You know, in all this talk about “greed,” in the normal list of evil, greedy people (including corporations, who qualify as “people” on the greed scale but aren’t “people” when it comes to giving their money away), have you noticed that greedy politicians are never included?
As I sit here, making my low wage (which still pays the bills thanks to not being in debt and God being very gracious to me), I have been fuming again over politicians who seem to think that every dollar in existence belongs to them. Indeed, the thinking seems to be that whatever I’m left with after they bend me over and fleece me (because I don’t qualify for any poor-folk gimmicks to get out of paying income taxes) is due to THEIR good graces.
Most politicians seem to live for one thing — power. They pass laws and regulations because it allows them to control the people and force them to do “this” or “that.” The tax code is the biggest tool in their arsenal,whereby they can punish those whom they determine aren’t behaving correctly or for whom the politicians have determined have too much. Then, these same politicians can use the tax code to buy votes. That’s why only 53% of Americans pay income tax. The other 47% get off scot-free on income taxes and even get paid by the government after all is said and done.
So, the 47% (or those who think they are in that bracket, thus the “99%” number) complain about evil corporations and CEOs and love the oh-so-wonderful Big Government, because in the hands of the CORRECT politicians, the Government cares about you…like a mother, or a father, or even a Big Brother. Oddly enough though, as the 47% are looking elsewhere and thinking Big Brother cares for them, Big Brother is still raping them, only the 47% are too dumb (thanks to our wonderful education system) to realize it.
You see, most politicians of BOTH PARTIES are just as evil and greedy as the CEO’s the 47% loathe. In addition to their lust for power, their greed for all monies knows no end. If you think I’m wrong, have you ever stopped and taken a look at all of the taxes you pay?
Back when I was unemployed in 2008, I needed to make a budget to spend as LITTLE money as possible and still survive until I found a job. I got rid of things like the satellite dish and scaled back other items like the phone. So, while my phone bill went to a basic tier of $10/month, the taxes were $15/month! That’s right, I pay MORE in taxes on my phone than I do for the blasted service. I cut my cell phone bill to ~$22/month, but there too, taxes boost the bill back up to ~$37/month! My electric bill? All sorts of taxes and fees. Gas bill? Ditto. My house? Taxed heavily despite the falling property values. I need something at the store? I’m taxed. I get a tiny bit of revenue online? I’m taxed. I have to call a repairman to fix a critical, electrical problem at my house? I’m taxed. Buy gas? I’m taxed. Time to re-register the car? Nothing but a tax. Oh, and I have to have an emissions test for my car registration? More taxes and payment for “services rendered” made to state employees, thus another tax. On and on and on it goes.
That’s why whenever I hear these bastard politicians crying about people paying their fair share or blasting the greed of others, my wrath gets kindled, not at the targets the politicians point to, but at the politicians themselves.
To make matters worse, the state I live in decided that they so desperately wanted tax revenues, even if from out of state purchases, that they passed a tax law targeting Amazon EVEN THOUGH THE COURTS HAD RULED AGAINST THE STATES. Basically, my state and others who’ve passed these so-called “Amazon tax” laws decided to say “FU!” to the Supreme Court and do an end-round and get their greedy paws into Amazon’s coffers (because politicians have votes to buy and all money should be theirs anyway to redistribute as they see fit). It is looking like the Federal courts will be shooting down these laws, but we’ll wait and see.
So, in the name of “helping the little people” and “making sure an evil corporation pays their fair share,” the state passes their Amazon tax and Amazon basically fires all of us associates in the state. Of course, I’m not supposed to look at the results of these greedy politicians actions, only their good intentions. I’m supposed to be mad at the evil corporation who wouldn’t pay their fair share. While I am a bit annoyed at Amazon, my wrath is still pointed at you, elected bozos!
You see, after my unemployment period of a decade ago, I became a contractor for a giant corporation I liked to call “The Company.” A month after they hired me as a contractor (less pay, less benefits than the regular employees), “The Company” decided that contractors were paid to much and told contracting companies that they’d be paid 5% less on all contracts. Naturally, these contracting companies need to maintain a certain profit level and so passed the 5% cut onto the contractors. When irritated contractors confronted management people of “The Company” to complain, the official response was, “We didn’t cut your pay. We simply reduced the rates we paid your contracting company. If you have a problem with your rate of pay, we suggest you talk it over with your contracting company. Have a nice day!”
No contractor I knew blamed their contract company for the 5% pay cut. That’s because we all knew from whence it originated — “The Company.”
So today, the idiots that run our state legislature say, “We didn’t have your affiliate income taken away. We simply wanted Amazon’s money and they wouldn’t pay us because they are EVIL. If you have a problem with not getting paid, we suggest you tell Amazon to pay their fair share and stop harming people like yourself. Have a nice day and remember, we care about you so make sure to vote to keep us in office in the next election!” Well, I’m not blaming amazon because I know whom to blame — the GREEDY POLITICIANS IN THE GOVERNMENT!
You know, I still sell stuff for Amazon, only now, I do it for free. I do it for spite. My state not only isn’t getting their precious Amazon tax, but now they get no income tax from me either on the sales I made ther. So even though I’m not supposed to judge the results, only the good intentions, I say, “was it really worth it to pass a greedy Amazon tax?” Bozos!