Half of congress are millionaires. Does it bother you?

[DustOnDaBotl]

Okay, 85 people in the U.S. are richer than and own more than the rest of the population. 2% of the population are millionaires while the middle class is fading out of sight. Am I the only person outraged that these blood suckers are making their fortunes off those who have the least to give? Apparently it doesn't bother our legislators. At least half of them are living comfortably within the laws and rules they either create or have the power to change. Why should they trifle with the ones who are struggling to "climb the ladder" when they're living in comfort?
PLEASE do not come at me with a redistribution of wealth being a socialist concept! That is not at all what this is about.
My question is this.: Why does the general population continue to elect the "haves" and refuse to seek out visionaries who can actually bring about real change instead of these money grabbing cardboard cookie cutter politicians who have run us into the ground?

 

[FGB]

Well now....

That depends.

Did they become millionaires before or after they got in office!

 

[Que]

Good idea for a thread. You might ask Laurel if she could move it to the political forum for you. I could see this as a good place to post corruption stories.

Well now....

That depends.

Did they become millionaires before or after they got in office!

Exactly the concern. Harry Reid went into office as a failed lawyer. He and every single member of his extended family are now multi-millionaires.

It is only recently that the rules about insider trading have been changed to include information not available to the public that members of congress have access to.

Even more concerning is the number of exiting congressman that get even richer as defense contractor consultants or lobbyists.

 

[DustOnDaBotl]

Many of them were rich before they were elected, and many more became rich afterward. But why would that make a difference? They now hold the keys to the kingdom so to speak and do you think for a second one of them would create a law that would level the playing field for ALL Americans?

 

[Que]

Many of them were rich before they were elected, and many more became rich afterward. But why would that make a difference? They now hold the keys to the kingdom so to speak and do you think for a second one of them would create a law that would level the playing field for ALL Americans?

I hope not. The only way people level fields is by dragging soil from the high side. You never see them trucking in soil to raise the low spots. Ends up with the high side lacking topsoil and the low-side still has the marshy problem it had before.

Best thing to do is terraces. Each field of play has to abide by agreed upon rules and anyone is welcome to make the incremental step up to the next arena with some effort.

The only way to make a millionaire and a pauper equal overnight is to give the pauper 1/2 a million that you stole from the millionaire.

In a week the pauper has far less than 500K and the millionaire will be headed for his second earned million. Look at lottery winners. Sudden wealth is no prescription for success in life.

 

[DustOnDaBotl]

I hope not. The only way people level fields is by dragging soil from the high side. You never see them trucking in soil to raise the low spots. Ends up with the high side lacking topsoil and the low-side still has the marshy problem it had before.

Best thing to do is terraces. Each field of play has to abide by agreed upon rules and anyone is welcome to make the incremental step up to the next arena with some effort.

The only way to make a millionaire and a pauper equal overnight is to give the pauper 1/2 a million that you stole from the millionaire.

In a week the pauper has far less than 500K and the millionaire will be headed for his second earned million. Look at lottery winners. Sudden wealth is no prescription for success in life.

Oh, I see your point! Those who have millions at their disposal are deserving of a better lifestyle! I finally get it! Because they've earned a fortune or had it handed to them as heirs makes them more competent at managing their money affairs than that low life who dug ditches and broke his back all his life then bought the winning lottery ticket. Okay. Point taken.

 

[Curmudgeonly]

This is EXACTLY my point! That 15% you speak of could be a mandatory deduction instead of tax after tax after tax to support a failing program. Not only is the SS system doomed to fail through lack of workers to support it, but it has been hammered upon and borrowed from time after time by the government sealing its eventual fate.
So why don't our officials do something concrete and sustaining about it instead of raising their own wages and passing a rice paper thin law now and then?
I totally agree with you. If the general population had something of real intrinsic value to look forward to on the horizon, there would be a shift in the lower/middle class demeanor. But the status quo offers them nothing other than struggling through life, robbing Peter to pay Paul and leaving nothing behind for their progeny. Isn't a better life for their children every parent's dream?

I am encouraged to see that you have given this more thought than I anticipated. I misread the direction...you were headed.

