Last September 12, I Marched in Washington with a million other patriots. Despite the almost total blackout of new coverage, it was an historic event. I’m making my plans now for this year’s march and it is more important than ever.
Will you join me?
I’ll drive down on Saturday, stay two nights and drive back early Monday morning. Let me know if you’re interested in a ride. I’m booking at the Crystal City Marriott at Reagan National Airport. It is right on the metro line so getting to and from the March will be easy.
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9 comments:
Sean, I am with you “heart, soul and spirit” on the DC March. I would love to attend with you, but our newborn child just wont let me go! Teresa and I will be out of town the weekend of Sept. 11th (as 9/11 is Teresa’s actual birthday and we generally go to the Adirondacks to celebrate). Not quite sure when the DC March is? But if it is any other weekend than the 11th, you are more than welcome to crash at our pad on your way down to DC and back (we have lots of room now with our recent move). Please do keep me updated on the events as the “Media” failed us last year! You are a true Patriot! RUN FOR CONGRESS wont you!
My vacation is 9/20-9/26. Ditto what ric said.Keep us informed.
Sean, I'm not sure there was a blackout of news coverage. Was that Sept 12 march the one that Fox News subbed photos of another event to make it look like it was much better attended than it really was? True story, I'm just not sure that was the one.
I would be there, but I can't. If I were there, I would be marching for a different outcome: to restore the progressive tax fairness we had before Reagan passed the largest tax increase in history (on the middle class) at the same time he cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans. Thirty years of supply-side economic and trade policies have led to a nation where corporations and the wealthy have seen their tax burdens fall while much, much more is demanded of lower and middle-income taxpayers like you (I assume) and I. Because of that, and because the previous administration got away with conducting 2 wars on an "off-budget" basis, we find ourselves still mired in the Great Recession with a huge national debt.
Best Regards,
David - DC 1969-1972 and 1974-1976
@David - Creative editing in the newsroom can be funny, but in general I'm not amused. The fox one wasn't nearly as "funny" as the shot of a armed, black tea partier shown only from the chest down in order to show how racist the protesters were.
But, I digress...
What do you like about progressive taxation? What is the real effect on salary, earnings, income gap and (critically) on the overall tax burden and government spending? Where do corporations get the money they use to pay taxes?
@Ric - the march is on Sunday, Sep 12 this year.
Sean,
I'm sure that your heart's in the right place and any time the "ruled" can affect the "rulers" to squirm it's a good thing.
I'm sorry to say that it's my opinion that a majority of those protesting have at best a parochial grasp of the true causes of our nations dire economic picture. Their efforts are I believe largely well intentioned while equally ill informed and misdirected. Believe it or not, welfare for the poor and social safety net funding is not the wellspring of this country's money problems some would have us believe. Hell, the largest recipient of federal entitlements is by far our parents & grandparents through Social Security & Medicare. And our problems are certainly not caused by over taxation of corporations. They get waaayyy more leverage & leeway in this game than the average shmo could ever dream.
Here's what needs to happen to turn this thing around.
Social security benefits must be cut 5% while the retirement age is raised to at least 68, preferably 70. Cut the # of govt employees by 50%. Cut the military by 50%. End both wars. Close at least 50% of our overseas installations. End the drug war. Call in all foreign debt. Cut the federal income tax to two brackets, 10 and 15% with the plan to eliminate the income tax as soon as the debt is retired. End the federal reserve and turn the production of money over to the free market. I would do a lot more but that is a start.
There's your revolution.
Of course that's just my opinion I could be wrong.
For me, the problems stem from:
Congress thinking they are empowered to collect money from states, corporations and citizens in order t dole it out to other states, corporations and citizens. We see this in earmarks, port projects certainly, but also in how taxes are levied on some citizens but not others, or on some products but not others or on some industries but not others. A flat tax for everyone and everything would solve that.
Our federal government has specific power and responsibilities laid out for it in the constitution. Yet, somehow we define mandatory and discretionary spending in complete opposition to those powers. Wealth redistribution (entitlement programs) have become mandatory, while border control, law enforcement and national defense have become discretionary. Granted, the amount spend on the latter should be discretionary, but there must be no argument - the feds must get the job done in those areas. They aren't "optional" duties.
When corporations are taxed, the taxes are collected from their customers. This is a basic truth that applies whether we are talking about tobacco or oil or financial investing. The notion that somehow raising corporate taxes only affects the "rich fat cats at the top of the food chain" is a farce. Tax corporations or tax incomes or tax sales - or all of them - but do it equally on all levels. Products and services will succeed or fail based on their own merits and value to consumers. Anything else is just social engineering.
We are probably closer than you think on many ideas - the fed, the taxation, etc. I think you have a healthy distrust of big government, as do I.
Social security and medicare should never have been created. In the old days, we took care of our own parents and we set aside our own "security" for rainy days, unemployment, etc. The idea that the government should - or even can - create and manage a one-size-fits-all program to manage our retirement and health needs is comical.
This is a powerful, tyrannical & unwieldy machine that we have created. In many ways the antithesis of what our honored founders would have ever envisioned for their descendants.
Godspeed.
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