Class warfare summed up in a simple joke (with an accompanying cartoon)

Isn't that one the 9th?

Maybe it's a Catholic thing. I think some of us number them differently.

 

The people who constantly target that little extra that could extracted from the paychecks of the wealthy would show me more if they simply wrote bigger checks to their favorite local, state or federal gov't.

No one is stopping those who believe in bigger gov't from paying extra to grow it.

They also would be more effective if they spent their time and energy persuading like-minded citizens to do the same, rather than whining about what the rich folks ought to be paying.

It's very unseemly to demand other people's money but it's pretty classy to pony up for the priorities that matter most to you.

 

Teh Google says the whole coveting thing is wrapped up in the 10th, so you can't lust after my manservant or my ox either. You're right, I thought I learned it as the 9th in my own Catholic upbringing, but who knows. I just know the 11th was "Leave a big check in the basket."

 

I'd love to, but I need that money to put food in my kids' stomachs and make sure the heat stays on.

Paris Hilton, meanwhile ... could keep a few kids fed and warm with the money that she spends on diamond dog collars.

 

What's unseemly about it? Them's the rules of the game.

The rich get to have a stable, happy society in which to build their fortunes. They didn't go out into the uncharted wilderness and build their fortune from scratch. In exchange for that society's help in building their fortunes, they have to submit to bearing the brunt of the cost of that society being shaped in the way all of the members want.

 

More likely that they are railing against bad government.

 

Here's a little more on New York City's budget:

So, is it really a revenue issue, or did they spend too much?

 

Well, willya look at that? The damn baby boomers went out and got fucking old. Who'da guessed it? I mean, we only had 40-something fucking years to prepare for this.

 

That's for the voters to decide. Although they basically already decided it by promising those pensioners that much.

 

Pensions go to City employees, not the public at large, so retiring baby boomers should be much of an issue.

It was the growth of the workforce, the growth in salaries, and shortsighted politicians (including Giuliani and his right hand man on labor negotiations, and current Yankees' President, Randy Levine) who agreed to increased pensions that wouldn't come due until they were long out of office.

 

The non-rich have a stable, happy society in which to become rich if that's how they choose to roll. At which point they can whip out their checkbooks and send money to government if they choose. Beyond whatever the legislated tax rates require.

As for voters "deciding" anything by having politicians in place who gave away the store for the future, they knew the bill wouldn't come due on their watch. And it is an inherent conflict of interest to have elected officials negotiating public union contracts against the interests of the taxpayers, in favor of unions that in many cases donate lavishly to the officials' campaigns.

 

9/11 took the edge off hard line negotiations with civil servants of NYC.
Now the chickens have come home to roost.