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Wednesday, August 15, 2012

I WANT to work hard doing what I do AND get paid well...

As it has been known to happen, a Facebook rant has given birth to the real blog so here goes. THANKS FOR YOUR CONVERSATION, PARTICIPATION AND MOTIVATION!

I don't want wealth redistributed to me. I don't want to win lotto. I WANT to work hard doing what I do AND get paid well for it (much more often). I want to EARN more money. This would allow me to give more than I do to my church and to my kids and to feed a poor kid on the other side of the planet and to other causes that are very dear to my heart. (Rescuing people from sex trafficking, rebuildi
ng Haiti.) Which means I don't want the government to tax the rich to the point where they can't afford to pay me to entertain them. And I would like the government to not try to tell me what I can and can't feed my kid at school or what size soda I can buy. I would also like the government not to take it upon itself to try to undo the morals and values I have taught at home. That's not so wrong, is it?


Sharon Frazier-Verpooten I agree to all except what kids eat at school, my friend. Here's why: I have seen countless kids who get FREE breakfast and lunch climb out of their expensive cars with their Starbucks hot chocolate and giant muffin. And then they throw the free yogurt away. Then, I am evaluated on their test scores when they are crashing from that sugar rush. I'm becoming more and more a fan of charter schools and would like to see parents have a little more responsibility for their kids' education. If all parents were like you, yes, I would say feed your kids whatever you want to!

Grace Sauser What you say has merit.....but to say that those are the things Obama is trying to do (which is what I extrapolate from your comment and what I know about your political leanings) is a big over reach. Tax rates are at some of the lowest rates, for the top tax bracket especially, that they have been since income tax was implemented. As for morals in your home, teaching that we should not repress others who believe differently than we do seems to be a very Christian value to me. As for what food is served in public schools, they are a government institution and there are no controls on private schools. The poorest among us get free/reduced lunch/breakfast so it's really class warfare not to attempt to feed them something healthy. fresh Produce is the most expensive type of food, so school may be the only place they get it. I'm simply a humanist and can't see how someone affording an $800 pair of jeans is more valuable to society than ensuring that people have food to eat.......and trust me, those with resources aren't going to stop wanting to be entertained no matter how much they pay in taxes:)

And back to me...
Tax rates ARE at a relative historic low for the top earners. But that does not necessarily mean that they are at a "fair" level. I think a flat tax would be the most fair way to go about taxation. Not to overly spiritualize the conversation, I think if God only REQUIRES 10% of our income of anyone, the government should try working with the same model. I think it has always been the hubris of governments to demand more than God does.

Good nutrition is very important but the cases of cronyism taking the place of parental judgment are a problem. And I know there is no perfect solution for careless parents and/or kids that will always try to find the tastiest least healthy way to get their grub on :-( In other news, NOBODY needs $800 jeans but they do have the right to waste their hard earned or even hard inherited money. I do believe though the middle and lower spectrum of venues and entertainment seekers would benefit from less taxation. As entertainers, we are a luxury, and are among the first to get hit when the belt gets tightened. I believe we'd ALL benefit from the government taking less in taxes, spending less, spending more wisely and not overriding parental rights.

I KNOW I am a tolerant, reasonable, non-repressive person but I see more and more of my values being legislated against and treated intolerantly. We are only human and there are no perfect systems, presidents, candidates or governments. I have chosen to live my life according to the word of my God. This does affect all aspects of how I live and how I treat people. I DO treat people with respect and compassion even when I don't agree with them. I desperately try to never insult or coerce anyone. But there are standards that I live by, that I don't try to force on anyone, that I am scarcely allowed to speak of without being labeled something I am not. I LOVE HAVING THE ABILITY TO SPEAK CIVILY about the difficult topics of our time. I just don't want to lose that. And I do honestly fear that these days.

1 comment:

Please keep it civil. Disagreement does not have to be disagreeable. Thank you so much! I look forward to your input!