Tuesday - March 12, 2013

This Can’t Be Right

I read a post at SBPDL today that referenced an article at The Hill, wherein Barbara Lee (D-CA) is almost saying that the Sequester is raaaaacist because it will have the strongest impact on the Black community, because 20% of their workforce works for the government.

That got me thinking. And then I saw last year’s report from The Heritage Foundation that shows that 20% of our entire population is dependent on government handouts, and that does NOT include the people who work for the government.

Then I looked around a bit, and finally found what seems to be a fair answer to that old chestnut “How many people work for the government?” And the answer, when all is said and done, sub-contractors included, is 40 million people. And this is last year’s answer, m’kay? 40 million. 17% of the labor pool, and since Wikipedia pegs the overall population at a hair under 309 million, that’s also 12.944% of the total population. Do the tiniest bit of rounding up to bring the data up to date, and we’ve got 33% of America either working for, or getting a check from, the government. This includes the federal, state, and local levels.

But still. 33%. A solid third. 103,000,000 people. One in three. 1/3 of the American population, supported by the government in one way or another. Which means the taxes paid by the workforce that represents the other 2/3, plus whatever trillions gets borrowed from the rest of the world.

And, as you’ve heard a hundred times, half the population neither pays taxes nor is represented on a tax return by people who do.

Don’t forget that all those 40 million government workers are theoretically part of that income tax paying group NOT in the above graph. And it’s a really easy argument to posit that they don’t really pay income taxes except on their investments, since their income is derived from tax redistribution. That makes the bite that much sharper for anyone with a job that actually contributes to a real GNP.

This is all rolled together and called “Spreading the wealth around”. Every two citizens who pay income taxes are supporting a third citizen to a greater or lesser extent.

We are Greece.  Or at least we can see them from our house.


Just something to keep in mind when the Left and the Media tear into Paul Ryan for the next several days for his utter horrible intransigence in delivering a budget plan today that would eventually reel in some amount of excessive government spending. In a few years. And pay off the national debt in another 2 generations.

House Republicans unveiled an ambitious cost-cutting plan Tuesday that would balance the budget in 10 years without raising taxes, while repealing ObamaCare and overhauling entitlements—a document Democrats are sure to reject but could be used as a negotiating tool in talks with President Obama.

Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., chairman of the House Budget Committee, is sticking by controversial proposals, including one to give future Medicare retirees the option of using government payments for private health care plans.

The plan warns of a looming debt crisis, and endeavors to pay off the debt by 2050. 

“We are addressing the most predictable debt crisis in this country’s history,” Ryan said Tuesday. “Our plan will balance the budget and pay off our debts.”

In response, the White House issued a statement complaining that the plan does not include tax increases for top earners and said the president believes it is the “wrong course for America.”

The wrong course for America? Hey butthole, what other course do we have left? Total bankruptcy and complete insolvency?

70% of federal spending is for handouts. Entitlements. Spreading The Wealth Around. A third of that money is borrowed from abroad.

But never mind that, you silly wage earners. It’s time to get out your 1040 forms and Pay Your Fair Share. Too bad you can’t get a deduction for your 103,000,000 dependents.

Here is some more info on the “2014 Ryan Budget”. Yes, he’s keeping Obama’s tax hike. DUH. That’s the only sane way out of this morass. “Take less, spend nothing” works, but it’s too damn drastic. “Take more, spend less” works too, and also raises the value of the money that you have left by reducing the currency supply. This is the only approach that will work, whether it’s “fine tuned” up or down a bit. But if it gets “tuned down” to the zero point, then it’s another pile of worthless crap, and the proverbial can gets kicked down the road again. Problem is, the end of the road is in sight. And it isn’t very far away. If anything, the Ryan budget needs to be made fiercer. Bigger cuts, faster. And then, perhaps in 10 years when there is clear evidence that things are improving, then we can cut the taxes severely. Granted, I would like to see two alternates, one that throws out Obamacare and ALL it’s additional taxes, and another that throws out Obamacare and HALF it’s additional taxes. Run the numbers and see where either one pushes the horizon to. Because it’s going to be hell dealing with a massive tax increase right now.

Which is EXACTLY what the Democrats are planning. Give Obama a nickel, and he’ll cry for a dollar. It’s only your fair share after all, right? That’s happened already. It’s not an anecdote. Too much is never enough for Teh Won.

Posted by Drew458     on 03/12/2013 at 02:50 PM   
Filed Under: • Economics • Government • Taxes •  
• Comments (1) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

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