Wealth redistribution

[Rookie120 0]

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Being both affordable and government subsidized they don't have enough employees for peak hours at the post office. That's expected, and I can visit the post office off-peak, pay for pickup, etc. when that's unacceptable.

Do you know how much stuff the USPS contracts out. Go to a Fed-EX hub and look at how much US mail is loaded everynight. Hell at the airline I work at I watch them load up tons of cargo for the USPS on a daily basis. The USPS don't do it all on there own.

If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!

[FallingOsh 0]

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So how much should you be paying for the privilege of working in an advanced society with effective political, educational, communications, distribution, water, sewer, highway, legal, etc. systems that enable you to be successful?

How much should the lower 50% pay to live in a country that provides government programs for them to live off of?

You're still making the argument that only the successful should pay. Only the succuessful should pay for living in a land of opportunity. Everyone else doesn't have to pay "dues," as you put it. You scream life should be fair while preaching inequality.

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Stay positive and love your life.

[Gawain 0]

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Fed-Ex, UPS, and DHL all provide door-to-door letter and package delivery

Not nearly the same. The Post office is Govt run and both them and UPS make tons on the parcel service.

The USPS does not operate on tax dollars.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[normiss 891]

with 100% success.

[Butters 0]

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The US Postal Service is the exception to the rule. Everything else the governement touches they royally fuck up.

That's because the United States Postal Service is an authoritarian regime.

It can be argued they are a private company with limited goervernment agency powers.

I've worked for the United States Postal Service ... they were an authoritarian regime (but the wage was worth the temporary lack of individual freedom).

"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

[Butters 0]

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Fed-Ex, UPS, and DHL all provide door-to-door letter and package delivery

Not nearly the same. The Post office is Govt run and both them and UPS make tons on the parcel service.

The USPS does not operate on tax dollars.

They operate on bills, junk mail, and the occasional package.

"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

[kelpdiver 2]

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Fed-Ex, UPS, and DHL all provide door-to-door letter and package delivery.

Let's remove DHL from the conversation, since they do such a shitty job of it. If you have a homemaker at home all day, or are a business, they work, but if you're not, it's days before you get your letter/package, and a nice long journey to the docks during the work day.

[kallend 2,146]

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So how much should you be paying for the privilege of working in an advanced society with effective political, educational, communications, distribution, water, sewer, highway, legal, etc. systems that enable you to be successful?

How much should the lower 50% pay to live in a country that provides government programs for them to live off of?

You're still making the argument that only the successful should pay. Only the succuessful should pay for living in a land of opportunity. Everyone else doesn't have to pay "dues," as you put it. You scream life should be fair while preaching inequality.

STRAWMAN, try again.

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Rookie120 0]

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Without a profit motive, the government can do better than private industry.

Say What? Tell me a Govt office that screams efficiency. IRS? Ahhh, no. FAA? LOL Thats a funny one. FEMA? Maybe if you not dying of thirst in New Orleans after a huricane. DOT? OOP's, sorry about that bridge fallin down. Yeah the Govt is doing a fine job and those agencys are just the tip of the mountain.


Ship something overnight from the east coast going to the west overnight and see ifit makes it there with the USPS. They hire Fed-Ex to haul it anyway. Ever wonder how the USPS does overnight with no airplanes.

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(shorter wait times

What post office are you going to? You need to come to Plainsboro and I bet your tune would change. The one in Princeton isnt any better. NYC? Forget it!

If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!

[mnealtx 0]

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THAT will result in worse economic issues.

I have a few friends with small businesses.
They cannot afford to provide healthcare for employess now.
Tax "incentives" don't interest them. It will NOT create "jobs" that do not currently exist.
If they have 20 employess now and are required by the government to provide healthcare, they'll have 10 employees when they do provide this healthcare.

NOW tell me how this is good for the economy again?

You've just laid support for universal care / nationalized medicine and I couldn't agree more.

So we can have $8/gallon gas, ~20% Value Added Tax and exhorbitant tax rates to pay for it all, like Germany? YAY!!

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[kbordson 8]

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So how much should you be paying for the privilege of working in an advanced society with effective political, educational, communications, distribution, water, sewer, highway, legal, etc. systems that enable you to be successful?

How much should the lower 50% pay to live in a country that provides government programs for them to live off of?

You're still making the argument that only the successful should pay. Only the succuessful should pay for living in a land of opportunity. Everyone else doesn't have to pay "dues," as you put it. You scream life should be fair while preaching inequality.

STRAWMAN, try again.

I was actually curious to see what intelligent reply from you might be on that comment.

[Gawain 0]

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So how much should you be paying for the privilege of working in an advanced society with effective political, educational, communications, distribution, water, sewer, highway, legal, etc. systems that enable you to be successful?

