Last week, Michele Bachmann made some comments about President Obama's budget for his chef(s), projectionist, dog walker, etc. There is some debate as to the veracity of these statements, but even if they are 100% true, is this a good use of our time? Yes, some of these expenses may be lavish, but I'm sure past presidents (including Republicans) did the same. It's part of the perks of having the job as "leader of the free world", which comes with a salary nowhere near that of a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. $400,000.00 per year, plus travel and other expenses makes for a very comfortable lifestyle, but it is a far cry from the $10 million salaries CEOs earn. (As an aside, my own dog walker doesn't charge much, so I'm sure the cost is not that excessive).
The point is, yeah, it's not great that we as taxpayers are paying for this, but we have bigger fish to fry. We need to get our economy back on track and get a Republican in the White House in 2016. In order to win favor with the American people, we need to show them the good that our party can do. Constantly putting down Obama and other democrats may be fun, but does it really do anything to help us? I think it makes us look petty and like sore losers. If we're really going to change our party's image, we have to take a long hard look at ourselves and understand why we lost in 2012. All of this negative finger pointing does not offer the one thing the people really need...solutions.
I'm a fan of a particular basketball team who has a long time rivalry with another team. Once a year, the rival team comes to town and I wear my favorite t-shirt in my team's colors, which states that the opposing team sucks. I get a lot of pleasure from wearing this shirt and "in your facing" fans of the opponent. My husband hates that I wear this shirt. He says I should wear a shirt that promotes my team for them being great, not criticize the other team for...well...sucking. I think this is what our party has been doing. We've been wearing our "democrats suck" and "Obama sucks" t-shirts instead of wearing our "republicans rule" t-shirts. Continuing on this path is not going to lead us to a win in 2016. Let's start showing the American people what we can do right instead of focusing on what the democrats are doing wrong.
Thanks for listening,
The Urban Republican
Like me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/urbanrepublican
Follow me on Twitter @The UrbanGOP
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Inequality of Wealth....so what!
There's this godawful YouTube video floating around on the Internet right now, called "Inequality of Wealth in America". This is nothing new. We all know some are wealthier than others. Some are poorer than others. It's the luck of the draw. It's the way the cookie crumbles. That's life.
A friend of mine suggested I watch and blog about this video, because it provides no factual backup for the statements it makes. It has a lot of cute little graphics, with color bars moving up and down and even cute little stick figure people, but there are no facts. I looked at all of the websites listed as "references" at the end of the video, but they are all blogs and articles, not actual statistical sources, like the IRS, for example. Sure, as a blogger, I get it...I don't offer cites for my claims, but my blog is an opinion piece and I can provide cites if requested.
Even if there was a factual basis for the claims made in this video, there's one point the producer of this video fails to make. In America, you can start out as one of the poorest Americans and you can end up as one of the wealthiest. The opposite can happen, too, if you make poor decisions. Sure, there are the people born into wealth, who inherit a name, a company, or just money, but there are many people who start from nothing and end up with millions or even billions. Dr. Jerry Buss, the late owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, is an example of this. He came from humble beginnings, got his Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Souther California and then turned a $1,000.00 investment in an apartment building into a multi-million dollar empire. He bought the Lakers in 1979 for $20 Million and now they are worth $1 Billion. This is just one example of many of people who created something from nothing.
Another point this video fails to acknowledge is how much of our nation's tax revenue is paid by the wealthiest 1% to 10%. Most people don't realize that the top 10% pay 71% of the taxes in our nation. The top 50% pay 98% of the taxes in our nation, which means the bottom 50% pays 2% of the taxes. In fact, according to IRS Data for 2010, of the 1.35 million taxpayers that make up the top 1%, they earned 18.9% of the gross national income, but paid 37.4% of all federal income taxes paid in 2010. The bottom 95% earned 66.2% of the gross national income and paid 40.9% of all taxes paid in 2010.
So when everyone cries about tax cuts for the wealthy, they need to understand that the wealthy pay the most in taxes, therefore they need the most tax cuts. Some people say "well they should pay more, they have so much". Well, they have so much, because they worked hard for it, or they inherited it from someone who worked hard for it, or they managed it well, or they were just plain lucky. The wealthy even get taxed when they die and money is passed to their heirs. The producer even refers to dreaded socialism as "dreaded" and says "We all know that won't work. We have to encourage people to work and work hard to achieve that good old American dream." Do I detect a bit of sarcasm in his voice? Sounds to me like he thinks socialism is a pretty good idea.
Now, I'm not standing here as a middle class woman defending the wealthy. No, I often envy the ladies who lunch, the "Real Housewives", so to speak, who can workout, pamper themselves, lunch and shop all day, while I stress out going to court and negotiating divorce and custody settlements. There are days I wish that their life was my life, but hey...my life is my life and it's not a bad one. Yeah, I have to get up in the morning, drive to work and deal with angry people all day, but that's the luck of the draw, that's the way the cookie crumbles....that's life.
