Are you poor?

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zBrown

Ice climber
Brujò de la Playa
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 30, 2015 - 04:03pm PT
Just a note on how the other half (haha) lives. As far as I can tell, there is no federally defined rich level of income. ... continued...

I think that in the void left by the govt., we can probably come up with a least a useful working definition.

So, e.g.

You have attained rich status when:

You are able to take full advantage of the myriad loopty loopholes that have been built into the tax code over the years

or

You pay a lower tax percentage rate than your secretary (how many out there have a secretary by the way?)
Rolfr

Trad climber
La Quinta and Penticton BC
Mar 30, 2015 - 05:29pm PT
John M "I have forgone HEALTH CARE many times. I hate begging, so have never asked for help."

As a Canadian that statement is almost incomprehensible, Health Care is a right not a benefit. I have never understood how the richest country in the world can have such an abysmal health care program, and why even those that would benefit the most from a universal health care system, rally against it?

The Canadian system isn't perfect, but if we have health issues , it cost us ZIP, we even got to keep our house and savings.

And no we don't pay higher taxes for universal health care.

"In the U.S., the lowest tax bracket is 15% at $8,500 and to 25% at $34,501. The bottom Canadian bracket stays at 15% until $41,544. This is the bulk of the reason that lower-income Canadians are often better off than Americans in an identical tax situation. The richest Americans at 35% whereas the top federal tax rate in Canada is 29%. Rich Americans, however, have access to many tax deductions that Canada's Alternative Minimum Tax does not allow.
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Mar 30, 2015 - 11:23pm PT
hey there say, feralfae.... awwww.... :)

i meant humble, as to attitude, ... :)

it is a lovely way to live... :)

perspective, too, as to the inner man, even though you do have the other sweet treasures, i can see the inner you... :)

you have your many treasure of life's trail, in their proper places and that comes from all that you have been taught, along the way, and things that you knew were good to learn, from your elders...


we all can learn, from that too, and pass that on...
making life richer for others, then...


thanks for the added adornments, that make nice sparkles,
kind of like the fun-things that we gardeners love to add to our gardens, when really the lovely garden is all we need... :)

the bits of sparkles make nice memories, of our life's gleanings...
Flip Flop

climber
salad bowl, california
Mar 31, 2015 - 12:35am PT
Impoverished. Why do you ask?
feralfae

Boulder climber
in the midst of a metaphysical mystery
Mar 31, 2015 - 08:20am PT
Rolfr
The Canadian system isn't perfect, but if we have health issues , it cost us ZIP, we even got to keep our house and savings.
And no we don't pay higher taxes for universal health care.


Right! And our taxes would be half what they are if the government was not spending more than half of every tax dollar on warfare all over the Earth! The price of even one tank or humvee would cover health care for a lot of people.

Locker, you are spot on. The war-mongering media ignore the incredible travesty of war and its aftermath. Our local VA is not able to help all of the returned or returning veterans with terrible cases of PTSD, not to mention physical wounds. But the psychic ones seem to be the worst. And I used to think wrath was the worst evil, but I now think it is greed.

Neebs, yes, you are right, it is an attitude. (well, you know me better, so you know . . . ) Doug and I lived simply but comfortably, and were so happy we could do so in peace. And there is little that I have accomplished along the way on my journey that was not accomplished with great help from angels who showed up along the way just when I needed them. :) As a little girl, a well-respected and successful watercolor artist saw my drawings and she helped me for years to develop my own art. Later, the nuns at college were incredibly supportive and loving, and gave me unlimited encouragement. Northwestern was a haven where I truly blossomed while lecturing there and then running the research center, although I was not doing art there, but other stuff. And since I have been here in Montana, I have had wonderful artists from all over the world help me to develop my talent for my present body of work.

I think it is so very important that as politicians try to separate us and cause us to fear and hate each other, we humans look around and help our neighbors, get to know them, be a good neighbor, and reach out when they need help, or we need help. It is hard to know how to help someone far away (but Oxfam and AFSC come to mind) when we cannot personally discover their needs, but it is fairly easy to help those close to home. It is how we build community. And closer, it is how we build tribe.

So, that's the rest of the story. :) Now, neebee, I need to write a private note to you. Watch for an email. :)
feralfae
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Mar 31, 2015 - 12:39pm PT
MooseRemember

to look for the elephant in the room.

He's the poorest guy.
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Mar 31, 2015 - 01:48pm PT
Same as it ever was.
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Mar 31, 2015 - 02:24pm PT
hey there say, the warbler...

ahhh, 'tis good, though, 'the balancing act'...

keeps our minds and heart, agile, toward the ' success of the balance' ...

:)
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Mar 31, 2015 - 02:26pm PT
hey there say, feralfae... will wait for the email... say, i have a card for you, soon, too, :)


ahhhhh, and:

MOUSE is in the HOUSE...

:)

SNUCK in through the ol' hole in the library wall...
happy good day mouse... though i know you have 'snuck out' by now, and gone for mouse-coffee, perhaps... :)

edit:
coffee made FOR mouse, not coffee made of mouse...
must CLARIFY here at the taco... one never knows how words my be seen,
juggled, and digested, ;) and spread out and about... :)
zBrown

Ice climber
Brujò de la Playa
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 31, 2015 - 02:29pm PT
hey there say, take two - The Warbler - it's time to take up (or return to) surfing.