The rich vs poor divide is pushed by Statists on both side who understand there are more poor voters, and more money in rich donors to fleece...

...while they...and their cronies...profit from it all.

 

[ms_ann_thrope]

Money can't buy me love, but it can buy a reasonable facsimile.

 

[Que]

Money can't buy me love, but it can buy a reasonable facsimile.

A friend of mine has a youthful girlfriend of 19. She needed to print something that she got in her email from officials in ABQ. I mentioned that the company motel will accept a fax.

She says, "What's a fax?'

 

[FGB]

If a man is smart enough to become a millionaire before he runs for office I feel a little bit better about him or her unless the are after raw power.

It's hard to bribe a man who feels they have all the money they need.

 

[ms_ann_thrope]

A friend of mine has a youthful girlfriend of 19. She needed to print something that she got in her email from officials in ABQ. I mentioned that the company motel will accept a fax.

She says, "What's a fax?'

Is that some kind of new fangled telegram?

 

[DustOnDaBotl]

This is EXACTLY my point! That 15% you speak of could be a mandatory deduction instead of tax after tax after tax to support a failing program. Not only is the SS system doomed to fail through lack of workers to support it, but it has been hammered upon and borrowed from time after time by the government sealing its eventual fate.
So why don't our officials do something concrete and sustaining about it instead of raising their own wages and passing a rice paper thin law now and then?
I totally agree with you. If the general population had something of real intrinsic value to look forward to on the horizon, there would be a shift in the lower/middle class demeanor. But the status quo offers them nothing other than struggling through life, robbing Peter to pay Paul and leaving nothing behind for their progeny. Isn't a better life for their children every parent's dream?

 

[DustOnDaBotl]

I don't know your reasons for editing your post. Your statements were quite valid.

 

[Balladeer08]

What bothers me more about them is that hardly any of them have served in the military, or have children who have.

 

[DustOnDaBotl]

What bothers me more about them is that hardly any of them have served in the military, or have children who have.

I hate to go there, BUT, now that you brought it up, (heh heh heh), my son has seen no less than 4 deployments in "hot" zones. Twice in Iraq and twice in Afghanistan. He will most likely be ordered to go to another since he is an active sergeant in the U.S. Army with the combat engineers. He's served faithfully in a forward position for nearly half of his 11 years of service. When his military career is over, he may retire with a few grand per month as payment for having risked his life unquestioningly for his time in the military.
Yet, our senators and representatives feel they're entitled to a better retirement for life because they sat behind a desk and voted, (or didn't vote due to absenteeism), than my son and his comrades who have not only laid their very lives on the line, but in many cases have paid the price.

 

[Balladeer08]

I hate to go there, BUT, now that you brought it up, (heh heh heh), my son has seen no less than 4 deployments in "hot" zones. Twice in Iraq and twice in Afghanistan. He will most likely be ordered to go to another since he is an active sergeant in the U.S. Army with the combat engineers. He's served faithfully in a forward position for nearly half of his 11 years of service. When his military career is over, he may retire with a few grand per month as payment for having risked his life unquestioningly for his time in the military.
Yet, our senators and representatives feel they're entitled to a better retirement for life because they sat behind a desk and voted, (or didn't vote due to absenteeism), than my son and his comrades who have not only laid their very lives on the line, but in many cases have paid the price.

Are you an elected representative? Or are you saying that bothers you too?

You might want to check the photo in this thread: http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=1127503

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

I hope not. The only way people level fields is by dragging soil from the high side. You never see them trucking in soil to raise the low spots. Ends up with the high side lacking topsoil and the low-side still has the marshy problem it had before.

Best thing to do is terraces. Each field of play has to abide by agreed upon rules and anyone is welcome to make the incremental step up to the next arena with some effort.

The only way to make a millionaire and a pauper equal overnight is to give the pauper 1/2 a million that you stole from the millionaire.

In a week the pauper has far less than 500K and the millionaire will be headed for his second earned million. Look at lottery winners. Sudden wealth is no prescription for success in life.

People who are poor don't know how to manage money. If they knew how to manage money they wouldn't be playing the lottery.

You could make a millionaire & a pauper equal if you teach the pauper how to earn & handle money.

