Interesting voting facts.

[TexasBred]

If we went to a national sales tax and didn't pay in income tax that means everybody will pay tax. What a wonderful idea. I have employees that work for me that didn't pay a dime in taxes, claimed their children and get $8,000 back, absolutely crazy. Everyone should contribute, not just the ones who make more.

Try paying your help better salary and they will not need the $8,000 to keep the household going. You do relize that the $8,000 is a subsidy from the rest of us to keep your business going.

Thanks for the advice but paying my waiters more is not an option. Making them claim more tips is like strip searching every night and running help off. Texas is 2.13 an hour for waitststaff but they probably average $20 to $25 an hour in tips. Them claiming more tips is between them and the IRS. I all my years of restaurants I have never seen an IRS audit of a waiter. Intergrity is a personal choice.

I'm pretty sure they used the earned income credit. No matter how much you may pay, if they have enough kids they'll qualify and get back what they payed in plus the $8000 in some cases and as you said, you have no idea about the tips. It's strictly the honor system...Even IRS knows that....Joe I think he only matches the FICA.

 

[Bigfoot]

Easily, one of the most interesting threads we've had in a while. Been putting off opening it. Mistakenly figured it was all rhetoric.

I think we try to dissect the rural vs urban voting in the wrong light. People living off of the government voted democrat, and liberals voted democrat. Nothing to really see in the demographics other than than. An urban area is more likely to have a heaping helping of both.

 

[Bigfoot]

My county actually cast several votes for the dems. I was surprised, we have our fair share of govt housing. I only personal know one person that pulled the handle for the dems. He himself, is a pretty hard working guy. He's got the entire system figured out though. His wife draws disability, but is faking. He intentionally hold his income to a certain level. For him, it's about $45,000. Once he's hit that, he's done. All his kids get some kind of medical card from the state. That's a big savins. He gets all his taxes back, plus the earned income tax credit. They are big on those cost share type vacations. Once he's hit his limit for the year, they head out. He told me, he didn't won't to vote that way, he just couldn't see himself living any other way.

 

[farmerjan]

Bigfoot, that guy you know is exactly why we need to go to a National sales tax or something that is NOT based on income but is paid by every one every time they spend money....Sure, it will be an adjustment and yes we spend money here for alot of stuff for the farm....but any money I make will be mine to spend or save as I want. That will make me responsible for HOW I spend my money. And I can give money to organizations that help the less fortunate, rather than HAVE to support them through my hard earned tax dollars through gov't programs that I cannot qualify for. I am so sick of the ones like him that play the system, and I cannot even get a little break on the disability end for the pain and difficulty I endure to have to work for a couple more years to get full retirement; instead of being able to go out now 2 1/2 yrs early, on disability, and try to go through some treatments that I am paying for since it is not "covered," so that I might get back some pain free mobility and still be able to function in the future. Maybe he will get his comuppence with the new administration....I am tired of paying for all these ones who "work the system".

 

[Bigfoot]

Bigfoot, that guy you know is exactly why we need to go to a National sales tax or something that is NOT based on income but is paid by every one every time they spend money....Sure, it will be an adjustment and yes we spend money here for alot of stuff for the farm....but any money I make will be mine to spend or save as I want. That will make me responsible for HOW I spend my money. And I can give money to organizations that help the less fortunate, rather than HAVE to support them through my hard earned tax dollars through gov't programs that I cannot qualify for. I am so sick of the ones like him that play the system, and I cannot even get a little break on the disability end for the pain and difficulty I endure to have to work for a couple more years to get full retirement; instead of being able to go out now 2 1/2 yrs early, on disability, and try to go through some treatments that I am paying for since it is not "covered," so that I might get back some pain free mobility and still be able to function in the future. Maybe he will get his comuppence with the new administration....I am tired of paying for all these ones who "work the system".

He knows the ins and outs of everything, and where to go to get it. I was just floored that you could make $45,000 and qualify for so much.