Over 4 million people watched this video. Perhaps, if that many people spent their time working or trying to do something innovative, they'd be part of the top 10% and not part of the bottom 50%. Success is there for those who want it and are willing to work for it. I wonder how much the producer of this video has made from it. I wonder what percentile he falls in now.
Thanks for listening,
The Urban Republican
Like me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/urbanrepublican
Follow me on Twitter @The UrbanGOP
A friend of mine suggested I watch and blog about this video, because it provides no factual backup for the statements it makes. It has a lot of cute little graphics, with color bars moving up and down and even cute little stick figure people, but there are no facts. I looked at all of the websites listed as "references" at the end of the video, but they are all blogs and articles, not actual statistical sources, like the IRS, for example. Sure, as a blogger, I get it...I don't offer cites for my claims, but my blog is an opinion piece and I can provide cites if requested.
Even if there was a factual basis for the claims made in this video, there's one point the producer of this video fails to make. In America, you can start out as one of the poorest Americans and you can end up as one of the wealthiest. The opposite can happen, too, if you make poor decisions. Sure, there are the people born into wealth, who inherit a name, a company, or just money, but there are many people who start from nothing and end up with millions or even billions. Dr. Jerry Buss, the late owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, is an example of this. He came from humble beginnings, got his Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Souther California and then turned a $1,000.00 investment in an apartment building into a multi-million dollar empire. He bought the Lakers in 1979 for $20 Million and now they are worth $1 Billion. This is just one example of many of people who created something from nothing.
Another point this video fails to acknowledge is how much of our nation's tax revenue is paid by the wealthiest 1% to 10%. Most people don't realize that the top 10% pay 71% of the taxes in our nation. The top 50% pay 98% of the taxes in our nation, which means the bottom 50% pays 2% of the taxes. In fact, according to IRS Data for 2010, of the 1.35 million taxpayers that make up the top 1%, they earned 18.9% of the gross national income, but paid 37.4% of all federal income taxes paid in 2010. The bottom 95% earned 66.2% of the gross national income and paid 40.9% of all taxes paid in 2010.
So when everyone cries about tax cuts for the wealthy, they need to understand that the wealthy pay the most in taxes, therefore they need the most tax cuts. Some people say "well they should pay more, they have so much". Well, they have so much, because they worked hard for it, or they inherited it from someone who worked hard for it, or they managed it well, or they were just plain lucky. The wealthy even get taxed when they die and money is passed to their heirs. The producer even refers to dreaded socialism as "dreaded" and says "We all know that won't work. We have to encourage people to work and work hard to achieve that good old American dream." Do I detect a bit of sarcasm in his voice? Sounds to me like he thinks socialism is a pretty good idea.
Now, I'm not standing here as a middle class woman defending the wealthy. No, I often envy the ladies who lunch, the "Real Housewives", so to speak, who can workout, pamper themselves, lunch and shop all day, while I stress out going to court and negotiating divorce and custody settlements. There are days I wish that their life was my life, but hey...my life is my life and it's not a bad one. Yeah, I have to get up in the morning, drive to work and deal with angry people all day, but that's the luck of the draw, that's the way the cookie crumbles....that's life.
Over 4 million people watched this video. Perhaps, if that many people spent their time working or trying to do something innovative, they'd be part of the top 10% and not part of the bottom 50%. Success is there for those who want it and are willing to work for it. I wonder how much the producer of this video has made from it. I wonder what percentile he falls in now.
Thanks for listening,
The Urban Republican
Like me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/urbanrepublican
Follow me on Twitter @The UrbanGOP
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Sandy, CPAC and Suicide
My inspiration for this blog was an interview I saw with Congressman Peter King of New York on The Situation Room on Friday, March 1st. Congressman King said a lot of things in this interview that I've been saying as I decided to start this blog.
First, he called out Senator Marco Rubio for voting against the Sandy Relief act that recently passed in the House and Senate. What's even more offensive is that Senator Rubio had the nerve to travel to New York recently for his own fundraising events, but he voted against aid to New York. He not only singled out Senator Rubio, but he pointed out how most Republicans in the House and Senate voted against the bill. What is so shocking about this is that many of the senators and representatives that voted against the bill are from states who have needed relief from the federal government for disaster relief in recent history. Here is the breakdown:
The Senate
First, he called out Senator Marco Rubio for voting against the Sandy Relief act that recently passed in the House and Senate. What's even more offensive is that Senator Rubio had the nerve to travel to New York recently for his own fundraising events, but he voted against aid to New York. He not only singled out Senator Rubio, but he pointed out how most Republicans in the House and Senate voted against the bill. What is so shocking about this is that many of the senators and representatives that voted against the bill are from states who have needed relief from the federal government for disaster relief in recent history. Here is the breakdown:
The Senate
- 52 Democrats voted in favor of the bill, 0 voted against it, 1 did not vote.
