Last night I watched the Democratic debate. It is the first debate I have been able to watch this year since I do not have cable.
One of the themes that the Democratic candidates kept stating was that we have an unfair tax system.
What would be a fair tax system? I came up with the idea that people would pay taxes equal percentage-wise to the amount of wealth they have. That seems fair to me. After deciding what fairness in taxation was, I then went and found the numbers to see if our tax system is unfair.
Unfortunately, these numbers just deal with the wealthiest 1%. I do not know where to go to find the wealthiest 5% or 20%.
Economics Policy Institute states: "The wealthiest 1% of households control about 38% of national wealth, while the bottom 80% control only 17%."
To be fair as I defined it above, that would mean that we have an unfair system to the poor if the wealthiest 1% pay less than 38% in taxes. However, the opposite would also be true. We would have an unfair tax system to the wealthiest 1% if they paid more than 38% in taxes.
Here is what I found.
The Wall Street Journal quoted in a National Center for Policy Analysis states: "The top 1% pay 35% of the taxes."
The logical conclusion, if you agreed with my premise of a fair tax system, is that our tax code is unfair to some of the people outside of the wealthiest 1%. I cannot conclude which group is getting the shaft; however, some group is paying more than their fair share of their wealth.
Warren Buffet, the third wealthiest man in the world, said that he thinks our system is unfair because he pays a smaller percentage in taxes than his secretary. Here is the full article on that.
Watch out for the potholes.
"I always give money to homeless people in case they're Jesus undercover."
A quote from one of the comedians on Last Comic Standing.
Watch out for the potholes.
A quote from one of the comedians on Last Comic Standing.
Watch out for the potholes.
Toward a Loving Penal System
I just read this story from the BBC.
Row over religion's role in US jails
Part of me wants to scream in agreement: "We should not use the prison system in this way. It is against separation of church and state." I like separation of church and state, especially when it comes down to another religion doing the same thing in our prison system.
However, my main allegiance is not to this nation and the principle of "separation of church and state", so I am left with saying that it sounds like a good idea. Something needs to be done with our prison systems. It seems pointless to have a prison system where the prisoners come out with the same attitudes or worse than when they went in. We need to raise prisoners up to be people that will be beneficial to society. It is our loving responsibility to give them the opportunity to become better people.
I have a friend who became a Christian in prison while serving out a sentence for drug trafficking. (It's an amazing story. I will ask him to write his testimony so I can share it). He came out a changed man.
But it looks like we will become a nation where Christian people who are making a difference in people's lives will be kicked out of the prison system. So much for us being a "Christian nation".
Watch out for the potholes.
Row over religion's role in US jails
Part of me wants to scream in agreement: "We should not use the prison system in this way. It is against separation of church and state." I like separation of church and state, especially when it comes down to another religion doing the same thing in our prison system.
However, my main allegiance is not to this nation and the principle of "separation of church and state", so I am left with saying that it sounds like a good idea. Something needs to be done with our prison systems. It seems pointless to have a prison system where the prisoners come out with the same attitudes or worse than when they went in. We need to raise prisoners up to be people that will be beneficial to society. It is our loving responsibility to give them the opportunity to become better people.
I have a friend who became a Christian in prison while serving out a sentence for drug trafficking. (It's an amazing story. I will ask him to write his testimony so I can share it). He came out a changed man.
But it looks like we will become a nation where Christian people who are making a difference in people's lives will be kicked out of the prison system. So much for us being a "Christian nation".
Watch out for the potholes.
A Tee Ball Trophy
Isaac received a trophy the other day for finishing his first season of tee ball. When they handed it to him, he held it up high with a big smile on his face and looked at me for approval. I frowned at him. Every kid in the league received the trophy. It seemed like a pretty worthless trophy to me.
So when we got home, I set the trophy out on our sidewalk. I went to the garage and picked up a sledgehammer. I took Isaac out to the trophy with my sledgehammer in hand.
I then told him this: "You see this trophy. It is meaningless. It is worthless. I want you to pick up this sledgehammer and destroy that trophy because I do not want the first trophy you have ever earned to just be earned for completing a season. I want your first trophy to mean something."
He then tried to pick the sledgehammer up. He couldn't even budge it. Maybe it was the tears making him weak. I don't really know. Anyway, I said, "You can't even pick up this sledgehammer; you definetly don't deserve this trophy."
I then picked up the sledgehammer and pulverized the worthless trophy. He wept.
Just kidding.
We sat the trophy up in a prominent spot in our dining room. I smiled back and gave a thumbs up when he looked at me for approval. I hope that he can win some in the future that actually have more of a meaning behind them, but until then I am happy this trophy has brought a smile to his face.
Watch out for the potholes.
So when we got home, I set the trophy out on our sidewalk. I went to the garage and picked up a sledgehammer. I took Isaac out to the trophy with my sledgehammer in hand.
I then told him this: "You see this trophy. It is meaningless. It is worthless. I want you to pick up this sledgehammer and destroy that trophy because I do not want the first trophy you have ever earned to just be earned for completing a season. I want your first trophy to mean something."
He then tried to pick the sledgehammer up. He couldn't even budge it. Maybe it was the tears making him weak. I don't really know. Anyway, I said, "You can't even pick up this sledgehammer; you definetly don't deserve this trophy."
I then picked up the sledgehammer and pulverized the worthless trophy. He wept.
Just kidding.
We sat the trophy up in a prominent spot in our dining room. I smiled back and gave a thumbs up when he looked at me for approval. I hope that he can win some in the future that actually have more of a meaning behind them, but until then I am happy this trophy has brought a smile to his face.
Watch out for the potholes.
Alan Keyes for President
It appears that Alan Keyes has started a website to explore whether there is demand out there for a conservative candidate in this election.
He is my favorite politician and will always have my vote if he runs.
Here is a petition to sign if you want him to run.
Watch out for the potholes.
He is my favorite politician and will always have my vote if he runs.
Here is a petition to sign if you want him to run.
Watch out for the potholes.
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