# Tea Party congressman only has 400k leftover! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 19, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826 "2011-09-19T14:18:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/181 "2011-09-20T14:29:46Z")
> [@Lago\_Ys-Transform](#): > > Why is investing equally or more desirable than just outright spending it? If I rent a video + buy candy from Blockbuster that’s 10 dollars that the corporation and its workers are seeing _right then_. My saving that money until a future date on the hopes that I use the money to found a bank or sandwich shop or whatever A) may not happen at all B) may not actually be a solvent/profitable model and C) is not going to get anywhere unless Blockbuster employees actually have some cash to burn. Because D) it may be part of an investment that blossoms and that $10 grows to a value (to society) of $100, and an idea that benefits society much more than you watching a movie and Blockbuster getting $10. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/182 "2011-09-20T14:32:46Z")
> [@Zeriel](#): > > With the current rate of cash-hoarding by businesses and the slowdown in investment, I don’t really think you can accurately say that. “The rich” can afford to move purchasing to a standstill and not affect their own standard of living, whereas the middle class is going to be more likely to save less and pick up a few more luxuries and the poor will likely spend it all on necessities. > > Since jobs are by and large driven more by demand than supply, moving more money down the economic ladder will result in more money moving and more jobs in almost any scenario you can think of. No, I stand by my statement. It is a benefit to society to have guys with chunks of capital they can invest. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/183 "2011-09-20T14:45:37Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > …reality is that some of his help is probably part time high school and college kids. For them, a hundred bucks a week may be fine… An anecdote is not a data point, even less so is a hunch. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/184 "2011-09-20T14:58:39Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > …So you really, really think he meant that his family eats $200k of food? Please. Let’s not knee-jerk to the ridiculous. Did you notice that I also mentioned clothing and utilities? Isn’t 200k a little high for all of that? Whatever he meant, it sounds like he’s out of touch with his own family’s finances. Unless you take “feed” to also include things like mortgage, vehicles, golf club memberships and who knows what else, and that’s really stretching the meaning of feed. Stretching it to the point that I have to wonder if he wasn’t perhaps being a little disingenuous with it’s use. Especially when you realize that he also has a six figure congressional income. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/185 "2011-09-20T15:18:19Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > No, I stand by my statement. It is a benefit to society to have guys with chunks of capital they can invest. Right–if they invest it. But if there’s no demand, they have no incentive to invest until/unless they have an idea that can create that demand. Those ideas are not as valuable right now since we’re in a recession. Moving money to the folks with extant demand and no liquid assets will result in the money getting spent/invested instead of saved in cash funds, which will ultimately put those blocks of capital into the hands of guys who will ACTUALLY invest instead of sitting on it. That’s actually a good idea. We should tax all non-investment savings above a certain amount–maybe the FDIC cap. Especially on corporations. Create jobs with all yer money, or the government will do it for you, bitches. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/186 "2011-09-20T15:20:27Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Did you notice that I also mentioned clothing and utilities? Isn’t 200k a little high for all of that? Whatever he meant, it sounds like he’s out of touch with his own family’s finances. > > Unless you take “feed” to also include things like mortgage, vehicles, golf club memberships and who knows what else, and that’s really stretching the meaning of feed. Stretching it to the point that I have to wonder if he wasn’t perhaps being a little disingenuous with it’s use. Especially when you realize that he also has a six figure congressional income. Especially when the average household in the US is “Feeding their family” on 1/4 of 200k. Cry some more, rich guy. I feed on your sweet, sweet rich-guy tears. Woe is you, having to survive and make investment decisions on a mere thirteen times as much as the average household has to play with. What the fuck will you do if that goes down to 10x? Probably starve in the streets, or find some random Galt-topia to take your shitty sandwich empire to. No chance at all you’ll stick with what you know and roll in slightly less money, no sirree. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/187 "2011-09-20T15:31:12Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > No, I stand by my statement. It is a benefit to society to have guys with chunks of capital they can invest. It is, but only if there’s demand for whatever it is they’re investing in. At the present time, the wealthiest part of society is sitting on huge amounts of money. They’re not willing to invest it because they know there’s no demand for the products or services they would be investing in. I can’t argue with them for that. That’s good business sense. So what’s needed is demand. Once there’s demand the investment money will start to flow. It’s already there. They don’t need more of it. They just need consumers with cash. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/188 "2011-09-20T16:38:39Z")
Zeriel, what makes you say that he was whining or complaining about anything? ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/189 "2011-09-20T16:49:24Z")
