# Why do the world's Joe the Plumbers think tax cuts for the rich benefit them? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 22, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-worlds-joe-the-plumbers-think-tax-cuts-for-the-rich-benefit-them/507334 "2009-08-22T18:39:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-worlds-joe-the-plumbers-think-tax-cuts-for-the-rich-benefit-them/507334/301 "2009-08-31T16:21:50Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Well, I’m curious to hear your response to my post, which was the one you said you were going to respond to in the first place. I await it patiently. So, how’s that working out for you, **Max**? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-worlds-joe-the-plumbers-think-tax-cuts-for-the-rich-benefit-them/507334/302 "2009-09-01T00:47:27Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > For another, we think it’s unjust – simply by virtue of paying the same percentage in taxes, rich people pay a great deal more in dollars than poor people and we see no good reason other than class envy and confiscatory government as to why the rich should pay disproportionately. You think a flat tax is disproportionate!!? When I hear something like that, I want to explain the difference between arithmetic & geometric functions, which is beside the point, but might help. Let’s put it this way. The real question is how much opportunity & power (in the form of money) is left after a person is taxed. At anything more regressive than a flat tax, a wealthy person ends up keeping a disproportionate share of his earnings. **That’s** disproportionate. > [@](#): > > And the biggie – the definition of rich keeps getting defined down as the government discovers more and more that there aren’t enough rich people after all, thus ever lowering the threshold by which they disproportionately take our money. (The average Joe gets up in the morning and goes to work for the government (federal, SS, Medicare/Medicaid, state, city, property, etc.) roughly six months of the year as it is, so it’s harder to tax him. But it can be done if they can convince him they will only raise taxes on other people, and then include him in that group later on.) Well, considering the massive private fortunes that have been made in the last thirty years, that wouldn’t have to happen if we’d kept progressive tax rates & indexed them to mean incomes or something. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-worlds-joe-the-plumbers-think-tax-cuts-for-the-rich-benefit-them/507334/303 "2009-09-01T02:05:50Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Search term: **Starving Artist**. Parameter: last 2 days Result: 15 posts > > You’ve been seeing other threads, haven’t you? That’s what you’re so “busy” about. Oh, sure, lots of sweet talk and promises about what you’re just about to do, but some other, younger thread sashays by, and you’re gone… He’s been Freeping down by the docks again. Look, there’s Cheet-o dust on his collar. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-worlds-joe-the-plumbers-think-tax-cuts-for-the-rich-benefit-them/507334/304 "2009-09-01T13:56:59Z")
Fortunes are made and lost everyday in the gambling casino called the stock market. Like all games after a while the fix is in and the system is gamed. These people make money by creating money without creating a product. They do not employ people in the making of a product. They do not add to the general welfare. But for some reason, they should have tax breaks? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-worlds-joe-the-plumbers-think-tax-cuts-for-the-rich-benefit-them/507334/305 "2009-09-01T15:50:20Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Originally Posted by **Rhythmdvl** > > Der Trihs, given the contentiousness of UHC, wouldn’t/shouldn’t you then be concerned about the same type of administration taking over and doing the same thing? How to protect against such a travesty? Build in protections too strongly, and you get the “see, creeping socialism! see, they want you to be dependent! see, they’re creating a bureaucratic monster!” and so on. > > > > I believe that this is part of the debate that’s getting drowned out. There is a legitimate concern that Palin could be president (oops, sorry about that, should have warned!) and pull a FEMA on the agency. > > The problem with that argument is that that is the sort of people and sort of organization we _ **already** _ have running our health care. And at least we can vote out a government that does something like that > > As has been said before; arguments like this only work if you assume that America is uniquely evil or incompetent. But, but – isn’t that what you ALWAYS assume? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-worlds-joe-the-plumbers-think-tax-cuts-for-the-rich-benefit-them/507334/306 "2009-09-01T16:49:58Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > But, but – isn’t that what you ALWAYS assume? > > 😛 Well played. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-worlds-joe-the-plumbers-think-tax-cuts-for-the-rich-benefit-them/507334.md?page=15)