Why do conservatives believe that the rich are not permitted to have concern for the poor?

Left by Preston on March 8th, 2007 at 4:52 pm

Good point, Preston. Does the fact that Edwards is a “have” prevent him from having concern for the “have-nots”?

I know that compassion is considered weakness by many, many conservatives, but some people of wealth are able to see that the highest form of government services is NOT giving additional tax breaks to the uber-wealthy.

Left by Dan on March 8th, 2007 at 5:01 pm

It is the same smear used by conservatives against Al Gore: the busybody demand that he live his life by rules that have no relation to their own advocacy.

John Edwards does not attack the rich; he only asks that our government invest in our poorest citizens and allow them to unlock their potential through education and employment. Similarly, Al Gore does not demand asceticism: he only advocates for carbon neutrality and his purchase of carbon offsets and of power generated from wind and hydroelectric sources fufill this obligation twice over.

Once again the right-wing is perversely concerned with butting their noses into other people’s business. I recommend the National Enquirer instead.

Left by Preston on March 9th, 2007 at 4:03 am

Once again the right-wing is perversely concerned with butting their noses into other people’s business. I recommend the National Enquirer instead.

Oh yes. That is definitely a ‘right wing’ perversion. (See Matt Sanchez)

Here is my problem. I have two kids. One in college. One going to college in two more years. We live in an upper middle-class neighborhood. I work part-time because I chose to give up my ‘career’ 16 years ago to stay home with my kids. I haven’t updated my skills to get out there and find another ‘career’. My husband’s salary supports us okay. We have a 2300 sq ft home, both of our cars are over five years old (one is ten years old!), we are paying college tuition, and also supporting my 72 year old mom who also lives with us.

We make it okay. Our bills are paid. We have enough money to go out to eat once in awhile. We live very simply.

I look forward to the day when my sons are out of school and on their own so that I can downsize my house. I don’t want a big home. I don’t need it.

How much home does anybody need? When we talk about waste and ‘carbon footprints’, etc, I can’t help thinking that no one needs more than they can use. Sure, rich people have the right to own huge mansions. But do they really need them? Do they need a monument to their wealth? Hell no. They really don’t.

All the talk about legislating the environment to ‘protect’ the earth isn’t going to hurt them with their deep pockets. It’s going to hurt people like me. It’s going to hurt people who can’t afford to pay more so that every frickin’ car, factory, home, etc., is retrofitted to the standards of people who are wasting precious resources while telling ME that I have to conserve. I cannot afford carbon offsets. This is just another indulgence reserved for the very wealthy. They won’t be donning any hair shirts to be ”green” but the rest of us will.

I recycle everything. I can’t afford to consume more than my share, so I don’t. They don’t have to consume more than their share, but they do. Then they write a check for ‘carbon offsets’ and ease their guilt.

I call it ‘bullshit’.

Sorry, but there is no reason that anyone needs more than they can use. Don’t ask the average American to do more than you are doing. That’s called hypocrisy. With a capital “H”.

Offer to pay a couple million in taxes to ‘help’ the disadvantaged through your government programs, but don’t ask middle class Americans to cough up more. When you do your taxes, don’t take all your deductions. Pay more! You can afford it. Me? I’d rather take those deductions and write checks to local charities to help people. Skip the bloated bureaucracy that doesn’t know how to spend my dollars without 65% waste.

I just call them like I see them. I am a compassionate American who would rather give $20 to the guy begging on the corner than give $20 to my government to WASTE. At least he’ll go out and get cigarettes and a bottle and be happy for awhile. The taxes I pay get sucked into a black hole of waste. No thanks.

Left by Terr on March 9th, 2007 at 8:20 am

Terr- You’re already paying the costs! ‘Hypocrites’ like Gore and Edwards opposed Bush’s shift of the tax burden on to the middle class. You might think Bush is principled but those principles include having the middle class pay a larger share of the federal budget.

