I don't get the thinking behind those who do not want to raise our taxes during this financial crisis. I am willing to do my small part.
First, I am definitely not in the upper 2% of wealthy people. I make it month to month, and had a year's-worth of furlough days end a few months ago. I see more furlough days ahead, what with the latest news from Gov Brown, but I am happy I have a job and it seems stable. I get no subscriptions of any kind; no bottled water; rare meals out; don't belong to any group charging a membership fee; and I even dumped my cable TV, internet, and land line over a year ago. The upsides? I have a job; I am buying more vegies (better for me); my electric bill has gone way down; I read more; home projects are getting done; I socialize more; and I now have a cell phone! It cost me a whopping $14—text and voice only ... no photos, no internet, no instant posting to, well, to anything except this blog.
All that being said, does it seem right that taxes are not being raised or extended on everyone to get us out of our financial mess? Heck, I would chip in another 1% for 'the cause.' Can't the richest of us do it, too, eschewing all those tax loopholes not available to my tax bracket? I'm not seeing this as punishment for them being financially well off, but as them 'giving back' to this country ... a act of support to prime the industrial pump a bit, to help the means of production stay afloat so those who make the widgets can take care of their families.
Forcing layoffs hurts us all: Fewer tax dollars are collected; our unemployment payouts increase; dropped health insurance means that expensive emergency rooms are used more; inability to pay mortgages puts more foreclosed homes on the market, causing a glut of in the market. Couldn't this be greatly mitigated with maybe an extra 1% in taxes instead of forcing people out of their jobs? Does the current strategy make sense to you?
Okay, you may now officially dub me Ms Information! I told you up front that I'm not political.
