The conversation was about if 200K is wealthy or not, by DC standards. By any standard, it is pretty good. And the article PP quoted above says "local" taxes, as well, not just national.

Anonymous wrote:"Federal, state and local income taxes consumed 9.2% of all personal income in 2009, the lowest rate since 1950, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reports. That rate is far below the historic average of 12% for the last half-century. The overall tax burden hit bottom in December at 8.8.% of income before rising slightly in the first three months of 2010."

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxes/2010-05-10-taxes_N.htm

You do realize we are talking about DC taxes, not national?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It is a FACT that most of the money that goes to the government gets sucked up in bureaucracy and agencies and salaries for people. You like giving your income away? Then do it..

This is absolutely not a fact. Most of the money goes either to debt, paying your medicare, or paying your social security. Bureaucracy is actually pretty small, unless you count paying our troops. Then it gets a lot bigger.

Pay attention please. We are talking about local DC government. And the waste here is HUGE.

Its just that I don't think the $230 more dollars they get from me is actually going to help the schools or fund the police.

Yeah! This $230.00 means I get to sit home, drink beer, smoke, make more babies for you to pay more in taxes for. Thank you.

Anonymous wrote:
It is a FACT that most of the money that goes to the government gets sucked up in bureaucracy and agencies and salaries for people. You like giving your income away? Then do it..

This is absolutely not a fact. Most of the money goes either to debt, paying your medicare, or paying your social security. Bureaucracy is actually pretty small, unless you count paying our troops. Then it gets a lot bigger.

"Federal, state and local income taxes consumed 9.2% of all personal income in 2009, the lowest rate since 1950, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reports. That rate is far below the historic average of 12% for the last half-century. The overall tax burden hit bottom in December at 8.8.% of income before rising slightly in the first three months of 2010."

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxes/2010-05-10-taxes_N.htm

SO pay more. There is a box to check to give more. It is a FACT that most of the money that goes to the government gets sucked up in bureaucracy and agencies and salaries for people. You like giving your income away? Then do it.

Do you think that typing "fact" in all caps makes it more authoritative? I suppose it's an inevitable consequence of watching Fox News, where rhetoric and volume are deemed to be acceptable proxies for support and analysis.

Anonymous wrote:My husband is a scientist in cancer research. He has an MD, a PhD and various other degrees. Lived very frugally and worked long hours all these years. Now he is nearing 50 and has just broken through the $100K ceiling.

Previous posters who sneer at the "lazy opportunistic poor" simply disgust me.

I never sneered at anyone making almost 100k. I barely make 100k after 20 years in my field. Re-read it. I started out making less than $20k and worked my butt off.

Are you and your husband living on welfare? No. So why would you think it was directed towards you? There's absolutely nothing wrong with making $250k or $40k/year. Either way, its working, and I think all our children deserve good schools and low crime. Its that those who haven't even tried to work somehow think I should *poof* pay more in taxes because (gasp!) I work.

Anonymous wrote:
SO pay more. There is a box to check to give more. It is a FACT that most of the money that goes to the government gets sucked up in bureaucracy and agencies and salaries for people. You like giving your income away? Then do it.


It is not a fact. But nice empty talking points. And aside from that, what do you think those paid fed employees do? They serve you, you dope.

We have the lowest tax rates since the 1950, so what the hell exactly are you bitching about?

And please, again, propose a solution--not bloated iterations of tired old "facts" that are not, in fact, facts.

Actually, you need to check your facts. First, we do not have the lowest tax rates since 1950. It was lower in the the early 1990s and 1980s. So, it is higher now than most of my lifetime. And as far as compared to other states, DC does not have the lowest, nor the highest, but over 35 states have lower taxes. So that puts it closer to the high side than low side. And most of those states with lower tax rates have better schools and lower crime. So I'd like DC to use what it has. I think it overpays some of its employees that don't have much of a job, as well as pays higher for contracts because they are friends and family of whomever is in office.
Don't say "move out of here!" That's a childish cry. No, I'll stay, and try to fix this obviously broken system. Its just that I don't think the $230 more dollars they get from me is actually going to help the schools or fund the police. Oh, and I don't spend 30k to send my kids to private school. They are in public school.