On second thought, being a surfer isn't as safe as it once was, so no mouse, not always the same as it ever was.

Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again after the money's gone
Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
Roughster

Sport climber
Vacaville, CA
Mar 31, 2015 - 03:08pm PT
I have been poor, as in squatting in an abandoned house living on my own when I was 16 poor. I put myself through school , then my wife. Now, we are closing in on making an unreal amount of money annually together since I got promoted last week.

I am currently in Panama.

Other than traveling and brewing beer, my wife and I both pretend we are poor. We have made some hard choices and chose to suffer short term for long term gain. Regardless, at most turns we were near dire straits. Even in my current position, if I lost my job and my wife lost her job it would be tough to retire without some notice.

This country is really messed up and is ever stacking the odds further and further against what I accomplished. If you vote Republican, you are part of the problem, PERIOD!! Don't kid yourself into anything else.

I also agree we need to cut the country welfare aka foreign aid. For the next few decades, it should be America first. The amount of money our country sends abroad is shameful considering how bad it is getting right here at home.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Mar 31, 2015 - 03:41pm PT
Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Proletarier aller Länder vereinigt Euch!)

You know you want to! [YMMV]
zBrown

Ice climber
Brujò de la Playa
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 1, 2015 - 09:54am PT
Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) has twice authored legislation – which he will reintroduce again this year – to tax carried interest compensation at the same ordinary income tax rates paid by other Americans. Certain investment managers – including private equity managers – now benefit from a loophole that allows them to pay a reduced 15 percent tax rate on income received as compensation, rather than ordinary income tax rates up to 35 percent that all other Americans pay. Rep. Levin first introduced the measure in 2007 and it has passed the U.S. House four times as part of broader measures since then. It has yet to pass the Senate.

Probably safe to conclude Romney is rich

Gov. Mitt Romney disclosed that he received $13 million in “carried interest” in 2010 and 2011, compensation that was taxed at the 15 percent capital gains rate ...

Not singling out Romney, but he did after all want to be President.

Romney released his 2010 tax return in January of this year, a document that first informed voters about the existence of his Swiss bank account and financial activities in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands. But people who own foreign bank accounts are required to file a separate document with the IRS that provides additional details on such overseas bank holdings, and Romney has not released that form to the public.

FBAR's in the news.

http://intltax.typepad.com/intltax_blog/fbar-1/
Tobia

Social climber
Denial
Apr 1, 2015 - 05:20pm PT
A co-worker once told me that he was "so poor that he had to get up every morning before going to bed". That was just about 31 years ago to the day and I've yet to figure out how poor that is.
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Apr 1, 2015 - 05:31pm PT
Here's the deal about how medieval men could tell the difference between the rich and the poor sections of town.

The rich paid some guys to haul off the waste from their privvies.

The poor just let it wash away when it rained, which made the stench even worse.

It's partly why Paris had such a good sewer system, relative to most towns.

Let's not forget London in the early nineteenth century, too, when its population grew so fast that their sewer system was clogged 24/7 until Parliament got sick of the reek of the Thames.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Bazalgette

[Click to View YouTube Video]
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Apr 2, 2015 - 08:38am PT
http://www.npr.org/2015/03/12/392332431/dirty-old-london-a-history-of-the-victorians-infamous-filth

While you are visiting the privvy this morning, or having your breakfast, here is some absorbing reading matter which you can look at on your electronic gadgets.

Bon apetit.

Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Apr 2, 2015 - 08:50am PT
"He's got to be king, he's the only one without sh#t on his face."

And what Rielly said was
"Proletariat of all countries, unite!
TWP

Trad climber
Mancos, CO & Bend, OR
Apr 2, 2015 - 09:02am PT
Let's not forget Beck's Axiom.

"At either end of the social spectrum there lies a leisure class."

For example, Warbler can rejoin the leisure class (and be rich) any day he wants (like once daughter no longer needs a home with Dad).

Sell the San Diego "mansion", slide down the social spectrum, live off the income from his equity, and live the life of leisure. Sounds rich to me.

P.S. Above description sounds like what I've done. Been retired since 2004 after selling off the Durango llama ranch property and living off the income from principal. Principal hasn't gone down, so no need to work. So now all I do is climb, ski, do yoga, meditate, play golf, travel, play ukelele and enjoy life with my lady. I could look around and decide I was "poor" because so many pubas and plutocrats have million (hey billions) more than me. I choose otherwise.
zBrown

Ice climber
Brujò de la Playa
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 2, 2015 - 09:08am PT
TWP - Yeah, but what about the llamas?


Just outa curiosity how much does a llama ranch go for? Was it one of those Alpaca wool schemes that are so popular in Southwest Colorado? I'm still waiting for ostrich ranching to take off.

(http://www.ostrichs.net/AboutOst1.html )

A bit of friendly advice, you may want to move "the lady" portion of it to the top of your list (and as they say on the ol' ST (though I can't remember where I saw it), make sure she comes first).



Finally, just where and how often did Beck lie?

mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Apr 2, 2015 - 09:20am PT
Rich doin's at COR. Poor doin's just stayed home.Senor Llama, LTWP to the peons.
Messages 81 - 100 of total 107 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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