Should I laugh or cry?

[gunman42782]

Don't know weather to laugh or cry about this. Well, I got a dollor an hour raise at work. I work 50 hours every week. I took home $13 more on my check. $13. Un-freaking beliavable. What incentive does anyone have to work these days? The more money you make (and believe me guys, I don't make that much) the more they rob you. All the while prices of everything going up everyday. Don't think $13 more a week will quite cover it. Like I said, I don't know weather to laugh or cry about it. I am much appreciative of my boss thinking I deserve the raise, believe me, I aint bad mouthing him at all, it is the government that robs from the working man to give to lazy bums that wont work

[MikeBjerum]

Quit complaining!

It is greedy people like you that work those hours that aren't paying your fair share!  How did we let you get away with that much?  I know, you used that evil pretax deduction called a 401k to hide some of your excess money from us so you wouldn't have to pay your fair share.

Now get your butt back out there so I can get my food stamps you lazy bum!

[gunman42782]

Whats a 401K?  Hell, I don't have any benefits whatsoever.  None.  No health, no retirement, no nothing.  If I get hurt or sick, I am screwed.  Wonder if they would let me on welfare, as I have worked my whole life. 

[Timothy]

Been there before.

Some years back I received about 500 bucks a year raise or about .25 cents and hour.  My take home pay went DOWN about four bucks a week because I entered a different tax bracket for the state.

[Rastus]

The "fairness" of our federal government knows no bounds these days.  It is terrible what they do to people, like you, who work for a living.  As the government demands (ultimately by court order and the barrell of a gun) more and more of our labors there is less and less left for us after we sweat out at work.

I've observed for a couple of decades now that we compensate by working harder and longer as possible which leaves us less on the personal end of our time.  Which of course means less time for our families, our interests and to take care of our necessary personal needs.  

We are close to the point where working more is completely senseless.  My normal time is 45-48 hours a week now, down from the 55+ I was putting in.  I just stopped doing more and let it go.  That did not help my personel evaluation, but I am healthier for it.  

Over the decades working people have worked, paid taxes and got on with their lives.  Now the intrusion is such that we should pause and inject ourselves into the political process.  Working more doesn't "pay" and the thieves elected to government apparently don't know when to quit.  I don't think we'll change our plight by changing out some guy on top....it's going to take us all working at the grass roots level running for dogcatcher, alderman, mayor, whatever on a local level to begin to restore our nation back towards what we have lost.  To that end I'm active in local and state politics and you would be surprised what a dozen or so people can cause "the machine" to offer and how incredulous they look at you when you turn down a deal.

[Sponsor]

[alfsauve]

It's too late.  Especially for the children. 

Almost HALF of the country doesn't pay taxes.   AND THAT's half that aren't claimed as a dependent on someone else's return.   If you add them the number skyrockets.

http://blog.heritage.org/2012/02/19/chart-of-the-week-nearly-half-of-all-americans-dont-pay-income-taxes/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell

[twyacht]

Geez, with the "extra" $40 your gettin in the payroll "tax cut" and the $13 bump,.....see? That's 53 bucks dude.

That's ammo money,...gas money...We're gonna need it as we smoke through $4 a gallon easily by Spring.

So once again,...it all works out...

(heavy sarcasm was rampant in this post)....

tw

[Timothy]

Geez, with the "extra" $40 your gettin in the payroll "tax cut" and the $13 bump,.....see? That's 53 bucks dude.

That's ammo money,...gas money...We're gonna need it as we smoke through $4 a gallon easily by Spring.tw

We're at $3.70 here already!  Spent 80 bucks yesterday filling up both my cars!

Thank goodness I don't have a job right now!  That should last me at least a month....    


Where the heck is that sarcasm emoticon when you need it?

[Tyler Durden]

It's too late.  Especially for the children. 

Almost HALF of the country doesn't pay taxes.   AND THAT's half that aren't claimed as a dependent on someone else's return.   If you add them the number skyrockets.

http://blog.heritage.org/2012/02/19/chart-of-the-week-nearly-half-of-all-americans-dont-pay-income-taxes/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell

that is why I have been harping on going with a flat sales, a high Federal flat sales, and ditching the income tax and tax returns entirely.

and my logic is this, for example. look at all the illegals that are working cash on the barrelhead jobs....they are not getting any income tax deducted....so the only way to capture any sort of tax off them is to have a Federal flat sales tax... they still have to buy groceries, and toilet paper, and tools, and clothes.

the other plus side to this whole flat sales tax idea is that there is none of this class warfare 99% vs. 1% B.S.

my take home amount is usually right about 60 to 66% of my check stub amount.  I'd gladly forego paying FITW, FICA, etc, and get my 33% back, and then pay a 25% sales tax (anonymously) at the cash register.

[tt11758]

I have a friend who is an MD.  A few years ago he had a heart attack and had to slow down.  He started seeing 5 fewer patients a day, and as a result took a $20,000 cut in his gross pay.  Apparently it dropped him into a different tax bracket, because hi take-home pay went UP $10,000 a year.

Ok, once again the age-old question............why do we punish people for being successful?