- 9 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, 36 voted against it, 4 did not vote.
- 1 Independent voted in favor of the bill, 1 did not vote.
The House
- 192 Democrats voted in favor of the bill, 1 voted against it, 7 did not vote.
- 49 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, 179 voted against it.
Of the 36 Republican senators who voted against the bill, many have come from states who have had devastating hurricanes and needed federal aid in recent years. Senator Marco Rubio, of Florida, is one of them and we know how often Florida gets hit with hurricanes. Senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott of South Carolina voted against it, yet South Carolina has also needed federal aid for hurricane relief in recent years. Senators Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts of Kansas voted against it. Didn't Kansas recently need federal aid after being leveled by tornadoes?
On a positive note, Senator David Vitter of Louisiana voted in favor of the bill. I guess he doesn't suffer from short term memory loss and knows what it means to have his constituents in need of the basic necessities of life.
As for the House, the numbers are staggering. All of the Republican representatives from Kansas, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Tennessee and many of the Republican representatives from California, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Pennsylvania voted against the bill. It's interesting that coastal and gulf states and states in Tornado Alley would vote against such relief. As a resident of Los Angeles, I sure hope New York and New Jersey don't retaliate when California needs aid when the big one hits...because anyone who lives in earthquake territory knows, it's not a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when" the big earthquake hits.
Personally, I am highly offended by the Republican congress' overwhelming abandonment of New York and New Jersey. I grew up in Staten Island, NY, one of the hardest hit areas. My parents now live near the Jersey Shore, another area devastated by Sandy. My loved ones are all okay, but I have friends who lost their homes in Staten Island. The people of these affected areas are honest, hard-working, blue-collar people. They pay into the system and they deserve their government to be there for them when something tragic like this happens. These are not people that take from the government on a regular basis. These are people who support themselves and their families.
Why did the House and Senate Republicans feel it was okay to ignore the needs of Northeasterners when they jump to aid those in the South and Midwest. Is there a divide between the rural and urban areas? Is that divide so strong that spite overpowers moral conduct? Does our party take the northeast for granted as Congressman King suggested in his interview? Have we become a party of north vs. south, coastal states vs. inland states, big city vs. small town?
Another topic covered in Congressman King's interview was CPAC's failure to invite Chris Christie to the CPAC convention, because he asked for aid for his state. He called CPAC's snub of Governor Christie "a suicidal death wish." He pointed out that Christie is a successful, conservative, pro-life Republican governor who has balanced the budget and has a 74% approval rating in a blue state. He stated that if the Republican party doesn't think he's conservative enough, then the party is doomed to lose again in 2016. I couldn't agree more. This is why I started this blog. It was nice to hear a member of Congress agrees and is standing up to the extreme right that has hijacked our party.
Thanks for listening,
The Urban Republican
As for the House, the numbers are staggering. All of the Republican representatives from Kansas, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Tennessee and many of the Republican representatives from California, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Pennsylvania voted against the bill. It's interesting that coastal and gulf states and states in Tornado Alley would vote against such relief. As a resident of Los Angeles, I sure hope New York and New Jersey don't retaliate when California needs aid when the big one hits...because anyone who lives in earthquake territory knows, it's not a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when" the big earthquake hits.
Personally, I am highly offended by the Republican congress' overwhelming abandonment of New York and New Jersey. I grew up in Staten Island, NY, one of the hardest hit areas. My parents now live near the Jersey Shore, another area devastated by Sandy. My loved ones are all okay, but I have friends who lost their homes in Staten Island. The people of these affected areas are honest, hard-working, blue-collar people. They pay into the system and they deserve their government to be there for them when something tragic like this happens. These are not people that take from the government on a regular basis. These are people who support themselves and their families.
Why did the House and Senate Republicans feel it was okay to ignore the needs of Northeasterners when they jump to aid those in the South and Midwest. Is there a divide between the rural and urban areas? Is that divide so strong that spite overpowers moral conduct? Does our party take the northeast for granted as Congressman King suggested in his interview? Have we become a party of north vs. south, coastal states vs. inland states, big city vs. small town?
Another topic covered in Congressman King's interview was CPAC's failure to invite Chris Christie to the CPAC convention, because he asked for aid for his state. He called CPAC's snub of Governor Christie "a suicidal death wish." He pointed out that Christie is a successful, conservative, pro-life Republican governor who has balanced the budget and has a 74% approval rating in a blue state. He stated that if the Republican party doesn't think he's conservative enough, then the party is doomed to lose again in 2016. I couldn't agree more. This is why I started this blog. It was nice to hear a member of Congress agrees and is standing up to the extreme right that has hijacked our party.
Thanks for listening,
The Urban Republican
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