Steve,

I have no problem with someone being rich; I have a problem when I pay a
higher percentage of my pay to taxes than they do.

Please don't tell me you are so naive that you think that the wealthy always
pay a higher percentage in taxes. Fortunately, one overhaul in social
security plugged one big hole. Social security used to be based on the
highest three earning years in the last 10. I knew one businessman that
paid himself quite poorly, taking most of the money as unearned income (thus
exempt from social security). Fact is, I know a businesswoman doing the
same thing. What happens is they start paying themselves handsomely the
last few years (and paying those payroll taxes too). As a result, they pay
over 20 or 30 years half what others pay and collect at 100% social
security. Unfortunately for both of these folks, they changed social
security so it is based on the 30 highest earning years, so now they get a
lot less. But that loophole existed for years.

Why is it that these "compassionate" conservatives can stand by and watch
school districts with 30 plus students in a classroom whilst a suburban
school has only 20 per class and every 8th grader receives a *laptop
computer* and honestly believe that everything is just fine? How did New
York state, in calculating aid to school districts, manage to count every
student in NYC as 0.7 student?

You are gullible at best. I'm not mad at you, just upset at priorities in
this country. Remember too that the whole world is watching this country to
see if our actions anywhere correspond to what we are saying. If I were a
European nation, I'd not only be a bit skeptical, I'd be nervous too.

73,
Jim AA2QA



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