If Bernie Sanders is president the amount in additional taxes I would pay equals a new Honda Civic

originally posted by: lightedhype
It blows my mind people spending over 100k a yr. Like how? Seriously i dont get it.

I work with some very very wealthy clients, and they do it year after year. I am sure they enjoy themselves, but I could show them a great time for less than 5 grand.

originally posted by: ketsuko

If you are talking about a small business owner, their business and personal income are often not separate things. They may report a personal income that large, but what it translates to for purposes of what they and their family live on can often be as little as $50 or $60K/year.

Well, they're doing it wrong then aren't they.

If you are reporting something larger than what you're actually making because your business is actually making that extra money then my guess is that you should report it that way. Why would anyone report that they make $250,000 if they really only make $50,000 and their business is making the other $200,000???

a reply to: burdman30ott6

I happen to know for a FACT that the vast majority of people on some form of government assistance actually work in some capacity. They aren't slinking around, scheming about ways to scam the system and steal from everyone.

I know this from intimate knowledge gained from people who actually process the applications and interview the people who get these benefits.

Is there fraud? Sure, there's fraud in every kind of system -- but it's not systemic, and it certainly is the exception, not the norm -- and the actual reality is nowhere close to the reality you've created in your head.

originally posted by: mOjOm

originally posted by: ketsuko

If you are talking about a small business owner, their business and personal income are often not separate things. They may report a personal income that large, but what it translates to for purposes of what they and their family live on can often be as little as $50 or $60K/year.

Well, they're doing it wrong then aren't they.

If you are reporting something larger than what you're actually making because your business is actually making that extra money then my guess is that you should report it that way. Why would anyone report that they make $250,000 if they really only make $50,000 and their business is making the other $200,000???

I actually do taxes for a living, and on a Schedule C, you need to report the actual profits of the business, if it a sole proprietorship, you pay ordinary income taxes on it, as well ass self employed earnings, means you pay the employer half of SS and medicare.

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
a reply to: burdman30ott6

I happen to know for a FACT that the vast majority of people on some form of government assistance actually work in some capacity. They aren't slinking around, scheming about ways to scam the system and steal from everyone.

I know this from intimate knowledge gained from people who actually process the applications and interview the people who get these benefits.

Is there fraud? Sure, there's fraud in every kind of system -- but it's not systemic, and it certainly is the exception, not the norm -- and the actual reality is nowhere close to the reality you've created in your head.

^^ this right here. But the people of the state of Florida, elected the guy convicted of the largest Medicaid fraud in the country as Governor.

a reply to: MystikMushroom

Is there fraud? Sure, there's fraud in every kind of system -- but it's not systemic, and it certainly is the exception, not the norm

I would think the majority would likely be older retired people.

However they also likely payed into the system for 50 years so they can retire and cash in their reward before they die. Likely 5 to 10 years after retirement based on the average life span of 70 something if I recall.

No matter how we look at it the system is jacked up.

a reply to: BubbaJoe

how do we stop the corruption and greed?

A start might be

1. Congregational term limits

2. campaign financing reform.

3. Lobbying reform

4. doing away with super-pacs

5. closing Revolving door between gov't and private sector

6. Transparency

focus on the real problem

a reply to: BubbaJoe

Ok, then you really did make 250,000 dollars then.

a reply to: mOjOm

Because the crooks at the IRS tax both the business and the proprietor, effectively double-dipping?

Damned vampires, the whole lot of them, and here we sit with people calling for more work for those bastards.

a reply to: BubbaJoe

I think the military spends too much money on contractors. I was an H60 crew chief in the army. We had DynCorp contractors working with us both in garrison and deployment. They didn't do anything that soldiers going through AIT couldn't be taught by extending the curriculum and going deeper into the airframe.

It would cost the army hundreds of millions of dollars less to internalize the aviation branch maintenance programs.

Same would go for most, if not all, of the maintenance programs currently conducted by the military. We're talking billions in savings, which would free up training time for maintainers and aircrews.

The way the military procures weapons is also wasteful. They have spent two years "testing" weapons that have a long track record in law enforcement and military organizations around the world. But they insist on spending millions on "testing".

Development and support contracts we'll never get rid of, but the process should be transparent and in the public eye because there is a ton of favoritism and bull# going on that leaves the average soldier SOL on what he/she actually needs- which is the best training ad the most time available to train, best possible equipment, decent pay, and clear objectives.

There are those that think they spend too much on the military, some think they spend too much on the poor, some think they spend too much on the elderly. Why don't you take a stance, and say where they spend too much?

