Forget taxes, it's wages that plague Americans

Forget taxes, it's wages that plague Americans

blogs.reuters.com

Here is how much economic progress America has made in the 21st Century: the average taxpayer’s 2009 income was at the same level as 1997.

Average 2009 income was $54,283, just $18 more than in 1997 when you adjust for inflation, not that anyone would notice a difference of $1.50 a month in their pocket.

And compared to 2007, the last peak year of the economy, average income fell a painful $8,588 or 13.7 percent in real terms. Having $716 less each month is something most people would notice.

(visit the link for the full news article)

So, everyone keeps harping about how people don't pay their fair share of taxes. Well, here you go. It's not that people aren't paying their fair share, it's that they are not making as much as they used to. With unemployment as high as it is, and income not keeping pace with inflation, it's no wonder our country is in debt so badly. So who is to blame? Mega corporations, that's who. they sit on cash that is so enormous, they can't invest it fast enough. So the super rich and the mega corporations are the true enemy!

blogs.reuters.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Average 2009 income was $54,283

Tell me that's per household, because if it's individual then I'm way off the mark by a lot.
I busted my ass working 60-80hrs per week and didn't take home more than $30k back in the late 90s.... doing the same as of 2007, I might have been up to $31k. It's true that income is not matching the rise in prices, and the pay equality is way off the charts unfair.

The CEOs make all the money and the lower workers do all the hard work, the bottom supports the top, pyramid scheme economy, and we wonder why things are backwards.

reply to post by JibbyJedi


Yes, I believe it is according to the article. They said that the term taxpayer could mean married couples filing jointly as the IRS does not keep numbers by individual.

This doesn't come as a surprise to me at all. Americans do make more than a lot of the world, but for our standards of living, our expectations, and so forth, we are making way too little.

If it weren't for the governmental crisis currently going on, one plausible, though awful, solution would be to reduce our standards of living as a whole.

Of course, the problem with that in a general sense is twofold: No one wants to do that, and we shouldn't HAVE to do that. It would be a symptom of what Robert Anton Wilson called the Revolution of Lowered Expectations -- The unceasing idea that there just isn't enough. We're undergoing one right now. The other problem with it is also the problem with all of the other plausible solutions... how the hell do you force the people with all the money to fix it?

They have no reason to reduce their standard of living, and if they dispersed the money, the problem would be solved anyway. So, how do we make them hand out their vast wealth? They're supposed to be the Job-Makers, why aren't they making the jobs?

I think I kind of started rambling there.

reply to post by Solasis


I know what you are saying, and it does make sense. I often wonder how I would be able to just go back to basics, without losing my family. I mean really, what do you need to have a meaningful life? All the computers/xbox/cars/clothes etc. that we purchase are for nothing more than show. "See what I got?" seems to be the norm these days. Of course I have never been a keep up with the Jones's kind of person anyway, but still there is a lot we purchase that really isn't a necessity. As I was walking through my house last night I thought "you know, all I really do here is sleep/eat/bathe. Why is it we feel the need to have thousands of square feet to do it in"?

I remember back to my youth in the 60's and 70's and really it was a simpler time. We had the basics, nothing fancy. We grew most of our food (after my mom remarried and we left section 8 housing), we were clothed and for entertainment, we used our imagination. During the summer we would go to the river and have a picnic and swim. Winter was for sled riding and snowball fights. I don't remember ever going hungry. I may have wanted some of the nice toys others had, but didn't complain. If our kids had to live like we did they would never make it. No TV, no Internet, no xbox, etc. Board games like Monopoly or Sorry were the entertainment of choice. If all of us went back to that style of living I think we would all have a lot more disposable income!

Look at the Pew Report on annual wages earned by black/Hispanic households;
Wealth Gaps Rise to Record Highs Between Whites, Blacks and Hispanics

Just from 2005 to 2009 their income has been slashed nearly in half.

$5,677 for blacks and $6,325 for Hispanics and this is per household. How anyone can maintain a household and support their family on that level if income in a consumerist society like America is depressing. I know of some families that spend nearly that much per month.

Which is ironic considering corporate America is set to turn in another record setting profitable quarter:
Corporate Profits Hit New Record, U.S. Workers Still Struggling
Thanks for nothing, Corporate America

Just all part of the plan to transfer all the wealth into the hands of the corporate elite, and transform the middle class into low-income wage slaves.

Here in Maryland the cost of living has almost always been greater than wages paid. I've seen minimum wage here raised twice in the past 10 years. Back in early 2000's minimum wage was $5.50 an hr. I saw it get raised to $6.50 an hr then to $7.25 an hr where it stands now.

Meanwhile, the cost of living raises every year, if not sooner. That is, of course, unless you have a government job, such as working for the U.S. Census, in which you'll be started out at $11.10 an hour, with a 10% pay raise for any hours worked after 6 pm.

If our government paid their workers the same minimum wage as everyone else, we might be capable of paying off some of our debt. I don't see why someone talking on the phone all day should be paid a considerable amount more than someone who deals with angry customers all day.

There is a tax and a wage problem stop trying to make it seem like just fixing one problem will fix everything else.

Eliminate the Income Tax
Enforce Corporate and Capital gains (as in actually collect on them) at 30%
That way the workers can increase their spending and begin actually building capital.

Most of the money in this country is "earned" by the top 10% in the form of capital gains. The waged workers (including high income earners) end up paying the brunt of taxes when they were never meant to.

Check the stats on how much corporations actually pay in taxes, F them they are not people why are we rewarding inhuman entities as though they were. Reward the people not the system.

IMHO taxes and the devaluation of the dollar are the main problems..... It doesnt matter if you got paid 5 dollars an hour if bread is only 30 cents a loaf and gas 99 cents.

We are printing to much money and exporting our manufacturing both destroying the dollar. With lower taxes we would have more american compaines therefore more taxes from the business and the workers.


- edit also making sure corporations pay taxes like GE wonder if GE manufactured obama we should check for a made in china logo on obamas ass

reply to post by MasterGemini


Thank you so much for speaking sense.

reply to post by haarvik


Even worse...you have complete fools like Bachmann who want to remove minimum wages