The more important question is this, since you're willing to assume that you're more qualified than we are, how much are you willing to pay? Are you willing to change your behavior as you seem to advocate in us evil conservatives? What if it means that you'd have to stop flying your plane? Or stop driving your pre-emissions MG (how's the repair going anyway?)?

Did you know that you can over pay your taxes, not request a refund and you won't get money back?

Certainly you're willing to let the government decide for you, so why not actually let them and give them all your money? You could do that, request a refund (which you'd get without interest) and live off the IRS in a way...

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[Ron 10]

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The USPS does not operate on tax dollars.

They also don't pay many taxes...How many Postal vehicles do you see with license plates?

"Jim Kelly of UPS says that the Post Office has an unfair advantage and should be subject to the same rules as private carriers, such as paying taxes, following state and local regulations, and being subject to antitrust laws"

The Post Office also has the sole right to deliver 1st and 3rd class mail.

"Competition in "extremely urgent letters" is allowed under certain conditions: The private carrier must charge at least $3 or twice the U.S. postage, whichever is greater (other stipulations, such as maximum delivery time, apply as well); or, alternatively, it may be delivered for free"

And the Govt has fined private companies for using private carriers:

"Carriers, as well as mailers, are supposed to comply with the laws against using a competitor to mail an overnight letter that is not extremely urgent. A violation can occur at a home or a business where letters originate. But, since nonurgent letters can be mailed covertly through private carriers USPS has found it difficult to enforce. However, companies such as Bellsouth and Equifax have been investigated and fined for mailing nonurgent material through private overnight delivery services"

So, the USPS may not run on tax dollars, but they also don't PAY many taxes, have a monopoly by law, and have actually fined people for using private companies.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[rehmwa 2]

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We are NOT a nation of equal opportunity, contrary to streetscooby's claim/

So could you please define "equal opportunity"? It more and more looks like you have a special definition which you won't tell us (and which is probably a moving target).

Imagine this - 10,000 marathon runners

the top 100 runners get to go barefoot on glass
the other 9,900 runners force the top 100 runner to buy them roller skates. Everyone is tied together with 3 foot lengths of rope.

BANG - the race starts. The 100 top runners have to push the 9900 others at the beginning to get the going. If the 9900 others have people that sit, a top runner comes in and carries him. But most are happy to skate along. The 9900 that skate make very loud statement that those that are carried are the real problem, and they make the rest of them look bad.

Middle of the race - the top runners go to the front and pull the 9900 along the route. The 9900 are allowed to throw rock at the top 100, encouraged actually. 10 of the top runners take duty carrying water and snacks amongst the 9900

End of the race - the top runners have to move to the back of the pack and push the 9900 through the finish line first.

Post race celebration - the top 100 runners are cut up and barbequed and served to the 9900


next year - 9900 show up to run and are pissed that no one else showed up with new skates.



no that's equal opportunity!!


Edit: post race note - strangely enough, the 10 that carried food and water, let's call them DNC Politicians, didn't get eaten at all. They were spared, and actually the skaters think they are all right. End result? Now there are only 10 good runners as 90% of the competition were eaten. They are now running marathons elsewhere and doing really nicely.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Thanatos340 1]

All the analogies are Ridiculous and far fetched.

How about:
Everyone born and raised in this Country has an Opportunity to Succeed.

For some that opportunity will be easy and for others that same opportunity will be more challenging but the opportunity is there.

The Government will not and should not try to make the Opportunity equally challenging for everyone by making it harder for some, they should focus on making sure the opportunity exists and try to make it easier for everyone.

And those that achieve that success should not be punished for doing so. Everyone should contribute to society. Everyone should pay some portion or contribute in some fashion so that other may have the opportunity to succeed in the future.

Having a very small percentage paying the vast majority of the costs while others pay nothing is not fair by any standard.

[Andy9o8 2]

Since the end of the 19th Century, and maybe earlier, this country has always been about redistribution of wealth. The middle class of which most, if not all, of you are part would not exist without it. And the formula, at least since the early 20th Century, has always consisted of a hybrid of earning it and redistributing it through taxes. The debate, for the past 100+ years, has always been mainly about the formula. Research the writings of the times - the rhetoric and talking points between the Democrats and Republicans of 100 years ago looks like it was written yesterday. People act like this is some sort of latter-day revelation, but it's far from it.

[kallend 2,146]

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So how much should you be paying for the privilege of working in an advanced society with effective political, educational, communications, distribution, water, sewer, highway, legal, etc. systems that enable you to be successful?

How much should the lower 50% pay to live in a country that provides government programs for them to live off of?