I wouldn’t say he’s whining. This isn’t like the guy complaining that his $250k salary didn’t leave him hardly anything after his mortgage, retirement contribution, private school tuition, etc. But he’s definitely propagandizing for supply-side nonsense. If hiring more workers and expanding his business could genuinely increase his profits, then he would have already borrowed the funds to do it. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/190 "2011-09-20T17:18:04Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > then he would have already borrowed the funds to do it. What you lefty nuts don’t realize, though, is that Obama interest rates are through the roof, at this point and this puts an unreasonable burden on the poor–what’s that? Really? No shit? Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/191 "2011-09-20T17:38:00Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Zeriel, what makes you say that he was whining or complaining about anything? “by the time I feed my family, I have maybe $400,000 left over.” When you’re complaining that you cannot afford a tax increase because you only have 10 times as much as the entire income of the average household in your country, you are whining. If I can afford a tax increase, and I can (easily, especially if the Dems man up and give me my single-payer), he can too. If my dad doesn’t bitch about tax increases, this idiot can shut his noise tube. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/192 "2011-09-20T17:54:42Z")
But what makes that statement “complaining you can’t afford a tax increase”? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/193 "2011-09-20T17:59:27Z")
The phrasing. “feed my family” $200,000 to feed his family? This makes him sound both whiney and out of touch. “I have _maybe_ $400,000 left over.” This turn of phrase makes it sound like $400,000 is just chump change. _Maybe_ $400,000. How sad for him. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/194 "2011-09-20T18:10:12Z")
Sounds that way to you, EP, but it doesn’t mean that that’s what he meant when he said it. I think it’s also reasonable to say that “feed my family” is shorthand for “pay living expenses” and “maybe” means “approximately.” ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/195 "2011-09-20T18:18:33Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > But what makes that statement “complaining you can’t afford a tax increase”? It’s the fact that the entire interview was about him saying he couldn’t afford a tax increase. Did you watch the video? ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/196 "2011-09-20T18:52:27Z")
> [@ataraxy22](#): > > I bet this dumbass feels really inferior to the Tea Party Congressman that has $500k leftover. > > Seriously, when are these shitstain Tea Party freaks going to realize that making as much money as possible and “optimizing” profit margins is not the be-all and end-all of human existence, that the measure of a person’s character is based on how they treat other people, including those less fortunate than themselves, and the rush for more! more! more! is tacky and paradoxically declasse? Ayn Rand called. She says she hates you. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/197 "2011-09-20T18:52:36Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Sounds that way to you, EP, but it doesn’t mean that that’s what he meant when he said it. I think it’s also reasonable to say that “feed my family” is shorthand for “pay living expenses” and “maybe” means “approximately.” Even if "feed’ means “pay all living expenses”, $200,000 is still way more than enough to pay the living expenses of 6 people; and “approximately” does not mean “give or take $150,000”. At least that’s not how most people use the word. He’s saying that it costs somewhere in the range of $200,000 a year to pay the living expenses for 6 people. Actually, if you take his Congressional salary into account, the figure is more like $360,000. Regardless of whether or not that includes clothing, the mortgage, utilities, transportation. 6 cell phone accounts, or food for the freaking goldfish, the vast majority of 6 person families get by on a lot less than that. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/198 "2011-09-20T19:01:04Z")
This argument reminds me of the clueless athletes trying to retain fan favor while simultaneously earning their obscene salaries: they would complain that they “had to take care of their families’ needs,” blithely neglecting the fact that most fans would think that $100 million contract would take care of their kids (and their kids’ kids) for life quite nicely by normal standards. That was whining, in the service of getting more money than most people ever see, and so is this whining. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/199 "2011-09-20T19:11:00Z")
Zeriel, I did watch the video, and I posted my reactions above. I don’t think you will ever realize that your interpretation is only your interpretation, so I’ll stop trying to fight that bit of ignorance. Davidm, so what? It doesn’t matter how much other people make or spend–the fact that other people spend less than him doesn’t mean he’s whining or complaining. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826/200 "2011-09-20T19:20:41Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Zeriel, I did watch the video, and I posted my reactions above. I don’t think you will ever realize that your interpretation is only your interpretation, so I’ll stop trying to fight that bit of ignorance. Pot, kettle. I’ll accept the cursory denial of that, naturally, as just par for your trollish course along with your silly pretensions of complete reasonableness and even-handedness. Whining is whining, and anyone with an after-tax income of more than $100,000 is whining if they complain about taxes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-congressman-only-has-400k-leftover/596826.md?page=11)