Fellow liberals - please flame me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Feel secure, your liberal card is not going to be revoked. Like all other liberals, you believe "rich people" should be taxed so that the government can help "the poor."

You're just admitting what other liberals won't--that by "rich people" what you really mean is "anyone richer than me." And by "the poor" you mean "me, and anyone poorer than me."

This is actually what ALL liberals believe, though they don't like to admit it: I want the government to give me lots of cool stuff (free healthcare, great schools, free/low cost college & grad schools, good transit, safe communities with awesome free libraries and rec centers, a generous retirement system so I really only have to work for about 30 of my 90 years on the earth, free time off for sickness/child rearing, a cushy job where I don't have to work very hard, great housing whether I can personally afford it or not), and I want somebody else to pay for it.

It's a great system while it lasts, but eventually you run out of other people's money. With clever accounting and massive borrowing from foreign countries, we're keeping the charade going a bit longer in America. But we'll find ourselves in the same place as Greece, Spain, Italy within a decade or so if we don't wise up.

Hi. MoCo liberal here. We make in the (very) low six figures. And I'm fine with the new tax increase. Yes, it will hurt. But I can take the hit better than those making less than me, and I see that needed to get the services that I believe the government should provide. Sorry to burst your bubble. Feel free to believe that I'm an outlier, if you'd like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a liberal who believes in equitable tax burden sharing, meaning I feel that those of us who make more should be taxed at a higher rate. My husband and I, after multiple years of graduate training, now do make in the low-to mid 6-figures. I know, compared to most, we make a lot. Still, I feel bitter about this increased Maryland state income tax. Perhaps because it is not a graduated tax, I feel that when it comes to state and local taxes, we should all be taxed equally as far as tax rates. For federal income tax, with graduated tax rates, I understand the concept of the top portions of our income being taxed at higher rates. We pay for a nanny, becuase my hours do occasionally have to go over 6 pm (I'm a doctor). Now we have preschool costs on top of that, and private school would be impossible with the nanny cost as well.

I need some fellow liberals to help me readjust my attitude, so I thought venting here would put me in my place, as the flamers come at me

i live in maryland and am democrat. i despise the recent tax hike.

what annoys me about the hike is the unwillingness of the legislature to take a serious look at spending and make tough decisions and make cuts. they make it as if education and services for the poor are the only thing that can be cut as a means to make folks feel guilty. im not for cutting education and the bogus cutting the rate of growth isnt a cut either.

in any event, i dont care if i "sound" republican complaining about a tax hike because my views have nothing to do with the fact that i see myself as a "wealth creator" or whatever other nonsense the right uses to excuse tax cuts for them. im all about fiscal responsibility and the way maryland is going and passing the buck on the county to carry some of the pension burden, im likely to see additional tax increases come my way in the future. and people who may not qualify for the MD income tax hike, dont think for one second that you wont feel the pinch on the county level (especially montgomery) with the teacher pension burden kicks in

[Anonymous]

whats worse is that MD has it in law the funding for certain government programs must increase every year. WTF kind of plan is that how can I get that setup in life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a liberal who believes in equitable tax burden sharing, meaning I feel that those of us who make more should be taxed at a higher rate. My husband and I, after multiple years of graduate training, now do make in the low-to mid 6-figures. I know, compared to most, we make a lot. Still, I feel bitter about this increased Maryland state income tax. Perhaps because it is not a graduated tax, I feel that when it comes to state and local taxes, we should all be taxed equally as far as tax rates. For federal income tax, with graduated tax rates, I understand the concept of the top portions of our income being taxed at higher rates. We pay for a nanny, becuase my hours do occasionally have to go over 6 pm (I'm a doctor). Now we have preschool costs on top of that, and private school would be impossible with the nanny cost as well.

I need some fellow liberals to help me readjust my attitude, so I thought venting here would put me in my place, as the flamers come at me

i live in maryland and am democrat. i despise the recent tax hike.

what annoys me about the hike is the unwillingness of the legislature to take a serious look at spending and make tough decisions and make cuts. they make it as if education and services for the poor are the only thing that can be cut as a means to make folks feel guilty. im not for cutting education and the bogus cutting the rate of growth isnt a cut either.

in any event, i dont care if i "sound" republican complaining about a tax hike because my views have nothing to do with the fact that i see myself as a "wealth creator" or whatever other nonsense the right uses to excuse tax cuts for them. im all about fiscal responsibility and the way maryland is going and passing the buck on the county to carry some of the pension burden, im likely to see additional tax increases come my way in the future. and people who may not qualify for the MD income tax hike, dont think for one second that you wont feel the pinch on the county level (especially montgomery) with the teacher pension burden kicks in

So, what would you like to cut instead?

