Paul Barnes! Take that!

This is a response to my dear friend, Paul Barnes, who wrote a hateful letter to the Gainesville Times.


There goes the neighborhood again.

Just when it seems our state might have learned something important about government and taxes, my friend Paul Barnes regurgitates his hatred and ignorance.

I wouldn’t mind so much if Paul had some reason to hate so much.

What had him so fired up this time?

He thinks his personal income taxes are so much that some money is left over. And, of course, the deadbeat Democrats give that money to other deadbeats who won’t work for a living.

Ignorant Republican fool.

I doubt Paul can fill out a 1040EZ without help from a 13 year old.

Well, what are the facts on personal income tax?

It’s a fact that if all income taxes were applied only to the defense budget , there would be barely enough left over to pay the current interest on the debt for six months.

So much for Paul paying enough money to support a black welfare mother with 20 illegitimate kids and a Cadillac SUV.

Since Paul will never look for facts, I’m not stopping.

Almost every year around this time some allegedly neutral organization reports on the unfairness of the income tax. This years rather doubtful figures showed that 1% of the returns paid 39% of the income taxes. Of course that would be the top 1% of income.

When I reviewed the IRS data, I found a very different story. Of taxable returns, roughly one in every four dollars of income was earned by less than 1 percent of all taxpayers.

Less than a million people have 25% percent of the spending money. This small group of people got over a third of the tax cuts or about a half a million dollars each in take-home pay. Someone should cry for them.

Further, that very fortunate group got all the benefits of the Bush tax exchange. Bush didn’t really cut the personal burden of running government; he just cut taxes for some. The price of running the government and the debt continues to climb at record rates.

Meanwhile, 50% percent of Americans survive on an average income of $15,000 per year .

Since Bush and the Republicans began giving away the country, our national debt has risen to $9.4 trillion dollars. We spend $500 billion a year just to pay the interest. That’s nearly as much as the core defense spending, excluding Iraq and Afghanistan. Oil is selling for $110 dollars a barrel.

Our country has serious problems, at home and around the world. Taxes, the possible gay marriage of two men in San Francisco, and hanging the Ten Commandments in the courthouse bathroom aren’t serious issues.

Making enough money to live, paying the house payment, sending a gifted son or daughter to a good school; these are serious personal problems faced by more than 50% percent of Americans.

As a well informed American, I don’t care to cry crocodile tears for the most fortunate 1% of tax payers or give that bunch of French champagne drinkers another half a million dollars in take-home pay. If the rich need more take-home pay, let them work harder. It’s what my boss tells me every year.

The real job of taxation is simply providing enough money to protect our country.

Proudly pay your share if you still have a job.