I think you're trying to lead the conversation in a certain direction. The inference that the only two sides are spend everything or watch grandpa die is childish and doesn't meet with reality.

a reply to: ketsuko
1. That high of taxes wouldn't be necessary if the poor were paid humanely, if the rich focused more on charity, and corporations weren't siphoning every penny out of the public.

2. Believing success is the same as a large salary is stupid. Carnegie isremembered for his libraries. John Jacob Astor was just a rich bastard.

a reply to: DBCowboy

Bernie would get rid of Obamacare. He supports single payer. There would be no more "medical insurance," which is a good thing because insurance is the main reason medicine costs so much. I realize this sounds counter-intuitive, but it's an absolute fact. With hundreds of different insurance options all willing to pay different amounts for the same procedures, doctors bill the highest rate so they can get the largest insurance pay-out, despite the fact that they do not expect to ever get paid what they bill.

a reply to: MystikMushroom



Yeah right!!! Obama said that and guess what our taxes went through the roof.

originally posted by: Puppylove
If you're making 250,000 a year and are complaining about roughly 50 thousand dropping you to 200000 thousand a year.... cry me a river as I play the world's smallest violin for you.

Sounds like You are ate up with Envy. You don't know what the OP has done in His life to earn the money He earns. I for one make a decent wage but I go out of country and work on boats for a living to do it. Maybe if You would sacrifice like Me maybe You could make decent money too.

originally posted by: ketsuko

originally posted by: Puppylove
If you're making 250,000 a year and are complaining about roughly 50 thousand dropping you to 200000 thousand a year.... cry me a river as I play the world's smallest violin for you.

If you are talking about a small business owner, their business and personal income are often not separate things. They may report a personal income that large, but what it translates to for purposes of what they and their family live on can often be as little as $50 or $60K/year.

Don't forget they also pay MORE taxes then an employed person. I lost My job 3 years ago and had to go contract labor. Now I am considered self employed I get to pay an extra 7 percent in taxes just for social security.

a reply to: Puppylove



No You wouldn't. You are speaking like a typical liberal and to be honest You sound pretty sad. Most people that make that much money do so by sacrificing a large portion of their lives to get it. Contrary to what You believe there is no magical faerie that flies around blessing people like this. I have made 3 to 4 times more than the average family in My state but it came at an outrageous cost. The first year I ever made 6 figures I made it while making 11.50 an hour with a nice bonus at the end of the year. Now that might sound like a lie but at that time I was paid 11.50 an hour for every hour I was away from home and I would leave 2-3 months at a time. Now please stop hating on people because You don't know the sacrifices they made to support their families.

a reply to: TrueBrit


The only problem with Your theory is from My perspective I'm the one that ends up getting taxed when people like You vote for higher taxes. I'm having a hard enough time keeping a roof over My families head without someone voting for more taxes. The last presidential election idiots ran out and voted for someone that would save the middle class and tax the evil rich man. Now since He has been in office I lost My healthcare and pay higher taxes while the rich get richer and government workers get more perks. So when is enough enough for people like You? Should I spend 9 months on a boat working for free and keep 3 months of My day rates? I might as well become a slave at that point but then again My wellbeing isn't a concern of Yours or anyone voting for freebies.

a reply to: Puppylove


You do realize to earn that much money You have to live in an area with higher cost of living? You can live pretty decent on 30k a year in the country but that won't go far in the city. Hell if You could get 30k a year living in the country that's a damn good job if You don't have to travel.

originally posted by: Irishhaf
I will be all on board with Bernie's tax plan as soon as you can show me how is he going to stop the wealthy from moving their money to a place he cant get at it?

His entire plan is predicated on soaking the rich right? So the entire plan is predicated on going after the one group of people in America that have the wealth/connections needed to move the majority to all of their wealth to a place he cant touch it...

What happens if he gets elected and everyone that can moves their wealth to a safe place form the tax man... oh yea whats left of the middle class dies.

They could raise the income tax for rich people 100% and it still wouldn't hurt them one bit because they make 100% of their money by capital gains which is a 10% tax. Rich people do not work for a living because their money works for them and until You tax that then You can vote all You want for higher taxes but it still won't change one bit. Do You actually think congress is going to pass a tax on themselves? You do realize congress makes a lot of money under the table with stocks in companies that suddenly get federal contracts.

a reply to: MystikMushroom


Since when do taxes ever go down? Government always runs at a deficit and they will always need money. So please tell Me how our taxes are going to mysteriously go down when they are always passing new taxes. My state just doubled My property tax and healthcare is now to expensive because rates have more than doubled due to ACA. The sales tax in My state is also going up along with the alcohol and smoking tax.