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Author Topic: Washington State Legislators are Digging Themselves Into A Hole Barry Floyd Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1079 From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 01-15-2003 09:54 AM                        Leo... surely your joking?? IRA (Individual Retirement Account). I've always agreed with the idea that we should be able to "opt out" of Social Security, and have the ability to make our own investments in the open market. I wouldn't even mind a small portion of my S/S deduction to continue to be sent to the S/S administration to continue the funding for the existing needs of the fund. However, I'd like the ability to make my own choices with my own money. If I crash and burn... it's my fault. If I don't save my money for retirement... it's my fault, and I shouldn't be able to come back to the goverment for a free handout if I do crash or don't save. I think that you must either take the money and solely invest it for retirement or you must continue with the standard S/S deductions are they are now. Speaking of Governors... our beloved Don Sundquist here in Tennessee has three more days in office... and we're all looking forward to seeing him go. I'd personally pay for his U-Haul if I could. He tried "unsuccessfully" 3 times to impose a state income tax on the citizens of this state, even though he ran on a campaign of "NO STATE INCOME TAX"... twice!  |  IP: Logged Greg Mueller Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1687 From: Port Gamble, WA Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-15-2003 10:34 AM                        Coming in late on this thread.... Paul I've often wondered why the government doesn't have to do like it's citizens. If I have an "off" month or two, I know that I have to spend less. Why doesn't the govt have to do that? Why now with all the $ problems in this state are we talking about spending 14 billions on a monorail which is nothing more than a token (geewhiz) transit system. I'm really leaning towards a system by which the users of anything pay for it. Ferries, Bridges, Schools etc. What does a farmer in E Wash care about the Kingston-Edmonds ferry? I think what I'm angling towards is financial responsibility. Maybe put more of the load of taking care of ones needs on the individual rather than some government entity? Income tax Don't get me started. Progressive income tax is a punishment for success. Do I get to use anymore of anything because I get gaffed by IRS, and have to pay a higher percentage than the guy driving next to me on the freeway? Why do successful people have to pay $0.38 of every dollar when less successful ones pay 0. Wouldn't it be much more fair if we all had to give 10% flat? A successful person would still be paying more but not progressively more. Progressive income tax is the greatest stifler of the economy as far as I'm concerned. Ok I'm better now Steve G what's that gizmo you're standing in back of in your pic?  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 01-15-2003 01:23 PM                        Bob and Barry - mention the acronym 'IRA' to anyone in this part of the world and it would mean Irish Republican Army! An individual retirement account is what we'd call a personal pension. Talk about crossed wires!  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-15-2003 01:41 PM                     State income tax is just another way to rip people off. I read in the paper the other day that our flat rate sales tax is unfair to the poor. That's what the poiliticians want us to believe. Seems to me that if you buy something from Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Radio Shack, or whatever - the amount of sales tax on a given item is still the same, whether you make $100 per week of $2,000 per week. That horse's assed belief of "sales tax puts a burden on low-income people" is bullshit. Most states have state sales tax instituted anyway, so what the hell is the difference? On top of that, most states (with the exception of two) also have state income tax. Seems like a double whammy to me. A person is not only paying a percentage across the board when they buy someting, but that same person is saddled with an additional tax for the state on his gross earnings. State income tax is nothing more that a method for the weasles to extract more money out of the pocket of everyone. State income tax is not going to fix anything. California, Wisconsin, and a bunch of others are badly in dept right along with us. That just proves it. While I was in North Dakota this past holiday season, I picked up a copy of a Minneapolis, Minnesota newspaper that had an article about Minnesota's governor. In that article, it stated that the typical governor is nothing more than a snake charmer. I can tell you one thing..... Our governor in Washington certainly failed in charming my snake. Anyway, I brought the newspaper back with me to save. However, Poopers accidently pee'd on the floor, and I used the front page of the newspaper to soak it up.  |  IP: Logged Barry Floyd Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1079 From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 01-15-2003 02:00 PM                        Here in Tennessee, instead of a State Income tax, we got a new sales tax structure, but it's so complicated that not many people understand it. A good example (this is TRUE) Candy is supposed to be taxed at the highest rate, 9.25 percent. But Twix and Kit Kat, because they contain flour, are considered food, and taxed at a rate of 8.25 percent rate. We've always had sales tax on food, but it varies depending on what you buy. Another example, Deli Foods in the grocery store. If you go back to the deli counter and buy a roasted chicken it's taxed at 9.25%, but if you go over to the meat cooler, you can buy the same chicken - not cooked, and it's taxed at 8.25%. Makes perfect sense!!  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-15-2003 02:43 PM                     Barry, a long time ago they tried something similar to that here. It got so confusing, the merchants didn't know what to and what not to tax. Food is not taxed in this state now, (it used to be) providing it was purchased in a grocery store. However, any "prepared food" such as what you buy in a deli, convenience store, or restaurants and is taxed full bore. Sales tax on services .... That can be a disaster. Can you see the problems if a doctor had to place a sales tax on a major heart operation? How about hospitals? Sales tax on a hospital stay? You know what that would do to health insurance premiums? Naturally, it'll drive them sky high....as they are now!  |  IP: Logged Ray Brown Expert Film Handler Posts: 111 From: Dayton, WA, USA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 01-15-2003 08:31 PM                        Hey Paul, Ken, Jack, & Greg, remember this little pissy fit our senate threw last year? State Senate Loses French Chefs  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-15-2003 08:56 PM                     Yes, I remember that one..... Jeeze! Kinda makes you wonder about these people, doesn't it? Oh, by the way - today's paper mentioned that Gov Locke cautions the legislature about raising taxes....NO SHIT, Dick Tracy!!! I think one answer is what many have said so far. Live within the means. I always thought a budget should be based on what is available, not what they think they can bilk out of us. Yet, they count the chickens before they are hatched anyway.  |  IP: Logged Ray Brown Expert Film Handler Posts: 111 From: Dayton, WA, USA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 01-15-2003 09:38 PM                        Mike Hewitt the senator from my district signed that letter. Here's the local article Here I'm driving a 15 year old Nissan and work 40+ hours a week and he's worried about having a french chef prepare his meal. quote: Oh, by the way - today's paper mentioned that Gov Locke cautions the legislature about raising taxes Hey Gary, I think it's a lil to late......  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-15-2003 10:30 PM                     Steve G., Monorail is THE most expensive to build and maintain transit system ever developed. Just ask Washington State, or Disney about that! I don't dislike it...its actually pretty cool and I agree with the fact that it takes less real estate, but you will see Mag Lev replace just about everything else in human rail transportation out there over the next 50 to 75 years. The Germans have gotten it to a very highly developed form of transport which will only become much more efficient, and cheaper, and cheaper as time marches on. I've always seen Monorail as stand between gimmick thats allowing us to bide time in that narrow real estate realm till more efficient and cost effective transport systems come into being. All in all the monorail has had a VERY short lifespan so far. Mark  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-15-2003 10:34 PM                     Hey Paul, So the Senate gets The French Chef's.....Who was serving the House Members....Ronald McDonald? These guys should be crucified....made to eat at a local bar nearby where they are in full view of all the public, and all the cops eating lunch! Mark  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-16-2003 12:04 AM                     And today....another laugh. Right next to the newspaper column where the Gov Gary Babe cautioned the legislature about raising taxes, there was another about the city of Burlington is going to ask the voters for a $1.5 million hand-out so they can build a new fire station in March! It is going to cost another 60 bucks a year on property taxes for the next 20 years if your home is ASSessed at $150,000. I am sure the county ASSessors will insure that it is and the assessed value will stay there or become higher so they can collect more taxes. Split second timing and precision at its best. I think a bunch of monkeys in a monkey cage of a zoo are more aware of their surroundings than our elected officials. Hey, people..if you want a good laugh, please check out Ray's links. You just might slap yourselves in the forehead and laugh your butts off. All that stuff is true!  |  IP: Logged Ken Layton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1452 From: Olympia, Wash. USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 01-16-2003 12:50 AM                     I'll have to remember that the next time I go into Taco Bell and get my 2 tacos for 99 cents.  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-16-2003 12:56 AM                     Plus tax, Ken...  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 01-16-2003 02:30 AM                        Greg writes: quote: Wouldn't it be much more fair if we all had to give 10% flat? A successful person would still be paying more but not progressively more. Progressive income tax is the greatest stifler of the economy as far as I'm concerned. Not only that, but it leads to tax evasion and a grey economy. I know people who earn just below the higher income tax threshold of £31k earnings per year. Rather than have a pay rise which would take them over the threshold, they are being offered enhanced perks such as company cars, lower rate mortgages and share options. Paul raises an interesting issue about how the tax burden should be balanced - in broad terms, should we be taxed on what we earn or what we spend, or a combination of the two? If the latter, where should the balance lie? Personally I'd much rather have higher sales tax of one form or another on luxury and non-essential goods. What we have is a blanket VAT rate of 17.5% plus extra duties payable on certain specific goods and services, e.g. petrol (gasoline), alcohol, tobacco and the sale of homes. BTW, there also used to be an 'entertainment tax' on the sale of cinema tickets, but the Thatcher government got rid of that in the 80s when the industry was in dire straits just before the multiplexes came along. I'd also like to see that combined with more tax relief on saving, especially on pensions (IRAs). A big issue in Britain recently has been the so-called 'pensions timebomb'; the argument being that we are not saving enough for retirement and that at present taxation levels, the social security system will not be able to cope when my generation ends up retiring. It makes me mad that I've done the sums and are saving what the experts tell me I need to save, but I know many people of my generation who go out to nightclubs virtually every weekend, go on expensive foreign holidays and get a new car every couple of years (I drive an 11 year-old Fiat), but save nothing. When the time comes I'll probably end up paying sky-high taxes on my hard-earned pension to keep these people from starving. IMHO we probably do have a duty to keep them from starving however stupid they've been, but we certainly don't have a duty to do any more than that.  |  IP: Logged

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