[Kosh]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7681978.stm


Sad sad story, but I especially liked this bit at the end:

Unlike the Europeans, we in the US don't have much of a social safety net.

My meagre unemployment income is too high to let me qualify for Social Services, yet far too inadequate to pay for my home, food, car, utilities and health insurance.

I have hypertension, yet I can't afford a doctor, the emergency room or vital medication. I need a corrective eye surgery that I can't afford. Even routine check-ups are out of reach.

My meals are taken at a soup kitchen. This is poverty.

What galls me the most is that about one third of my income is taxed. I'm taxed on what I earn and taxed on what I spend.

Now that I'm in need there is nowhere to turn.

Nobody is helping me except for my contributions to my unemployment account.

Yet our leaders have found a way to bail out the very institutions that have put myself, and others, at risk.

That last point in bold in particular really highlights what is wrong with our current system, privitizing profits and socializing losses. Why do we reward the failures of our institutions?

[Colonol Dekker]

Fortune favours the stupid idiots in charge of things.

[Nuke]

if a third of your income is taxed, then youre not poor. i figure about 1/25th of the money that moves through my hands gets taxed. i live in a cargo container and i take the bus, i dont pay utilities, i just bum those, i spend my health care money on beer weed, and crack, its more effective. as for food, and i just spent 50 bucks on lunch meat, a loaf of bread, and 2 cans of soup.

thats whats wrong with america!

at least my bank account is tanked

[Colonol Dekker]

Crack you crazy git? I hope you're freakin joking,,,,,,,,,

[Wobble73]

Yeah, everyone knows crystal meth is cheaper! 

[Kosh]

if a third of your income is taxed, then youre not poor. i figure about 1/25th of the money that moves through my hands gets taxed. i live in a cargo container and i take the bus, i dont pay utilities, i just bum those, i spend my health care money on beer weed, and crack, its more effective. as for food, and i just spent 50 bucks on lunch meat, a loaf of bread, and 2 cans of soup.

thats whats wrong with america!

at least my bank account is tanked

I think the reason 1/3 of his income is still be taxed is because he was in a higher tax bracket with his previous job. IIRC (I could be wrong) but once you move up you don't move down.

[Rick James]

Hey, are any of you sure you don't want to move up here in Canada? We've got looooots of space.

[Colonol Dekker]

if a third of your income is taxed, then youre not poor. i figure about 1/25th of the money that moves through my hands gets taxed. i live in a cargo container and i take the bus, i dont pay utilities, i just bum those, i spend my health care money on beer weed, and crack, its more effective. as for food, and i just spent 50 bucks on lunch meat, a loaf of bread, and 2 cans of soup.

thats whats wrong with america!

at least my bank account is tanked

I think the reason 1/3 of his income is still be taxed is because he was in a higher tax bracket with his previous job. IIRC (I could be wrong) but once you move up you don't move down.

I thought you did move down, but as i've been constant for a while now, i'll have to check. HMRC is closed now, but monday i'll have to find out in case i suffer from lack-of-cash-itis at some point.

[colecampbell666]

Hey, are any of you sure you don't want to move up here in Canada? We've got looooots of space.

A: You've been siggified and B: We have pretty high taxes, from what I remember.

[Mongoose]

You do indeed.  Niagara Falls was the only place we've ever had to shell out a cool $100 to feed a family of 6 breakfast at Perkins.

[Rick James]

You do indeed.  Niagara Falls was the only place we've ever had to shell out a cool $100 to feed a family of 6 breakfast at Perkins.

True, but the vast majority of Americans are already shelling out quite a bit for other things. They're just not called "taxes".

[Mongoose]

I think I'd rather shell out for those nebulous "other things" you describe than be forced to pay $5 for a cup of apple juice.

[Rick James]

Pbbt. Niagara Falls is a tourist trap. An expensive one, at that. Come to Alberta. We have beef here. And also beer. And snow. And guns. And a drunken former provincial leader whose blood-alcohol ratio qualifies his blood for use as vehicle fuel.

[tinfoil]

aha - i see you know Ralph. i like your description. Also - i agree, we have the best damn steaks in the world, snow and mountains - what the hell are you all doing down there???

[Goober5000]

That last point in bold in particular really highlights what is wrong with our current system, privitizing profits and socializing losses. Why do we reward the failures of our institutions?

We don't.  Opposition to the bailout bill was something like 80%, yet Congress still passed it.

[Kosh]

That last point in bold in particular really highlights what is wrong with our current system, privitizing profits and socializing losses. Why do we reward the failures of our institutions?

We don't.  Opposition to the bailout bill was something like 80%, yet Congress still passed it.

At first congress was getting flooded with calls not to pass it, but suddenly overnight they were getting flooded with calls to pass it.

[colecampbell666]

Pbbt. Niagara Falls is a tourist trap. An expensive one, at that. Come to Alberta. We have beef here. And also beer. And snow. And guns. And a drunken former provincial leader whose blood-alcohol ratio qualifies his blood for use as vehicle fuel.

Or NS. Lobster, crab, blueberries... And a premier who's a plain idiot, drunk or not.

[tinfoil]

mmmm... lobster and blueberries. but no mountains i would miss my mountains.

[colecampbell666]

We have speedbumps.

[Colonol Dekker]

Ahhhh one of the proud few speed-bump enabled nations.......