You're still making the argument that only the successful should pay. Only the succuessful should pay for living in a land of opportunity. Everyone else doesn't have to pay "dues," as you put it. You scream life should be fair while preaching inequality.

STRAWMAN, try again.

I was actually curious to see what intelligent reply from you might be on that comment.

The comment was inaccurate.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[kallend 2,146]

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Having a very small percentage paying the vast majority of the costs while others pay nothing is not fair by any standard.

Define "fair".

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[kallend 2,146]

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So how much should you be paying for the privilege of working in an advanced society with effective political, educational, communications, distribution, water, sewer, highway, legal, etc. systems that enable you to be successful?

How much should the lower 50% pay to live in a country that provides government programs for them to live off of?

You're still making the argument that only the successful should pay. Only the succuessful should pay for living in a land of opportunity. Everyone else doesn't have to pay "dues," as you put it. You scream life should be fair while preaching inequality.

How much can the government raise by taxing the homeless?

If you need to raise money, you go where the money is.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[pirana 0]

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The US Postal Service is the exception to the rule.

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Good thing they dont issue most of them guns though isnt it.

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Can you explain? I'm missing your point.

NO....


must not........


do.......



it.....

will.......

not......

Allow me.

What does it mean when the flag at the Post Office is at half mast?






They're hiring.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[kallend 2,146]

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Since the end of the 19th Century, and maybe earlier, this country has always been about redistribution of wealth. The middle class of which most, if not all, of you are part would not exist without it. And the formula, at least since the early 20th Century, has always consisted of a hybrid of earning it and redistributing it through taxes. The debate, for the past 100+ years, has always been mainly about the formula. Research the writings of the times - the rhetoric and talking points between the Democrats and Republicans of 100 years ago looks like it was written yesterday. People act like this is some sort of latter-day revelation, but it's far from it.

The concept of "fair tax" is absurd. All taxes are arbitrary. The government needs $X in order to operate and fulfill the wishes of the voters, and it raises that money in the way that causes the least loss of votes. That is all.

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[kallend 2,146]

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So how much should you be paying for the privilege of working in an advanced society with effective political, educational, communications, distribution, water, sewer, highway, legal, etc. systems that enable you to be successful?

The more important question is this, since you're willing to assume that you're more qualified than we are, how much are you willing to pay? ...

Not so clever evasion.

So how much do you think someone who doesn't actually work, making, say, $1M a year off of investments SHOULD pay?

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[pirana 0]

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So how much should you be paying for the privilege of working in an advanced society with effective political, educational, communications, distribution, water, sewer, highway, legal, etc. systems that enable you to be successful?

That question is so loaded, leading, and comes from an obviously very highly biased point of view. Not sure it can even be touched without opening 18 other cans of worms.

Since my taxes pay for those services, using them and benefiting from them is definitely NOT a privilege. They are services I pay for and expect to be performed in a satisfactory manner. People I am paying to perfrom a service are doing so on my dime - - regardless of whether they are a government or private employee.

So, just the use of the word privilege is completely incorrect - - and reveals the bias of the person asking the question.

It's a market for my skills; and my question is how much is somebody willing to PAY ME for my skills, not how much am I willing to pay to particiapte in the market.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[FallingOsh 0]

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How much can the government raise by taxing the homeless?

If you need to raise money, you go where the money is.

Right. The homeless are the only ones who don't pay taxes. This is the exact mindset that causes the problem. You only see three people. The rich, the middle-class, and the homeless.

I'll try the numbers again. Those seem to be like kryptonite. The lower 50% pay 3%. The lower 95% pay 43%. Here's a profound statement: the lower 95% of our population are not homeless.

I know you go where the money is. I know that the progressive tax schedule isn't anything new. The question is why make it worse? Why push it even further to fund government programs and hand outs to the lower 50%? The upper 1% pays 37%. How high do you suggest that go in order to be fair?

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Stay positive and love your life.

[billvon 3,107]

>Since my taxes pay for those services, using them and benefiting from them is
>definitely NOT a privilege.

They definitely are. You do not have the "right" to fly an airplane even though you pay for ATC, the NTSB and the FAA. You must pass a test (practical and written) obey a great many rules and regulations and maintain proficiency. If you do not, then you will not be allowed to fly, and telling the FAA official "I'll do what I please; I pay your taxes!" won't get you very far.

>It's a market for my skills; and my question is how much is somebody willing to
>PAY ME for my skills, not how much am I willing to pay to particiapte in the
>market.

Right. But if you're a web designer, you're not going to make much money without the Internet. If you're a trucker, you can work only when the government provides you with roads. All the skill in the world won't get an 18 wheeler over a muddy field.