some thoughts

Posted on February 17, 2009 by Sonja

So I was catching up on some reading of the blogs I follow.  One blog I recently started following is Diane Medved’s “Searching for Bright Light“.  Mrs. Medved is a psychologist (I think, Mr. Medved usually introduces her as “Dr. Diane Medved”) and wife of radio talk show host Michael Medved.  I enjoy her wit, her insight and her perspective.  

(which causes me to comment, David Boze, another local radio guy has his wife on occasionally and I would love to read her blog, if she had one!  She’s great, but I supposed both of these women have to be, being married to whom they’re married.)  
In the post I was reading, Dr. Medved was talking about taxes and the capping of CEO’s salaries. Recently I’ve discussed with friends the stimulus package and other things about taxes (I still cannot believe how much we will probably owe and how much we’ll need to set aside for next year).  Dr. Medved’s comment stuck out to me – she said, “We must remember that government is an “it” and has no money of its own–just what it coerces under penalty of imprisonment from its citizens.”  This is so true!  In my discussions with people I’ve said that – the stimulus money is not the government’s – it’s OURS!!  They’re just giving it out to “more deserving” people.  
all that to say, I really wish the government would just let us keep our own money and let us stimulate the economy ourselves.  In the article Dr. Medved was reading, the CEO employed tutors, nannies, and drivers.  He also went to expensive restaurants, which employed people; bought expensive clothes, which required special people to make them; had a house in the Hampton’s which required a real estate agent, bankers and people to keep it clean; and did other things with his money that help the economy.  He did all this with only 1/2 of his $500K/year, because the government took the other half!  Imagine what he could do if he’d had all his money to spend.  
Sometimes I think the government just wants to punish people for working hard and achieving the American dream.  A friend of mine said it used to be you worked hard to get the American dream and now people want it handed to them right now.  Jeff said the American dream used to be more about working hard to get what you wanted, not just getting what you wanted.  I think we have become a selfish nation, one that believes everyone owes us something and gosh darn it, they’d better give it to us.  I don’t know if that is the whole nation, though, or just a small, but outspoken minority.  
What do YOU think?  
(seems a silly question to ask, since no one ever reads this, but what the hay.  now I sound like my Dad.)
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About Sonja

I am a wife, a mom, a homeschooler, a Christian, a scrapbooker, a cook, a baker, a reader, and a thinker. I am many other things, too, that are not so easily defined. Right now, God has been calling me to be faithful in what He has given me to do – to be the best wife, mom, homeschooler, friend, etc. that I can be. In essence, He has told me to “bloom where I’m planted”.
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  • I agree with you that the more money we keep, the more we can stimulate the economy. But I also believe that we need to live within our means and not over spend. I believe that companies that take gov’t bail out money need to be accountable for every penny they spend. At this point, I will never buy a GM car because they took billions in bail out money and still laid off over 10,000 people.
    We have become the entitlement society. The people in college right now expect a corner office and a starting salary of 100k a year. But we did it to ourselves. Parents give kids whatever they want, I see 10-12 year olds with cell phones, more than one gaming system and their own computer. Then we wonder when they have a tantrum at age 16 because they didn’t get a new car!
    Oh my, I am on my soapbox! I just wonder what it’s going to take to fix this mess we are in.

  • I heard an interesting discussion on this on WHO radio (des moines) about the “stimulus” package. The speaker thought that the government should not collect FICA taxes for the year (which would equal the amount that they want for this recent package) and then the American people would then be able to spend those $$ at the local level which would stimulate the local economy which would stimulate the state economy which would stimulate the national economy. I think less government the better!! Seems like our FREE country is moving toward something that is not freedom. Just my thoughts 🙂

  • Hubby

    But we didn’t get into this mess because people overspent, we got into it because they over borrowed.

    Saving money isn’t what the economy needs right now, in fact many who oppose the stimulus package figure that people are going to do just that with the $8 or so more a week that they might get…save it or use it to pay off debt, which does absolutely nothing to create jobs.

    And if the companies that get government money get told what they can and can’t do with it then shouldn’t individuals who get government money have the same requirements?

    To fix this mess they should do what Reagan did to fix the mess he got from Carter…CUT TAXES!

    If Obama and Congress cut the payroll tax, the would save and create jobs the very next day.

  • I agree with the guy in Des Moines, Mary. I didn’t realize until this year (!) that employers had to pay a payroll tax – above what they take out of one’s check. It is the same as the self-employment tax, just separated out. The self-employment tax (our way of paying FICA) taxes 15% of what we earn (up to, but not over $102,000). If you are not self-employed, your employer takes out 6.5% from your check, but then also has to pay 7.5% extra. So regular employees don’t see how much the government taxes them. And minimum wage isn’t $8.50, it’s $8.50 plus 7.5%! These taxes are not income tax. They are separate from that. If the government would cut FICA (or just get rid of it), I cannot imagine the relief that would ensue. The FICA tax causes a lot of people (small business owners) to go out of business. So relief from this would work wonders.
    anyways, that’s my two cents.
    and I liked what Jeff said, too. 🙂