SO pay more. There is a box to check to give more. It is a FACT that most of the money that goes to the government gets sucked up in bureaucracy and agencies and salaries for people. You like giving your income away? Then do it.


It is not a fact. But nice empty talking points. And aside from that, what do you think those paid fed employees do? They serve you, you dope.

We have the lowest tax rates since the 1950, so what the hell exactly are you bitching about?

And please, again, propose a solution--not bloated iterations of tired old "facts" that are not, in fact, facts.

Anonymous wrote:PP, you're a dope. No one wants to "take" what you earn.
But there is a price for living in a civilized, safe society with an educated, healthy populace. How else do you propose we fund such a system?

You all need to get over the idea that you taxes are going to welfare queens and loafers, considering the very small amount of the budget these people suck from.
Your taxes go to schools, roads, social programs, defense, all of which could use an overhaul, but all of which are necessary.

My husband and I make 175K combined and I can't even imagine complaining about my current tax burden. It is my responsibility.

The way people whine about being taxed makes me want to gag. Go move to an anarchist, militia compound and stop participating in society. Do us all a favor please and just go.

SO pay more. There is a box to check to give more. It is a FACT that most of the money that goes to the government gets sucked up in bureaucracy and agencies and salaries for people. You like giving your income away? Then do it.

PP, you're a dope. No one wants to "take" what you earn.
But there is a price for living in a civilized, safe society with an educated, healthy populace. How else do you propose we fund such a system?

You all need to get over the idea that you taxes are going to welfare queens and loafers, considering the very small amount of the budget these people suck from.
Your taxes go to schools, roads, social programs, defense, all of which could use an overhaul, but all of which are necessary.

My husband and I make 175K combined and I can't even imagine complaining about my current tax burden. It is my responsibility.

The way people whine about being taxed makes me want to gag. Go move to an anarchist, militia compound and stop participating in society. Do us all a favor please and just go.

Anonymous wrote:It amazes me that people can say they are not wealthy in the same breath as they are admitting that they pay 30K in primary education tuition.

There are several people in your school district who cannot pay that tuition and are forced to deal with the public schools.The fact that you send your child to private school is a luxury. A big one. And big luxuries like that denote wealth.

Wealth is not about fancy cars and granite countertops, esp in this area. You are paying for the luxury of living in the nation's capital, not for a fancy house. If you want a nice house for a better price, go to a part of the country that does not offer the perks DC has.

When you need to ask yourself if you are wealthy or not, compare yourselves to those below you in DC, not the top elite way above you and just about everybody else in the country.

It also amazes me that people feel that they have a right to take what others have earned just because they don't like the fact that they earn more.

It amazes me that people can say they are not wealthy in the same breath as they are admitting that they pay 30K in primary education tuition.

There are several people in your school district who cannot pay that tuition and are forced to deal with the public schools.The fact that you send your child to private school is a luxury. A big one. And big luxuries like that denote wealth.

Wealth is not about fancy cars and granite countertops, esp in this area. You are paying for the luxury of living in the nation's capital, not for a fancy house. If you want a nice house for a better price, go to a part of the country that does not offer the perks DC has.

When you need to ask yourself if you are wealthy or not, compare yourselves to those below you in DC, not the top elite way above you and just about everybody else in the country.

Anonymous wrote:My husband is a scientist in cancer research. He has an MD, a PhD and various other degrees. Lived very frugally and worked long hours all these years. Now he is nearing 50 and has just broken through the $100K ceiling.

Previous posters who sneer at the "lazy opportunistic poor" simply disgust me.

Thanks for writing that. I am willing to grant that 200K does not make you rich in DC, but to moan about it when you know that lots of people get by on half that or less is absolutely tactless. And I think it's worth noting that to reach the point where the tax increase would be a whopping $1 per day, you'd need a taxable income of over 290K, which probably means a gross of over 350 K.