda new here and certainly don't know much about most of the people registered on this board I have to say that from what I've seen so far, the sensible and sound request you make, is darn near impossible to find here...

Ahhh yes, you're not a (paid) "teacher" are you? That's OK, neither am I, I teach for FREE... Nor I take it did you ever get taught by a GOOD teacher... Because if you had been you'd surely know that one of "the facts of life" is "you get what you pay for" and "as ye sow, so shall ye reap" which in many ways is saying the same thing... GOOD people in any "walk of life" have many options that less qualified people do not... It's YOUR choice everyTIME what level of people are left to "fit your needs"...

My friend me thinks you just gave that nail a splitting headache...

Yeah, 40 student sized classrooms will be so much better for the economic future of Wisconsin... Fewer cops, firemen, EMTs, and beaurocracy means spending days instead of hours to get any public issues heard nevermind addressed and that will make the people of Wisconsin feel so much better about the state they live in... I fully understand that premis... Does a lot of the public in Wisconsin carry guns? Might be something to consider pertaining to this issue... Just sayin'

Naaa, I think this TIME Harper will "misread" the tealeaves and WANT an election thinking all the ducks are lining up in a row nicely... The thing about ducks though is one never knows when a gun may go off and those ducks fly away in different directions... You have to admit that Harper has left a LOT of deadly (to Harper's aspirations of a majority) guns lying around for somebody to use... But who knows, right now Layton is running around trying to hide all those guns hoping that Harper can't find them either and not just the Libs... The Bloc may even be helping Layton hide them...