 

[farmerjan]

Sickening isn't it? I make less than 30,000 and even with drs recommendation, letter and visits to support it, can't get any disability without a fight; will have to be "not working" to prove I "can't do my job" and might take 2 years to get, and I will be able to retire at 66 in 2 1/2 yrs....
That's why we need to do whatever it takes to STOP all the ones that work the system, and make them live on what they make like us hard working "stupid" people do.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Bigfoot, that guy you know is exactly why we need to go to a National sales tax or something that is NOT based on income but is paid by every one every time they spend money....Sure, it will be an adjustment and yes we spend money here for alot of stuff for the farm....but any money I make will be mine to spend or save as I want. That will make me responsible for HOW I spend my money. And I can give money to organizations that help the less fortunate, rather than HAVE to support them through my hard earned tax dollars through gov't programs that I cannot qualify for. I am so sick of the ones like him that play the system, and I cannot even get a little break on the disability end for the pain and difficulty I endure to have to work for a couple more years to get full retirement; instead of being able to go out now 2 1/2 yrs early, on disability, and try to go through some treatments that I am paying for since it is not "covered," so that I might get back some pain free mobility and still be able to function in the future. Maybe he will get his comuppence with the new administration....I am tired of paying for all these ones who "work the system".

Forget the pain free mobility not happening. Don't get me wrong the replacement parts are better than the alternative they are no where close to
OEM. The recovery time in our golden years isn't good either. I would never had the surgery if I wasn't wheel chair bound.

 

[hurleyjd]

If we went with a national sales tax it's true that there would be an immediate increase in the cost of goods and services, but since we weren't paying income tax we'd have more money to spend, so I wouldn't think that would be an issue. And think of how simple it would be if we didn't have to file income tax forms. I know there would be a lot of CPAs and lawyers out of work, but they'd find something else to do. And it would encourage people to save money since you wouldn't be paying taxes on investments or savings.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not an economist, or very smart, but I'm thinking it might not be a bad deal.

If we went to a national sales tax and didn't pay in income tax that means everybody will pay tax. What a wonderful idea. I have employees that work for me that didn't pay a dime in taxes, claimed their children and get $8,000 back, absolutely crazy. Everyone should contribute, not just the ones who make more.

The owner of the tire shop that I do business with was complaining about the tax refund people get to me. I asked him why do they get the refund. He had no idea. I told him that some large families that get the refund might need a set of tires and you could be the one that sells the tires to them.

 

[backhoeboogie]

No. But ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and FOX all live in the 487 counties. No one in those networks can relate to people living in the 2, 626 counties. They're out of touch.

Hollywierd intended for Duck Dynasty to be another Beverly Hills type sitcom. They do not understand why the heartland likes the Robertson family. They do not understand a man's word being his bond. That is the people informing America and they think we are idiots.

Superbowl commercials are going to cost a whole lot more than Oscar commercials. There is reasoning behind that.

I'm not a Duck Dynasty fan (I like my ignorance served straight up, without a homophobe chaser), but I do agree that it's hard for people who work in the cities to fully understand rural folks (and of course vice versa). Do you feel that boards like this help? What about community chat rooms/message boards?
Anyone else have a local Topix online community? We do but it's pretty rank. What are some of the other, new media serving rural areas and small towns--wasn't there a thing called Dogpatch? I don't think that's the right name but it was/is a (small n) network of online local news...

Communication helps. Understanding helps. I watched several protestors speak in social media over the weekend. Some levied terroristic threats including blowing up the White House etc.

Ashley Judd had a valid point in taxes on feminine products. But they are blaming a newly elected administration for this? Its been ongoing. Most all of those issues have been ongoing. Why are they not blaming the previous administrations?

These people are radicals and screaming profanity on the streets. "Chat rooms/Message boards" are not going to make a bit of difference with these radicals. How do you sit down and have an intelligent conversation with people like that?

Surely there are a few with points that need to be discussed or viewed. Maybe debated. I have no plans of wading in thru the radicals to sort out the ones who are intelligent. If they have a valid concern they should address it with proper methodology.