 

[Disgustipated]

People who are poor don't know how to manage money. If they knew how to manage money they wouldn't be playing the lottery.

You could make a millionaire & a pauper equal if you teach the pauper how to earn & handle money.

One of your dumbest posts ever. Holy fuck.

 

[DustOnDaBotl]

I am encouraged to see that you have given this more thought than I anticipated. I misread the direction...you were headed.

The rich vs poor divide is pushed by Statists on both side who understand there are more poor voters, and more money in rich donors to fleece...

...while they...and their cronies...profit from it all.

Exactly! When the deck is stacked, the poor man can stay in the game only so long. But the man who can afford to stay in will at some point hold all the cards.
We just elected a governor in Illinois who was able to spend 26 million to get elected. How much can he write off? I don't know. He is worth several million more. Will he bring change? Doubtful.
We also re-elected a senator with a 29 year tenure in Washington. Is he going to bring change to the most indebted state in the union? Don't make me laugh!
Money and cronyism are the key. And as long as we allow that to work for them, the worse things will get for us.

 

[Que]

People who are poor don't know how to manage money. If they knew how to manage money they wouldn't be playing the lottery.

You could make a millionaire & a pauper equal if you teach the pauper how to earn & handle money.

One of the biggest failings of our society is that we do not teach young people these things.

I came from reasonable affluence. My dad even more so. I watched my dad make mistakes his father would not have, and I have not always learned from the mistakes mine made.

When I struck off on my own with the clothes on my back, a rusty Firebird, and a couple of hundred dollars, I realized that even though I went to the grocery with my mom and was a good scratch cook, I had never paid any attention to what things cost. I knew from grumbling that our grocery bill for nine people was high. I knew a trip to the store was often $200, but I had no idea how often that was. What corners could I cut?

I was vaguely aware that peanut butter was something even the poor ate, so I bought a loaf of bread, a jar of marmalade, a jar of peanut butter (more than I expected it to be so I guessed the number of servings), 4 oranges and 8 avocados because they were 8 for a dollar and I had no idea if the store would allow me to buy one for 12.5 cents.

I survived and thrived by trial and error.

Equality is about opportunity, not outcome. No way to meaningfully measure outcome and account for all of the variance in opportunities grasped or squandered. Public libraries are free; there is nothing a rich man knows that you cannot learn from a book.

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

One of your dumbest posts ever. Holy fuck.

I'd love to know why. Let's hear it.

 

[DustOnDaBotl]

I'd love to know why. Let's hear it.

I have to respond to this one. I saw another, but yours by far was the front runner!
Ask the minimum wage earner, say a woman whose husband left her high and dry to raise a family of 2, 4, or even six kids. She was born with a learning disability, yet she busted her behind to support hose children all her life. Couldn't afford health care so she was labeled a leach on society because she had to resort to public aid.
Or the man who busted his chops on a hot roof trying to take care of his family, but fell short because some politician somewhere decided that man's worth was so much less than his own.
Are you really that moronic? Do you think every person in this country can reach the same pinnacle as our self serving politicians or pompous degreed sons and daughters of decadence? Or do you think they're simply undeserving?

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

I have to respond to this one. I saw another, but yours by far was the front runner!
Ask the minimum wage earner, say a woman whose husband left her high and dry to raise a family of 2, 4, or even six kids. She was born with a learning disability, yet she busted her behind to support hose children all her life. Couldn't afford health care so she was labeled a leach on society because she had to resort to public aid.
Or the man who busted his chops on a hot roof trying to take care of his family, but fell short because some politician somewhere decided that man's worth was so much less than his own.
Are you really that moronic? Do you think every person in this country can reach the same pinnacle as our self serving politicians or pompous degreed sons and daughters of decadence? Or do you think they're simply undeserving?

Never said everyone would.

You really think there are people out there who can't learn something about money management?

The roofing guy is a different situation. It sounds like he has a skill but is being screwed over by a politician.

 

[Disgustipated]

I'd love to know why. Let's hear it.

Rich people fuck up money. Some poor people manage their money as best they can without ever playing the lotto.

Here's where you ask another dumb question.

 

[richard_daily]

It's hard to bribe a man who feels they have all the money they need.

Can you name one?