TEA Anyone?

[farmerlor]

The one here in Denver looked like some kind of anti-Obama protest. Lots of people talking about how this terrible national debt was going to be passed onto our children yet, no word on the LAST president who actually ran up the debt instead of the guy who's been president for about a minute and has to get us out of it. I'm clueless as to why this protest wasn't done about two or three years ago.

But you are wrong, many of us were extremely unhappy with the last president. But the point is, he's gone. You can't continue to beat up Bush for what Obama is doing. He is tripling or more the debt. That isn't Bush's fault. He is trying to institute extremely costly programs when we should be pulling in our horns and fixing things. The guy who has been president for 'about a minute' is going to create debt our grandchildren will drown in. As Wifezilla said:


Absolutely true.

I'm not WRONG. I saw the signs the people were holding that were against Obama. I didn't watch all the news so I don't know what the people at your tea party were feeling but the one I did see her in Denver had a LOT of people holding signs about Obama and the people were talking about how Obama was hurting this country with all this debt. And I'm not beating up Bush about this, I'm not happy about the bailout either but these people were obviously at an anti-Obama rally, not an anti-tax rally. They weren't protesting the debt or some hypothetical tax that hasn't happened yet, they were protesting Obama. I'm sure the Klan was somewhere out there just eating this up. I just find the short memories of the people attending to be rather amusing. We were in the black when Bush came into office and now this is all Obama's fault-like Bush never happened or something. Now China owns our country and can dictate how much of their poison we ship into our country when just nine years ago we were the ones people came to if they needed money.

You said, and I quoted you above, "no word on the LAST president who actually ran up the debt....". That's what I was saying you were wrong about. But now you're dragging out the Klan and every other fright scenario you can to besmirch good Americans who are protesting Obama's plan. And you're still blaming Bush. This started under Bush, the unrest, the unhappiness with not being listened to, with not being heard. It has come to a head under Obama, who has shown us he has absolutely no intent on listening to anyone who isn't singing his tune. Believe what you're told, that we are all a bunch of radicalized right-wing nuts, there's no sense in discussing it with people who have their minds so firmly made up by the media Klansmen, unbelievable. My words are going to get foul, I'll stop now.

LOL!!!! This is hilarious! MY mind has been made up by the media which I rarely listen to yet I'm not supposed to have an opinion about some protest that was spoon fed to the masses by the conservative media. Yea, they got just the reaction they wanted per usual. Stirred up the people and got them all distracted from the real issues per usual so they'd make some newsworthy spectacle and raise the hate notch in this country just a little bit higher but yeah, I'm the one who's brainwashed by the media.

 

[VT-Chicklit]

What I saw at the Vermont Tea Party, were people from different back grounds with at least one thing in common . . . a concern for the current spending and the radically growing debt and taxes that are sure to come. They expressed concern for their children and grandchildren, and the debt that they fear they will be saddled with. They talked about contacting their representatives in Washington and Montpelier about key spending issues and have felt ignored. Bush and Congress didn't listen when the calls to Washington were 100 to 1 AGAINST the TARP. Obama and congress are not listening now. And now, to make matters worse, any pretense of a civil discussion about this issue on the network news or the cable networks has stopped, as well.

There was a time in the United States when people that had different views could agree to disagree and be civil about the disagreement. Things have gotten so out of hand that civility has gone out the window. Snarky or snide comments and name calling are the debate style of the day. It seems like the current philosophy is "If you can't change their opinion to yours . . . belittle them and their opinion" or worse yet "demonize them and talk loudly over them" when they defend their opinion. BOTH sides do this. You may not like my opinion and I may not like yours, but I respect your RIGHT to have that opinion. I will engage those with opinions that differ from mine in civil discussion and maybe they might change my mind. I also have the hope that I may be able, through information and debate, be able to change theirs. Snarkyness is usually not an effective debate tool and facts win out over name calling.

I have seen various people on the networks and cable news make snarky comments and belittle what happened yesterday at the Tea Party. I can only personally speak to the one that I went to. The network/cable news description of the people who attended "these Tea Parties" did not match the people that I saw at mine! The one that I went to did not have political sponsors. It also did not have big business sponsors. Its sponsors were a small local radio station and several small local businesses. I bet the majority of the Tea Parties in this country were done the same. Only the ones in the big cities had more money behind them. They had to, just because the logistical aspect would make it more costly.

