Screw them, Screw the Poor, and Screw the Rich. It's time to stop segregating America and get back to equal protection under the law.

Anyone who isn't trying to create wealth for themselves is missing the boat. The opportunity is there. I know lots of wealthy people and none of them had to screw anyone( figuratively or literally) to do it. Could they be lying? Maybe, but I like to think most people are honest about how they did it. Some of them do not have degrees, few grew up wealthy. They saw what they needed to do, did it, and kept doing it. One guy I know left home at 16, had his own apartment, started 3 businesses, bought and sold several more, now he teaches other people in our industry how to position themselves to buy or sell or just to grow. If you sit in the middle class, make a decision, go forward, stay put, go backward, whatever. But shut up about how unfair it is that some are wealthy and you or others are not! Punishing people through taxes is a great incentive not to work smarter and focus on your goals. And Copyleft, grown ups don't hide ther names behind a cute psuedonym. If grown ups were running things, we wouldn't sweat making the next moves that put is in higher income brackets. Want thinly veiled socialism? Move to South America or Europe. This country was founded on the idea that we all have the opportunity, if we don't make the most of it, step aside, the next guy will!

Now, I know those that think that raising taxes back to the levels under Bush Sr. and Clinton will cause the country to implode, but my memory keeps telling me that those were pretty good years for the economy. Jobs were growing, people were making money, and wallstreet was on an upward streak, all at the same time that we began to balance our budget and pay down our debts. I don't feel sorry for the rich, and personally, I'd happily pay 40% taxes to not have to worry about having enough money to live on or retire on. It's not class envy, it is just common sense. I don't envy the rich, but I do envy their ability to circumvent the tax code to pay a lower percentage of their income in taxes than I do. I work with and for rich people, and can attest that when they make more money, they don't create jobs. They continue to find ways of making more money, through layoffs or job exportation, and do not invest their profits back into their company. What drives job creation is the middle class purchasing goods and services. A business will not create jobs to fill a demand which isn't there. If you cut taxes on the middle class, and give them money to spend, it will end up going to the businesses which have superior products for sale. A rich man may then pay 3% more on his income taxes, but his income may go up 30% because of the increased consumer activity. THEN he can create jobs to fill an escalated consumer demand. Until the Fair Tax is enacted, the best way to make the rich richer is to put money in the hands of consumers who will then spend it on the goods which the rich produce.

saw this bill pop up sponsored by Schumer; S.394
Title: A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide the same capital gains treatment for art and collectibles as for other investment property and to provide that a deduction equal to fair market value shall be allowed for charitable contributions of literacy, musical, artistic, or scholarly compositions created by the donor.
Sponsor: Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] (introduced 2/9/2009)
Does "treatment" mean -- "subject to taxation"? I'm really suspicious of this bill.

Is that why our country is STILL being ran by millionaires? Why every Democrat that gets into public service as a pauper exits as a multi-millionaire? I also disagree that millionaires aren't that important. I happen to like my job, given to me by a millionaire. I could have gone out and started my own company, but I didn't. He did. My fault, not his. As for grownups now being in charge, spare me. These guys are equivalent to kindergartners running the school.

I don't think even the government has a clear definition!

What exactly do you define as "middle class", Neal? My wife and I have a combined income of just over 200K and I consider myself "middle class". We also invest...well, I used to. Kinda riding this storm out. I keep hearing this "rich", "middle class", "poor", the crackpot version "working poor", etc., and it seems everyone has their own definition of the class system. I'm also a Fairtax supporter. Keep up the good work, Neal.

Kevin