[Anonymous]

1140 I have no clue. That's not my area of expertise and I havent gone line by line in the budget to know where to cut.

The immediate thought to just raise taxes seems to me as if nobody wanted to take a serious look at places to cut.

The mentality that everything must not be cut is flawed in my view and to immediately default to tax hikes shows a lack of "imagination" to addressing the issue.

The best Maryland has done is cut the rate of growth and thats not doing anything and is just blowing smoke.

[Anonymous]

and to throw the question at you 1140, why should everything not be cut?


im not a fan of responding to a question with a question but i conceded that i didnt know where to cut but am more open that some of our legislators of doing something rather than put the burden on residents and counties (which go back to the residents again)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:and to throw the question at you 1140, why should everything not be cut?


im not a fan of responding to a question with a question but i conceded that i didnt know where to cut but am more open that some of our legislators of doing something rather than put the burden on residents and counties (which go back to the residents again)

11:40 here -- I'm also 10:19, and I'm fine with the tax increase. I like that MD takes public education seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1140 I have no clue. That's not my area of expertise and I havent gone line by line in the budget to know where to cut.

The immediate thought to just raise taxes seems to me as if nobody wanted to take a serious look at places to cut.

The mentality that everything must not be cut is flawed in my view and to immediately default to tax hikes shows a lack of "imagination" to addressing the issue.

The best Maryland has done is cut the rate of growth and thats not doing anything and is just blowing smoke.

Ha, if it were really a matter of just looking around for the money, we would have no budget problems.

Alas, it turns out that large groups of people care about the major items in the budget.

[Anonymous]

I can't stand it when rich people start complaining about taxes! I have no sympathy for OP, who will pay a teensy bit more, but it shouldn't cut into her budget for Starbucks too seriously. You can't afford private school on an income of $350K or more? You need some serious money management help. We pay for private school on less than half that, and no, we don't get financial aid. We drive cars, own a house, go on vacations, and one of us stays home with the kids.

I have no feeling one way or another about the tax increase. It's small. It costs a lot to live in Maryland. If you want a low tax state, move to New Hampshire (no income tax!).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a liberal who believes in equitable tax burden sharing, meaning I feel that those of us who make more should be taxed at a higher rate. My husband and I, after multiple years of graduate training, now do make in the low-to mid 6-figures. I know, compared to most, we make a lot. Still, I feel bitter about this increased Maryland state income tax. Perhaps because it is not a graduated tax, I feel that when it comes to state and local taxes, we should all be taxed equally as far as tax rates. For federal income tax, with graduated tax rates, I understand the concept of the top portions of our income being taxed at higher rates. We pay for a nanny, becuase my hours do occasionally have to go over 6 pm (I'm a doctor). Now we have preschool costs on top of that, and private school would be impossible with the nanny cost as well.

I need some fellow liberals to help me readjust my attitude, so I thought venting here would put me in my place, as the flamers come at me

Maybe part of the problem is that like many people you don't understand taxes? MD's tax system is graduated in exactly the same way as the federal system.

Look at this chart, and then if you want you can do the calculations, but the purpose of calculating tax as "$x plus y% of the amount over z" is to give you the benefit of lower rates on the first portions of your income.

http://individuals.marylandtaxes.com/incometax/ratesbrackets.asp

And complaining that a .25% increase in your taxes is going to prevent you from sending your kid to private school suggests either you don't have a handle on taxes, or else you don't have a handle on your spending.

[Anonymous]

im not sure where how someone making over 100K single and $150 joint is considered "rich" in maryland.

i think folks complaining about higher taxes need to stop crying that they cant pay private school or the nanny. at the same time, folks who arent in said tax bracket need to stop acting as if those with more money just go to starbucks and spend recklessly.

"shared sacrifice" should be looked at a deal between the government (this case MD) and the residents. it shouldnt be a one way street. id be more inclined accept being taxed knowing the state was cutting costs on their end.

if the state said, they were making painful cuts across the board and in order to avoid making cuts in education, they had to raise my taxes, i can live with that. but to keep almost everything the same and tax folks is off putting.

and im not worried about my trips to starbucks or paying my nanny. first off im in the income bracket to get taxed more in MD but not on the fed level if Obama gets the tax increase he wants. second, being in montgomery i know this is the first in the line of taxes i can expect cause the county is going to get all of us with the pension sharing. so im looking out in the future and thats why im upset at this more than anything. this is just the beginning