I think that the dismissive attitude toward those of us collectively expressing our common view, is something that will come back to haunt the media in the future. It is kind of like Marie Antoinette and her famous "let them eat cake" statement. She may have done things that were good and positive, but all the French peasants remembered was "let them eat cake" and ultimately that lead to her demise. I fully expect that these same media news people will find that their networks will loose viewer share and be come second rate (like MSNBC is) or go out of business all together. They now have the attitude that a conservative view is not news, even when so many people are yelling it. There are many people like those of us who attended yesterday, that could not go so our numbers are larger than yesterdays turn out. It may take a little time, but we will be heard. We were summarilly dismissed by the same people who will cover 6 women that dress in pink and spout far left opinions when they disrupt events. We have large enough numbers to impact shows and networks that dismiss us. FOX is already the most watched of the cable news networks. MSNBC has few viewers and CNN is quickly loosing share.

A conservative estimate of the number of people that attended these events around the country was aprox 300,000. What transpired yesterday was a small ember of discontent that is being fanned by a dismissive government. People who would never have thought they would be part of a movement 5 years ago, have been writing and calling Washington and asking them to STOP the excessive waste and spending but they are being ignored. Both sides are guilty and it exists in many states at the state level, as well as in Washington. We are tired of not being heard. Obama may have some valid goals but they may not be what his administration is remembered for. I doubt that Marie ever thought that 200 years after her death she would be remembered for the infamous words "let them eat cake". She may not have meant any thing by these words, but the people took offense. Unlike the French Revolution, this movement is a peacful one. We still believe that here in America we can have a civil debate in the hopes of changing minds. I pray that the media and the government don't silence the debate.

 

[reinbeau]

I'm not WRONG. I saw the signs the people were holding that were against Obama. I didn't watch all the news so I don't know what the people at your tea party were feeling but the one I did see her in Denver had a LOT of people holding signs about Obama and the people were talking about how Obama was hurting this country with all this debt. And I'm not beating up Bush about this, I'm not happy about the bailout either but these people were obviously at an anti-Obama rally, not an anti-tax rally. They weren't protesting the debt or some hypothetical tax that hasn't happened yet, they were protesting Obama. I'm sure the Klan was somewhere out there just eating this up. I just find the short memories of the people attending to be rather amusing. We were in the black when Bush came into office and now this is all Obama's fault-like Bush never happened or something. Now China owns our country and can dictate how much of their poison we ship into our country when just nine years ago we were the ones people came to if they needed money.

You said, and I quoted you above, "no word on the LAST president who actually ran up the debt....". That's what I was saying you were wrong about. But now you're dragging out the Klan and every other fright scenario you can to besmirch good Americans who are protesting Obama's plan. And you're still blaming Bush. This started under Bush, the unrest, the unhappiness with not being listened to, with not being heard. It has come to a head under Obama, who has shown us he has absolutely no intent on listening to anyone who isn't singing his tune. Believe what you're told, that we are all a bunch of radicalized right-wing nuts, there's no sense in discussing it with people who have their minds so firmly made up by the media Klansmen, unbelievable. My words are going to get foul, I'll stop now.

LOL!!!! This is hilarious! MY mind has been made up by the media which I rarely listen to yet I'm not supposed to have an opinion about some protest that was spoon fed to the masses by the conservative media. Yea, they got just the reaction they wanted per usual. Stirred up the people and got them all distracted from the real issues per usual so they'd make some newsworthy spectacle and raise the hate notch in this country just a little bit higher but yeah, I'm the one who's brainwashed by the media.

Yea, it is a riot. Hate notch. Gotcha. That's all we're about. As I said, unbelievable.

It's not just fanned by that dismissive attitude as VT-Chicklit said, it's fanned by the passionate belief that our country is on the wrong path, one laid out to serve business and the growth of government, not the people, that started under Bush and is now been exponentially expanded under Obama. I hope your right, VT, that the momentum continues to grow, and that these naysayers will reap the benefits of our efforts too - I certainly don't expect them to admit they're wrong, though, that's too mature and conservative for them.

 

[CARS]

I'm not WRONG. I saw the signs the people were holding that were against Obama. I didn't watch all the news so I don't know what the people at your tea party were feeling but the one I did see her in Denver had a LOT of people holding signs about Obama and the people were talking about how Obama was hurting this country with all this debt. And I'm not beating up Bush about this, I'm not happy about the bailout either but these people were obviously at an anti-Obama rally, not an anti-tax rally. They weren't protesting the debt or some hypothetical tax that hasn't happened yet, they were protesting Obama.