On other issues: you say you recycle- but each year corporations are shifting their packaging costs onto you and your community. Other governments tell Toshiba, for instance, that if they make a TV loaded with toxic chemicals they can figure out how to dispose of it. Here it’s your problem if there is mercury leaching into your watershed.

You don’t think people should use more than they can use: well Americans ‘use’ more resources by far than any other country. People like Al Gore would create economic incentives for American companies to become more efficient. This not only benefits us and the air we breathe but the companies as they become more competitive in technologies that are standard in the rest of the world.

Left by Preston on March 9th, 2007 at 3:17 pm

Oh pleasssssssse Preston.

John Edwards set up a S corporation to avoid medicare taxes, while claiming a small salary for himself compared to what his income really was. Course ya know he had to have that extra money to build his mansion…those old folks just need to find another way to pay for their health care dontchaknow. Such a bother.

Left by dianne on March 10th, 2007 at 10:18 am

There’s nothing immoral about following the tax law. It’s astonishing to me that you elevate people who raise the proportion of taxes paid by the midde class. After the last six years isn’t obvious that the policy of the candidate is more important than whether or not you want to have a beer with him or whether you can look into his soul.

Left by Preston on March 11th, 2007 at 9:00 am

Just exactly who is the middle class is debatable. I would bet that everybody on this blog considers themselves middle class. I, for one, live pretty well.

I agree some necessities have become expensive such as insurance, but I’m sure you’ll agree that the possibilities for expensive, life prolonging treatments are almost endless. A generation ago babies who were a few months premature died. A generation ago amputees lived the rest of the their lives in a wheelchair. Today, they get artificial limbs and lead normal lives. Cancer was a death sentence. But, these new life saving medical treatments aren’t free.

Food..A generation or two ago people gardened and canned their food, baked their own bread, etc. Today, food is either prepared ready-to-eat at the grocery or people go out to eat. Food costs more because we demand everything ready to go on the spot and that costs money.

Cars..Homes ..When was the last time a single family house was built with a one car garage or one bathroom ? Well, actually, I can tell you for sure that is the exact description of the first house we bought in the 1970’s. Not any more…..

Savings? People don’t save for rainy day anymore and when disaster hits, no cushion is available because we want it now, tomorrow will take care of itself…but it doesn’t

Middle class taxes are not the big problem, but middle class lifestyle according to today’s definition may be reaching a point where we have to reevaluate it.

Left by dianne on March 11th, 2007 at 2:12 pm

Dianne- I’m not sure what you’re getting at. It’s a good thing that the middle class is in many respects a better standard of living than 50 years ago. (But actually food is a smaller portion of our income than in the past.) Perhaps you can make the argument that many people are living a life they can’t afford. Well, that may true and it is not made any easier by the fact that the middle class is asked to pick up a bigger share of the burden than they were six years ago. Those are the kind of issues that will decide my vote in 2 years.

Left by Preston on March 11th, 2007 at 2:47 pm

A man who promised that a John Kerry presidency would allow the paralyzed to walk again. As my Spanish friends would say, Los Douche Grande. A man who stated that I, Jesus, would be appalled at how Americans ignore the plight of the poor, just weeks after hiring a radically liberal blogmaster who once wondered what the world would have been like had the Virgin Mary (that would be my Mom) taken the morning-after pill. Can you say Super Douche? The Douche with 50% More Douche? The Douche

Left by the nose on your face on March 13th, 2007 at 4:12 am

McCain spot on forehead at Destination: White House on post Exploring Candidate Health Issues: John McCain Joanne Lansing on post Edwards’ Mansion on the Hill Roy T. on post Edwards’ Mansion on the Hill Rick on post We’re Back and John Edwards UrbanGrounds » Blog Archive » A Moment of Clarity from John Edwards on post Edwards’ Mansion on the Hill RFTR on post Exploring Candidate Health Issues: John McCain

Left by Destination: White House on April 9th, 2007 at 8:28 pm