Where in the world did you get the idea that the TEA parties were anti-tax ralleys??? It is so much more than that if you would just read up on it. Go to www.americansolutions.com and educate yourself.

Taxes are only one small paragraph in The Platform of the American People. A Red, White, and Blue Revolution!!!

Yes, anti-Obama. He sure as hell isn't helping MY situation. Why should I work hard if he is going to allow re-distribution of MY money to people who don't work? Why save any money for my kids to inherit if the Gov. is going to take 60% away from them after I die, and then tax them again on income?

YES I AM ANTI-OBAMA!!!

I will keep my money, my guns, my freedom. He can keep The Change!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Would you guys all stop bickering and blaming political figures? Jeesh.

Seems to me that none of us are in favor of more taxes and most of us don't trust politicians, so why are we defending one party or the other?

Sorry, just wanted to interject a little independent opinion into the mix.

 

[Big Daddy]

Yes, anti-Obama. He sure as hell isn't helping MY situation. Why should I work hard if he is going to allow re-distribution of MY money to people who don't work? Why save any money for my kids to inherit if the Gov. is going to take 60% away from them after I die, and then tax them again on income?

YES I AM ANTI-OBAMA!!!

I will keep my money, my guns, my freedom. He can keep The Change!

You must be a rich dude. Inheritance tax is on a pretty high dollar figure. If you're that rich than you should be smart enough to hide your wealth from the gov. I like your little saying at the end.

 

[CARS]

You must be a rich dude. Inheritance tax is on a pretty high dollar figure. If you're that rich than you should be smart enough to hide your wealth from the gov. I like your little saying at the end.

No, but I am working on it. I am always working on bettering my life. That is why I am here on SS.com and why I am concerned that the people in power right now are going to take it all away.

Inheritance tax, well maybe not (hopefully though) but estate taxes effect everyone who has a dollar in the bank. It's still money they didn't earn, I did. And if there is anything left after "retirement", I want it ALL to go to my kids.


Back to my last reply. It's not O's fault. He's just not doing ME any favors. Senators and Representatives have been corrupting the USA for a century. I just want them all to go away one way or the other. Let this country be run BY the people, FOR the people. Not for special interests!!! One way is TEA parties and other peaceful ways of ousting them, the other... (better not say)

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Let this country be run BY the people, FOR the people. Not for special interests!!! One way is TEA parties and other peaceful ways of ousting them, the other... (better not say)

There is a lot of that sentiment floating around . . . I have heard that last unstated bit from some pretty mild mannered, well-behaved citizens. LOL

 

[Big Daddy]

Inheritance tax, well maybe not (hopefully though) but estate taxes effect everyone who has a dollar in the bank. It's still money they didn't earn, I did. And if there is anything left after "retirement", I want it ALL to go to my kids.

Estate taxes. currently in 2009 anything under 3.5 million is exempt from estate taxes. 2010 should be no estate taxes. 2011 is 1 million and above. Rate is around 45%. Currently 99% of all money at death is not taxed unless it was never taxed to begin with. Like a 401k. Of course profits on investments are taxed as income.

So unless you're rich you don't need to worry about estate tax.

When you croak you're kids should get your money as they should.

 

[CARS]

Hmmm....

What is the estate tax rate?
Estate Tax Rate GUIDE

The following table is ONLY a guide, showing the top and bottom tax rates by year applicable to Minnesota estate tax, there is not a table available similar to the one provided to compute an individual income tax liability.

To correctly calculate the estate tax, you must complete the federal Form 706 and Minnesota Form M706.

Year

High Federal Tax Rate

High Minnesota Tax Rate

Low Minnesota Tax Rate

2002

50%

37%

11%

2003

49%

37%

11%

2004

48%

39%

10%

2005

47%

39%

12%

2006

46%

41%

10%

2007

45%

41%

10%

2008

45%

41%

10%

2009

45%

41%

9%

2010

Repealed


2011 and later

55%

41%

N/A

Large estate percentages go higher.



And how can you argue with someone who you don't know. I own and operate a profitable business, small scale farm and will inherit 750 acres of land (hopefully not for a long time). At land going for 3k to 4k an acre right now, your damn sure I am going to worry about estate taxes!!!!